Pelletized Pig Manure

[Jotham79]

I know a pig farmer who is selling pelletized pig manure and was wondering if anyone had an idea of what nutrients and a what levels might be provided.

Thanks,

Jotham

[jubby]

Surprised no ones replied yet. back in the UK people used to say Pig manure was good for root crops as that was the sort of thing they ate.

here they eat a lot of maize so its probably different. OK, its a non-scientific , old fashioned way of looking at it and maybe it doesn't hold up scientifically.

Don't know what the pelletizing process takes out or puts in but I suspect its pretty good stuff. I keep a couple of mountain pigs just for manure as I have an aversion to chemical fertilizer. I've just Googled 'Pig manure' and there's a lot of info out there.

[Jotham79]

I searched the web before posting and out of hundreds of sites I did find 1 where a company had a very extravagant process of proccessing pig manure into pellets and claimed the product was (12,8,8). But at 2.5 baht a kg I can't belive it's that good. The farmer sells it to rice farmers.......Stop Just talking to the wife while posting and she says he has 2 kinds, one of rrice and one for fruit trees. I'll try to get back out to his place to find out more, but when my visa comes through I'm off to a new job. My plans for now are to try some out on a portion of several types of fruit trees. I'll let you know how it turns out.

[Khonwan]

In general terms, one tonne of animal manure equates to around 50kg of chemical fertiliser according to the boffins. I can’t see pelleting affecting the maths, unless it’s being supplemented.

Rgds

Khonwan

[pigeonjake]

i just put ours in a big heap like they used to years ago, well rotted,, and then use it

sod all that pelliting,,lol,

back to the old days

[Gary A]

Several years ago my wife used liquid pig manure out of the farmers pit on her rice. The guy had a fair sized tanker truck and a powerful pump. I watched and he seemed to get pretty uniform coverage. My wife did that one year and then back to the bagged commercial stuff. She wasn't satisfied with the manure and then the pig farmer told her she needed to put more on. That would have made it even more expensive.

[IsaanAussie]

Pellitising any form of fertiliser basically achieves one thing. It reduces the volume and weight for storage and transport, and makes the material easier to spread. The process of pellitising can reduce the nutrient and biological "goodness" of organic substances by the fact that most use high temperatures.

As to the fertiliser value of the pig manure, there is no easy answer. If raw manure is just sun dried or composted anaerobically in static piles then much of the nitrogen content in ammonium form will be lost. The phosphate and potassium components are not necessarily in soluble form as is the case with most composts and aged manures.

Single figure NPK values are low if you are drawing comparisons to chemical fertilisers and the "one-shot" volume needed is higher. So if crop yield is the only driver then feeding the crop is the only requirement and salt based chemical fertilising is the most efficient way. Pure pelletised pig manure will not achieve that effect.

If feeding the soil, the roots and the plant foliage as part of a more natural farming regime is the target then enriching manure composts with cereal brans, lime and rock phosphate, fermenting this along with a healthy microbic population and then cold pellitising or granulating the result is IMHO the way forward. Well it is for me!

Properly formulated to suit the crop, these "bio-active organics" can improve the N₂ fixing ability of the crop or green manures and reduce the need to supplement nitrogen by 50%. Microbes do that not nutrients and the atmospheric nitrogen is free and sustainable.

Edited September 8, 2012 by IsaanAussie

[pigeonjake]

all the gardening programs ive ever watched say add good old well rotted manure,

and the old saying used to be,, feed your soil not the plant,

but i can remember my uncle mick used to get me collecting sheep poo, he used to put this in an old onion sack and just put it in his water barrel, it used to stay there all the time till he said get me some more, he used to water all his toms and things in the greenhouse with this water,

jake

[IsaanAussie]

all the gardening programs ive ever watched say add good old well rotted manure,

and the old saying used to be,, feed your soil not the plant,

but i can remember my uncle mick used to get me collecting sheep poo, he used to put this in an old onion sack and just put it in his water barrel, it used to stay there all the time till he said get me some more, he used to water all his toms and things in the greenhouse with this water,

jake

Feed the soil is still a common saying Jake as is steeping manure in water. However my thoughts are to feed both soil and plant. In both conventional agriculture and natural farming, seeds and seedlings are innoculated with bacterias and fungi to stimulate their growth and make them both disease and pest resistant. At different stages of growth, different nutrients are needed and can be delivered by different means.

I find the whole topic fascinating and am an avid student. The green revolution was a failure and chemicals alone have degraded the land and the biology. To me that is fact. Equally, totally natural farming is getting harder and harder to do as the additional labour and the basic materials are in short supply.

It is worthy of note that the chemical companies are now quoting "organic content levels" on many of their products. Hopefully there will be a coming together of methods and materials over time.

Loong quoted a figure of 2.5 baht per kg for the pig pellets stating that it didnt appear to be enough. Well against the cost of dried manure by the bag (up to 1 baht/kg) it is a good price. Most charge 2 to 3 baht per kg for the pelletising operation, with cheaper rates if a plate granulator is used. Rock phosphate costs me about 3 baht and lime dolomite and gypsum are all around 2 baht.

