Method for producing organic fertilizer by rapidly fermenting cow dung with microbial agent

Abstract

The invention provides a method for producing an organic fertilizer by rapidly fermenting cow dung with a microbial agent, and belongs to the technical field of production methods of commercial organic fertilizers. Microbial populations with excellent decomposition performance are obtained through screening, decomposition microorganisms are propagated to prepare the microbial agent, and the microbial agent plays different roles in different decomposition stages; the decomposition period can be shortened by inoculating the high-efficiency microbial agent to the mixture which takes the cow dung as the main material, so that disease eggs and pathogenic microorganisms in the cow dung can be killed, and the purpose of rapid and harmless treatment is achieved; in the decomposition process, the nutrient loss is less, and the malodorous gas generation amount is less, so that the nutrient loss is reduced, and the environmental pollution is reduced; the commercial organic fertilizer prepared from the cow dung fermentation decomposition product is uniform in appearance, convenient to transport and apply, and capable of improving the physical and chemical properties of soil, enhancing the water storage and fertilizer conservation capacity of the soil, improving the quality of agricultural products, increasing the crop yield, reducing environmental pollution and promoting agricultural sustainable development.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of production methods for commercial organic fertilizers, and in particular to a method for rapidly fermenting cow manure to produce organic fertilizer using microbial agents. Background Technology

[0002] Organic fertilizer is made primarily from organic materials such as animal manure, plant straw, and biogas residue through processes like composting and decomposition. Its use can be traced back to the traditional agricultural practices of manure and green manure, but it was marginalized in the modernization process due to the high efficiency of chemical fertilizers. In recent years, with the increasing prominence of problems such as soil compaction, water pollution, and agricultural product safety caused by excessive use of chemical fertilizers, organic fertilizer has regained importance. Since the implementation of China's "Zero Growth Action Plan for Chemical Fertilizers" in 2015, replacing chemical fertilizers with organic fertilizers has become an important direction for the green transformation of agriculture. The 2021 plan further proposed promoting the resource utilization of organic fertilizers to help achieve the carbon peak target. Organic fertilizer is rich in humus and microorganisms, which can improve soil structure, enhance soil fertility, and reduce non-point source pollution, playing an irreplaceable role in ecological circular agriculture.

[0003] The extensive use of chemical fertilizers in modern agriculture has led to pollution of soil, groundwater, lakes, and the atmosphere, as well as the deterioration of soil physical and chemical properties. Furthermore, with the rapid development of modern animal husbandry, a large amount of manure from dairy farms is not being treated in a timely manner, resulting in a huge waste of organic fertilizer resources and environmental pollution. Governments at all levels urgently need to seek ways to utilize it as a resource to improve soil physical and chemical properties and increase crop yield and quality.

[0004] Existing methods for producing organic fertilizer typically employ large-scale fermentation processes using specialized equipment. While these processes offer rapid fermentation, they are costly and hinder widespread application. Furthermore, conventional fermentation methods have long decomposition cycles, generally around 60 days, which is unsuitable for large-scale industrial processing. These processes also result in significant nutrient losses and the generation of environmentally harmful gases such as methane and hydrogen sulfide. Therefore, this application provides a method for rapidly fermenting cow manure using microbial agents to produce organic fertilizer, thus meeting this demand. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a method for rapidly fermenting cow manure to produce commercial organic fertilizer using microbial agents. The method is simple to operate, low in cost, can shorten the decomposition cycle, minimize nutrient loss during decomposition, reduce the amount of odorous gases produced, ensure thorough decomposition, and cause no environmental pollution. The commercial organic fertilizer produced by this process can be used to improve soil, enhance the quality of agricultural products, and increase crop yield.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0007] A method for rapidly fermenting cow manure to produce organic fertilizer using microbial agents includes the following steps:

[0008] S1: Pre-treatment stage of cow manure: Cow manure in the cowshed is transported to the organic fertilizer production workshop by a manure scraper. Before the manure scraper is used for transportation, a vibrating screen or drum screen is added to remove impurities such as plastic, metal, and stones from the cow manure to avoid blockage or damage to subsequent equipment.

