Method of Production of a Soil Conditioner and the Soil Conditioner Produced by the Method

Abstract

A method of production of granular soil conditioner based on a mixture of biochar and organic fertilizer comprising the following steps: Biochar mixing with animal excrements in a ratio of 1 part of biochar to 0.1 to 0.4 parts of the excrement dry matter, adding to the base of a mixture of soil bacteria belonging to at least two genera of the following: bacteria of the Rhizobia genus, nitrifying bacteria of the Azospirillum or Azotobacter genus, bacteria of the Pseudomonas genus, and bacteria of the Bacillus genus, topping the bacteria-endowed base with water in the weight not more than double the weight of the bacteria-endowed base and letting the mixture ferment for at least 5 days, draining off the excess water and drying the bacterial base so that the water content does not exceed 20% by weight, adding a mixture of spores of fungi containing at least two of the group including Trichoderma, Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Ectomycorrhizal fungi to the base-bacteria compound in a total quantity corresponding to 0.2 to 1% of the dry matter weight of the base-bacteria compound.

Claims

1. A method of production of a granulated soil conditioner based on a mixture of biochar and organic fertiliser, wherein the conditioner is endowed with bacteria, mycorrhizal fungi and myco-parasitic fungus, wherein the method comprises: mixing the biochar obtained by thermal reduction of plant biomass or animal bones with animal excrements in the weight ratio of 1 part of biochar to 0.1 to 0.4 part of the excrement dry matter, mixing to this base a compound of soil bacteria including at least two of the group of: Rhizobia genus bacteria, nitrification bacteria of the Azospirillum or Azotobacter genus, Pseudomonas genus bacteria, and Bacillus genus bacteria, wherein the weight of their dry matter at the concentration of CFU 10.sup.9 being 0.2 to 0.5% of the base dry matter weight, topping the bacteria-endowed base up with water in the weight of not more than double the weight of the bacteria-endowed base and letting it ferment for at least 5 days, draining off the excess water and drying the base with bacteria for the water content not to exceed 20 wt %, thereupon adding to the base-bacteria compound a mixture of fungal spores including at least two of the group of: Trichoderma, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, ectomycorrhizal fungi in a total amount corresponding to 0.2 to 1% of the base-bacteria compound dry matter weight, and thereupon mixing the thus prepared mixture profoundly.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a mixture of soil bacteria of the Azospirillum or Azotobacter genus and the Bacillus genus is added to the base, whereupon a mixture of fungal spores of the myco-parasitic fungi such as Trichoderma or Pythium, and arbuscular fungi such as the Glomus genus, or ectomycorrhizal fungi, such as the Pisolithus, Scleroderma or Rhizopogon genera, or, alternatively, fungi forming ericoid mycorrhizae, is added to the base-bacteria compound.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein a mixture of soil bacteria is added to the base in the following weight ratio: 25% of the Rhizobia genus bacteria, 25% of nitrification bacteria of the Azospirillum or Azotobacter genus, 25% of the Pseudomonas genus bacteria, and 25% of the Bacillus genus bacteria, whereupon the bacteria-endowed base is topped up with water in the weight identical to the weight of the base with bacteria before fermentation, and further whereupon a mixture of fungal spores is added to the base with bacteria in the following weight ratio: 50% of Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, 25% of Ectomycorrhizal fungi and 25% of Myco-parasitic fungi, such as Trichoderma.

4. The method according to any of claim 1, wherein 0.1 to 0.3 part of mineral fertiliser is added to the base.

5. The method according to any of claim 1, wherein starch in the quantity of 4 to 6% of the base-bacteria compound dry matter weight is mixed with water at the boiling point temperature and this starch suspension, after cooling, is mixed to the base with bacteria and the base-bacteria-starch-mycorrhizal fungi compound is granulated in a granulator into the form of granules with a diameter of 1 to 5 mm.

6. A soil conditioner based on a mixture of biochar and organic fertiliser produced by the method according to claim 1, characterized wherein the conditioner contains a mixture of soil bacteria including at least three of the following group: Rhizobia, Azospirillum or Azotobacter, Pseudomonas and Bacillus, and the conditioner further contains a mixture of fungal spores including at least three of the following group: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Ectomycorrhizal fungi, and Myco-parasitic fungi.

