In Ukraine, in addition to traditionally used manure and slurry, other organic fertilizers products are produced based on manure and slurry as well as peat and sapropel. Fertilizers can also be distinguished on the basis of the natural mineraloid – Leonardite. With introduction of biogas plants, it is also possible to distinguish organic fertilizer from digestate and its derivatives.

Composts

Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed in a process called composting. This process recycles various organic materials otherwise regarded as waste products and produces a soil conditioner (the compost). Compost is rich in nutrients. It is used, for example, in gardens, landscaping, horticulture, urban agriculture and organic farming. The compost itself is beneficial for the land in many ways, including as a soil conditioner, a fertilizer, addition of vital humus or humic acids, and as a natural pesticide for soil. In ecosystems, compost is useful for erosion control, land and stream reclamation, wetland construction, and as landfill cover.

Vermicomposts

Vermicompost is the product of organic material degradation obtained by using various species of worms, usually red wigglers, white worms, and earthworms, to create a heterogeneous mixture of decomposing vegetable or food waste (excluding meat, dairy, fats, or oils), bedding materials, and vermicast (Fig. 3). Vermicast is also known as worm castings, worm humus or worm manure, the end-product of the breakdown of organic matter by species of earthworm. The vermicompost market niche is similar to conventional compost.

Prepared by: Petro Kucheruk – Member of the Expert Council of the Bioenergy Association of Ukraine for the platform of sustainable agribusiness SAF Ukraine.

Read more in the article: “The types of organic fertilizer produced in Ukraine and its market niches”. Petro Kucheruk. The platform of sustainable agribusiness SAF Ukraine. March 30, 2020.


The Bioenergy Association of Ukraine since 2019 is a partner of the platform of sustainable agribusiness SAF Ukraine.