organic waste composting equipment

High Temperature Aerobic Composting Technology

The most commonly used treatment of livestock and poultry manure is high-temperature aerobic composting technology, which is a process of using microorganisms to decompose biodegradable organic solid waste into relatively stable humus substances under certain temperature, humidity and pH conditions. High-temperature aerobic composting is an effective way to realize the harmlessness and utilization of organic waste. Its technological process is mainly composed of pretreatment, aerobic fermentation, post-treatment and storage. Its key technologies are mainly pretreatment and aerobic fermentation.

1. Pretreatment

Compost pretreatment is mainly to adjust the moisture, pH and carbon-nitrogen ratio of compost raw materials, and to add microbial fermentation agents to compost raw materials. The initial moisture content of composting feces should generally be 40% to 60%. Too low moisture is not conducive to the growth of microorganisms, and too high moisture will block the gaps in the compost, affect ventilation, lead to anaerobic fermentation, slow down the degradation rate, and prolong Heap time. pH is a parameter to evaluate the living environment of microorganisms, and the most suitable pH in the composting process should be 5.5-8.0. In the composting process, the pH value is generally considered to be a non-important factor, because most bacteria can grow and multiply in the pH range of 5.5-8.0. The carbon and nitrogen balance of compost raw materials is a key factor for the optimal biological activity of microorganisms. The carbon-nitrogen ratio of compost raw materials is generally more suitable between 25:1 and 35:1. The carbon-nitrogen ratio is small, the temperature rises quickly, but the maximum temperature reached by the stack is low; the carbon-nitrogen ratio is large, the maximum temperature reached by the stack is high, but the temperature rises slowly. In actual production, materials such as straw, rice husk or sawdust can be used to adjust the carbon-nitrogen ratio. Composting is a biochemical degradation process in which microorganisms act on organic matter. Microorganisms are the main body of the composting process and the most critical and active components in the composting process. Adding microbial fermentation agents to compost raw materials can accelerate the decomposition and maturity of organic matter in compost raw materials and promote the release of available nitrogen in organic materials. Click here to learn more about organic waste composting

Crawler type compost turner working to ferment organic fertilizer

2. Aerobic fermentation

The aerobic fermentation composting process consists of two stages: primary fermentation and secondary fermentation. The time required for composting operation varies with the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, humidity, weather conditions, and the type of composting operation and management. Under normal circumstances, the fermentation period is about 9 to 35 days. Primary fermentation refers to the stage from the temperature rising to the beginning of falling, which is the first stage of compost fermentation. Oxygen supply to the compost bed or fermentation unit is usually required at this stage. Oxygen is a necessary condition for the survival of aerobic microorganisms. Sufficient oxygen supply is an important condition to ensure the reproduction and development of aerobic microbial populations, and has an important impact on the composting time and the quality of the final product. SX can provide you with professional equipment for organic waste composting. It is generally believed that the volume content of air oxygen in the compost should be kept at 5% to 15%, and if it is lower than 5%, it will lead to anaerobic fermentation; if it is higher than 15%, the compost body will be cooled, resulting in the survival of a large number of pathogens. At present, the ventilation methods used by organic fertilizer equipment mainly include using power shovel or other special equipment to turn the pile, inserting a ventilating pipe with holes into the dung pile, using high-pressure fans to force ventilation and natural ventilation to supply oxygen, etc. During the primary fermentation process, the temperature of each test point in the stack should be kept at 55-65°C, not higher than 75°C, and the duration should not be less than 5 days. Secondary fermentation refers to the fermentation process in which microorganisms decompose refractory organic matter and fermentation intermediate products at a relatively low speed after the compost undergoes primary fermentation. Ventilation is usually not required at this stage, but regular compost turning should be performed. If you need more detail, you can visit https://fertilizerequipmentmanufacturer.com/compost-fertilizer-making-machine/

How To Control The Temperature In Organic Fertilizer Compost

The temperature, humidity, PH value and C/N ratio of the compost during the fermentation process are important factors affecting the effect of the compost. The temperature during the fermentation process of organic fertilizer can be summarized as follows: the temperature rises steadily in the early stage, the high temperature in the middle part remains moderate, and the temperature decreases slowly in the later stage, and the temperature control directly affects the maturity of organic fertilizer in the later stage.

