Good Fruit Grower

April 15

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18 APRIL 15, 2015 GOOD FRUIT GROWER www.goodfruit.com Instead of requiring periodic turning to introduce oxy- gen, Stockdale forces air through perforated PVC pipes under the pile. The pipes are set up under the pile as 30-foot runs, with PVC pipes four feet apart. The system is designed so more runs can be added later if need be. The pipe and forced-air system costs around $700. The blower is set to force air through the pipes for one minute on a 30-minute schedule. The experiment began with pomace from 75 tons of grapes, which yielded a compost pile of about 60 cubic yards. "We were striving for bulk densities of 650 to 950 pounds per cubic yard, porosity of 35 to 60 percent, and moisture content of 60 to 65 percent," Stockdale said. "We believe those parameters should provide optimal conditions for composting." Early on, they mixed three parts pomace to one part woody debris (wood chips) in hopes of achieving a 30:1 carbon to nitrogen ratio. "We wanted to reach 131°F quickly for three days and then have temperatures drop to 110°F to 120°F for 21 to 33 days," he said. After that, the aim was to have temperatures of 80°F to 100°F for one to two months. Problems One of the first problems was pomace delivery tim- ing. Pomace loads came once a week instead of daily, which meant pomace had to sit for a week before the next addition. A cap of wood chips was put on the top to seal in moisture, odor, and protect the pile from animals and insects. "But we quickly learned we were getting too much large, woody material in the mix," he said. Moreover, portions of the pile reached high tempera- tures of around 160°F and created steam (resulting in worried calls from folks concerned about fire, although such temperatures are not unusual) while other parts of the pile showed inactivity and seemed dead. Daily tem- peratures of the pile, taken at various depths, showed that parts of the pile were working well, while other parts "not so much," he said, attributing temperature variations to inadequate mixing and too much woody material. The pile was broken down and remixed with new pomace material to create more uniform mixing and distribution of material. It was also hosed down several times to add moisture. "After that, things started hap- pening, and we started to see some decomposition," Stockdale said. Future refinements "We weren't convinced we were doing it right, so we made improvements," he said, adding that the research team screened out larger wood chips and then also ran the stems and leaves (which arrived separately from the skins and seeds and tended to stay clumped together in the pile) through a shredding machine. He believes shredding helped break down the material and has merit for future composting techniques. A recent additional demonstration using more finely shredded woody debris with food waste is starting to yield good results. "Our goal for next season is to use the wood chips and grape stems only after running them through a shredder," he said. "For the portions that didn't compost as well this first round, we have recently added some manure to restart the composting process." The results of the project are still to be determined, he noted. "Despite our mistakes we still ended up with some good compost from one portion of our trial. I think the system is worthy of exploring further as a low-cost, low-labor alternative to taking pomace to a landfill." Asked about the pile being odorous, he said there were some "earthy smells" initially. Educational information has been posted by the compost pile to help address any concerns about smell or insects. Special permits have not been required because the compost is to be used as mulch in landscape beds on campus, he says, and not on a food crop. There are exemptions, including those for agriculture, from the need to have solid waste permits, according to the Washington State Department of Ecology's website. Exemptions are based on feedstock type and volume and whether material is distributed off site or used on-site. Washington's Ste. Michelle Wine Estates recently began experimenting with the aerated static pile method of composting pomace at their Paterson location, but reports it is too early in the project for meaningful results. • Orchard Proven, University Tested 610 Central Avenue Billings, MT 59102 (406) 248-5856 1-800-735-5323 www.scentry.com Bee-Scent research data obtained from Dr. Dan Mayer, Washington State University For more information, call 1-800-735-5323 or visit www.scentry.com. Bee-Scent's natural, non-toxic pheromone ingredient induces the foraging behavior in honey bees, increasing the number of bee-to-blossom visits at each tree. The result is a higher percentage of blossom set and increased fruit yields. • Increase Fruit Set on Pears, Cherries and Braeburn Apples! • Increase Size Potential of Gala Apples by Increasing the Seed Complement! • Conforms to National Organic Program Standards • WSDA Organic Certifi ed Manni-Plex ® Advanced Foliar Nutrition Maximize crop genetic potential with MANNI-PLEX ® - the high performance foliar that gets micro- nutrients into plants at lighting speed. MANNI-PLEX greatly increases the absorption rate and movement of nutrients through the leaf into internal plant structure and tissue. 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