Slow heating: The pile does not heat up or heats up slowly.
Possible causes and solutions
1. Raw materials are too wet: add dry materials according to the ratio of materials and then stir the fermentation.
2. Raw materials are too dry: add water or wet materials according to the humidity so that the humidity is maintained at 45%-55%.
3. Insufficient nitrogen source: add ammonium sulphate with high nitrogen content to maintain the carbon to nitrogen ratio at 20:1.
4. Pile is too small or weather too cold: build up the pile, add easily decomposable materials such as maize stalks.
5. pH is too low: if the pH is less than 5.5, you can add lime or wood ash and mix well to adjust the pH of the digestate.
Pile temperature too high: The pile temperature is ≥65℃ during fermentation.
Possible causes and solutions:
1. Poor permeability: turn the heap regularly to increase the permeability of the fermentation heap.
2. The pile is too big: reduce the size of the pile.
Odour: There is a constant smell of rotten eggs or a rotten smell coming from the heap.
Possible causes and solutions:
1. The ammonia content is too high (C/N less than 20): use deodorant to disinfect and deodorise and add substances with a high carbon content such as: crop straw, peanut shells, rice hulls, etc.
2. pH too high: add acidic substances (calcium phosphate) to lower the pH and avoid using alkaline ingredients (lime).
3. Uneven aeration or poor air circulation: remix the material, change the formula.
4. Material pile is too dense: remix the pile according to the density of the material to add large material particles if necessary.
5. Anaerobic environment: turn the pile regularly to increase the oxygen content in the pile.
Mosquitoes and flies: Mosquitoes and flies are breeding in the compost heap.
Possible causes and solutions:
1. Raw materials are stacked too long before fermentation: process raw materials quickly, spray probiotic deodorant on the surface to reduce odour and mosquitoes.
2. Fresh manure covering the surface of the heap breeds mosquitoes and flies: turn the heap every 4-7 days and cover the surface of the static heap with a 6cm layer of compost.
Material caking: The fermented material of the pile has large parts with an uneven structure.
Possible causes and solutions:
1. Uneven mixing of raw materials or insufficient turning: improve the initial mixing method.
2. Uneven air flow or insufficient surround: Sort or crush the compost to improve air distribution.
3. Raw materials contain large and non degradable or slow degradable materials: sort compost, shred, sort raw materials.
4. The composting process is not complete: extend the fermentation time or improve the fermentation conditions.