Crawler type compost turner for organic fertilizer fermentation

Today, mainly explain how to control the temperature in the organic fertilizer fermentation

The compost temperature of organic fertilizers is mainly controlled by pile turning and forced ventilation. Here, SX can provide you with processional compost turner. In the early stage of fermentation, even if the temperature of the fermentation is slow or even does not rise, the pile must be turned or ventilated after 48 hours to avoid the formation of an anaerobic environment in the high temperature stage. When the pile temperature is lower than 50°C, the pile should be turned in time (the reduction of oxygen will cause the reaction in the pile to gradually decrease, thereby reducing the temperature), increase the pile temperature, promote the decomposition of organic matter and kill harmful microorganisms. In the late stage of fermentation, once the temperature exceeds 65°C, The pile must be turned in time to prevent carbonization and ammoniation of organic matter. Click here to learn more.

During aerobic fermentation, temperature control is very important. If the temperature is too low, the maturity standard will not be met. If the temperature is too high, the nutrients in the compost will be easily lost. The temperature in the compost is within 30 cm from the outside to the inside. Therefore, the metal rod of the thermometer used to measure the temperature must be longer than 30 cm. When measuring, it must be inserted into the compost for more than 30 cm to correctly reflect the fermentation temperature of the compost. In SX, we also have compost machine with temperature monitor on sale, It is in-vessel fermentation tank.

Horizontal fermentation tank for organic fertilizer production

How to read the compost temperature
1. When reading the temperature, make sure the thermometer goes deep into the pile, leave the thermometer for a while to allow the temperature to stabilize before taking the reading, then move it to a new location (including several locations at different depths from the top edge ).
2. The temperature of the pile depends mainly on the moisture content and chemical composition of the raw material components.
3. There is a certain gradient in the change of fermentation temperature. For the system with bottom ventilation, the highest temperature is about 2/3 of the bottom or higher.

If you want to get more information, you can visit https://fertilizerequipmentmanufacturer.com/compost-fertilizer-making-machine/

Maintenance Method Of Chicken Manure Fertilizer Fermentation Turner

After the chicken manure organic fertilizer turner works for one season, replace the gear oil of the reduction box, check the bearings of each part, disassemble and clean, apply new butter, and install it. If the wear is serious, it should be replaced.
Remove the dust cover on the equipment of the chicken manure fermentation, check and tighten the bolts on each transmission rod, and prevent the parts from being worn and scrapped due to the loose bolts on the transmission rod causing the transmission of various parts to be in place.
Chicken manure fertilizer compost making
Remove the seat of the cab of the chicken manure windrow composter and the cover under the seat, and check and tighten the bolts on the drive shaft. Prevent the shaft body from being tilted and twisted and scrapped due to the loosening of the bolts on the drive shaft seat.
When you start chicken litter composting in winter, antifreeze should be added to the water tank. If antifreeze is not added, warm water should be added before operation. After operation, the water in the water tank, body and cooler should be drained to prevent freezing.
Check whether the electrical appliance works normally, whether the circuit insulation performance is good, and replace the connected wires if necessary.
Crawler type compost turner for chicken manure process
If you use scrawler type compost turner. Regularly check the tension of the drive belt, adjust the tension if necessary, and check whether the belt is broken, worn or other signs of aging, and the belt can be replaced if necessary. Check the belt running path and make sure that there is no obstruction between the other parts of the engine and the belt. After replacing the belt, the new belt should be readjusted after two or three weeks of use to eliminate slack.
When the organic fertilizer turner operates for a long time, the exposed parts should be oiled to prevent rust, and should be covered when placed outdoors.If you need more detalis of chciken composting machine, you can visit https://fertilizerequipmentmanufacturer.com/chicken-manure-composting-system/

Things You Need To Focus On About Windrow Composting

The windrow compost turning machine can be said to be the core equipment in the current organic fertilizer production process. It can control the fermentation temperature and the moisture in the stack during the windrow fermentation process. At present, the more advanced compost machines on the market can achieve no dead angle turning, and can complete the composting operation of all materials in one workflow.

So is there anything that needs to be paid attention to in the process of using the windrow compost turning machine to ferment organic fertilizer?

