OA13327A - Biological fertilizer. - Google Patents

Description

013327

Oipla Limited

BIOLOGICAL FERTILIZER CONTAINING WHEY 10 15 20 25

The présent invention relates to methods forpréparation of a biological fertilizer and a biologicalfertilizer obtainable by said method. The présent inventionfurther relates to a composition for fertilizing soilcomprising said biological fertilizer, and the use of saidbiological fertilizer or said composition for fertilizing asubstrate for plant growth. In addition, the présentinvention relates to a method for fertilizing soil. A sustainable form of agriculture, i.e., one whichdoes not simply exploit the inherited fertility ofagricultural soils, is based on the premise that plantnutrients which are removed with the harvested crops will bereplaced.

It is the regular supply of sufficient quantifies ofplant nutrients which has, over the past 100 years,maintained and even improved the fertility of farmers fieldsin Europe. Combined with advances in plant and animalbreeding, plant protection, farm mechanization and landmanagement, plant nutrition has been responsible for anincrease in European farm output in recent years, in spite ofa réduction in the total agricultural area.

Plant nutrients are available from four differentsources: 1) soil itself, 2) livestock, municipal andindustrial wastes, 3) biological nitrogen fixation, and 4)minerai fertilizers, also designated as artificialfertilizers.

Minerai fertilizers allow farmers to supplémentplant nutrients, like trace éléments, minerais, nitrogen,carbon, etc. and thus match the supply of nutrients with theneeds of the crops. They are, in fact, the only nutrientswhich can be tailored to meet the crops' exact requirements. 30 013327 2

Providing guaranteed contents and the possibility ofapplication as and when required. Minerai fertilizers arecost-effective means of achieving sustainable crop productionand improvements in the quality of food and fodder. There is,a-t présent, no alternative to minerai fertilizers on a 5 régional or global scale if food supply is to be ensured. A major drawback of minerai fertilizers is the ineffective use of the fertilizer due to the release patternof the plant nutrients from the minerai fertilizer into thesoil. Upon application to soil, the nutrients présent in the 10 minerai fertilizers are usually "burst" released, i.e., ailnutrients are released into the soil in a relatively shortperiod of time. Since during plant growth, which requiresusually several months, the concentration of nutrientstransiently decreases, due to, for example, wash out or 15 dégradation, a relatively large amount of nutrients has to beused to ensure sufficient plant nutrient concentrationsduring the entire growth period. Thus a relatively largeportion of minerai fertilizer supplemented is needed tocompensate for losses occurring during the growth period andnot for the intended nutrient supplémentation of the growingplants.

In addition, a relatively large portion of plantnutrients is not used by the growing plants. As aconséquence,, eventually the not-used plant nutrients are 25 introduced into the environment, by, for example, wash out.

Wash out is the washing out or away of nutrients in soil byfor example rain, freshet, etc.. This wash out of plantnutrients can cause causing severe environmental problèmelike oxygen déplétion in water by algae growth, destruction 30 of epitopes by "unnatural" nutrient supply, disruption of thenatural balance between species like an abnormal nettle 013327 growth, and a general decrease in the number of species, bothplant an animal, présent in an epitope.

Therefore, it is a goal of the présent invention toprovide a cost-effective fertilizer which more effectivelysuppléments nutrients to growing plants and thus reduces theamount of fertilizer needed and which, in addition, reducesthe amount of plant nutrients introduced into the environmentin order to minimalize or even eliminate environmentalproblème associated with this introduction. Because of thelatter, such fertilizers are designated biological friendlyor biological fertilizers as opposed to the présent minerai(artificial) fertilizers.

According to the présent invention, this goal isachieved by providing a method for the préparation of abiological fertilizer comprising a fermentation of whey andthe addition of a carrier material to the fermented whey.

Whey is the watery part of milk that is separatedfrom the coagulable part or curd, especially in the processof raaking cheese, and that is rich in lactose, minerais, andvitamins, and contains lactalbumin-and traces of fat. Atprésent, whey is considered a waste product of the cheesemaking industry and is usually discarded, thus providing acost-effective starting material for a fertilizer.

In addition, since whey is a "natural" product, i.e.,a product that has undergone minimal processing and containsno preservatives or artificial additives, when the carriermaterial used is also a "natural" product, the fertilizerbased on whey as starting material does not introduce thesepossible toxic or harmful preservatives and/or additives intothe environment in contrast to the chemically synthesizedminerai (artificial) fertilizers.

