| Composting is the decomposition of plant remains and other once-living materials to make an earthy, dark, crumbly substance that is excellent for adding to houseplants or enriching garden soil. In nature, organic wastes are broken down through a combination of biological and chemical processes. Biological agents like worms, insects, fungi, bacteria and other micro-organisms "chew up" the materials. Good composting is a matter of providing the proper environmental conditions for microbial life. Compost is made by billions of microbes (fungi, bacteria, etc.) that digest the agricultural, industrial and municipal wastes that are provided. All of these will slowly make compost out of the different wastes under any conditions. The products of digestion are further transformed by oxidation (exposure to air), reduction and hydrolysis (exposure to water). In tropical and subtropical climates, which are warm so much of the year, composting rarely utilize the psychrophiles (low temperature bacteria). Most composting processes are started by mesophiles (medium temperature loving organisms) at mesophilic temperatures, the thermophiles (high temperature loving organisms) increase the temperature of the compost file into the thermophilic range. Microbes in the pile create considerable heat during the decomposition process and essentially "cook" the compost. Temperatures between 90 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit are common in properly maintained compost piles. These high temperatures are necessary for rapid composting as well as for destroying weed seeds, insect larvae, and potentially harmful bacteria and disease causing organisms that could be detrimental to the plants. Supplementation of the indigenous composting population with scientifically blended concentrations of selected, adapted, cultured and improved bacterial and fungal strains will increase the decomposition time and efficiency. These cultures are selected for better survival, faster exponential increase in population, enzyme production and organic waste degradation that will enhance the decomposting process of organic matter in compost production. The standard concept for the decomposting of lignocellulosic biomass starts with opening the fiber structure to make the sugar fractions available for metabolic action by different organisms. Microbes utilize enzymes like cellulase, xylanase, α-amylase, proteases and lignin-degrading enzymes to release sugars from cellulose, hemicellulose, proteinaceous materials, starch and other carbohydrates in the compost pile. Enhanced growth of desired microbial cultures in the composting heap will prevent the increase of undesirable microorganisms and vertebrates that produce undesirable odor, appearance and potentially pathogenic characteristics. |