OrganicN-P-K ~1-0.5-1Updated 28 July 2026

Compost

Rotted-down organic waste turned into soil food — modest in NPK, powerful for structure, water-holding and soil life.

Composition: N ~1%, P ~0.5%, K ~1% (variable)
Form: Dark, crumbly, earthy
Price: Low — often farm-produced
Best for: Soil health; organic matter

Overview

Compost is the stable, dark, crumbly material left when plant and farm waste — crop residue, leaves, kitchen and market waste, dung — is decomposed by microbes. Its NPK content is modest and variable (roughly 1% N, 0.5% phosphorus, 1% potassium) but, like FYM and vermicompost, its real value is what it does to the soil: organic matter, humus, better structure and water-holding, and a living soil that releases nutrients steadily.

It covers both farm compost (made on-farm from residues and dung) and city or municipal compost (processed from segregated urban waste, promoted under government programmes to recycle waste into farm inputs). Either is used to build soil and cut chemical-fertiliser dependence, applied before sowing — city compost should be from a certified source and tested to be free of contamination.

What it is and when to reach for it

A soil-building organic manure from decomposed waste — reach for it to raise organic matter and microbial life across almost any crop.
Its NPK is modest, so it reduces rather than replaces chemical fertiliser on high-yielding field crops.
It includes farm compost and certified city (municipal) compost — both turn waste into a low-cost soil input.

How to use it well

Apply roughly 2–5 tonnes/acre of well-finished compost, broadcast and incorporated before sowing.
Use it only well-decomposed — dark, crumbly, cool and earthy-smelling — so it feeds the crop instead of tying up nitrogen.
Combine it with a reduced dose of chemical fertiliser rather than either alone; the two together give the best result.

Quality and common mistakes

Good compost smells earthy and is cool and crumbly, with no recognisable un-decomposed waste — not hot, slimy or foul.
For city/municipal compost, use a certified source and, for safety, one tested to be low in heavy metals and glass/plastic contamination.
Do not treat it as a full NPK substitute on a heavy-feeding crop; pair it with the nutrients the crop still needs.

Crops it is used on

Open a crop for its full nutrient schedule.

Guides

Long-form guides on this fertiliser, with the rates and timings worked out.

Two large dark compost and manure piles heaped in a harvested field

NADEP Compost: Turning Farm Waste Into Compost in a Brick Tank

The NADEP method makes a large volume of good compost from crop residue and very little dung, in an above-ground brick tank with air holes. Here is how the tank is built, how it is layered and filled, and why it needs so little cow dung.

Technical Kisan Editorial25 July 20262 min read

A scoop resting in dark, crumbly compost spread across a work surface

Organic Fertilisers: What Actually Replaces Urea and DAP

Going organic means giving up the bag of urea — but not the nitrogen. Here is what replaces synthetic fertiliser on an Indian farm: FYM, compost, vermicompost, oil cakes, biofertilisers and green manure, and how to combine them so the crop is actually fed.

Technical Kisan Editorial24 July 20264 min read

Common questions

How much compost per acre?

Roughly 2–5 tonnes of well-finished compost per acre, broadcast and mixed into the soil before sowing. Heavy-feeding and degraded soils are at the higher end. Being mild, it will not scorch the crop, so nurseries and vegetables can take more.

What is the difference between compost, FYM and vermicompost?

All three are organic manures that build soil health. FYM is decomposed dung and bedding; vermicompost is waste digested by earthworms into a finer, more nutrient- and microbe-rich product; general compost is plant and farm waste decomposed by microbes. Their nutrient levels are all modest — their shared value is soil organic matter and structure.

Is city (municipal) compost safe to use?

Yes, if it is from a certified source made from properly segregated waste and tested to be low in heavy metals and physical contamination like glass and plastic. Government programmes promote city compost to recycle urban waste into farm inputs; the key is quality certification, not the source of the waste alone.

Composition and doses follow ICAR / Soil Health Card guidance; prices are the notified subsidised rates for the season shown and are guidance, not a quote. A soil test for your field always beats a general rate. See our editorial policy.