Agronomist notebook: Dealing with agricultural waste on farm

As a farmer, you will always generate plenty of waste from the different activities. This waste requires proper management to protect the environment and even curb spread of diseases on the farm.

For instance, after pruning tomatoes, you end up with plenty of waste, which should also not be left on the farm.

Another waste generated on the farm is from chemical bottles and seed sachets or containers.

The first step in managing the waste is to segregate it by putting it in different containers or places.

Biodegradable waste can be composted and used as manure on the farm for the next season. Non-biodegradable waste can be reused or incinerated.

Degradable waste should be collected from the farm and placed in a composting site.

Composting is the process by which organic waste is broken down by micro-organisms, generally bacteria and fungi, into simpler forms and thus can be used for soil amendments.

The heat generated during decomposition kills unwanted organisms such as pathogens and weeds.

Waste collection points

In case of composting, a well-constructed site is preferred to using a pit, which results in loss of nutrients due to leaching.

Moses, a farmer, has identified a site where he disposes the degradable waste.

At the place he has constructed two compost pits of 4m by 4m and 1m deep, which enables him to decompose the waste at different intervals.

Once one of the pits is filled up with degradable waste, he covers it with some soil and adds water to hasten the process of decomposition.

After four weeks, he moves the decomposing materials to the next pit while mixing it until it is ready to be taken to the farm for use as fertiliser.

For the non-degradable waste, he separates the reusable from the non-reusable and transfers reusable waste to the waste collection points.

He burns waste such as polythene sheets that cannot be reused. He rinses chemical bottles with clean water and later perforates them to ensure they are not used for any other purpose.

One should avoid burning them as some of the chemicals are highly explosive.

Crop support

Other waste on the farm can include worn-out drip lines, which should be collected and properly disposed of by burning them as they are not degradable.

When managing waste on the farm, it is vital to ensure one has adequate personal protective equipment to guard against infection or injuries.

So far, the tomatoes are doing well but we are working hard to curb the occurrence of fungal diseases such as blight by spraying copper-based chemicals.

We are also protecting our crop from Tuta absoluta infestation, which is still a major pest in tomato production. 

Our records are also up-to-date to ensure we are tracking all the activities taking place on the farm.

Crop support is on progress to ensure the management practices are effectively carried out.

In our next article, we shall look at some of the pests that we have battled in the last few weeks and how to manage them.

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