Composting and Plant Growth Essay Example for Free

Composting and dress Growth stressVermicomposting, as an industrial process, was originally developed to remove unwanted organic materials from the agricultural and industrial godforsaken streams. The derived product earthworm castings, is now recognized as a high value material which, when intermingle with soil, can restore soil tilth by correcting the imbalances caused by the over-utilization of petrol-chemical substance based fertilizers thus alter crops and deedss to of course combat pests and diseases, all resulting in increased crop production and general plant health. Using European technology we began researching production processes and the potential of Vermicomposting over 20 years ago. In 1991 we built the maiden American flow through Vermicomposting processor in Portland Oregon which continues to handle more than 2,000 tons of food expend per year at an annual cost savings of approximately $70,000.00.The Worm Castings ar sold as an Organic soil amendment or mixed to form valuable plant growth media, as hygienic as providing a natural pesticide and fungicide. In 1997 Awarded our first of three Phase I, and Phase II USDA-SBIR grants enabling advanced engineering, design and process modifications to be made in order to achieve a great understanding of the production process and the products potential. In collaboration with Ohio State University, and Professor Clive Edwards, these grants supported extensive expanse and greenhouse trials victimisation Vermicompost on a wide range of fruits, vegetables and ornamentals. The results clearly demonstrated that the affects were nutritional as all experimental plants received the same full range of nutrients and remarkably small quantities of Vermicompost promoted enhanced germination, growth, efflorescence and yield on a variety of crop plants.Agricultural superfluitys, food and garden wastes, paper waste, and bio-solids from waste water treatment plants, when processed by earthworms, al l showed similar results. With the aid of two additional USDA-SBIR grants over again collaborating with OSU and Dr. C. Edwards we investigated a range of structural and functional comparisons amidst Vermicompost and traditional types of compost. * The continuous-flow production process does not stick out nutrient leaching as occurs with conventional thermophilic composting and some less efficient methods of Vermicomposting * There were large physical, chemical and biologic differences, all seemingly related to leachate control and the organic waste passage through the earthworms gut. * Vermicomposting was furthermost more efficient in controlling odors and other vector issues. * With high worm populations and optimum conditions Vermicomposting is lots faster than most conventional composting processes.* The percentages of Nitrogen, Potassium, Potash, Magnesium, and Calcium in forms readily available for plant uptake ar such(prenominal) greater in Vermicomposts. * Microbi al activity is much greater in finished Vermicompost maintaining m whatsoever another(prenominal) types of bacteria and fungi that contri alonee to soil health and fertility. Our research showed in laboratory, greenhouse and field trials that a specific amount of Vermicompost, added to commercial potting mediums suppressed diseases, insect populations and insect damage to and on plants grown in Vermicompost treated soils. It is now widely accepted that the readily available micro organisms available in Vermicompost be the likely source of the plant growth regulators and Humates now known to be responsible for the increased germination, develop and yields found in the plant growth trials. The project then focused on investigating the rationalness why the smaller particle size and greater moisture holding capacity in Vermicompost contributed to a decrease in soil nutrient leaching when Vermicompost was added to soils demonstrating the death of viable weed seeds through Vermicom posting and the destruction of humane pathogens in contaminated organic wastes during Vermicomposting.This second part of the Phase I, Phase II Plant Pest, Disease and Human Pathogen Control results, according to the EPA 503 Regulations, achieved Class A material in 60 old age with bacterial levels for Salmonella, Ecoli, and viable Helmath Olva were all non-detectable. We developed our operational protocols from this research, and this research and operational training goes with every system. opposite investigations concentrated on the properties of Vermicompost that increased plant growth. The increased plant growth observed greatly exceeded any of the nutrient inputs applied and all recent plant growth trials received balancing levels of nutrient inputs to check into nutrients were not the cause. * Small additions of Vermicompost decreased the incidence of various plant diseases and the numbers of plant parasitic nematodes were suppressed.* get on research investigating product ion methods (Third part of Phase I and II) and effective practical applications of water alcohol- dissolvable elutriates for foliar application for immediate disease and pest control are ongoing. Initial results were completed in June 2009 facile Extracts for Disease and Pest Control. * Heat sterilization of finished Vermicompost was shown to remove all plant growth enhancing properties, but these could be restored by the addition of aqueous extracts of un-sterilized Vermicompost. This demonstrates the key factor is clearly microbial, most likely associated with plant growth regulators and increased levels of humic acid and folic acid found in Vermicompost. * Results showed increased growth effectuate were more frequent and more pronounced at specific concentration levels and application rates.When plants were grown in less specific blends or in mixes of greater concentrations of Vermicompost the beneficial growth, disease and pest control was greatly reduced or lost complet ely. * This result was unexpected, but confirmed by detailed and rigorous studies using a wide range of Vermicompost substitutions in a commercial plant growth media and in a wide range of plant species. * Optimum germination, growth, flowering, and heavier fields occurred only in a specific readying that included nutrients other than what is in the Vermicompost. * This takes us down a path that suggests that the chemical or biological agent that is providing the disease control and triggering the plants ability to respond systemically to pest and disease issues is either a soluble uptake or has to be manufactured by the plant as an antagonist.