[0009] S2: Solid-liquid separation: The cow manure is separated into solid and liquid components using a screw extrusion solid-liquid separator. The organic biomass separation liquid is stored, and the solid raw material is subjected to secondary extrusion to reduce the moisture content of the cow manure to about 50%. Straw, rice husks, etc. are added and mixed evenly.

[0010] S3: Raw material preparation and fermentation: Inoculate with microbial agents and pile for fermentation. When the temperature reaches above 50℃, start turning the pile for the first time. As the microorganisms proliferate, the pile is kept at a very high temperature. Generally, it can be turned every 2 to 3 days. Finally, it is screened and dried before being packaged as a commercial organic fertilizer product.

[0011] Preferably, temperature sensors and automatic turning machines are installed in the fermentation workshop. When the temperature of the material pile reaches 60℃, it is forcibly turned and the blower is activated to introduce oxygen to prevent anaerobic odor. When the temperature of the material pile exceeds 70℃, it should be turned and ventilated in time to cool down. After about 7 days of high temperature, the temperature of the material pile begins to drop. At this time, various maturity indicators can be tested to understand the degree of maturity of the material pile. Generally, the material pile is basically mature at this time. Turn it once more and let it mature for another 7 days before spreading it out to dry.

[0012] Preferably, after fermentation, an aging period of 15-30 days is added to further mineralize the undecomposed lignin and cellulose. Then, the material is placed in an open space to dry. Before drying, the lumpy material is crushed to <5cm using a hammer crusher, and then large particles are removed by a vibrating screen. Biomass fuel or steam is used for drying, and the temperature is controlled at 60-70℃ to retain the activity of beneficial microorganisms. After drying to a moisture content of ≤25%, the material is naturally rehydrated to 30%-40%. After sieving, a magnetic separator is added to remove metal impurities, and high-temperature sterilization (above 80℃) is used to kill insect eggs and pathogens.

[0013] Preferably, the above-mentioned microbial agents are mainly composed of Bacillus, Actinomycetes, Lactic acid bacteria, nitrogen-fixing bacteria and yeast.

[0014] Preferably, the expansion formula of the microbial agent is: 35% soybean meal, 32% wheat bran, 25% rice husk powder, 2.5% glucose, 1.5% zinc sulfate, 1.5% boron, 1.5% magnesium sulfate and 1% peptone. The composition ratio of the waste material pile with cow dung as the main raw material is: 67% cow dung with 50% moisture content, 15% straw (1-2cm), 15% rice husk, and 3% superphosphate. The optimal carbon-nitrogen ratio for the composting of the above-mentioned cow dung-based material is 25-30:1.

[0015] Preferably, the inoculum amount of microbial agent during the fermentation process of the above-mentioned mixture is 1.5% to 2% of the weight of the mixture. Mechanical turning is used once every 2 to 3 days in the early stage and once every 1 to 2 days in the later stage to regulate temperature and air permeability.

[0016] Preferably, deodorizing agents (such as photosynthetic bacteria and lactic acid bacteria) are sprayed during turning of the pile, and the surface of the pile is covered with straw or tarpaulin to reduce ammonia volatilization while deodorizing and controlling odors.

[0017] Preferably, liquid organic fertilizer is produced by aeration or fermentation with added EM bacteria. The biogas produced by the fermentation of the organic biomass separation liquid is used for power generation or heating, reducing dependence on fossil energy. The utilization of biogas avoids direct methane emissions and reduces the carbon footprint.

[0018] Preferably, real-time monitoring of temperature, humidity, and oxygen content is used to optimize the turning frequency and ventilation volume, and automated equipment replaces manual operation to reduce human error.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0020] (1) Screening to obtain microbial populations with excellent decomposition performance, and then propagating the decomposition microorganisms to produce microbial inoculants. The microbial inoculants consist of Bacillus, Actinomycetes, Lactic acid bacteria, nitrogen-fixing bacteria and yeast, which play different roles in different stages of decomposition.

[0021] (2) Inoculating the mixture mainly composed of cow manure with highly efficient microbial agents can shorten the decomposition cycle, and the decomposition process can generally be completed in about 30 days. The highest temperature during the decomposition process can reach 60-70℃, and the temperature above 50℃ can be maintained for about 7 days, which is sufficient to kill the disease and insect eggs and pathogenic microorganisms in the cow manure, so as to achieve the purpose of rapid harmless treatment.

