The document describes a study that tested producing compost from poultry waste using magnesium and bacteria to form struvite, a slow-release fertilizer. Struvite formation was confirmed using X-ray diffraction. Composting reduced nutrients and organic matter in the waste while increasing pH, bulk density, and extractable nutrients. The struvite-enriched compost provides benefits over conventional compost as a sustainable, marketable fertilizer for organic farming.

1. Slow-Release and Environmentally-
Friendly Compost Production with
Magnesium and Poultry Waste
Girish Panicker1*, Charles Weiss2 ,
David Ringelberg2, and Philip Malone2
1. Alcorn State University, MS. 2. US Army Engineer Research
and Development Center, MS
panicker@alcorn.edu

2. Earth is a closed ecological system
in which nothing permanently
disappears (State of the World,
The Worldwatch Institute, 2000)
“The nation that destroys its
soil destroys itself” ….
Franklin Roosevelt

3. Challenges
The great challenge facing humanity lies in
advancing the sustainable development goals of
the United Nations while restoring quality of
natural resources (soil, water, and air)and saving
land for nature conservancy (United Nations
2014).
As much as 38% of the earth’s terrestrial
surface is already used for agriculture, of which
three-fourths is used for raising livestock (FAO
2015)

4. Nutrient Pollution
Nutrient pollution is one of America’s
costliest and most challenging
environmental problems (EPA, 2015).
The nitrogen and phosphorus in the animal
waste can create an explosion of algae,
robbing oxygen and killing off aquatic life
(NRDC, 2009)

5. All of us now have about 500 anthropogenic
chemicals in our bodies ---potential poisons that
did not exist before 1920 (Longnecker et al.,
1997).
Groundwater and surface water supplies are
threatened with contamination. One of the most
serious sources of non-point pollution is animal
manure (National Research Council,1993).
Insecticides, Fertilizers, and
Groundwater Pollution

6. Solutions
Increase Organic Crop Production,
Conserve Soil and Water, and
Manage Plant Nutrients
Scientifically

7. Dissipation of Antimicrobials
during manure composting
Livestock operations in North America use
antimicrobials to treat and prevent infections in
cattle and promote growth. Land application of
manure containing these antimicrobials increases
the risk of selecting for antimicrobial-resistant
bacteria. Research results show that first-order
degradation of the antimicrobials dissipated 85 to
99% of the initial concentrations after 30 days of
composting (Amarakoon et al., 2016. J. Environ.
Quall. 45).

8. Poultry litter as a major nutrient
source
Poultry industry in the United States contributed over $12
billion to the national economy and is projected to grow 5%
per year into the foreseeable future. Several southern states
are experiencing rapid growth in poultry production and are
significant contributors to over 20 million tons of poultry
litter produced annually (Baker et al., 1998. HortScience 33:5)
Manures give the greatest organic matter, which still persist
seven years after the last application (Wuest and
Reardon, 2016. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 80)

9. Advanced Composting
Technology Developed by the
U.S. Army
The Army has made recent advances in the
development of new composting procedures that
allow composting problems to be overcome (U.S.
Patents 6,206,945 and 6,776,816). The new
technology promotes the bacterial production of
low-solubility ammonium magnesium phosphate in
an alternative composting process that mimics
the formation of guano in nature ( Weiss et al.,
2006)

10. Collaboration with U.S. Army
Alcorn State University (ASU) is conducting research to
bring to practical application the inventions claimed in
U.S. Army patents on the conversion of poultry manure
into guano, a slow-release and environmentally friendly
nitrogen source. The new technology developed by the
Army uses cultured bacteria and a soluble magnesium
source added to the waste to convert the organic
nitrogen and phosphorus to an inorganic compound
(ammonium magnesium phosphate hydrate) that is
similar to the mineral form of nitrate (struvite) produced
naturally in guano deposits.

11. Using this approach, it is possible to produce
composted wastes that are three to five times
richer in nutrients than conventional compost,
and the nitrogen and phosphorus are released
slowly from the organically-produced fertilizer.
This high quality compost, produced from
poultry manure and other animal waste, will
have great commercial importance in
sustainable agriculture and rural development.
Production and marketing of this product will
bring additional income to these livestock
farmers.

12. Organic Farming in the USA
The booming U.S. organic industry posted new
records in 2015, with total organic product sales
hitting a new benchmark of $43.3 billion, up a
robust 11 percent from the previous year’s record
level and far outstripping the overall food market’s
growth rate of 3 percent, according to the Organic
Trade Association’s 2016. Organic Industry Survey
May 19, 2016
https://www.ota.com/news/press-
releases/19031#sthash.f3sIkYQ1.dpuf

13. Objective
The objective of this research was to
bacterially produce insoluble compounds
from poultry waste such as ammonium
magnesium phosphate (struvite) that can
bind up the plant nutrients and provide a
slow-release nitrate and phosphate source
suitable for organic crop production.

