A method for producing organic fertilizer from sugar factory press filter waste soil

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing fertilizer using press filter soil, which is a waste product from sugar factories, and to the organic fertilizer produced by this method. The fertilizer produced by the method of the invention is in liquid form and exhibits 100% biodegradability in water. Furthermore, the said fertilizer can be easily absorbed by plants both through the leaves and the roots.

Description

[0001] A METHOD FOR PRODUCING ORGANIC FERTILIZER FROM SUGAR FACTORY PRESS FILTER WASTE SOIL TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The invention relates to a method for producing fertilizer using press filter soil, which is a waste product from sugar factories, and to the organic fertilizer produced by this method. The fertilizer produced by the method of the invention is in liquid form and exhibits 100% biodegradability in water. Furthermore, the said fertilizer can be absorbed by plants both through foliar application and from the soil.

[0003] BACKGROUND

[0004] Organic matter is extremely important for soil fertility and sustainable agriculture. In plant production, the most effective nutrients for yield are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, respectively. These substances in the soil, which is the growing medium, continuously decrease depending on the crop yield. If the depleted plant nutrients, minerals, and fertilizers are not replenished, losses occur in soil fertility and consequently in the crop product [1], Therefore, in conventional agriculture, the unconscious and uncontrolled use of synthetic chemicals disrupts the natural balance, resulting in life-threatening risks for all living beings. Hence, organic fertilizers are used to prevent these losses, to obtain healthy food without polluting natural resources and disrupting the natural balance, and to increase yield per unit area and especially quality [2], One of the benefits of organic fertilizer is that the release of nutrients occurs more slowly compared to chemical fertilizer. This slower process allows the plant to process the fertilizer in a more natural way and prevents damage to the plant from overfertilization. Furthermore, unlike chemical fertilizers, organic fertilizers reduce acidity in the soil, do not cause leaching in the soil, and do not kill beneficial microorganisms in the soil [3].

[0005] Organic fertilizers are obtained from various organic sources, including organic compost, cattle manure, poultry litter, and domestic wastewater. Organic fertilizers preserve soil quality compared to inorganic fertilizers, increase the amount of organic matter in the soil, and improve the soil's physical and chemical properties through the decomposition of the substances they contain [4], Based on their source, organic fertilizers are classified as farmyard manure, green manures, municipal waste fertilizers, composts, and commercial organic fertilizers. Although the nutrient content of these fertilizers is not very high, they are important in agricultural activities because they add organic matter to the soil, improve the soil's physical properties, and provide macro and micronutrients. Farmyard manures are abundant in regions with intensive livestock production and contain urine, solid excrement, and bedding materials. However, the effectiveness of farmyard manure varies depending on its storage, maturation period, application rate, timing, and method of application. Especially when applied to the soil without maturation, plants cannot benefit from it, and it causes temporary nitrogen deficiency in plants because the microorganisms that break down the nitrogen and organic fertilizer in the soil will use it.

[0006] Another type of fertilizer used in the existing technique, green manuring, is defined as the process of incorporating green plant material, grown on-site or brought from elsewhere, into the soil. However, long-term application of this process results in a decrease in soil pH, which negatively affects soil productivity. Municipal waste fertilizers used in the known state of the art are formed from residual materials generated by human communities and can be used directly or by composting with organic wastes. It is estimated that the filter press waste sludge, which emerges in high quantities in sugar factories and can be classified as municipal waste, amounted to approximately 30 million tons in 2009, with a 2% conventional yield and total production of 1700 million tons. This waste is said to be rich in phosphorus, organic carbon, nitrogen, potassium, and other micronutrients and can be used as an organic fertilizer [5]. However, depending on the process of obtaining organic fertilizer from filter press waste sludge, the produced fertilizers are in solid (granular) form, do not dissolve completely in water, and because not only the waste but also chemicals are involved in the process, the final product harms the environment and groundwater, causes salt formation in the soil, and can only be absorbed by plants from the soil.

