Quality parameters

&
analysis of compost and casing
 Substrates for growing mushrooms

Composted

Natural

Substrate Pasteurized Steam

As such Chemical

Autoclaved
 Button mushroom
Compost Casing
• Nutrient deficient casing
• For nutrition on which it
soil in which the suitable
grows vegetatively.
physico chemical conditions
stimulate the initiation
process of pin head
formation for fruit body
production.
 What is compost ??

• Compost is a physically and chemically homogeneous

medium to facilitate the growth of mushroom mycelium and
subsequently mushroom fruit bodies.
• The compost is prepared by either of the three different
methods such as
 Long method
 Short method and
 Total Indoor composting method
 Standard compost formula
• The formulations standardized and followed at ICAR-DMR, Solan
in the short method of composting at ICAR-DMR, Solan makes use
of
Wheat straw 1000 kg
Poultry manure 400 kg
Wheat bran 60-70 kg
Urea 14.5 kg
Gypsum 30 kg

• It is a saprophytic fungus and requires carbon compounds from

the agricultural waste materials and nitrogen from other sources
 C:N ratio

• The C:N ratio represents the relative proportion of the two

elements.
• Organisms that decompose organic matter use C as a source
of energy and N for building cell structure (needs more C
than N).
 When C is too high When C is too low
• If there is too much C, • When the energy source,
decomposition slows when the N carbon, is less than that
is used up and some organisms required for converting
die. available nitrogen into protein,
• Other organisms form new cell organisms make full use of the
material using their stored available carbon and get rid of
nitrogen. In the process more the excess nitrogen as
carbon is burned. Thus the ammonia.
amount of carbon is reduced • This release of ammonia to the
while nitrogen is recycled. atmosphere produces a loss of
• Decomposition takes longer, nitrogen from the compost pile
however, when the and should be kept to a
initial C:N ratio is much above minimum
30.
 Optimum
• A C:N ratio of 20, where C and
N are the available quantities, is
the upper limit at which there
is no danger of robbing the
compost of nitrogen.
• If a considerable amount of
carbon is in the form of lignin
or other resistant materials, the
actual C:N ratio could be larger
than 20.
• The C:Nratio is a critical factor
in composting to prevent both
nitrogen robbing from the soil
and conserving maximum
nitrogen in the compost.
Nitrogen content in different raw materials
Material Approximate N content
Wheat straw 0.4
Paddy straw 0.6
Soya straw 1.0
Sugar cane bagasse 0.8-1.0
Chicken manure 2.5-3.5
Wheat bran 2-2.2
Rice bran 2
Neem cake 1.5
Cotton seed cake 7
Sunflower cake 4
Urea 46
CAN 27
Ammonium sulphate 22
 Characteristics of good quality compost
After phase - I After phase - II
• Brownish throughout.
• Pieces of straw gleaming and • Dark brown in color, full of
wet. thermophilic fungi and
• Properly hydrated, around 72 actinomycetes.
- 75% moisture; when • It is soft, straw breaks rather
squeezed drops of water easily.
appear between the fingers. • Moisture around 64 - 66 %.
• Very heavy smell of ammonia. No liquid oozes when
• pH approximately around 8.2
- 8.5 squeezed firmly.
• Still sticky and slimy, hands • Pleasant sweet smell.
get dirty and wet. • pH should be neutral 7.2 – 7.5
• Nitrogen content between 1.5 • No stickiness. Hands stay
- 2.0% clean and dry.
• Ammonia concentration • N content > 1.8%
around 800 - 1000 ppm. • Ammonia below 10 ppm.
 Sampling procedure
• In virtually any type of agricultural analytical work the
results are greatly influenced by sampling.
• The sample should represent the whole compost lot.
• Collect at least 5 samples from a lot to minimize the errors
due to nutrient stratification.
• Sampling from different depths and different locations to
represent the whole lot
 Analysis of quality parameters

pH Moisture
• Defines the acidity or • Measure known quantity of
alkalinity of a medium sample and dry the sample
• Ranges from 0 to 14. at 60 C until we get the
standard dry weight
 Nitrogen and Ammonia