1. Pay attention to the temperature, oxygen content and moisture content in the fermentation raw materials. Temperature, oxygen and moisture are directly related to the windrow fermentation cycle of organic fertilizers and the quality of the finished product. Therefore, special attention should be paid to these three aspects when using a turning machine to ferment organic fertilizers. The purpose of the turning operation is to control the temperature, increase the oxygen content in the material, and reduce the moisture content, but it is also necessary to pay attention not to turn too frequently, so as not to affect the temperature increase in the stack. Click here for more details

2. The stacking should not be too high. When using a turner for fermentation, the width of the windrows can be determined according to the output. The height of the compost should be between 0.8 and 1.5 meters. If the height of the compost is too high, it will affect the air permeability of the raw materials, resulting in oxygen content in the stack. Insufficient amount affects fermentation.

Windrow-compost-turner-for-organic-waste

3. Pay attention to the freshness of the raw materials. If the raw materials are stored for too long, anaerobic conditions may be formed. Under the anaerobic state, the organic matter content in the raw materials will gradually decrease, which will affect the quality of the finished products. If such raw materials are used to ferment organic fertilizer, attention should be paid to adding fresh raw materials for adjustment.

4. Pay attention to the turning time of windrow composting. When using a turning and throwing machine for fermentation, it usually takes 10-15 days for the initial fermentation to decompose. The turning and throwing time can be determined according to the temperature in the stack. It is tossed a second time, followed by a second aging and fermentation, usually 3-7 days.

5. Pay attention to the nature of the fermentation raw materials. There are many raw materials that can be used to ferment organic fertilizers, such as grass and wood fragments, crop straw, livestock and poultry manure, etc., but the carbon and nitrogen ratios in different raw materials are different, and the fermentation cycle is also different. To ensure the quality of the finished product after fermentation, targeted adjustments should be made before fermentation, which can be applied after mixing different raw materials evenly.

If you need more information of windrow composting, you can visit https://fertilizerequipmentmanufacturer.com/compost-windrow-turner-for-sale/

Tips for Choosing Compost Turner

Functions of Compost Turner

Compost turner has become the core equipment of dynamic aerobic composting in virtue of the important effects on compost and fermentation.

Mixing function in tempering of raw materials: in composting, it is necessary to add some minor ingredients in order to adjust the carbon nitrogen ratio, pH value and water content of raw materials. Main raw materials and minor ingredients that are put together according to certain proportion could be mixed uniformly by professional compost turner for better tempering.

Adjusting the temperature of raw material piles: during the working process, compost turning machine can make raw materials fully contracts and mixture with air, which can adjust the temperature of piles conveniently. Air helps aerobic microorganisms to produce fermentation heat actively, pile temperature rising. Meanwhile, if piles temperature is high, turning piles can bring the supply of fresh air, which can lower the temperature. And various beneficial microorganisms grow and breed in the adaptive temperature range.
Improving the permeability of ingredient piles: composting system can also crush the stick and ropy raw materials into small mass, making piles fluffy, stretchy, and with appropriate porosity, which has been an important standard to measure the performance of compost turner.

Adjusting the moisture of raw material piles: The water content of raw materials for fermentation should be controlled within 55%. In the fermentation process, biochemical reaction would generate new water while the consumption of microorganism to raw materials also cause water dissociate due to losing carrier. And using composting machine to turn piles could emit vapour compulsorily
Realizing the special requirement of composting process: For instance, compost turn could realize the requirements of crushing raw materials or mensurable shifting. Go here to know more about compost turner

Tips for Choosing Compost Turner

Whether you’re just entering the market, or are experienced with composting and looking to grow your operation, questions always arise as to what type of compost turner would best fit your needs and bottom line.The choices would narrow substantially after considering the factors, conditions and objectives of the composting operation.

When purchasing a compost turner, evaluate the equipment with regard to the safety of the operator, other site workers and bystanders. As a minimum, make sure the equipment has the CE mark.
The output of a compost turner is determined by its working travel speed and the size of the windrow that it can handle. Larger and more powerful machines generally have greater throughput rates because they process larger raw material piles, so readers could choose it according to the required material piles turning throughput.
Also consider the aisle space required by the compost turner. Self-driven compost turners need less aisle space than towed models.
Cost and budget, of course, also affect the choice of composting equipment. The machine with larger throughout and capacity would have higher prices, so choose one suitable for your requirement and budget.

