Coir pith compost is made from coir dust, a byproduct of the coir industry, mixed with organic and inorganic materials. The process involves mixing coir dust with leaves, weeds, cattle dung, fungi culture, rock phosphate, and micronutrients. The mixture is piled in layers and turned regularly over 4 months to mature. Composted coir pith has higher nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and organic carbon than raw coir dust. It improves soil properties when applied as fertilizer and is used in nurseries and around trees. While beneficial, it may not be economical to purchase and immature compost could negatively impact crops.

2. Coir pith compost

3. What is coir pith?
• Def: It is the waste of coir industry, which is an
excellent soil conditioner and is being
extensively used as a soil-less medium for
Agri-horticultural purposes.
• High lignin content and wider C:N ratio, so it’s
use in agriculture is limited.

4. Required materials
1. Organic waste materials
2. Inorganic waste materials

5. 1.Organic waste materials
Materials Quantity( per ha)
Green leaves/ biomass 100kg
Weeds 100kg
Cattle dung 200kg
Pleurotus fungi culture 1kg

6. 2.Inorganic waste materials
Materials Quantity (per Ha)
Rock phosphate 50kg
Ferrous sulphate 8kg
Zinc sulphate 900gm
Manganese sulphate 600gm
Copper sulphate 75gm
Agricultural lime 5kg
Urea 5kg

7. Preliminary treatment
• The pH of the material is stabilized around
neutrality by sprinkling lime solution over the
coir dust one day prior to composting.
• The lime solution is prepared by dissolving 5kg
of lime in 20 lits of water.
• Select a flat impervious site for composting,
shade may be provided.

8. Steps in composting

9. 1.Construction of tank
• 6m x 3m x 1-1.5m height
tanks using bricks or stone
slabs or coconut fronds.

10. 2.Spreading of coir pith
• 1000kg of preliminary
treated coir dust is spread
to 4-5cm thickness on the
floor of the tank.

11. 3.Spread Pleurotus
• Spread half bottle Pleurotus
uniformly over the coir pith
layer.

12. 4. Spread Glyricidia
• Over this layer spread
chopped Glyricidia spp or
sunhemp.

13. 5.Spread Rock phosphate
• Spread 50kg of rock
phosphate uniformly over
this layer

14. 6. Mixture
• Mix micronutrients sources
with cattle dung slurry and
sprinkle uniformly.

15. • This forms a single set of layers.
• These layers are repeated till the heap attains 1-
1.5m ht.
• Cover the heap with slurry of wet soil.
• Turn the heap at 45th and 90th days after filling.
• Maintain 60% moisture from the beginning to till
completion of composting process.
• Compost will be ready to use at the end of 4th
month.

16. Compost maturity
• Compost matures around 60 days.
• Turns from brown to black colour.
• Heap height will be reduced by 30%.
• Emits earthy odour.

18. Composition of raw and composted
coir pith
Composition Raw coir pith Composted coir pith
N % 0.26 1.18
P % 0.025 0.11
K% 0.75 1.35
OC % 32.4 23.3
C/N 120:1 20:1

19. Application
1. Recommendation: 5 tons / ha
2. Basal application of compost before sowing
3. In nursery 20% of composted coir pith is used
in potting mixture preparation along with
sand and soil.
4. For established trees: 5kg/tree

20. Benefits:
• Improves soil texture, structure, and tilth, where
sandy soils become more compact and clay soils
become aerable.
• Improves the soil aggregation.
• Supplies all plant nutrients along with inorganic
fertilizers.
• Improves CEC.
• Reduces bulk density of sub-surface.
• Ammonification, nitrification and nitrogen fixation
are increased due to increased microbial activity.

21. Limitations
• It is not economical to buy the coir pith
compost.
• If immature compost is applied to field, even
after entering into soil , it will undergo
decomposition using soil nutrients, because of
which standing crop is affected

22. Conclusion
• Efficient utilization of coir.
• Supplies all nutrients along with inorganic
fertilizers.
• Improves soil properties and microbial
activity.