Fact sheet on using manure and compost in organic production
Manure and Compost
Application Timing
O rg a n i c C e rt i f i c a t i o n F a c t S h e e t
A major tenet of organic agriculture is maintaining or improving soil quality and fertility. This
factsheet covers USDA organic regulation §205.203, often referred to as the 90/120 day rule.
Use the information and decision tree to determine how the rule applies to your certified
organic operation.
The requirement to maintain or improve soil quality and fertility must be met through
cultivation, crop rotation, planting cover crops, or applying plant and animal materials to
manage crop nutrients, soil fertility, and soil organic matter content.
No practices should contribute to contamination of crops, soil or water. 7CFR §205.203
Application timing of plant materials, compost, and manure
Uncomposted or composted plant materials can be applied at any time to the soil, either
incorporated into the soil or as a mulch.
Any compost that includes manure must comply with the USDA organic regulations
otherwise it is treated as raw manure. If it is composted in accordance with the regulations, it
can be applied to the soil at any time.
Raw or aged manure must be applied at least 90 or 120 days prior to crop harvest,
depending on whether the edible portion of the crop makes contact with the soil surface or
soil particles.
Compost requirements
If your compost includes manure, USDA has specific requirements that must be met in order call
it compost, versus raw or aged manure.
Compost needs to be made with allowed feedstocks (non-synthetic substances and
approved synthetic amendments).
Compost must be mixed or managed to ensure that all of the feedstock heats to the
minimum of 131° F (55° C) for a minimum of three days
Once a compost pile has met the requirements, no more uncomposted manure can be
added without the time and temperature requirements starting anew.
Records to show compliance
Records which demonstrate compost production, application of compost or manure, and all
input feedstocks must be kept and made available at inspection.
The type of records your operation needs to maintain will depend on your specific farm and
production practices.
AGR 3013 – Updated July 2019
Manure and Compost Application Timing
Page 2
Manure Application Decision Tree
Additional Resources
USDA NOP Guidance: Compost and Vermicompost in Organic Crop Production
https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/5021.pdf
ATTRA: Manures for Organic Crop Production
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub-summaries/?pub=182
WSDA Organic Program
PO Box 42560 | Olympia WA 98504-2560
(360) 902-1805 | organic@agr.wa.gov
http://agr.wa.gov/organic
AGR 3013 – Updated July 2019
All Regions
External Link
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