In brief, compost turner accelerates composting in several ways. It mixes the composting mass, breaks apart particles, disturbs pockets of irregular materials and disperses moisture, nutrients and organisms. if you need it, you can check https://fertilizerequipmentmanufacturer.com/organic-fertilizer-compost-turner/ to get it.

Can Fertilizer Fermentation Tank Finish Composting in 8 Hours

The organic fertilizer fermentation tank is very popular in the organic fertilizer market due to its small footprint, fast heating, high fermentation efficiency, good sealing and no secondary pollution to the surrounding environment. In order to attract customers, some businesses claim that the organic fertilizer fermentation tank they produce can quickly complete fermentation in only 8 hours. Is this credible?

Fermentation principle of organic fertilizer

Fermentation of organic fertilizer is to mix a certain proportion of compost base material and filler, and under appropriate temperature, humidity and ventilation conditions, the organic matter is degraded by microorganisms to form stable humus and minerals and other beneficial substances that are easily absorbed by soil and plants . This is also called aerobic fermentation.

The entire fermentation process is the process of death, replacement and morphological transformation of various organisms and microorganisms in the material. Whether from the perspective of biology, thermodynamics or material transformation, these reactions cannot be completed in a few hours.

Using the In- vessel fermentation tank, the temperature rises quickly, and the fermentation process is advanced. However, the claim that some manufacturers advertise that the fermentation can be completed in only 8 hours is completely wrong. 8 hours only kills the parasites and worms in the organic fertilizer raw materials. Pathogenic microorganisms and harmful bacteria have realized the harmless treatment of raw materials, and the fermentation is far from complete. Click here to know more about composting of fertilizer fermentation tank.

Under normal circumstances, it takes 20 days to complete the fermentation of organic fertilizers using organic fertilizer fermenters, and in order to continue to decompose difficult-to-degrade substances and make the nutrients of organic fertilizers more stable, after unloading from the fermenter, try to decompose as much as possible. Aging for a while.

Advantages of organic fertilizer fermenter

Fermentation tanks are very popular in the market, what are the advantages?

Small space occupation: Compared with the traditional fermentation method of stacking materials on the ground, the space occupation of fermentation pot is very small.
Environmental protection: Equipped with odor treatment equipment, the odor generated during the in- vesssel fermentation process is collected and processed in a centralized manner, which can realize the discharge of gas up to the standard, and will not cause secondary pollution to the surrounding environment.
High fermentation efficiency: The fermentation cycle takes less than days, which saves half the time compared to traditional fermentation methods.
Not affected by ambient temperature: Since the fermentation of organic fertilizer is related to temperature, the ambient temperature is lower than 10 degrees, it is difficult for the raw materials to heat up, the fermentation cycle becomes longer, and the fermentation will be affected. However, the main body of the fermentation tank adopts a thermal insulation design and is equipped with a heating system. The equipment can also operate normally in a low temperature environment, which solves the impact of ambient temperature on the fermentation process.

If you are interested in it, you can check https://fertilizerequipmentmanufacturer.com/horizontal-fermentation-tank/ for more information.

Groove Type Compost Machine For Small Scale Fertilizer Fermentation

The small fermentation equipment turner is a mechanical equipment developed and produced based on dynamic composting. The early composting process was static composting, which was often converted into anaerobic fermentation due to insufficient oxygen supply, which would produce a large amount of odors such as hydrogen sulfide, and have Explosion risk, later in the middle of the last century, the German BACKHUS (Bakus) company developed a mechanical device to improve the oxygen supply and material shape in aerobic fermentation compost, called the fertilizer turning machine.

Windrow compost turner for small scale fermentation

Groove type compost turner is an ideal small scale compost turner, which is often called the guide rail turner. It can be used to ferment and turn over organic wastes such as livestock and poultry manure, sludge garbage, sugar mill filter mud, slag cake and straw sawdust, etc. It is widely used in fermentation and dehydration of organic fertilizer plants, compound fertilizer plants, sludge waste plants, horticultural farms,etc. Click here for details

Features of small fermentation equipment turning machine-groove type turning machine equipment:

1. It is suitable for aerobic fermentation and can be used with solar fermentation chamber, fermentation groove and transfer moving vehicle;

