Methods Organic Matter Management

The following points should be considered for proper management of organic matter.

1. Burning of crop residues (e.g., a common practice on sugarcane plantations) is not allowed in organic farming (exceptions may be permitted by the certification body)
2. Crop residues should be left on the soil’s surface (agroforestry systems) or mulched into the upper layer of the soil (arable farming).
3. Alternatively, crop residue can also be used as fodder or bedding for animals, or used directly as compost material.
4. Organic matter is created during the production and processing of several types of cash crops (coffee, bananas, sugar cane, etc.) and these residues should be returned into the cycle of nutrients on the farm. This is best achieved by mulching or composting, or by creating bio-gas with the resulting usage of any organic material left over.
5. Large amounts of pruning material are regularly given, especially in agroforestry systems, which are then also used as fuel. The nutrient-rich ashes (minerals like e.g. potassium) should then be fed back into the nutrient cycle via compost.
6. Farmers will need to decide just how much of the organic material created on their farm should be composted, depending on the site’s requirements. Each form of composting will inevitably lead to a certain level of nutrient loss and will increase the working costs.