Claims:1. An organic fertilizer comprising total nitrogen in the range of 1 wt% to 3 wt%, total phosphorus in the range of 0.5 wt% to 2 wt%, total potassium in the range of 1 wt% to 3 wt%, organic carbon content in the range of 12 wt% to 16 wt%, zinc in the range of 100 ppm to 200 ppm, copper in the range of 50 ppm to 100 ppm,

wherein said organic fertilizer is characterized by a bulk density in the range of 0.80 g /cc to 1 g /cc, pH in the range of 6 to 8, moisture content in the range of 15 % to 25 %, electrical conductivity in the range of 3000 µmhos/cm to 4000 µmhos/cm and wherein 90 % to 100 % of the particles of said organic fertilizer pass through a 4 mm IS Sieve.

2. The organic fertilizer as claimed in claim 1 further comprises calcium in the range of 2 wt% to 3 wt%, magnesium in the range of 1 wt% to 2 wt%, sulfur in the range of 1 % to 2 % and iron in the range of 1000 ppm to 1200 ppm.

3. The organic fertilizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the average particle size of said organic fertilizer is in the range of 1 mm to 4 mm.

4. The organic fertilizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ratio of carbon to nitrogen is in the range of 12: 1 to 16:1.

5. A method for preparing said organic fertilizer as claimed in claim 1, said method comprising the following steps:
a) drying biosludge at a temperature in the range of 45 °C to 65 °C to obtain dried biosludge;
b) mixing neem cake, bagasse, Jatropha cake, castor cake and dry banana leaves with said dried biosludge and blending for a time period in the range of 10 hours to 24 hours in the presence of water to obtain a blended mixture;
c) grinding said blended mixture to obtain ground mixture; and
d) screening said ground mixture to obtain the organic fertilizer.
6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said biosludge is municipal biosludge.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the moisture content of said dried biosludge is in the range of 15 % to 25 %.

8. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the method further comprises the step of collecting the coarser particles obtained in step (d) and iterating the steps (c) and (d).
, Description:FIELD
The present disclosure relates to an organic fertilizer composition and a method for preparing the same.
DEFINITION
As used in the present disclosure, the following terms are generally intended to have the meaning as set forth below, except to the extent that the context in which they are used indicates otherwise.
Bagasse: The term “bagasse” refers to the fibrous matter that remains after plant stalks are crushed.
Municipal biosludge: The term “municipal biosludge” refers to semi-solid slurry produced as sewage sludge from wastewater treatment processes.
Screening: The term “screening” or sieving refers to separation of coarse particles from fine particles.
Organic carbon content: The term “organic carbon content” refers to the amount of carbon found in an organic compound and may also refer to the amount of organic carbon in the soil or a fertilizer composition.
BACKGROUND
Agriculture is the cultivation of plants for food, fiber, biofuel, medicine and other products, to sustain and enhance human life. The use of agrochemicals, such as pesticides and fertilizers, has resulted in a significant increase in the yield, however, the use of these agrochemicals has caused widespread ecological damage and negative human health effects. Also, the soil condition is rapidly deteriorating due to continuous and repeated farming resulting in highly acidic, highly saline, compact, desertified, degraded and over tilled soil.
Various approaches have been suggested to improve the condition of soil, including the use of organic fertilizers. Organic fertilizers are manmade fertilizers available in the market however, most of these are made from industrial waste and are neither organic nor marketed for agricultural use.
Therefore, there is felt a need to provide an organic fertilizer that mitigates these drawbacks.
OBJECTS
Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies, are as follows.
It is an object of the present disclosure to ameliorate one or more problems of the prior art or to at least provide a useful alternative.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide an organic fertilizer.
Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide a method for preparing an organic fertilizer.
Yet another object of the present disclosure is to prepare an organic fertilizer using easily available and inexpensive raw materials.
Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWING
The disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying non-limiting drawing, wherein:
FIGURE 1 illustrates a flowchart of the method for preparing an organic fertilizer in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure.
SUMMARY
The present disclosure provides an organic fertilizer. The organic fertilizer comprises total nitrogen in the range of 1 wt% to 3 wt%, total phosphorus in the range of 0.5 wt% to 2 wt%, total potassium in the range of 1 wt% to 3 wt%, organic carbon content in the range of 12 wt% to 16 wt%, zinc in the range of 100 ppm to 200 ppm and copper in the range of 50 ppm to100 ppm. The organic fertilizer further comprises calcium in the range of 2 wt% to 3 wt%, magnesium in the range of 1 wt% to 2 wt%, sulfur in the range of 1 % to 2 % and iron in the range of 1000 ppm to 1200 ppm.
A method for preparing the organic fertilizer is also provided in the present disclosure. The process comprises initially drying biosludge and then mixing neem cake, castor cake, Jatropha cake, bagasse, and dry banana leaves with the dried biosludge, followed by blending in the presence of water to obtain a blended mixture. The blended mixture is ground to obtain ground mixture of the organic fertilizer having an average particle size in the range of 1 mm to 4 mm. 90 % to 100 % of the particles of the organic fertilizer can pass through a 4 mm Indian Standards (IS) Sieve.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The use of agrochemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers has resulted in a significant increase in yield, however, the use of these agrochemicals has caused widespread ecological damage and negative human health effects. Also, the soil condition is rapidly deteriorating due to continuous and repeated farming resulting in highly acidic, highly saline, compact, desertified, degraded and over tilled soil.
These factors have necessitated the development of an organic fertilizer which can be used for soil conditioning and can be produced from easily available and inexpensive raw materials.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an organic fertilizer having enhanced NPK values. The organic fertilizer comprises total nitrogen in the range of 1 wt% to 3 wt%, total phosphorus in the range of 0.5 wt% to 2 wt%, total potassium in the range of 1 wt% to 3 wt%, organic carbon content in the range of 12 wt% to 16 wt%, zinc in the range of 100 ppm to 200 ppm and copper in the range of 50 ppm to 100 ppm.
The organic fertilizer of the present disclosure further comprises calcium in the range of 2 wt% to 3 wt%, magnesium in the range of 1 wt% to 2 wt%, sulfur in the range of 1 % to 2 % and iron in the range of 1000 ppm to 1200 ppm.
In accordance with the embodiments of the present disclosure, the organic fertilizer has a bulk density in the range of 0.80 g /cc to 1.0 g /cc. pH in the range of 6 to 8, moisture content in the range of 15 % to 25 %, electrical conductivity in the range of 3000 µmhos/cm to 4000 µmhos/cm and 90 % to 100 % of the particles of the organic fertilizer can pass through a 4 mm Indian Standards (IS) Sieve. The average particle size of the organic fertilizer can be in the range of 1 mm to 4 mm.
Typically, the ratio of carbon and nitrogen in the organic fertilizer can be in the range of 12: 1 to 16:1. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the ratio of carbon and nitrogen in the organic fertilizer is 14:1.
The organic fertilizer of the present disclosure is well matured and stabilized and hence does not require an additional heating step. Further, the high total organic content of the organic fertilizer makes it possible to carry out the soil conditioning of the degraded soil.
In another aspect of the present disclosure there is provided a method for preparing the organic fertilizer.
Figure 1 illustrates a flowchart of the method for preparing a fertilizer composition in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. The method is hereinafter described in detail.
Typically, the raw materials can be biosludge in the range of 50 wt% to 70 wt%, neem cake in the range of 5 wt% to 20 wt%, castor cake in the range of 2 wt% to 10 wt%, Jatropha cake in the range of 5 wt% to 20 wt%, bagasse in the range of 20 wt% to 40 wt% and dry banana leaves in the range of 3 wt% to 10 wt%.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the biosludge can be municipal biosludge.
Initially, the biosludge is dried at a temperature in the range of 45 °C to 65 °C to obtain dried biosludge.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the moisture content of the dried biosludge can be in the range of 15 % to 25 %.
The remaining raw materials are then sequentially mixed with the dried biosludge. The raw materials are added sequentially, in the order of neem cake, castor cake, Jatropha cake, bagasse, and dry banana leaves, to the dried biosludge and blended in the presence of water to obtain a blended mixture. However, the raw materials can be mixed in any order, as it would give similar results.
In accordance with the embodiments of the present disclosure, the water can be either fresh water or distillery effluent.
The blended mixture is then ground in a grinder, to obtain ground mixture, followed by sieving/screening to obtain the organic fertilizer, wherein 90 % to 100 % of the particles of the organic fertilizer can pass through a 4 mm IS Sieve, i.e., the average particle size of the organic fertilizer can be in the range of 1 mm to 4 mm.
Typically, the blended mixture can be ground using any known grinding machine, such as, a pulverizer. In accordance with the embodiments of the present disclosure, the grinding can be carried out at a speed in the range of 1400 rpm to 2800 rpm.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the ground mixture having average particle size greater than 4 mm is returned to the grinder to obtain ground mixture of the required particle size.
The organic fertilizer can be packed as per the requirement. The organic fertilizer can be provided as a customized blend, as per the requirement of the end user.
The organic fertilizer of the present disclosure can be used for soil conditioning. The organic fertilizer provides up to 12 % useable organic carbon essential for soil health.
The organic fertilizer of the present disclosure has consistent quality in terms of its physical, chemical and biological characteristics. It is capable of providing vital nutrients, such as, nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and sulfur. The organic fertilizer of the present disclosure has physicochemical properties that are suitable for effective soil conditioning and for providing structure to poor soils. The physicochemical properties of the organic fertilizer including pH, total organic matter, moisture content, electrical conductivity and particle size are such that they provide superior quality to the organic fertilizer for effective soil conditioning.
The organic fertilizer of the present disclosure is free from pathogens and does not have foul odor.
The organic fertilizer can be used for agriculture, horticulture, domestic gardens, turf lawns, sport playgrounds, golf clubs and wherever soil conditioning is required.
The organic fertilizer is compatible with other fertilizers and can be applied as blends with other fertilizers.
The soil conditioning organic fertilizer of the present disclosure has enhanced NPK values as compared to commercially available organic fertilizers. The organic fertilizer can contribute to soil health revitalization and result in substantial reduction in the application rate of the chemical fertilizer for a wide variety of crop production. The organic fertilizer assists in maintaining the structure of the base soil and reduces the bulk density of soil. It also improves aeration, water holding capacity and aggregation of soils. It is capable of providing near neutral pH to the soil. The organic fertilizer of the present disclosure comprises neem and castor which have antimicrobial properties and hence assists in resisting fungus, and pests, during storage.
The present disclosure is further described in light of the following examples, which is set forth for illustration purpose only and not to be construed for limiting the scope of the disclosure.
Example 1: Preparation of the organic fertilizer in accordance with the present disclosure
120 kg of municipal biosludge (procured from Surat Municipal Effluent Treatment Plant) was dried in a dryer at a temperature of 60 °C. The dried municipal biosludge had a moisture content of 23 %. Next, 28 kg of neem cake (procured from Aadhytej Research and Tradelink, Gadapura, Vadodara), 26 kg of bagasse (procured as a by-product of Sugar Factory, Vapi), 12 kg of Jatropha cake (procured from Aadhytej Research and Tradelink, Gadapura, Vadodara), 5 kg of castor cake (procured as a by-product of Castor Oil Factory, Padara), and 4 kg of dry banana leaves (procured from the banana farms of Vadodara) were added to the dried municipal biosludge and blended to obtain a blended mixture. Forty eight litres of distillery effluent was added during the blending process. The blended mixture was then ground in an industrial pulverizer at 2500 rpm to obtain ground mixture and was passed through a sieve having 4 mm mesh size to obtain the organic fertilizer (Sample-1).
Example 2: Characterization of the organic fertilizer
The organic fertilizer obtained from example-1 was analysed as per The Fertilizer Control Order (FCO), 1985 and the result obtained is summarized in Table-1 below.

