**4.1. Composting normative**

184 Olive Germplasm – The Olive Cultivation, Table Olive and Olive Oil Industry in Italy

The composting of the agro industrial by-products and agricultural residual biomasses can



The on-farm composting does not require particular technologies, while the necessary

The biomasses to be composted, mixed with opportune percentages of appropriate structural and absorbent fractions (lignocelluloses bulking), are typically placed in pile on

The shape and the dimensions of the pile will depend from the quantity and the quality of the material to be treated. The forms are of triangular, parabolic or trapezoidal section, of 1.5 - 1.8 m height, while width and length depending from the quantity of material or from the available space, and also in base to the machinery used for the overturns (hauled or self

During the composting, must be constantly monitored temperature and moisture of the pile, taking care of maintain the porosity, to allow the aeration and thermic dispersion of

According to the moisture and granulometry of biomass, the overturns will have to take place to intervals of 2-3 days, in case of high moisture or low percentage of structural

machineries (carver, shovel loader, wagon mixer) are often already present in farm.

paved stage, preferably covered, and periodically overturned up to stabilization.

**Figure 1.** Composting process flow.

be carried out according to two typologies:

the compost is used in the same firm;

moving over-turner, shovel loader).

biomass.

of the Legislative Decree 22/97 ("Ronchi" decree).

The composting sector is disciplined by the two following normatives: the wastes normative, that defines the conditions of production of the compost from wastes or selected fractions, and the fertilizers one that establish the marketing conditions of the compost.


The Legislative Decree 22/97, which follows the CEE/91/156 wastes directive, classifies the composting among the recovery operations of wastes (Annex "C", R3: Recycle/recovery of the organic substances not used as solvents, included the composting operations and other biological transformations).

With the Technical Normative, the D. M. 05.02.1998, have been defined the technical aspects tied up to the compost production, even if limited to the activities of recovery in simplified regime, with a reference to the Law 748/84 "Norms for the fertilizers discipline", that in the enclosure 1C, as modified by the D.M. 27.03.1998, defines the marketing characteristics for the compost, indicating the following four types of final products:



Olive Mill By-Products Management 187

Peaty Composted Amendment

adequate Respiration Index (I.R.) of biomass, to be test with the IPLA (Institute of Plants, Wood and Environment) method (IPLA, 1992). This duration corresponds to about 21 days of treatment, in the case of stabilization in overturned piles and about 14-16 days in the case

The curing phase is always carried out in piles and require a lower amount of oxygen and

The biomasses to be composted must be previously grinded and mixed to optimize the characteristics of the matrix (C/N ratio, porosity, moisture, pH). A good starting matrix for the production of a Quality Composted Amendment (ACQ), has to have a moisture among 45 and 65%, C/N among 20 and 30, with at least a 30% in weight of lignocelluloses material. The ACQ can be commercialized to the senses of the Law 748/84, also in mix with other fertilizers, according to the same law prescriptions, as reported in Table 5. This material could be used in the agricultural activities or similar (maintenance of the public or private

> Mixed Composted Amendment

Amendment

**Table 5.** Limits of acceptability for the Quality Composted Amendment (ACQ), conforming to Annex

pH 6.0-8.5 6.0-8.5 - Humidity (%) <50 <50 - TOC (% d.m.) >30 >25 >30 Organic Nitrogen (%) >80 >80 >80 C/N ratio <50 <25 <50 Humic and fulvic acids (% d.m.) >2.5 >7 >7 Peat (%) - - >50 Cd (mg kg-1) <1.5 <1.5 <1.5 Cu (mg kg-1) <150 <150 <150 Hg (mg kg-1) <1.5 <1.5 <1.5 Ni (mg kg-1) <50 <50 <50 Pb (mg kg-1) <140 <140 <140 Zn (mg kg-1) <500 <500 <500 Cr VI (mg kg-1) <0.5 <0.5 <0.5 Inert (>10 mm) (%) none none none Salmonelle (on 25g sample) none none none Enterobacteriacee (CFU g-1) < 100 < 100 < 100 Fecal Streptococcus (MPN g-1) < 1000 < 1000 < 1000 Nematodes (on 50g sample) none none none Trematodes (on 50g sample) none none none Cestodes (on 50g sample) none none none

of bioreactors.

green, biofilters, etc.).

overturn in comparison to the ACT phase.

Parameter Green Composted

1C of the Law 748/84, as modified by the D.M. of 27.03.1998.


For the realization and the management of the composting installation can be followed:

