Ecosan Expert Training Course Capacity Building for Ecological
Ecosan Expert Training Course Capacity Building for Ecological Sanitation Agricultural Aspects Katharina Conradin & Martin Wafler, seecon international
P K S B Requirements for plant growth: • light, • water • structure for roots • nutrients. ð When supply of most limiting growth factor is increased, then other growth factors become important as limiting factors. ð If factors other than nutrients are limiting, increasing nutrients will not help. Source: (5) N Ca O 2 Mg Water Temperature Soil Structure Cu Fe Light Source: Vinnerås (5) Requirements for Plant Growth
Macronutrients & Micronutrients Nutrients: essential elements • Largest uptake: carbon, hydrogen and oxygen (in the form of CO 2 and water (H 20) • Increase in: light, carbon dioxide, water and mineral nutrients increased growth Macronutrients: Uptake is about 100 times that of micronutrients: • Nitrogen (N) • Phosphorus (P) • Potassium (K) • Sulphur (S) • Calcium (Ca) • Magnesium (Mg) Source: (5) Plant growth, green colour (photosynthesis), protein content Root growth, regulates plant metabolism, seed and fruit development Plant growth, regulates transpiration in plant Micronutrients Uptake in very small (micro) amounts • Boron (Bh) • Copper (Cu) • Iron (Fe) • Chloride (Cl) • Manganese (Mn) • Molybdenum (Mo) • Zinc (Zn)
Nutrient Export from Agricultural Land In an agricultural ecosystem, minerals and organic matter are exported from the soil by harvesting the products.
What is artificial fertilizer? Sulphur Potassium Nitrogen Phosphorus http: //www. uspanteco. org
What is artificial fertilizer? 16 + 8 + 16 =. . . ? 40 N P K 16 8 16 Balance…? Balance = SALTS
Soil Degradation: Salinization Salinisation in Gujarat Build-up of salts Die off of natural bacteria / microorganisms in the soil Nutrient holding / transforming capacity of soil decreases Yield goes down
Source: www. fao. org Soil Degradation Very high severity High severity Moderate severity Low severity Stable Land, Ice Caps or non-used wasteland Global status of human-induced soil degradation.
Advantages / Disadvantages of Artificial Fertilizers Advantages • Initial rise in yield • Easy to handle (usually relatively small amounts required) • Composition adapted to the needs of different crops Disdvantages • • • Costly Build-up of salts Not balanced Not complete Can destroy crumb structure of the soil (no organic material added) • Negative effects on microorganisms in soil • reults possibly in land degradation • Are easily washed out of the soil
Closing the loop between sanitation and agriculture The basic principle of ecosan is to close the loop between sanitation and agriculture without compromising health GARDENS ENERGY FOOD closing the loop between sanitation and agriculture NUTRIENTS Pathogen destruction Source: (4)
Nutrient excretion by humans N N DIET EXCRETA P P We excrete the same amount of nutrients that we take up in our diet (except for children growth of bones) The amount of excreted nutrients by one person is the same amount that is needed as fertiliser to grow the food for that person Such a beautiful well-balanced loop!
Nutrients in “Wastewater” Nitrogen Faeces Phosphorus Potassium Urine Source: (1) Greywater Wastewater Flow
Human Excreta - A Valuable Resource (as N + P 2 O 5 + K 2 O) 135 50 www. fertilizer. org million tons per year more than 1/3 of global mineral fertilizer consumption can be covered by the reuse of human excreta over 15 billion US$ fertilizer equivalent are annually flushed down the toilet
Quantification and Characterization of Human Urine Averaged values from various studies conducted in North America and Europe source (2)
Quantification and Characterization of Human Feces Averaged values from various studies conducted in North America and Europe source (2)
Human Feces Composition (Indian Condition) Wet Weight, g/capita/d 350± 150 Dry Weight, g/capita/d 70± 30 Moisture content, % 80± 5 p. H 5. 3± 0. 2 Organic matter, % dry weight 82± 5 Total Carbon-C, % dry weight 42. 5± 2. 5 C: N ratio 12± 1 Nitrogen-N, % dry weight 4. 1± 0. 4 Phosphorous-P 2 O 5, % dry weight 1. 1± 0. 2 Potassium-K 2 O, % dry weight 2. 8± 0. 17 Calcium-Ca. O, % dry weight 4. 5± 0. 80 Magnesium-Mg, mg/g dry weight 8. 2± 1. 5 Sodium-Na, mg/g dry weight 8. 5± 1. 3 Iron-Fe, mg/g dry weight 3. 8± 0. 9 Zinc-Zn, mg/g dry weight 0. 24± 0. 04 Copper-Cu, mg/g dry weight 0. 004± 0. 005 Manganese-Mn, mg/g dry weight 0. 27± 0. 05 Total Coliform, MPN/g 108 -109 Source: Yadav, 2008
Estimated Excretion of Nutrients per capita in Different Countries source (7) in (6)
Nutrients and Fertilizer Requirements Source: (33) A high percentage of the nutrient requirements for producing (as an example: 250 kg of cereals) could be met by recovering the nutrients contained in urine and faeces.
Plant Availability of Nutrients in Urine and Faeces Nutrients in Urine: § mostly water-soluble available to plants, directly Let`s separate! § rapid plant availability Jef Vivant Nutrients in Faeces: § both water-soluble + non watersoluble nutrients § slower plant availability (need degradation) with compost Without compost § Organic material: water holding capacity Seedlings after one week without water
Benefits of Organic Matter With organic matter Benefits of Organic Matter: üImproves soil structure üImproves pore space üIncreases water-holding üBetter water supply for crops With artificial fertilizer üDiversity of micro-organisms with compost üMultitude of biochemical processes Without üCapacity to buffer p. H and compost pollutants üBetter storage and exchange capacity for (micro) nutrients üReservoir of N P K S steadily released by mineralisation Source: T. Alföldi (22) Seedlings after one week without water Source: (5)
Visible Effects of Urine as Fertilizer Alfalfa (animal fodder) Barley …it works! Oats
Visible Effects of Urine as Fertilizer No Urine
Advantages / Disadvantages of Compost & Urine as Fertilizer Advantages Disdvantages • Balanced fertilizer • Complete fertilizer: contains all nutrients we excrete • Good for soil structure • Improves water holding capacity • Contains organic material • Available free of cost • No build-up of salts • Fosters a rich live of soil microorganism • Closes the loop • Concentration of nutrients cannot be predicted entirely • Not so concentrated • Quality depends on quality of raw product • Can also be washed out of the soil (esp. dissolved nutrients in urine) In any case: adequate amount is crurical
Benefits of using sanitised urine, faeces & greywater Ecosan product Main benefit Further benefits Urine (sanitised) Fertiliser: nitrogen content Fertiliser: phosphorus content Faeces (sanitised) Soil conditioner: organic matter content improves soil structure Fertiliser: phosphorus content Greywater (sanitised) Water for plant growth (irrigation), Fertiliser: Nutrients available in small contents
Ecosan Expert Training Course Capacity Building for Ecological Sanitation in Bhutan Agricultural Aspects Katharina Conradin & Martin Wafler, seecon international
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