FARMS
Why switch from chemical fertilizer to natural compost?
Compost is primarily composed of organic matter but also has fertilizer value. When soil is amended with compost and organic matter, nutrients are added to the soil. Because of this, compost has several important benefits in soil:
Breaks down slowly in the soil and releases nutrients for plant use over several years. Because of this, it is often called a ‘slow-release fertilizer’.
Increases soil water holding capacity and water retention and
can reduce the amount of irrigation water required.
Contains all 17 of the essential nutrients for plant growth to
help alleviate soil nutrient and micronutrient deficiencies.
Improves soil structure which enhances plant rooting.
Reduces soil erosion by improving rainfall and irrigation
infiltration rate on crop land.
Promotes the growth of soil microbes and fungi which is
important for healthy soil.
Increases the retention of nutrients by the soil which improves soil fertility.
Arrow Environmental produces and markets Class A compost at their Ingerbelle Compost Facility (ICF) in Princeton, BC. Arrow’s composts are made from food waste, yard waste, and other organic materials including municipal biosolids. These composts are excellent sources of nutrients and organic matter. Composting breaks down organic wastes (such as food waste, leaves, yard trimmings, wood and paper) into a stable, humus-like material. It is a biological process that occurs naturally in the environment – for example, when leaves and other organic materials decay over time. This same natural process is used to produce compost in commercial composting operations, but it is optimized to speed up the process and to produce a homogeneous, marketable product.
Compost can be used as a direct replacement for nitrogen fertilizer. If it is used as a nitrogen source, the application rate of compost should be based on the amount of available nitrogen in the compost, not on the total amount of nitrogen. Up to 10% of the nitrogen, 25% of the phosphorus and 85% of the potassium should be considered crop-available in the year of compost application.
Recommended Products for Agricultural Use
Premium Class A Compost
high-quality, finely screened product that is nutrient-rich with increased potassium and an adjusted pH, providing flexibility for use across different landscapes.
Enriched Class A Compost
Created with food waste, this compost is ideal for boosting and maintaining plant health over time. This product is a great soil additive for retaining moisture and supplying slow-release nutrients.
Application Rate Calculator
The tables below can be used to determine the amount of nutrients in Arrow compost and the appropriate application rate based on lab analysis of the compost. Prepared by Kate Bulmer, Agrologist with McDougall Environmental Consulting Inc.
Table 1. Suggested application rates of ICF compost for various crops
Use Table 1 for general recommendations for application rates of compost. Application rates are based on meeting the nitrogen requirement of the crop for the year of application. The suggested rates will also meet crop phosphorus and potassium requirements. The suggested rates are based on general nitrogen requirements of the listed crops.
Table 2. Nutrient content of ICF composts
If you have a specific nitrogen application rate for your crop, you should use the values in Table 2 to calculate your own compost application rate.
Note 1: For high nitrogen demand crops like corn or garlic, applying compost to meet crop nitrogen requirements may oversupply the soil with phosphorus. If you are in a designated phosphorus sensitive area under BC’s AEM Code and/or your soils have elevated phosphorus levels, consider using compost to meet part of the crop’s nitrogen requirement and supplement with inorganic nitrogen fertilizer.
Note 2: Suggested compost application rates are based on the amount of available nitrogen in the compost. Approximately 10% of the nitrogen in the compost will be available in the year of compost application. The remainder will remain in the soil and will be released slowly in small amounts over the following several years to provide partial crop requirements.
Grow Green, Save Green
We are working with the BC Climate Agri-Solutions Fund (BCCAF) and the Investment Agriculture Foundation (IAF) to help farmers tackle climate change by adopting beneficial management practices that focus specifically on nitrogen management. The goal is to have BCCAF cover the price difference when switching from a chemical fertilizer to a natural fertilizer such as NutriGrow compost. Contact us for help with your farm’s BCCAF funding!
To learn how we can help you, contact:
Cody Rose – Business Development, Soil Sales
cody.rose@arrow.ca | 778-257-0911