This allows for the use of the biological fertilizeraccording to the invention by biological farmers, i.e., 013327 10 15 20 25 farmers which from a principal point of view do not use any"non-natural" products like minerai fertilizers, herbicides,or pesticides. Until now, no other fertilizers were availableto these farmers severely limiting crop yields.

According to the invention, the whey is fermented ina first fermentation step, for example during 2 days at roomtempérature under stirring, although any fermentationprotocol can be used like fermentation at elevated températures, fermentation in an automated fermentationdevice, etc.

The carrier material according to the invention,being preferably obtained from a "natural" source and inaddition preferably in solid form, can be used to 1) providea possible additional carbon source, 2) allow for improvedtransport and handling characteristics of the biologicalfertilizer, and 3) prevent wash out of the fermented wheyafter application.

The fermented whey in combination with the carriermaterial provides a fertilizer which supplies nutrients tosoil in a "sustained" or "continued" release pattern, i.e., arelatively constant release of nutrients during a relativelylong period, probably due to the postfermentâtion of thefertilizer by soil microorganisms after application. A "sustained" release pattern requires lessfertilizer as compared to a "burst" release pattern of(artificial) minerai fertilizers to achieve the desirednutrient concentration in soil since less compensation for aninévitable decrease in nutrient concentration is needed,thereby providing a more effective use of the biologicalfertilizer according to the invention compared with the(artificial) minerai fertilizers.

In addition, since less fertilizer is needed forcompensation, also less fertilizer is introduced into the 30 013327 5 environment, eliminating or reducing the environmental 1problems associated with this introduction.

Preferably, the ratios between the fermented whey andthe carrier material in the biological fertilizer accordingto the invention are between 10 to 15, like 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 , or 15 (whey:carrier). Using these ratios, sufficientlytexture is provided by the carrier material while optimallythe benefits of fermented whey are maintained.

According to one embodiment of the présent invention,the whey, prior to and/or during the fermentation, isinoculated with a culture of microorganisms, comprisingeither a single microorganism or a mixture of organisms. Byadding a spécifie microorganism culture, the firstfermentation process can be performed faster and/or a bettercontrol of the process is achieved. In addition, thecharacteristics of the fermented whey can be influenceddepending on the microorganism of choice like the nitrogenand/or carbon content.

The fermentation of the whey is preferably carriedout at pH 5 to 7, like pH 5, 5.5, 6, S.5, or 7, morepréférable at pH 4 to 4,5, like pH 4, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4 or4.5, since at these pH's optimal fermentation is achieved.

In a second embodiment of the présent invention,prior to the addition of carrier material, the fermented wheyis filtrated to separate the microbial biomass. Preferably,the principle of gravity feeding is used in the larger timescale. This allows for a low cost filtration step.

According to a third embodiment of the présentinvention, after addition of the carrier material, a secondfermentation of the product obtained is performed. Thissecond fermentation further improves the availability ofnutrients in the biological carrier. 013327 e

According to yet another embodiment of the présentinvention, lime is added to the biological fertilizer. Inaddition to improvement of the texture of the biologicalfertilizer, lime adds an addition calcium source to thebiological fertilizer.

Because of the négative influence of gum resin onthe optional second fermentation step, and on the possiblepostfermentation process, the carrier material according tothe invention preferably is a gum resin-poor carriermaterial. In addition, the accumulation of biomass in thefermentation process(es) can further be optimized by using acarrier material which is cellulose-rich. Spécifie examplesof the carrier material according to the présent inventionare saw dust, beech saw dust, oak saw dust, dried nettle,etc.

In order to meet spécifie requirements, and dependingon the intended use, additives can be added to the biologicalfertilizer like trace éléments, nutrients, minerais, growthhormones, stabilizers, organic compounds, antibiotics, etc.

Preferably, the biological fertilizer according tothe présent invention is in the form of a powder, granules, asuspension, a dispersion, fibrous matter, a solution, amixture, or combinations thereof.