7. The soil conditioner according to claim 6, wherein the conditioner is in the form of granules with starch as a binder.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0037] The results of the application of the conditioner made according to the method of the present invention will be documented in the drawings, in which

[0038] FIG. 1 is a table showing the results of incubation vessel experiments performed with samples of the conditioner made according to the method described in the following examples, and

[0039] FIG. 2 is a graph showing the development of mycorrhizae on wheat root systems when these samples are applied.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Example 1

[0040] The biochar obtained by thermal reduction of softwood at 550 C. was pulverized into particles of 1 to 15 mm in size.

[0041] For the production of the fertiliser, a mixture was prepared as described above with the following composition by weight [0042] 1 part of biochar, [0043] 0.2 part of vermicompost leach concentrate (Vermi-tea) [0044] 0.02 part of a mixture of bacteria of the Rhizobia genus, the Azotobacter genus, the Pseudomonas genus and the Bacillus genus, each represented in equal parts [0045] 0.05 part of spores of the Glomus sp. (50%), and the Trichoderma sp. (50%)

[0046] The mixture of biochar, vermicompost (excreta of earthworms) and bacterial mixture was topped up with water in a weight ratio of 1:1.5 and fermented for seven days. Subsequently, excess water was drained off and after cooling, a suspension of 0.1 part of starch mixed with boiling water in a 1:1 weight ratio and mycorrhizal fungal spores were added. After thorough mixing, the mixture was granulated on a granulation press into granules with a diameter of 3 mm. The sample was labelled as MicroCHAR+Vermitea.

Example 2

[0047] The biochar obtained by thermal reduction of softwood at 550 C. was pulverized into particles of 1 to 15 mm in size.

[0048] For the production of the fertiliser, a mixture was prepared as described above with the following composition by weight [0049] 1 part of biochar, [0050] 0.4 part of poulter excrement dry matter, [0051] 0.02 part of a mixture of bacteria of the Rhizobia genus, the Azotobacter genus, the Pseudomonas genus and the Bacillus genus, each represented in equal parts [0052] 0.05 part of spores of the Glomus sp. (50%), and the Trichoderma sp. (50%)

[0053] The mixture of biochar, poultry excrements and bacterial mixture was topped up with water in a weight ratio of 1:1.5 and fermented for seven days. Subsequently, excess water was drained off and after cooling, a suspension of 0.1 part of starch mixed with boiling water in a 1:1 weight ratio and mycorrhizal fungal spores were added. After thorough mixing, the mixture was granulated on a granulation press into granules with a diameter of 3 mm. The sample was labelled as MicroCHAR Organic.

Example 3

[0054] The biochar obtained by thermal reduction of softwood at 550 C. was pulverized into particles of 1 to 15 mm in size.

[0055] For the production of the fertiliser, a mixture was prepared as described above with the following composition by weight [0056] 1 part of biochar, [0057] 0.2 part of poultry excrement dry matter [0058] 0.2 part of ammonium phosphate (NH.sub.4).sub.3PO.sub.4) [0059] 0.02 part of a mixture of bacteria of the Rhizobia genus, the Azotobacter genus, the Pseudomonas genus and the Bacillus genus, each represented in equal parts [0060] 0.05 part of spores of the Glomus sp. (50%), and the Trichoderma sp. (50%)

[0061] The mixture of biochar, poultry excrements and bacterial mixture was topped up with water in a weight ratio of 1:1.5 and fermented for seven days. Subsequently, excess water was drained off and 0.2 part of ammonium phosphate was added. After cooling, a suspension of 0.1 part of starch mixed with boiling water in a 1:1 weight ratio and mycorrhizal fungal spores were added. After thorough mixing, the mixture was granulated on a granulation press into granules with a diameter of 3 mm. The sample was labelled as MicroCHAR Mineral.

[0062] To assess the effects of biochar alone in the conditioner, a soil conditioner was prepared by the following method:

[0063] The biochar obtained by thermal reduction of softwood at 550 C. was pulverized into particles of 1 to 15 mm in size.