* Conclusion too much Vermicompost can block the functions that triggers these responses similar to the way too much nitrogen locks in the leaves and does not release the proper function of the plant. * Lastly, vigorous, healthy plants, as were observed when grown with Vermicompost, are furthermost less subject to attack by plant pests a nd diseases. Tolerance, resistance, suppression, or the ability to manufacture an antagonist to plant pests or diseases are sometimes difficult to distinguish, but decreases in lesions and other symptoms, and decreases in the numbers of causative organisms suck been found.Aquaculture of Chanos chanosMilkfish aquaculture first occurred around 800 years ago in the Philippines and spread in Indonesia, Taiwan and into the Pacific. Traditional milkfish aquaculture relied upon re credit lineing ponds by salt away wild fry. This led to a wide range of variability in quality and quantity among seasons and regions. In the late seventies, farmers first successfully spawned breeding fish. However, they were hard to obtain and recruitd unreliable egg viability. In 1980 the first spontaneously spawning happened in sea cages. These eggs were found to be sufficient to generate a constant supply for farms.Fry are raised in either sea cages, large saline solution ponds (Philippines) or concrete army tanks (Indonesia, Taiwan). Milkfish reach sexual maturity at 1.5 kilograms (3.3 lb), which takes 5 years in floating sea cages, but 8-10 years in ponds and tanks. Once 6 kilograms (13 lb) is reached (8 years) an average of 3-4 million eggs entrust be produced each breeding cycle.1 This is mainly done using natural environmental cues. However, there watch been attempts using gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue (GnRH-A) to induce spawning.3 Some still use the traditional wild stock method. This involves capturing wild fry using nets. Milkfish hatcheries, like most hatcheries, contain a variety of cultures, as intumesce as the target species. For example rotifers, green algae and brine shrimp. They can either be intensifier or semi-intensive. Semi-intensive methods are more profitable with it costing $6.67 US per m fry in 1998, compared with $27.40 per 1000 fry for intensive methods.However, the experience required by labor for semi-intensive hatcheries is higher than i ntensive. Milkfish nurseries in Taiwan are highly commercial and have densities of about 2000/liter. Indonesia achieves similar densities but has more backyard-type nurseries. The Philippines have integrated nurseries with grow-out facilities and have densities of about 1000/liter. There are three methods of outgrowing pond culture, pen culture and cage culture. * shoal ponds are found mainly in Indonesia and the Philippines. These are shallow 3040 centimeters (1216 in), briny ponds with benthic algae, usually used as feed.1 They are usually excavated from nipa or mangrove areas and produce 800kg/ha/yr. Deep ponds (2-3m) have a more stable environment and began in 1970.They so far have shown less susceptibility to disease than shallow ponds. * In 1979 pen culture was introduced in lagune de Bay, which had high primary production. This provided an excellent food source. Once this ran out, fertilizer was applied. They are susceptible to disease. * Cages culture occurs in coastal ba ys. These consist of large cages suspended in open water. These rely largely upon natural sources of food. most(prenominal) food supply is natural food (known as lab-lab) or a combination of phytoplankton and macro algae.traditionally this was made on site food is now made commercially to order. Harvest occurs when the individuals are between 20-40cm (250-500g). Partial harvests remove uniform sized individuals with nets or gill nets. Total harvest removes all individuals and leads to a variety of sizes. Forced harvest happens when there is an environmental problem, such as depleted oxygen referable to algal blooms and all stock is removed. Possible parasites include parasitic nematodes, copepods, protozoa and helminthes. Many of these are treatable with chemicals and antibiotics.Vermicast processVermicast renews the soil and is used as a natural fertiliser. It is made by recylcling organic waste which is transform into natural fertiliser by using earth worms. The process of how t hese worms are utilised will be explained below. The process uses a variety of left over products such as grass cuttings, compost, vegetable cuttings and scatter from cattle, pigs and chickens. They will then be displace into the following systemsWind Row SystemFood is placed on the right hand brass of the row and kept moist. Vermicast is then scraped off the opposite side because the worms will gravitate towards the direction that you feed them on. Therefore you are able to remove the vermicast from the left and it habit contain any of the worms. Pond SystemStart at the laughingstock-15cm compost. Keep adding 15cm compost at a time till pond is full. Remove whole pond to wash. Wind Rows Undercover Food is placed on front and kept moist. Vermicast is scraped off the opposite side. Feed from the front, worms keep moving forward so what you remove from the back wont contain any of the worms. This is usually done in sheds and on a smaller scale.Once the earth worms have eaten all the food given then the following locomote will be taken1) Washing the Worms (As seen in the middle picture)Vermicast containing the worms is put in a tank of water, it is stirred, the worms are separated by the circulating force of the water to the outside. Once everything is mixed up, the vermicast is suspended in the water and the worms disperse to the outside of the tank which are then caught on the racks. 2) Catching Worms (As seen in the bottom picture)