Experts from the Perm National Research Polytechnic University (PNRPU) have developed the technology to produce worm castings in granular form, which will make the fertilizer cheaper and easier to store. The press service of Perm Polytechnic University told socialbites.ca about this.
Vermicompost is a natural fertilizer consisting of organic matter processed by worms and other organisms. High-quality granulation makes this fertilizer easy to transport and use, but current production methods are imperfect – some require the use of harmful substances, while others do not provide sufficient strength of the parts.
PNRPU scientists solved both problems by mixing the original soil mixture with an aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) at a certain concentration and passing the composition through an extruder with 7 mm diameter holes (molds). The resulting substance was granulated in a special drum, dried at a temperature of 90-100 °C and sieved to select elements of the required size. Granules smaller than 3 mm in size were crushed and returned to the mixing stage.
“Using an extruder simplifies the initial formation of granules and allows us to obtain a uniform composition. By passing the mixture through 7 mm dies, a press product is obtained, which is rolled more efficiently and after drying corresponds to the size of the designated commercial fraction of 3-6 mm ,” Pavel Skovorodnikov, senior researcher at the Department of Chemical Technologies, explained to socialbites.ca from PNIPU.
Experts from Perm Polytechnic University studied the properties of the resulting vermicompost and concluded that the created method makes it possible to produce high-quality vermicompost, resistant to transportation and long-term storage. Moreover, the cost of this method is low due to the use of cheap raw materials. Additionally, reusing very small granules helps minimize raw material losses.
Researchers noted that adding vermicompost to the soil can restore or even significantly increase the fertility of the soil and improve the qualitative and quantitative indicators of agricultural products.
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Source: Gazeta
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