2. It can realize the function of one machine with multiple slots when used together with the mobile vehicle;

3. The matching fermentation trench can discharge materials continuously or in batches;

4. High efficiency, stable operation, sturdy and durable, evenly flipping;

5. Centralized control of the control cabinet, which can realize manual or automatic control functions;

6. Equipped with soft starter, low impact load when starting;

7. Equipped with gear-shifting hydraulic lifting system;

8. The teeth are sturdy and durable, and have the function of breaking and mixing materials.

If you want to know more about small scale composting machine, please check https://fertilizerequipmentmanufacturer.com/small-scale-composting/

Cost of small chicken manure organic fertilizer production line

Small chicken manure organic fertilizer equipment has low price and low production cost. Since the raw materials of organic fertilizer are self-produced and sold by farmers, they do not worry about the source, so it is based on local materials, which is an factor of low cost chicken manure fertilizer making. And small chicken manure organic fertilizer equipment, because the output is suitable for small production, the equipment price is relatively low, and the hardware equipment investment is less. It is usually recommended to use SX series chicken manure organic fertilizer equipment. This series has fermentation technology and granulation technology, which is suitable for small chicken manure processing organic fertilizer projects, so its overall cost is not high. The quality of organic fertilizer products has not been affected, and its profit margin is very affordable relative to investment. Click here for small chicken manure composting machine

Chicken manure fertilizer processing line

In terms of price, the price of small chicken manure organic fertilizer equipment is usually between 50,000 and 150,000 yuan, and the overall price is relatively low. Compared with the equipment investment of medium and large-scale organic fertilizer equipment, which can easily reach hundreds of thousands or millions, the price of small chicken manure organic fertilizer equipment is obviously very low. The price gap from 50,000 to 150,000 yuan is due to the different needs of each user, the configuration of different needs is different, and the process is not the same.

Chicken manure composting machine for sale

Analysis on the cost of small chicken manure organic fertilizer production line

1. Factory construction: four fermentation trench are built, chicken manure composting machine and the land area is determined according to the amount of raw materials;
2. Purchase of light rail in raw material area;
3. Production area ;
4. Production workers;
5. Determine the purchase of forklifts according to the amount of raw materials and needs

In terms of benefits, whether small chicken manure organic fertilizer equipment or a large-scale equipment. As long as they meet the qualified standards, the prices are similar according to the type of fertilizer. So small organic fertilizer equipment can be said to have a very good price and benefit ratio for a small amount of raw material sources and fertilizer processing. More details please check https://fertilizerequipmentmanufacturer.com/chicken-manure-composting-system/

Things You Must Know To Use Cow Dung As Organic Fertilizer

Everyone must be familiar with cows, and they are fed in many places in the countryside. The whole body of a cow is a treasure, we all know this very well. Even cow dung with a special smell has a certain use value. Many people must think it is incredible, but the fact is that after processing cow dung, it can be made into organic fertilizer. Click here for more details

How to ferment cow dung fast?

1. Dry cow dung: The lack of water in dry cow dung cannot be fermented, and sufficient water must be added. After adding enough water, pile it up into a big pile, and then cover it with a plastic sheet to ferment, so that the fermentation will be faster.

2. Fresh cow dung: If it is fresh cow dung, various auxiliary materials need to be added during fermentation to absorb the moisture in the fresh cow dung. Too much moisture can easily lead to airtightness, and microorganisms cannot produce fermentation. There are various choices of accessories, the purpose is to absorb some of the moisture in the fresh cow dung. Accessories – general choices: sawdust, straw, straw ash, carbon, etc.

Fertilizer equipement for controlling cow dung moisture

What are the advantages of fermented manure as organic fertilizer?

1. The functional microorganisms in the organic fertilizer fermented with cow dung and sheep dung have an inhibitory effect on harmful pathogens. The fecal starter contains large functional beneficial microorganisms, and most of the beneficial microorganisms will be retained after the fermentation of the fecal organic fertilizer is completed. Functional microorganisms are applied into the soil together with cow dung organic fertilizer, and multiply rapidly, forming dominant populations in the crop rhizosphere soil micro-ecosystem, inhibiting the growth and reproduction of other harmful microorganisms, and even antagonizing some harmful pathogens, reducing harmful microorganisms chance of harm.