Table-1: Analytical test report of the organic fertilizer of present disclosure
S. No. Parameter FCO
Specification Unit Organic Fertilizer (Sample-1)
1 Color Black to Dark Brown Black to Dark Brown
2 Odor Absence of Foul Odor Absence of Foul Odor
3 Particle Size
Passing through 4mm-IS Sieve Min 90 % 98
4 Moisture 15 to 25 % 20.85
5 Bulk Density < 1 g / cc 0.85
6 pH 6.5 to 7.5 7.2
7 Electrical Conductivity < 4000 mho/cm 3426
8 Total Organic Carbon Min 12 % 14.37
9 Nitrogen (as N) Min 0.8 % 1.02
10 Phosphorous (as P2O5) Min 0.4 % 0.56
11 Potassium (as K2O) Min 0.4 % 1.10
12 C : N Ratio < 20 : 1 14.37:1.02
13 Pathogens Nil Nil
14 Heavy Metals
i Arsenic (as As2O3) Max 10 ppm ND
ii Cadmium (as Cd) Max 5 ppm ND
iii Copper (as Cu) Max 300 ppm 59
iv Nickel (as Ni) Max 50 ppm 15
v Lead (as Pb) Max 100 ppm 6
vii Zinc (as Zn) Max 1000 ppm 128
viii Chromium (as Cr) Max 50 ppm 12
ND = Not Detected
The organic fertilizer (Sample-1) also comprises 2.03 % calcium, 1.12 % magnesium, 1.01 % sulfur and 1555 ppm iron. The average particle size of Sample-1 was found to be less than 4 mm as 98 % of the particles passed through the 4 mm sieve.
It is seen from Table-1 that the NPK values of the organic fertilizer are within the limits as specified by the FCO.
Example 3: Comparison of the NPK values of the organic fertilizer of the present disclosure and the commercially available organic fertilizers
The NPK values of 2 different samples (Sample-1 and Sample-2) of the organic fertilizer prepared in accordance with the process of the present disclosure and the NPK values of 5 commercially available organic fertilizers (CS-1, CS-2, CS-3, CS-4 and CS-5) were analyzed and the result obtained are summarized in Table-2 below.
Table-2: Comparison of the NPK values of the organic fertilizer of the present disclosure and the commercially available organic fertilizers
Parameter FCO Specification Sample-1 Sample-2 CS-1 CS-2 CS-3 CS-4 CS-5
N (%) Minimum 0.8 1.02 0.88 0.69 0.72 0.54 0.48 0.93
P (%) Minimum 0.4 0.56 0.56 0.34 0.30 0.32 0.32 0.78
K (%) Minimum 0.4 1.10 1.27 0.21 0.26 0.25 0.25 0.29
Total Organic Carbon (%) Minimum 12 14.37 12.31 5.07 2.22 8.14 7.94 8.59