[0064] For the production of the fertiliser, a mixture was prepared as described above with the following composition by weight [0065] 1 part of biochar, [0066] 0.02 part of a mixture of bacteria of the Rhizobia genus, the Azotobacter genus, the Pseudomonas genus and the Bacillus genus, each represented in equal parts [0067] 0.05 part of Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal spores (50%), Trichoderma (50%)

[0068] After cooling, a suspension of 0.2 part of starch mixed with boiling water in a 1:1.5 weight ratio and mycorrhizal fungal spores were added. The resulting mixture was subsequently granulated on a granulation press into granules with a diameter of 3 mm. The sample was labelled as MicroCHAR.

[0069] Conditioner samples produced by the described methods were subsequently tested in laboratories to determine nutrient availability, both by the Mehlich Ill certified method and by incubation vessel experiments. The Mehlich Ill methodology is a certified methodology for sampling the content of substances in soil according to Annex 2 to Decree No 275/1998 Coll.

[0070] The testing by the Mehlich Ill method yielded the results shown in tables 2 and 3:

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 2 Contents of bio-available macro-elements measured by the Mehlich III method. Macro elements P K S Ca Mg Na (g/kg) (g/kg) (g/kg) (g/kg) (g/kg) (g/kg) MicroCHAR 7.52 1.12 4.75 0.29 3.54 0.44 15.8 1.2 0.31 0.04 1.31 0.17 MicroCHAR + Mermitea 5.40 0.59 3.85 0.22 2.17 0.25 10.6 0.8 0.27 0.04 1.39 0.18 MicroCHAR Mineral 14.1 7.5 7.07 11.3 3.36 7.11 2.63 3.52 1.52 2.76 0.55 0.30 MicroCHAR Organic 0.58 0.06 29.2 3.7 17.2 2.1 9.46 0.96 6.80 0.83 1.27 0.17

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 3 Contents of selected bio-available micro-elements measured by the Mehlich III method. Micro elements B Mn Bu Al Fe Sr Zn (mg/kg) (mg/kg) (mg/kg) (mg/kg) (mg/kg) (mg/kg) (mg/kg) MicroCHAR 50.1 2.9 0.94 0.08 12.8 0.8 17.6 1.4 14.2 2.5 9.24 1.22 3.57 0.36 MicroCHAR + Mermitea 41.0 0.4 1.60 0.14 15.3 0.4 16.9 0.8 16.7 2.4 5.72 0.82 4.71 0.22 MicroCHAR Mineral 8.96 .sup. 337 231 1.56 7.44 4.87 9.73 16.1 24.0 14.8 25.1 32.9 9.5 MicroCHAR Organic 10.9 1.5 501 90 17.9 2.1 23.5 3.3 57.6 7.4 52.3 7.6 53.5 6.1 indicates data missing or illegible when filed

[0071] Subsequently, an incubation experiment was performed in which the conditioner prepared according to Example 1 was applied to the test containers together with two types of problematic soils-see the tables in FIG. 1. The sub-tables show diagrams of the uptake of each nutrient from the two soil types. The diagrams compare the results of the samples in which the conditioner is applied with control soil samples. Two types of problematic soils with a lack of organic matter and therefore low retention capacity and reduced nutrient content were used. They were agricultural soils from the Polab region-Rego soil (with sand fraction content above 2 mm85%), and Forest soil (the mineral horizon) from around the Jevany municipality, respectively.

[0072] The sub-tables show the measurement dates on the x-axis and the mass of the individual elements N, P, K taken from the soil between measurements on the y-axis, where DOC is the amount of leached carbon. Therein, the lines with solid circles refer to the soil samples with the applied conditioner and the lines with empty circles to the control samples.

[0073] The results of cumulative extraction of individual nutrients show that during the period of about 2 months of the incubation, in the case of the treated agricultural Rego soil and the treated Forest soil, about 8 times more nitrogen and potassium and 11 times and 15 times more N and K, respectively, were extracted. For phosphorus there was a 30-fold increase in the case of Rego soil and even a 98-fold increase in the case of Forest soil. For the other macro-nutrients, the increase was between two and 12 times.