2. The cattle manure fermented organic fertilizer has more comprehensive nutrition and promotes the healthy growth of plants. It has been proved by the practice of many fecal fermentation organic fertilizer users that the crops have good plant type, enhanced disease resistance, and reduced disease occurrence after cow dung fertilizer application. For example, in the cabbage experiment, after using chicken manure organic fertilizer, the incidence of plant-specific fungus soft rot was 2%, while the incidence of using vegetable-specific fertilizer and direct use of manure was 17% and 20%, respectively.

3. Functional microbial metabolites in bovine fermented organic fertilizers can improve crop resistance. The microorganisms remaining in the cow dung organic fertilizer secrete various metabolites into the crop rhizosphere soil micro-ecosystem during the process of growth and reproduction. These metabolites can improve the photosynthesis of plants, stimulate plant growth, and improve the ability of crops to resist adverse environments, so that diseases rarely occur during the growth of crops.

Compost turning machine for cow dung fertilizer production

Precautions for cow dung organic fertilizer fermentation

1. In summer and autumn, the film should be removed in the morning and evening for ventilation (1~2 hours). When the weather is fine, the film can be removed in the evening of the previous day and covered in the next morning. After 4-6 days of composting, the composting temperature can rise to 60-70°C. After 10 days of composting, the compost can be turned over once, and the compost can be fully cooked after 20 days of composting, the fertilizer content will be improved, and pests will be eliminated.

2. Dry cow dung and fresh cow dung are fermented differently, so everyone needs to pay attention to. The method of making organic fertilizer from cow dung is actually not difficult. It requires fermentation. In the process of fermentation, some auxiliary materials need to be added in it, and then it can be used after a week to half a month. If you want to learn more, please check https://fertilizerequipmentmanufacturer.com/how-to-make-organic-fertilizer-from-cow-dung/

Managing Manure – Some Good Sense Strategies

For people linked to farming, even on a hobby basis dealing with manure is definitely an ongoing challenge. Manure tends to produce quickly. Some statistics. A horse is accountable for about 50 pounds of waste per day. A cow can produce around 92 pounds as well as a hog just under ten pounds. A sheep provides 4 pounds and a hen an astonishing 1/4 pound. That’s a lot to take care of should you haven’t got a well-thought-out strategy.

But manure management can be simpler than many individuals think. Actually, manure is capable of doing your farming efforts the field of good. A proper strategy will even avoid any injury to the environment – and be sure that your neighbors are not going to check out the authorities concerning the smell. To ensure that strategy simply makes sense.

windrow composting machine for making chicken manure fertilizer — commercial composting machine for sale

Possibly the simplest way of disposal of manure in swine production is also probably the most cost-effective. This is on pasture manure management. By fencing in particular elements of the farming operation – and rotating animals to various pastures the farmer can be sure that the manure is managed. Furthermore, it has immense benefits for soil health. This, in trun enables more robust plants. The fundamental systems of such healthy plants support the soil together, which, therefore prevents manure tainted runoff into rivers and groundwater sources. However, it must be noted that livestock waste management is extremely important. Animals must not be allowed entry to natural water sources.

Another good strategy for managing manure is to take part in composting. Compost is far more nutritious than raw manure and also aids in killing off soil parasites and weed seeds. In addition, it significantly reduces odors. Compost can also be reduced in soluble salts – so will not likely ‘burn’ plants. There are several composting technology for organic waste to create nutritious and pH-neutral compost. Including hot, warm, and cold, and also by using three-bin units or even the classic-fashioned static piles. Pigs and chickens released in to a composting area also help to turn within the compost.

commercial composting plant for making organic fertilizer — windrow composting machine for sale

Whatever your choice as to how you might be employing your compost there remains the question of how to speed up composting process. Simply allowing it to stack up around the open ground is actually a solution that will create more problems than it solves. you will find the ongoing problem of run-off along with the attendant pollution of groundwater and water.

The best solution for storage is always to create a sealed large compost turners tank so that rainwater cannot run off. A floor of your area ought to be lined with gravel or stone dust. It might be preferable to simply include a roof to the reinforced containment area if the manure will probably be stored for too long amounts of time. It needs to be noted that stockpiling is not going to offer the same benefits as composting and should ideally just be an interim solution prior to the manure is spread or maybe composted.

A solid strategy for working with manure has many different benefits – including harnessing the manure for the production of compost and using it to encourage more robust and healthier plant growth. It should be one of several foundations of proper farming practice.