It is seen from Table-2 that the organic fertilizers of the present disclosure have enhanced NPK values as compared to the NPK value of the commercially available organic fertilizers.

Example 4: Stability study of the organic fertilizer of the present disclosure
Stability studies of Sample-1 prepared in Example-1 were carried out. Sample-1 was stored at a temperature of 30 °C in a cool and dry place away from direct heat. The analysis of Sample-1 after storage for 2 months and 6 months are summarized below in Table-3.

Table-3: Stability study of Sample-1
S. No. Parameter Sample-1
(0 Months) Sample-1
(2 Months) Sample-1
(6 Months)
1 Color Black to Dark Brown Black to Dark Brown Black to Dark Brown
2 Odor Absence of Foul Odor Absence of Foul Odour Absence of Foul Odour
3 Particle Size
Passing through 4mm-IS Sieve (%) 98 98 98
4 Moisture (%) 20.85 20.10 20.51
5 Bulk Density (g / cc) 0.85 0.84 0.86
6 pH 7.2 7.1 7.1
7 Electrical Conductivity (mho/cm) 3426 3406 3416
8 Total Organic Carbon (%) 14.37 15.10 14.52
9 Nitrogen (as N) (%) 1.02 1.10 1.06
10 Phosphorous (as P2O5) (%) 0.56 0.59 0.58
11 Potassium (as K2O) (%) 1.10 1.18 1.19
12 C : N Ratio 14.37:1.02 15.10:1.10 14.52:1.06
13 Pathogens Nil Nil Nil
14 Heavy Metals
i Arsenic (as As2O3) (ppm) ND ND ND
ii Cadmium (as Cd) (ppm) ND ND ND
iii Copper (as Cu) (ppm) 59 48 52
iv Nickel (as Ni) (ppm) 15 18 12
v Lead (as Pb) (ppm) 6 4 6
vii Zinc (as Zn) (ppm) 128 152 125
viii Chromium (as Cr) (ppm) 12 10 11

The average particle size of Sample-1 and Sample-2 was found to be less than 4 mm as 98 % of the particles passed through the 4 mm sieve.
It is clearly seen from Table-3 that the NPK values of the organic fertilizer of the present disclosure are within the specified limits, even after storage at a temperature of 30 °C for 6 months. Further, no contamination is observed in the samples used for the stability studies. Hence, the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the organic fertilizer are consistent.
The present disclosure provides an economical method for preparing an organic fertilizer using raw materials that are by-products/waste of various industries, such as, the effluent treatment plant, sugar milling, neem seed milling, castor seed milling, Jatropha seed milling industries, and agriculture waste. As the organic fertilizer is prepared using the by-product/waste of other industries, environmental pollution is prevented.
TECHNICAL ADVANCES AND ECONOMICAL SIGNIFICANCE
The present disclosure described herein above has several technical advantages including, but not limited to, the realization of an organic fertilizer having enhanced NPK and a simple and economical process for preparing the organic fertilizer using the by-products from other industries.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments fully reveals the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
Throughout this specification the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.
The use of the expression “at least” or “at least one” suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the disclosure to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like that has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the disclosure. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form a part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the disclosure as it existed anywhere before the priority date of this application.
The numerical values mentioned for the various physical parameters, dimensions or quantities are only approximations and it is envisaged that the values ten percent higher/lower than the numerical values assigned to the parameters, dimensions or quantities fall within the scope of the disclosure, unless there is a statement in the specification specific to the contrary.

While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.