Practical agroforestry compost heater systems for sustainable farms

The aim is to establish practical agroforestry systems in conjunction with application-oriented, economically efficient, and GHG-minimized composting with heat utilization for agricultural businesses. The climate-positive effect of agroforestry systems (AFS) as an integral part of agricultural businesses and compost heater (BM) as GHG-minimized material and energy recovery from agricultural residues is well documented scientifically. In particular, combining both methods is promising from an emission reduction perspective, as structurally rich and organic residues (woody material) from the AFS operation are fed into the BM, significantly increasing the air pore volume inside the BM and thereby mitigating anaerobic process conditions. Nevertheless, the implementation of both individual processes and their combination remains a challenge for many agricultural businesses. With the help of the research project, the combination of both processes can be used to provide a raw material and energy recovery pathway. Composting in the BM system provides heat for greenhouses during the cold season and also produces the nutrient-rich end product compost. Thus, combining both processes creates a cascade use in the sense of a circular economy.