With the rapid development of ecological agriculture, organic fertilizer is gradually replacing chemical fertilizer and becoming the mainstream fertilizer for agricultural planting. However, in the actual production process of organic fertilizer, due to factors such as raw materials, processes, and management, problems such as unstable quality and incomplete fermentation often occur. This not only reduces fertilizer efficiency but also affects market reputation and crop growth, hindering the high-quality development of the organic fertilizer industry.
Improper raw material handling is the primary challenge in production. Organic fertilizer raw materials are mostly waste such as livestock and poultry manure, straw, and kitchen waste. Some production enterprises, in order to reduce costs, directly use unsorted raw materials, which are mixed with impurities such as plastics, stones, and heavy metals. At the same time, arbitrary raw material ratios and unbalanced moisture control result in either overly dry raw materials causing fermentation to stagnate or excessively moist materials causing water accumulation and the growth of harmful bacteria, creating potential quality hazards for subsequent production.
Non-standard fermentation processes are the core issue. High-temperature aerobic fermentation is a key process in organic fertilizer production, directly determining the degree of fertilizer decomposition. Many small-scale enterprises lack specialized equipment and technology. Insufficient turning and poor ventilation during fermentation lead to uneven fermentation, resulting in areas of complete fermentation and areas of raw material. Fermentation temperatures often fail to meet standards, making it difficult to kill insect eggs, pathogens, and weed seeds. This can easily cause pests, diseases, and weed infestations in farmland after application, and may even cause secondary root and seedling burn.
Weaknesses in post-processing and quality control are also prominent issues. After fermentation, some enterprises use rudimentary screening and crushing processes, resulting in uneven fertilizer particle size, significant impurity residue, and inconsistent appearance and quality. Furthermore, most small and medium-sized production lines lack a comprehensive testing system, making it impossible to accurately control the content of core nutrients such as organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, leading to substandard nutrient content in the finished fertilizer. In addition, inadequate packaging and humid storage environments easily cause fertilizer to become damp, clump, and lose nutrients.
In conclusion, the root causes of various problems in organic fertilizer production lie in outdated technology, extensive management, and inadequate implementation of standards. Production enterprises need to standardize raw material selection, optimize fermentation processes, improve quality inspection procedures, and strictly control every production process in order to produce high-quality organic fertilizer and truly contribute to the development of green agriculture.
