Bioliquid fertilizer (BLF; also known as organic liquid fertilizer) has become popular with ECHO’s network and smallholder farmers around the world. ECHO West Africa introduces and instructs on how to prepare this amendment in ECHO West Africa Note 1 (Sié Kansié, 2017). You can also watch this short video [Lightning Talk - Bioliquid Fertilizer | ECHOcommunity.org] sharing one approach to making and applying BLF.
In March (2022), we made BLF as outlined by Sié Kansié, 2017 with the utilization of pigeon manure and the new growth (leaves and stems) of Mexican sunflower (Tithonia diversifolia). We thoroughly mixed the ingredients until uniform in appearance. The container was covered with a breathable cloth, allowing for aerobic decomposition. We mixed the BLF daily for the duration of the trial. Each week (including the week of initial mixing: week 0), we thoroughly mixed the BLF and obtained a sample. Samples were sent to a laboratory for analysis.
Nutrient content over time
Nutrient levels increased over time during the first few weeks, before reaching a peak and leveling off. Nitrogen content was highest at the third week after initial mixing (Figure 1A). Phosphorus content peaked at week five (Figure 1B). Potassium content followed a similar trend as phosphorus, increasing rapidly until week five (Figure 1C). The average pH of the BLF was 6.76.
In summary, we saw that:
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Nitrogen levels peaked at three weeks after making the fertilizer.
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Most of the other nutrients reached their highest levels at week five.
Figure 1. Total nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content of the BLF over time.
These trends indicate that the optimum time to apply BLF is earlier (2 to 3 weeks) for nitrogen than other nutrients. Factors such as temperature, thoroughness of mixing, and sample handling may have impacted nutrient content values over sampling weeks.
Have you make BLF before? What ingredients did you use and what was your experience?
Reference
Sié Kansié, B. 2017. The preparation of organic liquid fertilizer. ECHO West Africa Note no. 1.