Nitrogen Ammonia
 Known sources of error in manure testing
Source of error Corrective action
Variable or heterogeneous sample Homogenize thoroughly prior to sub sampling.
Use larger sample size. Run replicate analysis.
Sample carry over on digestion Decontaminate equipment with cleaning
vessels or extraction between other solution between uses.
apparatus
Contamination of samples or Store samples, regents and equipment
equipment by lab environment separately.
Samples weighed processed or Run known reference samples at regular
analyzed out of order intervals
Inaccurate calibration solution Check new cal standards against old. Run an
content independent check sample to verify standards.
Drift in instrument response Use frequent calibration or drift checks
Blank values substantially above Use high purity reagents and deionized water.
detection limit Decontaminate sample containers between
uses.
 Monitoring steps for important quality
parameters during phase I
Parameter Likely outcome at the Suggested action to Likely outcome as
end of the phase I if no optimize key result of the action at
action is taken parameters the end of phase I
Core temperature
80 0C Lower thermophilic Turning / transfer of More homogeneous
population with substrate to an adjacent breakdown of substrate
minimal breakdown bunker after blending and
moisture supplementation
56 0C Optimum conditions Intervention not Homogenous substrate
for thermophiles and required breakdown
substrate degradation
40 0C Poor microbial activity, Need to supplement Microbial activity
low pH & NDM nitrogen and moisture & enhanced leading to
increase aeration rate higher core temperature
Parameter Likely outcome at the Suggested action to Likely outcome as
end of the phase I if no optimize key result of the action at
action is taken parameters the end of phase I
Moisture content
79 % High moisture content, Turning / transfer of Moisture content likely
could lead to anaerobic substrate to an adjacent to be reduced due to
condition & poor bunker after blending, increased evaporation
substrate quality increase aeration rate & rate & core temperature
core temperature
75 % Optimum moisture Intervention not Homogeneous
content required substrate breakdown
substrate quality target
achieved
70 % Low moisture content – Turning / transfer of More homogeneous
needs to increase substrate to adjacent breakdown of substrate
moisture content bunker after blending and
moisture supplementation
Parameter Likely outcome at the Suggested action to Likely outcome as
end of the phase I if no optimize key result of the action at
action is taken parameters the end of phase I
Ammonia
0.35 % High ammonia Ammonia content high, Homogenous substrate
content, high NDM increase aeration rate to breakdown, substrate
drive out excess parameters within
ammonia target
0.24 % Optimum ammonia Intervention not Key parameters
and NDM content required within target
0.10 % Low ammonia Need to supplement the Key parameters within
concentration & likely substrate to increase target
to be lower than ammonia content
optimum NDM
content
Parameter Likely outcome at the Suggested action to Likely outcome as
end of the phase I if no optimize key result of the action at
action is taken parameters the end of phase I
NDM
2.2 % High NDM associated Increase aeration / Ammonia concentration
with high core turning to reduce reduced
temperature & high ammonia & control
ammonia degradation process
1.8 % Optimum NDM Intervention not Substrate quality
content, ammonia and required target achieved
pH
1.4 % Poor microbial activity, Nitrogen NDM content near target
low ammonia & pH supplementation required
Parameter Likely outcome at the Suggested action to Likely outcome as
end of the phase I if no optimize key result of the action at
action is taken parameters the end of phase I
pH
9.0 High pH, likely to be Same intervention Lower pH and ammonia
high in ammonia protocol for high nitrogen
substrate
8.0 Optimum pH Intervention not Target pH achieved
required
7.5 Low pH, poor NDM Same intervention pH below target
content & ammonia protocol for low NDM &
ammonia
 Monitoring steps for key parameters during
phase II
Parameter Likely outcome at the end Suggested action to Likely outcome as
of the phase I if no action is optimize key result of the action at
taken parameters the end of phase I
Temperature at pasteurization
65 0C High compost temperature, Need to reduce Population of beneficial
could eliminate beneficial temperature to 58 0C thermophiles should
thermophiles, selectivity will increase
be retarded
58 0C Optimum substrate Intervention not Optimum population
temperature necessary of beneficial
thermophiles
50 0C Low pasteurization Need to increase Population of beneficial
temperature, weed mould & temperature to thermophiles should
pests present in substrate eliminate weed increase to optimum
mould and pests level
Paramete Likely outcome at the end Suggested action to Likely outcome as
r of the phase I if no action optimize key result of the action at
is taken parameters the end of phase I
At conditioning
55 0C High temperature for Need to reduce Enhanced microbial
conditioning stage, will temperature to optimize fixation of ammonia to
reduce microbial activity, conversion of ammonia form protein
high residual ammonia to microbial protein
45 0C Optimum temperature for Intervention not Optimum nitrogen
activity of thermophiles necessary content, low residual
optimum, optimum ammonia
conversion of ammonia to
microbial protein
30 0C Low temperature leading to Need to increase Nitrogen content near
poor microbial conversion temperature to optimize target value
of ammonia to protein conversion rate
Paramete Likely outcome at the end Suggested action to Likely outcome as
r of the phase I if no action optimize key result of the action at
is taken parameters the end of phase I
Air flow leveling
50 Longer time to achieve Increased air flow to Improved control of
m3/T/hr uniform compost 150-200 m3/T/Hr compost temperature,
temperatures in active, optimum leveling period
uneven temperature
compost
150-200 Compost temperature Intervention not Shorter leveling
m3/T/hr differentials resolved necessary period, conserved
faster ammonia
Paramete Likely outcome at the end Suggested action to Likely outcome as
r of the phase I if no action optimize key result of the action at
is taken parameters the end of phase I
Airflow – conditioning
50 – 100 Optimum airflow rate Intervention not Enhanced microbial
m3/T/hr during conditioning necessary fixation of ammonia to
form protein
150-200 Loss of useful moisture Reduce air flow rate to Retained compost
m3/T/hr with excessive air 50-100 m3/T/hr moisture levels
movement through less
active compost
Paramete Likely outcome at the end Suggested action to Likely outcome as
r of the phase I if no action optimize key result of the action at
is taken parameters the end of phase I
CO2 levels at pasteurization
1-2 % Low CO2, difficult to Reduce fresh air to Effective pasteurization
achieve target temperature, minimum necessary with minimal useful
selectivity retarded, useful substrate moisture loss
moisture loss
6- 10 % High CO2 necessary, but Intervention not Effective kill achieved
with sufficient O2 for necessary with optimum
survival of microorganisms microflora maintained
Paramete Likely outcome at the end Suggested action to Likely outcome as
r of the phase I if no action optimize key result of the action at
is taken parameters the end of phase I
CO2 levels at conditioning
1-2 % Optimum level for active Intervention not Optimum population of
microbial phase, effective necessary beneficial thermophiles
compost temperature
control
6-10 % Insufficient O2, low water Increase proportion of Effective temperature
vapour removal, fresh air control and optimum
temperature control microbial conversion
restricted & reduced restored
microbial activity