In the production of organic fertilizers, granulation is an indispensable and crucial step. Many people wonder why it's necessary to incur the cost of granulation when the composted organic fertilizer raw materials can be applied directly. In fact, organic fertilizer granulation is not a superfluous step, but rather a "quality improvement measure" that considers storage, transportation, fertilizer efficiency, and environmental protection. Its core value lies in six aspects, which are suitable for large-scale organic fertilizer production and also genuinely benefit farmers and the ecological environment.
Firstly, granulation solves the problem of loose raw materials, making storage and transportation easier. Ungranulated organic fertilizers are mostly in powder or fragmented form, with a loose texture, prone to clumping and mildew during storage, and occupying a large amount of storage space; during transportation, problems such as dust and scattering occur, not only wasting raw materials but also polluting the transportation route. The uniform granules formed after granulation have better sealing properties, do not clump during storage, and have no loss during transportation, significantly reducing storage and transportation costs.
Secondly, granulation can improve fertilizer efficiency and prevent nutrient loss. When powdered organic fertilizer is applied, it is easily washed away by rain and blown away by wind, leading to rapid nutrient loss and preventing crops from fully absorbing the nutrients; granular organic fertilizer dissolves at a moderate rate, slowly releasing nutrients, extending the fertilizer effect period, allowing crop roots to continuously absorb nutrients, and reducing nutrient waste. Compared with powdered fertilizer, the fertilizer efficiency can be increased by more to 30%.
Furthermore, granulation improves the application experience and adapts to various planting scenarios. Powdered organic fertilizer is prone to dust during application, affecting the health of operators, and is difficult to spread evenly, especially unsuitable for large-scale farmland and greenhouse planting; granular organic fertilizer is uniform in size and can be applied manually or mechanically, adapting to various planting models, saving labor costs and ensuring even fertilization, avoiding excessive or insufficient nutrients in certain areas.
In addition, granulation can optimize the quality of organic fertilizers and reduce environmental pollution. During the granulation process, impurities, insect eggs, and pathogens in the raw materials can be removed, reducing the risk of soil pests and diseases; at the same time, granular fertilizer does not easily compact the soil after application, improving soil aeration and water retention capacity, and contributing to soil improvement. For large-scale organic fertilizer producers, granulation results in a better-looking product, facilitating standardized packaging and sales, and increasing product added value.
In summary, organic fertilizer granulation is not only an optimization of the production process, but also an important measure to achieve "cost reduction, efficiency improvement, and environmental protection." It addresses many of the shortcomings of traditional organic fertilizers and adapts to the needs of modern agriculture for large-scale and standardized development, maximizing the value of organic fertilizer production.
