In tropical regions, the oil palm industry generates a large amount of oil palm empty fruit bunch waste each year. Careless disposal not only pollutes the environment but also wastes resources. However, empty oil palm fruit bunches, rich in cellulose, lignin, and nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, are high-quality raw materials for producing granular organic fertilizers. Their resource utilization not only addresses environmental challenges but also provides highly effective organic fertilizer for agriculture.
Using oil palm empty fruit bunches to produce granular organic fertilizers requires a scientific pretreatment process. First, fresh empty fruit bunches must be air-dried or dried to keep the moisture content below 20% to prevent mold during the fermentation process. Then it is crushed into 3-5 mm fine particles by a crusher to increase the contact area with microorganisms and lay the foundation for efficient fermentation. Empty fruit bunches with a high oil content also require degreasing to prevent the oil from affecting fertilizer absorption.
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Fermentation is a core step in fertilizer production and requires an aerobic composting process. Crushed empty fruit bunches are mixed with livestock and poultry manure, rice bran, and other auxiliary materials in a ratio of 3:1. The carbon-nitrogen ratio is adjusted to 25-30:1, and a specialized microbial inoculant is added. The mixture is then piled into a fermentation pile 1.2-1.5 meters high. A compost turner is used regularly to turn the pile for oxygen supply and maintain the temperature inside the pile at 55-65℃. This temperature range can effectively kill pathogens and weed seeds. After 25-30 days of fermentation, the material becomes loose and dark brown, emitting an earthy fragrance. This completes the basic organic fertilizer.
The final stage is granulation and final product processing. The composted organic fertilizer is fed into a granulator, where it is extruded into granules with a diameter of 3-5 mm. This facilitates transportation and storage while also controlling the rate of fertilizer release. The granules are then dried at low temperature to ensure a moisture content below 15%, screened to remove impurities, and packaged. This granular organic fertilizer is not only rich in organic matter but also improves soil aggregate structure and enhances its ability to retain water and fertilizer. It is suitable for a variety of crops, including fruit trees, vegetables, and flowers, and has broad application prospects in green agricultural development.
The conversion of oil palm empty fruit bunches into granular organic fertilizer is a vivid practice of the circular economy. It not only addresses the problem of industrial waste, but also provides strong support for sustainable agricultural development and opens up new paths for resource utilization in tropical regions.