14. Materials and Methods
Established in 1989

15. Minimum Guaranteed Chemical Analysis of
Dolomitic Lime
Calcium (Ca) 21.5%
Magnesium (Mg) 11.0%
Calcium Oxide ( CaO) 30.0%
Magnesium Oxide (MgO) 18.0%
Calcium Carbonate (CaO3) 54.0%
Magnesium Carbonate (MgO3) 38.0%
Total Carbonates 92.0%
Maximum Moisture Content 1%
Calcium Carbonate Equivalent – CCE 99.0%
Effective Neutralizing Power – ENP 1768 lbs./ton
Effective Neutralizing Value – ENV 83.0%
Total Neutralizing Power – TNP 99.0%
Relative Neutralizing Value – RNV 92.0%
Fineness Factor / ECCE 90 / 89%
Index Zone 3

16. Mixing poultry manure and dolomitic lime for
composting
Four combinations of dry manure and dolomitic lime that
precipitated Struvite
1. 2270 gm manure + 1022 gm dolomitic lime
2. 2270 gm manure + 908 gm dolomitic lime
3. 2270 gm manure + 795 gm dolomitic lime (This combination produced
more Struvite than other mixtures)
4. 2270 gm + 681 gm dolomitic lime
Environmental conditions required to succeed
Irrigation Water applied every week, at least twice, to keep up the moisture
Moisture maintained above 40%. Atmospheric temperature ranged from 80
and above (May to October). Temperature inside the tumbler has been
always above 80F during day time
Compost tumbler was kept in a shed in a shady area surrounded by trees

17. Test Result
pH 7.4
% Half Sat. 130
TEC -154 meq/kg
Qualitative Lime High
Salinity (EC of sat ext.) 52.4 dS/m
SAR (Sodium adsorption ratio) 66.17
Sodium as % of ECe 31 %
Bulk Density – Dry 770 lbs/yd3
Bulk Density – As Received 876 lbs/yd3
Moisture – As Received 12.1 %
Organic 69.1 %
C:N Ratio 12.8
Nutrient Status of Poultry Manure Before Composting

18. Nutrients Total – Dry
Weight
Extractable –
Dry Weight
Nitrogen (N) 3.23 % 1487 ppm
NH4-N 1087 ppm 1087 ppm
NO3-N 400 ppm 400 ppm
Phosphorus (P) 3.49 % 3038 ppm
Phosphorus (P2O5) 7.99 % 6957 ppm
Potassium (K) 5.07 % 40876 ppm
Potassium (K2O) 6.13 % 49460 ppm
Calcium (Ca) 5.13 % 280 ppm
Magnesium (Mg) 1.11 % 1141 ppm
Sodium (Na) 1.26 %
Sulfur (S) 1.23 %
Copper (Cu) 670 ppm 0.0 ppm
Zinc (Zn) 512 ppm 146 ppm
Manganese (Mn) 401 ppm 68 ppm
Iron (Fe) 2980 ppm 103 ppm
Dilute Acid Fe 0.06 %
Boron (B) 80 ppm
Nutrient Status of Poultry Manure Before
Composting

19. Test Result
pH (sat paste) 9.0 s.u.
% Half Sat. 43
TEC -117 meq/kg
Qualitative Lime High
Salinity (EC of sat ext.) 66.5 dS/m
SAR (sodium adsorption ratio) 49.64
Sodium as % of ECe 16 %
Bulk Density – Dry 1352 lbs/yd3
Bulk Density – As Received 1584 lbs/yd3
Moisture – As Received 14.7 %
Organic 35.9 %
C/N Ratio 9.7
Nutrient Status of Compost with Struvite

20. Nutrients Total – Dry
Weight
Extractable –
Dry Weight
Nitrogen (N) 2.22 % 472 ppm
NH4-N 443 ppm
NO3-N 29 ppm
Phosphorus (P) 2.35 % 2732 ppm
Phosphorus
(P2O5)
5.38 % 6256 ppm
Potassium (K) 3.76 % 12872 ppm
Potassium
(K2O)
4.55 % 15575 ppm
Calcium (Ca) 19.3 % 1095 ppm
Magnesium
(Mg)
4.33 % 731 ppm
Sodium (Na) 1.15 %
Sulfur (S) 1.04 %
Sulfate (SO4)
Chloride (Cl)
Copper (Cu) 508 ppm 0.0 ppm
Zinc (Zn) 839 ppm 281 ppm
Manganese
(Mn)
399 ppm 43 ppm
Iron (Fe) 2200 ppm 165 ppm
Dilute Acid Fe 0.07 %
Boron (B) 61 ppm
Nutrient Status of Compost with Struvite

23. Results
Struvite formation

24. The X-ray diffraction pattern shows struvite is present in
the crystalline product that precipitated during digestion.

25. Conclusion
Composting with animal waste helps us remove decomposable
organics and nitrogenous wastes from the disposal landfills.
Struvite-based composting can provide cost benefits and allows the
farmer for the substitution of N and P-rich compost as source to
major macro-nutrients.
This struvite based composting system reduces the ammonia air
pollution problem and will also prevent groundwater pollution.
This struvite-enriched compost is a new type of organic fertilizer
that will be a storable, marketable, enhanced N-P product that any
animal farm can economically produce and sell .
The impact of this work on the poultry industries will be significant.