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permaculture - Re: [permaculture] [soilandhealth] Organic matter percentage

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  • From: Toby Hemenway <toby@patternliteracy.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] [soilandhealth] Organic matter percentage
  • Date: Mon, 26 Dec 2011 23:12:30 -0800

Although 50,000 lbs sounds like a lot, it's only about 20 cubic yards per
acre, 40 at most. So it's not that hard to boost SOM using compost (even
though I'm a big fan of mulches).

Toby
http://patternliteracy.com

On Dec 26, 2011, at 3:13 PM, Glenn Gall wrote:

On 9/18/2011 2:03 AM, m_astera wrote:
> How much compost or manure would one need to add to raise the Soil
> Organic Matter SOM content of an acre of soil 6" deep by 1%?
>
> SOM percentage is calculated by weight, not volume. The convention
> used is that 1 acre of soil 6-7" deep weighs 2,000,000 (two million)
> pounds. Or a hectare of soil 15cm deep weighs 2,000,000 kg. One
> percent of that is 20,000 lbs/acre or 20,000 kg/ha

>
> Compost and manure can be assumed to be around 60% moisture and 40%
> dry organic matter. So
>
> 20,000 / 0.40 = 50,000
>
> To add 1% organic matter to the top 6" or 15cm of soil would require
> about 50,000 lbs/acre or 50,000 kg/ha of organic matter at 60%
> moisture content.





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