Given the labour involved in composting, the hammermill, mixing, fermenting and drying, hammermilling and then pelletising processes I am using, I will not be able to sell at the 2.5 baht level. I am of the opinion that around 10 baht is the correct number and represents a significant saving on current prices. Especially if the material achieves the basic soil enrichment as well as supply generic and crop specific nutrients in as few operations as possible.

To stay closer to the topic, consider that the pig industry is returning poorly under increasing costs so the price (or return on cost to produce) of the manure must go up. Pigs excrete up to 85% of the nutrients they are fed, so if the feed has 20% protein (divide by about 6) means about 3% nitrogen of which some 2% is in the manure. Very good value at 1 baht per kg of manure or 20 grams of nitrogen.

[pigeonjake]

you know your shit you do,,lol

i just look at it that if i just put the manure which does have husk, as im the same as you i bed on that and straw more for the young ones, then this will make my soil better, if i was to buy pellets, they wouldnt have the body so to speak as my beautiful manure,

if i had good soil i would use pellets i think as they would be easy just to put round the plants and degrade easy,

but im afraid at the moment my soil isnt good enough, but ill get there, i just keep putting maure on,

thanks for the info jake

[seajae]

Would like to know where to get pelletized pig manure, it is perfect for my trees. Use pelletized manure in Australia to great effect so I wouold love to get onto a thai supplier if the price is right.

Dennis

[IsaanAussie]

Would like to know where to get pelletized pig manure, it is perfect for my trees. Use pelletized manure in Australia to great effect so I wouold love to get onto a thai supplier if the price is right.

Dennis

Would like to know where to get pelletized pig manure, it is perfect for my trees. Use pelletized manure in Australia to great effect so I wouold love to get onto a thai supplier if the price is right.

Dennis

Look no further, can do.

[IsaanAussie]

To the OP,

Attached is a soil data sheet which explains the nutrient levels in various forms of pig manure and how to calculate amounts needed for certain crops.

The usable nitrogen level is difficult to establish as it depends on the form it occurs as or is changed into. A previous post suggested that a fertiliser was 12%N. The highest value I have seen for Total Nitrogen in pig manure is much less. Sorry there was something else in there, probably Urea.

Most farm made pellets here are formed from pig manure dried solids and rice straw. The lignin in the straw providing the binder. These pellets formed under pressure at high temperatures which will violitise much of the nitrogen. I suggest you would be looking at 3-1-2 NPK at best.

We make ours from composted manure with naturally occurring mineral fertilisers to boost P, K and trace nutrient values. N can be increased with algae or other forms of vehetable protein. Urea acts quickly or is lost, so it can be used but it needed to be added very close to planting time. Our objective is a slow release fertiliser, and we recommend the separate application of nitrogen.

Here I go again ranting on!

[IsaanAussie]

Sorry, bouncy mouse key....

Edited November 1, 2012 by IsaanAussie

[seajae]

Hi mate, thanks for that, sounds perfect, I prefer a higher PK element with low nitrgen(flowering and health) and this sounds great. If you pm me with a price per bag(and size) it would be great, also where I would have to have it transported from. Depending on the cost per bag I will work out an order but I will need to buy it year round as I will dose my trees every 3 months.I am in Surat Thani down south so I will need to organize transport.

Cheers

Dennis

[seajae]

the one I used in Australia contained chook poo, seaweed, fish emulsion, blood and bone as well as other minerals, it was called Organic Xtra and was brilliant. It gave us phenominal growth, flower size and colour, we also had a lot of plants start to throw multiple growth tips, best fertilizer ever and it didnt burn the roots. I am pretty sure pig poo ones will work just as good so I need to be able to get it.

Dennis

[IsaanAussie]

the one I used in Australia contained chook poo, seaweed, fish emulsion, blood and bone as well as other minerals, it was called Organic Xtra and was brilliant. It gave us phenominal growth, flower size and colour, we also had a lot of plants start to throw multiple growth tips, best fertilizer ever and it didnt burn the roots. I am pretty sure pig poo ones will work just as good so I need to be able to get it.

Dennis

I use the below from the web as a guide. My compost contains biochar plus as stated before so the ground preparation agrees with soil requirement. However I think the chemical blends below are a bit over the top. Will do some numbers and then send you a PM. Any input from you gratefully accepted.

I planted some cuttings about 12 months ago and they are growing in a compact form with green foliage not at all leggy. The flowers are small and I want to see if I can improve of that. To date the compost seems to be delivering the N component but the P & K too low? Got a range of cuttings of different colours from a friend on the weekend to plant myself, drying off at the moment.

From the web -

Site and Soil

Put frangipani seedlings in full-sun areas with quick drainage and protection from cold or drying winds. Start them with nutritious, crumbly foundations for good establishment and initial growth. Use well-rotted manure, organic compost or fire ash to amend outdoor sites, or pot in a mixture of enhanced, quick-draining soil and sand. Frangipanis do well in these rich mixtures, which encourage soil drainage but hold moisture between waterings.