[0022] (3) The decomposition process results in less nutrient loss and less odorous gas production, thereby reducing nutrient loss and environmental pollution.

[0023] (4) The commercial organic fertilizer made from the decomposition products of cow manure has a uniform appearance, is easy to transport and apply. Using this commercial organic fertilizer can not only improve the physical and chemical properties of the soil and enhance the soil's water and fertilizer retention capacity, but also improve the quality of agricultural products, increase crop yield, reduce environmental pollution, and promote sustainable agricultural development. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the specification, further serve to explain the principles of the invention and enable those skilled in the art to practice and use the invention.

[0025] Figure 1A flowchart illustrating the overall production process of cow dung fermentation substrate;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing the component ratios of microbial inoculants.

[0027] As shown in the figure, specific structures and devices are marked in the figure to clearly illustrate the structure of the embodiments of the present invention. However, this is only for illustrative purposes and is not intended to limit the present invention to this specific structure, device and environment. Those skilled in the art can adjust or modify these devices and environments according to specific needs. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The following describes in detail a method for rapidly fermenting cow manure to produce organic fertilizer using microbial agents, provided by the present invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that, to make the embodiments more detailed, the following embodiments are the best and preferred embodiments; those skilled in the art can also use other alternative methods to implement some known technologies; and the accompanying drawings are only for more specific description of the embodiments and are not intended to specifically limit the present invention.

[0029] It should be noted that the use of terms such as "an embodiment," "an embodiment," "an exemplary embodiment," and "some embodiments" in the specification indicates that the described embodiment may include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes that specific feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, when a specific feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, implementing such a feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments (whether explicitly described or not) should be within the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0030] Generally, terms can be understood at least partly from their use in context. For example, depending at least partly on the context, the term "one or more" as used herein can be used to describe any feature, structure, or characteristic in a singular sense, or a combination of features, structures, or characteristics in a plural sense. Additionally, the term "based on" can be understood not necessarily to convey an exclusive set of factors, but rather, alternatively, depending at least partly on the context, to allow for the presence of other factors that are not necessarily explicitly described.

[0031] It is understood that the meanings of “on”, “above”, and “above” in this invention should be interpreted in the broadest manner, such that “on” means not only “directly on” something, but also includes the meaning of being “on” something with an intervening feature or layer, and that “above” or “above” means not only “on” something, but also includes the meaning of being “on” something without an intervening feature or layer.

[0032] Furthermore, spatially related terms such as “below,” “under,” “lower,” “above,” and “upper” are used herein for convenience to describe the relationship of one element or feature to one or more other elements or features, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Spatially related terms are intended to cover different orientations in the use or operation of the device other than those depicted in the accompanying drawings. The device may be oriented in other ways, and the spatially related descriptive terms used herein can be interpreted similarly.

[0033] Example 1

[0034] A method for rapidly fermenting cow manure to produce organic fertilizer using microbial agents includes the following steps:

[0035] S1: Pre-treatment stage of cow manure: Cow manure in the cowshed is transported to the organic fertilizer production workshop by a manure scraper. Before the manure scraper is used for transportation, a vibrating screen or drum screen is added to remove impurities such as plastic, metal, and stones from the cow manure to avoid blockage or damage to subsequent equipment.

[0036] S2: Solid-liquid separation: The cow manure is separated into solid and liquid components using a screw extrusion solid-liquid separator. The organic biomass separation liquid is stored, and the solid raw material is subjected to secondary extrusion to reduce the moisture content of the cow manure to about 50%. Straw, rice husks, etc. are added and mixed evenly.

[0037] S3: Raw material preparation and fermentation: Inoculate with microbial agents and pile for fermentation. When the temperature reaches above 50℃, start turning the pile for the first time. As the microorganisms proliferate, the pile is kept at a very high temperature. Generally, it can be turned every 2 to 3 days. Finally, it is screened and dried before being packaged as a commercial organic fertilizer product.