[0007] In patent application CN104496570A, which is part of the existing technique, a method for preparing organic fertilizer using sugar filter sludge is described. This method involves mixing the sugar filter sludge, lifting the mixed material to the top belt conveyor by a material lifting equipment, distributing it evenly on the conveyor belt from the feed end to adjust the conveyor belt's operating speed, reaching a mixing temperature where the material at the discharge end is 50°C or more, and after adjusting the material with the top belt conveyor to a lower speed, it includes steps for gradual fermentation. However, if the raw material used in the mentioned document is used either in its raw form or as its advanced stage, the fermented product, it attracts harmful groups due to its taste and aromatic smell, and since larvae will grow with this product, the use of the produced fertilizer in agricultural areas may require harmful pesticide control (such as the uses of raw molasses, vinasse, and stillage). Furthermore, the obtained product is not in a form that the plant can uptake.

[0008] Patent application WO2012085647A1, which is part of the existing technique, relates to an organic fertilizer for soil improvement and fertilization and a method for producing such organic fertilizer. The mentioned method involves; procuring raw materials consisting of sugar mill press mud, sugar mill bagasse, and boiler ash in specific quantities; forming piles; wetting the piles and leaving them to rest for a specific period; spraying the piles with a microbial inoculant; spraying the piles with water to maintain moisture content at at least 40%; adding a specific amount of rock phosphate to each pile; turning each row at least once a week; maintaining optimum temperature and moisture in each pile; leaving the pile rows to rest after the internal temperature drops below the optimum temperature; drying the compost to 20-30% moisture; adding a specific amount of liquid nitrogen; and screening process steps. In this document, because external chemical elements are also intervened, the organic structure is disrupted, the raw product is only made bacteriological, and it is not water-soluble or in a form that plants can uptake.

[0009] The limitations and inadequacies of the solutions in the existing technique, such as organic fertilizers lowering soil pH over time, their effectiveness being dependent on numerous factors, the inability of granular fertilizers to be taken up by plants, existing organic fertilizers causing pollution and / or salt formation in the soil, and their production processes being costly, have necessitated an improvement in the field of organic fertilizers.

[0010] BRIEF DESCRIPTION AND AIMS OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The invention describes a method for producing fertilizer using press filter soil, a waste product from sugar factories, and the organic fertilizer produced by this method. The fertilizer produced by the inventive method is in liquid form and exhibits 100% biodegradability in water. Furthermore, this fertilizer can be absorbed by plants both through foliar application and from the soil. The aim of the invention is to provide an organic fertilizer that is 100% biodegradable in water and can be absorbed by plants both through their leaves and from the soil. In the method of the invention, using only the press filter soil waste from sugar factories as the raw material, without external enrichment or conversion to an organomineral form, and without using any other chemicals or chemical elements, a 100% biodegradable and organic form of fertilizer is obtained. Furthermore, thanks to the chelation process performed in the inventive method, the micro and macro elements in the fertilizer can be easily absorbed by both the leaves and the roots of the plant.

[0012] Another aim of the invention is to provide a low-cost organic fertilizer. The fertilizer in question can be produced at low cost, both because it is produced from filter press waste from sugar factories and due to the processes applied in the method.

[0013] Another aim of the invention is to provide an organic fertilizer that does not cause pollution and salt formation in the soil [6]. Since this organic fertilizer is produced entirely from natural waste material, and because the fertilizer's pH level is in the range of 5.3-6 due to the inventive method, no post-application pollution or salt formation occurs in the soil [7],

[0014] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The invention relates to a method for producing fertilizer using press filter soil, a waste product from sugar factories, and the organic fertilizer produced by this method. The fertilizer produced by the inventive method is in liquid form and exhibits 100% biodegradability in water. Furthermore, the said fertilizer can be easily absorbed by plants both through their leaves and their roots.

[0016] The production method for the organic fertilizer subject of the invention comprises the following process steps:

[0017] i. Discharging press filter soil, obtained as waste from sugar factories, into a maceration reactor at a mass ratio of 45%.

[0018] ii. Adding water to the maceration reactor at a volume ratio of 35% and letting it stand motionless without applying heat for 24 hours.

[0019] iii. Transferring the mixture of the solution and press filter soil kept in the maceration reactor to a digestion tank, stirring it at 90-120 rpm for 12 hours while raising the temperature to 75-80 °C. iv. Maintaining the temperature constant in the range of 75-80 °C for 10 minutes, then cutting the heat and allowing the solution to cool until it reaches 35-40 °C.