[0074] Further testing of the conditioner was carried out in the form of field trials in the season of 2021. Applications to spring wheat and maize were tested, each crop in three repetitions with fertiliser variants (MicroCHAR mineral, MicroCHAR organic and MicroCHAR). The conditioner was always applied at a rate of 80 kg per hectare during sowing. No fertiliser or protectant was applied during the vegetation period.

TABLE-US-00003 Effect recalculation to hectare yields Overall dry matter weight Grain weight Mean per area [g] Recalculation to hectare [t] Mean per area [g] Recalculation to hectare [t] PC 1126.14 7.508 488.72 3.258 PB 1310.41 8.736 574.11 3.827 PS 1226.67 8.178 556.57 3.710 PO 1316.23 8.775 597.15 3.981 KC 1008.39 6.723 134.62 0.897 KB 1082.80 7.219 118.40 0.789 KS 1207.16 8.048 158.11 1.054 KO 1198.55 7.990 153.08 1.021 C Controls B MICROCHAR S MICROCHAR mineral O MICROCHAR organic For maize the weight of whole corncobs is shown

[0075] For all variants studied, plant dry matter and grain yields were at the level of high yields in organic farming.

[0076] The fertilizer was also analysed for the purpose of determining the levels of important elements, and the soil was similarly analysed after harvest to determine changes in the available nutrient content. It was found that the organic carbon content of the soil increased significantly after MicroCHAR mineral application and that the soil contained high levels of all forms of nitrogen. The MicroCHAR organic type in turn supplied the soil with high amounts of available potassium, calcium and magnesium. Compared to the untreated control, the soil supply of most of the important nutrients also increased after the growing season.

[0077] Furthermore, the available nutrient content of the conditioner samples was investigated in comparison with their condition after percolation (leasing). Percolation is the process of continuous flow of solvent through a sample on a filter.

[0078] 2 g of the fertiliser (MicroCHAR, MicroCHAR mineral+, MicroCHAR organic+) were placed on a filtration paper for quantitative analysis of KA 2 and substances were extracted from the samples, by slow pouring of 10 mL of a solvent (distilled water) on them, into a 15 mL

TABLE-US-00004 Ca K Mg Na P S Zn TC NPDC TN TN MicroCHAR-titrate + percolation pH mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L MicroCHAR MicroCHAR mineral+ MicroCHAR organic+ MicroCHAR MicroCHAR mineral + percolation MicroCHAR organic + percolation indicates data missing or illegible when filed

[0079] After the application of the MicroCHAR mineral fertiliser, the organic carbon content in the soil increased significantly. This fertiliser variant contains large amounts of all forms of nitrogen and is suitable as a nitrogen source. The MicroCHAR organic variant contains a high proportion of potassium, calcium and magnesium. A combination of both variants seems ideal.

[0080] The last factor observed was the development of mycorrhizal colonization of the roots of treated crops. The mycorrhizal colonization method determines the relative abundance of mycorrhizal fungi in a microscopic preparation of plant roots.

[0081] Wheat roots grown in soil treated with the conditioning samples were prepared using a standardized procedure. A magnification of 400 was used to view the stained roots spread on a microscope slide. Fields of view with visible mycorrhizal formations in the roots (arbuscules, vesicles, mycorrhizal fungal hyphae) were identified as positive. Significance or p-value methodology was used to evaluate the results-see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-value. The colonization result from the control sample was assigned a p-value of 0.05 (5%). The quantity and frequency of mycorrhizal formations detected in all three compared variants were evaluated by the so-called chi-squared test by the mathematical R software.

[0082] The development of mycorrhiza on the root systems of wheat grown in soil with the applied conditioner is shown in the diagram in FIG. 2.

[0083] All three samples show an increase in root colonization with a probability level equal to certainty. The best results were obtained with the application of the MicroCHAR organic variant. However, all three fertilizer variants tested significantly increased the formation of symbiosis with the native mycorrhizal population in the field soil compared to the control.