[0038] After a certain amount of cow manure has accumulated in the cowshed, a cow manure sweeper is started to collect the accumulated manure, which is then transported to the organic fertilizer production workshop for further processing. The collected cow manure is fed into a solid-liquid separator, where a screw extrusion is used to perform preliminary solid-liquid separation. After the remaining liquid is released through gentle extrusion, the moisture content of the cow manure is reduced to about 50% through a second extrusion. The extruded cow manure is then removed and transferred to a mixing container. Finally, straw and rice husks crushed to 1-2 cm are added to the container in the following proportions (67% cow manure, 15% straw, 15% rice husks, and 3% superphosphate), and the mixture is thoroughly stirred to complete the preparation of the initial fermentation base.

[0039] Example 2

[0040] After the fermentation medium is prepared, the subsequent step is to prepare the microbial inoculant. The microbial inoculant mainly consists of Bacillus, Actinomycetes, Lactic acid bacteria, nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and yeast. The microbial inoculant is prepared using a propagation formula (35% soybean meal + 32% wheat bran + 25% rice husk powder + 2.5% glucose + 1.5% zinc sulfate + 1.5% boron + 1.5% magnesium sulfate + 1% peptone). The solid raw materials, such as soybean meal, wheat bran, and rice husk powder, are pulverized into fine particles (to facilitate microbial adsorption). Each component is weighed according to the formula and mixed evenly. Bacillus, Actinomycetes, Lactic acid bacteria, nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and yeast are activated separately from preserved strains. The activated strains are then mixed in a ratio (e.g., 1:1:1:1:1) and inoculated into the propagation medium. In the culture medium, the temperature should be 30-35℃ (considering the growth requirements of different bacterial strains); the humidity should be maintained at approximately 60%-70%; aeration should be provided by periodically turning the medium or introducing sterile air (avoiding an anaerobic environment); the culture time should be 3-5 days until the inoculum has a uniform color and a faint fermented smell. The primary cultured inoculum should then be transferred to a new expansion culture medium at an inoculation rate of 5%-10%, and cultured under the same conditions for 2-3 days until the bacterial concentration reaches the required level. Viable cell count should be determined using the plate count method. Contamination should be checked by observing the color and odor of the inoculum to ensure it is free of mold and putrefactive bacteria. Functional verification can be performed through small-scale fermentation experiments (such as cow manure composting) to test the effectiveness of the inoculum.

[0041] Example 3

[0042] Microbial agents are inoculated and the compost pile is fermented. The first turning of the pile begins when the temperature reaches above 50℃. As microorganisms proliferate, the pile maintains a high temperature. When the pile temperature is about to exceed 70℃, it needs to be turned and ventilated to cool it down as soon as possible, generally every 2-3 days. The high temperature lasts for about 7 days before the pile temperature begins to drop. During this process, the high temperature environment kills other pathogens inside. After the high-temperature period, various maturity indicators are tested. Depending on the degree of maturity, the pile is turned as needed. Generally, the pile is basically mature at this point. Turn it once more and allow it to mature for another 7 days before spreading it out to dry. Drying reduces the internal moisture content to below 40%. Then it can be dried, sieved, and packaged as commercial organic fertilizer. During this process, the following should be noted:

[0043] The moisture content is strictly controlled at 50% (fermentation stage) and 40% (finished product stage);

[0044] The carbon-to-nitrogen ratio is adjusted to 25-30:1 to ensure efficient microbial decomposition;

[0045] The frequency of turning over the pile should be dynamically adjusted (once every 2-3 days in the early stage, and once every 1-2 days in the later stage).

[0046] This invention encompasses any substitutions, modifications, equivalent methods, and solutions made within the spirit and scope of this invention. To provide the public with a thorough understanding of this invention, specific details are described in detail in the following preferred embodiments; however, those skilled in the art will fully understand the invention even without these details. Furthermore, to avoid unnecessary misunderstanding of the essence of this invention, well-known methods, processes, procedures, components, and circuits are not described in detail.