The biological fertilizer can be used in acomposition comprising the biological fertilizer and anysubstances which are normally used in the field

As already outlined above, the biological fertilizeraccording to the présent invention is especially suited to beused for fertilization of a substrate for plant growthbecause of the "sustained" release pattern. Examples ofsuitable substrates are soil, vermiculite, glass fibers,rockwool, and/or aquaculture. 013327 7

According to another embodiment of the présentinvention, the biological fertilizer is used in a method forfertilizing soil comprising: application of a biologicalfertilizer or a composition according to the présentinvention onto and/or into soil.

It was surprisingly f ound that not only nutrients areeffectively supplied to soil but also soil composition and/orsoil structure are improved. One possible mechanism for theobserved improvement can be the addition of microorganisnis tosoil. The microorganisms enhance f lora and f auna resulting inan improved résistance against diseases, more worms, animproved digestion of other organic materials, etc.,

The présent invention will further be illustrated inthe following examples. These examples should not beconstrued as limiting.

EXAMPLE

Préparation of a biological fertilizer according to theprésent invention

The biological fertilizer according to the inventionwas prepared by subjecting whey, obtained from a cheeseproduction facility, to a first fermentation step. The wheywas stirred at room température during two days toincorporate the nutrients in the whey like Ca, K, N, C etc,into the forming biomass. After two days, the productobtained in the first fermentation step was filtered bygravitation filtration in order to increase the dry materialcontent of the préparation. After discarding the liquidphase, wood dust was added to the material remaining on thefilter and the combined material was allowed to ferment in asecond fermentation step at room température. 013327 8

The percentage of éléments was measured and therésulte are shown in table 1

Table 1. element analysis of the biological fertilizeraccording to the présent invention.

Element C 0 H N P K Ca S other minerais percentage 34 31 5 8 2 1 3 3 180

Claims (19)

1. 3327 9 CLAIMS

   1. Method for the préparation of a biologicalfertilizer comprising subjecting whey to a first fermentationstep and the addition of a carrier material to the fermentedwhey.
2. 2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the ratio5 fermented whey:carrier material is between 10 and 15.
3. 3. Method according to claim 1 or claim 2, furthercomprising, prior to and/or during the first fermentation ofthe whey, the inoculation of the whey with a culture ofmicroorganisms. 10
4. 4. Method according to any of the daims 1-3, whereinthe fist fermentation is performed a pH between 5 and 7,preferably at a pH between 4 and 4.5.
5. 5. Method according to any of the daims 1-4, furthercomprising, prior to the addition of the carrier material,filtration of the fermented whey.
6. 6. Method according to any of the daims 1-5, furthercomprising, after the addition of the carrier material, asecond fermentation of step.
7. 7. Method according to any of the daims 1-6, furthercomprising the addition of lime.
8. 8. Method according to any of the daims 1-7, whereinthe carrier material is a gum resin-poor carrier material. 013327 10
9. 9. Method according to any of the daims 1-8, whereinthe carrier material is a cellulose-rich carrier material.
10. 10. Method according to any of the daims 1-9, whereinthe carrier material is selected from the group consisting ofsaw dust, beech saw dust, oak saw dust, dried nettle, andcombinations thereof.
11. 11. Method according to any of the daims 1-10,further comprising the addition of trace éléments, nutrients,minerais, growth hormones, stabilizers, organic compounds,and/or antibiotics.
12. 12. Method according to any of the daims 1-11,wherein the biological fertilizer is in a form selected fromthe group consisting of a powder, granules, a suspension, adispersion, fibrous matter, a solution, a mixture, andcombinations thereof.
13. 13. Biological fertilizer obtainable by a methodaccording to any of the daims 1-12.
14. 14. Fermented whey for the préparation of a biologicalfertilizer according to daims 13.
15. 15. Composition for biologically fertilizing soilcomprising a biological fertilizer according to daim 13.
16. 16. Use of a biological fertilizer according to daim13 or a composition according to daim 15 for fertilizationof a substrate for plant growth. 11
17. 17. Use according fco claim 16, wherein the substratefor plant growth is chosen from the group consisting of soil,verraiculite, glass fibers, rockwool, and aquaculture.
18. 18. Use of a biological fertilizer according to claim13, or a composition according to claim 15, for improvement 5 of soil composition and/or soil structure.
19. 19. Method for fertilizing soil comprising:application of a biological fertilizer according to claim 13,or a composition according to claim 15 onto and/or into soil.