[0020] v. Slowly adding a potassium hydroxide solution to the cooled mixture at a volume ratio of 5%.

[0021] vi. Adding citric acid to the solution with added potassium hydroxide:

[0022] For soils with a pH higher than 7, adding citric acid with a pH value in the 4-5 range at a volume ratio of 15% to lower the pH below 7, or For soils with a pH lower than 7, adding citric acid with a pH value in the 8-10 range at a volume ratio of 15% to adjust the pH to a value less than 7.

[0023] The organic fertilizer produced from filter press soil waste from sugar factories using the method subject of the invention is 100% biodegradable in water and in liquid form. Thanks to the chelation mentioned in the method, the plant to which it is applied can easily absorb the macro and micro elements contained in the fertilizer through both its leaves and its roots.

[0024] Furthermore, due to the absence of any chemicals and / or chemical elements in the production method of the inventive organic fertilizer, no pollution or salt formation occurs in groundwater or soil. Also, since all the process steps mentioned in the method involve readily available materials, the organic fertilizer subject of the invention can be produced at low cost. This fertilizer can be applied directly both via the soil (root) and foliar application, and it is also suitable for use in soilless agriculture (hydroponics).

[0025] REFERENCES

[0026] [1] Aygun, Y., & Acar, M. (n.d.). (PDF) organi k Gubreler ve bnemi - Researchgate. Retrieved February 28, 2023, from https: / / www.researchgate.net / publication / 330598198_ORGANIK_GUBRELER_ veJDNEMI

[0027] [2] Pasha Bio-Entegre Tesisleri. (n.d.). Organik - organomineral gubre. Pasha Bio-Entegre Tesisleri. Retrieved February 28, 2023, from https: / / www.pashaenerji.com.tr / faaliyet-alanlari / organik-organomineral-gubre

[0028] [3] Assefa, S., & Tadesse, S. (2019, August 9). The principal role of organic fertilizer on soil properties and agricultural productivity -A Review. Agricultural Research & Technology: Open Access Journal. Retrieved February 28, 2023, from https: / / juniperpublishers.com / artoaj / ARTOAJ.MS.ID.556192.php

[0029] [4] Sustainability. Sustainability | Special Issue : Organic Fertilizers: Applications and Research, (n.d.). Retrieved February 28, 2023, from https: / / www.mdpi.com / journal / sustainability / special_issues / organic_fertilizers_s ustainability

[0030] [5] Kumar, V., & Chopra, A. K. (2016, April 26). Effects of sugarcane pressmud on agronomical characteristics of hybrid cultivar of eggplant (solanum melongena L.) under field conditions - International Journal of recycling of Organic Waste in agriculture. SpringerLink. Retrieved February 28, 2023, from https: / / link.springer.com / article / 10.1007 / s40093-016-0125-7

[0031] [6] Acar, S. (2005). Synthesis of lignite fertilizers involving nitrogene, The Graduate School Of Natural And Applied Science Of Selguk University Master Thesis.

[0032] [7] Acar S. Humic acid produced by low quality lignite: Samples from Konya province. Energy Education Science and Technology Part A: Energy Science and Research 2012 Volume (issues) 29(1): 543-548.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A method for producing a liquid organic fertilizer comprising the steps of:- introducing press filter soil, which is a waste material discharged from sugar factories, into a maceration reactor at a mass ratio of 45%;- adding water into the maceration reactor at a volume ratio of 35%, and allowing the mixture to stand for 24 hours without heating and agitation; - transferring the mixture of the solution and press filter soil into a digestion tank, stirring at 90-120 rpm for 12 hours while gradually increasing the temperature to 75-80 °C;- maintaining the temperature at 75-80 °C for 10 minutes, then stopping the heating and allowing the solution to cool to 35-40 °C;- after cooling, slowly adding a potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution to the mixture at a volume ratio of 5%;- subsequently adding citric acid to the potassium hydroxide-containing solution at a volume ratio of 15%, wherein:■ for soils having a pH higher than 7, citric acid with a pH of 4-5 is added to reduce the soil pH to below 7;■ for soils having a pH lower than 7, citric acid with a pH of 8-10 is added to increase the soil pH above 7.

2. A liquid organic fertilizer produced by the method according to Claim 1.