[0047] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for rapidly fermenting cow manure to produce organic fertilizer using microbial agents, characterized in that, The following steps are included: S1: Pre-treatment stage of cow manure: Cow manure in the cowshed is transported to the organic fertilizer production workshop by a manure scraper. Before the manure scraper is used for transportation, a vibrating screen or drum screen is added to remove impurities such as plastic, metal, and stones from the cow manure to avoid blockage or damage to subsequent equipment. S2: Solid-liquid separation: The cow manure is separated into solid and liquid components using a screw extrusion solid-liquid separator. The organic biomass separation liquid is stored, and the solid raw material is subjected to secondary extrusion to reduce the moisture content of the cow manure to about 50%. Straw, rice husks, etc. are added and mixed evenly. S3: Raw material preparation and fermentation: Inoculate with microbial agents and pile for fermentation. When the temperature reaches above 50℃, start turning the pile for the first time. As the microorganisms proliferate, the pile is kept at a very high temperature. Generally, it can be turned every 2 to 3 days. Finally, it is screened and dried before being packaged as a commercial organic fertilizer product.

2. The method for rapidly fermenting cow dung to produce organic fertilizer using microbial agents according to claim 1, characterized in that, Temperature sensors and automatic turning machines are installed in the fermentation workshop. When the temperature of the material pile reaches 60℃, it is forcibly turned and the blower is activated to introduce oxygen to prevent anaerobic odor. When the temperature of the material pile exceeds 70℃, it should be turned and ventilated in time to cool down. After about 7 days of high temperature, the temperature of the material pile begins to drop. At this time, various maturity indicators can be tested to understand the degree of maturity of the material pile. Generally, the material pile is basically mature at this time. Turn it once more and let it mature for another 7 days before spreading it out to dry.

3. The method for rapidly fermenting cow dung to produce organic fertilizer using microbial agents according to claim 1, characterized in that, After fermentation, an aging period of 15-30 days is added to further mineralize the undecomposed lignin and cellulose. Then, it is placed in an open space to dry. Before drying, the lumpy material is crushed to <5cm using a hammer crusher, and then large particles are removed by a vibrating screen. Biomass fuel or steam is used for drying, and the temperature is controlled at 60-70℃ to retain the activity of beneficial microorganisms. After drying to a moisture content of ≤25%, it is naturally rehydrated to 30%-40%. After sieving, a magnetic separator is added to remove metal impurities, and high-temperature sterilization (above 80℃) is used to kill insect eggs and pathogens.

4. The method for rapidly fermenting cow dung to produce organic fertilizer using microbial agents according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aforementioned microbial agents are mainly composed of Bacillus, Actinomycetes, Lactic acid bacteria, nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and yeast.

5. The method for rapidly fermenting cow dung to produce organic fertilizer using microbial agents according to claim 4, characterized in that, The microbial inoculant's expansion formula is: 35% soybean meal, 32% wheat bran, 25% rice husk powder, 2.5% glucose, 1.5% zinc sulfate, 1.5% boron, 1.5% magnesium sulfate, and 1% peptone. The composition ratio of the waste material pile with cow dung as the main raw material is: 67% cow dung with a moisture content of 50%, 15% straw (1-2cm), 15% rice husk, and 3% superphosphate. The optimal carbon-nitrogen ratio for the composting of the above-mentioned cow dung-based material is 25-30:

1.

6. The method for rapidly fermenting cow dung to produce organic fertilizer using microbial agents according to claim 2, characterized in that, During the fermentation process of the above-mentioned mixture, the inoculum amount of microbial agents is 1.5% to 2% of the weight of the mixture. Mechanical turning is used once every 2 to 3 days in the early stage and once every 1 to 2 days in the later stage to regulate temperature and air permeability.

7. The method for rapidly fermenting cow dung to produce organic fertilizer using microbial agents according to claim 2, characterized in that, Spray deodorizing agents (such as photosynthetic bacteria and lactic acid bacteria) during turning the pile, and cover the surface of the pile with straw or tarpaulin to reduce ammonia volatilization while deodorizing and controlling odors.

8. The method for rapidly fermenting cow dung to produce organic fertilizer using microbial agents according to claim 1, characterized in that, Liquid organic fertilizer is produced through aeration or fermentation with added EM bacteria. The biogas produced by the fermentation of the organic biomass separation liquid is used for power generation or heating, reducing dependence on fossil energy. The utilization of biogas avoids direct methane emissions, thus reducing the carbon footprint.

9. A method for rapidly fermenting cow dung to produce organic fertilizer using microbial agents according to claim 1, characterized in that, Real-time monitoring of temperature, humidity, and oxygen content optimizes turning frequency and ventilation, while automated equipment replaces manual operation, reducing human error.

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