Fertilizer

Frangipanis grow through periods of neglect but thrive with careful nutrition and feeding. Use high-nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium fertilizers like 12-12-12 or 10-30-10 during the blooming season to encourage both growth and blooming. Feed frangipanis in early and late spring and again in mid-summer per manufacturer directions.

Maintenance

Frangipanis require more than rich nutrition and sunlight to grow. Maintain even, consistent moisture during the growing season with 2 inches of water every week. Dry frangipanis when they enter their fall and winter dormancy, and water them with only 2 inches of water every two weeks during this season. Resume regular watering and fertilizer applications in spring when new growth starts. Mix new compost into the soil in spring to wake frangipanis up and start them with long-lasting nutrition.

[IsaanAussie]

Just remembered my mother used osmacote plus on hers. That is 14-14-14 from memory. What do your think?

[seajae]

In Australia I am known as the frangipani man, I do talks/demonstartions all over the country on them and do a 2 day show at the Sydney Royal Botanical Gardens and show their own horticulturalists how to care for frangipani as well. I also have a website for general frangipani information, www.thefrangipaniman.com . All of my knowledge on these plants is from personal experimentation, I have spent years developing new methods with them that I share with all growers. The info you listed is really just a general one, I have different methods to it, I only use a higher nitrogen content fertilizer during their initial growth as it enhances roots/leaf growth, once they are big enough to flower I swing them onto a low nitrogen high PK fertilizer as this then promotes flowers and healthy plants. With frangipani it is what they recieve this season that makes them great next season so you need a minimum of 6 to 8 hours of sun(not filtered), you only water when they need it(leaves start to droop or soil is dry when you push in your finger for potted ones) and you give them a good feed at the start of their growing season. When they drop all their leaves you do not water unless they start to prune and then only a very small amount, watering needs to be done for each individual plant. Small flowers can mean they are only getting filtered sun, not enough nourishment, they are new seedlings or cuttings(takes a couple of flowerings to settle) or the mix they are in is not right. There are a multitude of different reasons for what they do, each one needs to be taken on their individual situations. I actually prefer a sandy soil mix and only add slow release/pelletized fertilizer when available, too much nutritition can also cause problems. For me the best NPK for them is something like 6.6.6 when small then 6.8.10 as they develop(scales only), a high N does not help flowering at all, orchid bloom food is also a good mix to use for flowering.

I grow cuttings in sandy, quick draining mixes but I also have my own personal favourite that rarely fails, a pot with mix a few inches deep then a thin layer of 5mm gravel then the cutting supported by more gravel, water it in then leave it in a shaded area. The gravel stops the water from holding against the plant so it stops rot and the plant senses the moisture in the mix so it sends roots towards it. The fine gravel makes the roots become a lot harder so that they do not all breal off when you remove them, this works great on green cuttings as well.

I could rave on all day about these plants and various methods as there are so many. Most nurseries use osmocte as you listed due to ease, it is really a matter of what you want to achieve with them, lots of green growth or better flowering.

Dennis

[seajae]

actually, just had another look at the info you listed, it is for US growers and their conditions are a lot different to ours, you really need to ignore a lot of it and use your own judgement for certain things, especially the watering. In Australia & here, some potted plants require 2 waterings a day during very hot weather,I rarely water plants that are in the ground, you really need to base it on the individual plant.

Dennis

[IsaanAussie]

WOW. Great information thanks. As a target then I will look at adding P and K at about 5% each. That will still N a bit short perhaps as you have said shouldn't be an issue.

[seajae]

A higher pk will give you better flowering and really healthy plants, nitrogen is the green side of the equation. Soil should be around PH neutral for frangipani, this also can make a difference. In Australia we have 6,000 trees growing on the farm and a few thousand seedlings, at the moment we are adding lime to get the soil closer to ph neutral then we will be adding boron. We are also starting to spread Organic Xtra on all our top trees and seedlings to get them into growth mode and boost flowering. Here I will only have around 200 to 250 trees as I am simply doing cross pollinations to create new varieties, I have 125 already planted in the ground and another 100 odd growing roots(some are my unique ones from Australia that I developed plus the best in Thailand), I will also be growing out all the seeds I get from my work and keeping the good colours then grafting all the others. This is why I want a good fertilizer, so I can see what the best colours are to work out my crosses.

Dennis

[IsaanAussie]

What rate are you using the organic fertiliser at?

[seajae]

with the organic xtra the rate we use depends on the size of the plant. In a 6" pot(seedling) we would use up to 1 cup and around plants in the ground up to 6' tall we use around 3 cups(we just fill a 6" pot and use that), we cover it with mulch or chip it into the ground around the plant then water it in. When I am able to get some of the pig poo pellets I will see if I use the same amount or vary it. It will not take long to work out, results are pretty quick usually, you can see it in the plants.

Dennis