Liquid organic fertilizer: definition, properties, characteristics, advantages, disadvantages, and how to make it
In agriculture, fertilizer plays an important role as the main support for plant growth and development. Without an adequate supply of nutrients from fertilizers, plants become vulnerable to pest and disease attacks.
This condition certainly has a direct impact on the quality of crops, both in terms of quantity and quality of fruit or vegetables produced.
In general, there are two types of fertilizers commonly used to fertilize plants, namely chemical fertilizers and organic fertilizers.
Among the two, organic fertilizers are increasingly recommended because they are more environmentally friendly and do not pollute the soil or water sources. One form of organic fertilizer that began to be widely used is liquid organic fertilizer (POC).
What is liquid organic fertilizer? Let’s see a more detailed explanation of the following liquid organic fertilizer!
Understanding Liquid Organic Fertilizer
Liquid organic fertilizer (POC) is a liquid fertilizer made from natural ingredients through the process of fermentation or decay. Based on information from the scientific journal of Service and innovation, POC raw materials include organic waste such as plant residues, animal waste, and human waste containing various important nutrients.
POC contains two types of nutrients, namely:
- Unsur hara makro, seperti karbon (C), fosfor (P), oksigen (O), hidrogen (H), kalium (K), kalsium (Ca), dan magnesium (Mg).
- Unsur hara mikro, yang mencakup zat besi (Fe), mangan (Mn), seng (Zn), tembaga (Cu), boron (B), molibdenum (Mo), dan klor (Cl).
In addition, POC also contains bioactive substances such as vitamins and enzymes produced by the activity of microorganisms during fermentation. These compounds support plant metabolism and increase resistance to environmental stress.
POC is more effectively applied directly to the leaves, stems, and flowers of plants. This is because plant tissues, in particular stomata (pores on the surface of leaves and stems), are able to absorb nutrients in liquid form quickly and efficiently.
POC is very beneficial especially in the initial growth phase of the plant and during the transition from the vegetative to the generative phase, in which the plant begins to flower or bear fruit. In addition to being a source of nutrients, POC also acts as a natural growth stimulant that helps accelerate the development of buds and flowers.
Properties and characteristics of liquid organic fertilizers
Liquid organic fertilizer (POC) has a number of properties that resemble solid organic fertilizers, despite their different physical forms. POC is liquid because it has gone through the process of fermentation or decomposition of organic matter naturally. The main characteristics of liquid organic fertilizers are:
1. Liquid intangible
As the name suggests, liquid organic fertilizer has a physical form in the form of a liquid. This form facilitates the process of absorption of nutrients by plants through leaves and roots.
Liquid organic fertilizer (POC) has a number of properties that resemble solid organic fertilizers, despite their different physical forms. POC is liquid because it has gone through the process of fermentation or decomposition of organic matter naturally. The main characteristics of liquid organic fertilizers are:
As the name suggests, liquid organic fertilizer has a physical form in the form of a liquid. This form facilitates the process of absorption of nutrients by plants through leaves and roots.
2. Contains complete nutrients
POC contains various important nutrients needed by plants, both macro nutrients such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), as well as micro nutrients such as iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn).
This complete nutrient content helps support optimal plant growth at all phases of life.
3. Easy to apply
One of the main advantages of POC is its ease of application. This fertilizer can be sprayed directly onto plant parts such as leaves, stems, and flowers, or sprayed onto growing media such as soil or compost.
4. Quickly absorbed by plants
Thanks to the liquid form, POC is absorbed by plants faster than solid fertilizers. Nutrients can enter directly through the stomata on the leaves or through the roots, so that their effect on plant growth is felt faster.
5. Economical and environmentally friendly
POC can be made from various household and agricultural organic waste, such as vegetable scraps, fruit peels, animal waste, to kitchen waste. This makes POC a cost-effective fertilizer option while supporting sustainable organic waste management.
6. Increase soil fertility
Because it comes from natural organic ingredients, liquid organic fertilizers are able to improve soil structure, increase organic matter content, and strengthen water binding in the soil.
This makes the soil looser and more fertile, thus supporting optimal plant root growth.
7. No pungent odor
A well-fermented POC does not emit a fetid odor. On the contrary, this fertilizer has a characteristic and unobtrusive aroma of fermentation, so it is more convenient to use it, especially in domestic or urban environments.
8. Suppressing plant diseases
In addition to serving as a source of nutrients, POC also contains live microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. These microbes play a role in breaking down organic matter in the soil and suppressing the growth of pathogens that cause plant diseases naturally.
9. Has a neutral or slightly acidic pH and a characteristic color
Quality POCs generally have a neutral to slightly acidic pH (around pH 6-7), which is ideal for most types of plants. In terms of appearance, this fertilizer is Brown to blackish brown, indicating an optimal fermentation process and nutrient-rich raw materials.
10. Improving crop quality
The regular use of POC has been proven to improve the quality of agricultural products. Plants produce fresher fruits and vegetables, more natural flavors, and better shelf life because they are obtained from balanced and natural nutrients.
Advantages and disadvantages of POC
In terms of use, liquid organic fertilizer (POC) offers higher convenience than solid organic fertilizer. The application is simply sprayed or watered, without the need for complex tillage processes.
However, POC is not ideal for being the main fertilizer in the long term, due to its nutritional properties, which are more easily washed out by rainwater or soil erosion.
Referring to the Journal of scientific and technological services (Polytechnic of Industrial Chemical Technology Medan), the following advantages and disadvantages of POC:
Advantages of liquid organic fertilizers
- Easy to produce: POC can be made by yourself with organic ingredients available in the environment, such as kitchen waste or animal waste.
- Contains complete nutrients: in principle, POC can be used as a base fertilizer because it contains macro and micro nutrients, although in limited quantities.
- Practical and economical: the simple way of use makes POC very time and cost effective, suitable for small-scale farms to households.
- Quickly absorbed by plants: because it is liquid, POC is more quickly absorbed by leaves, especially to support the process of photosynthesis and shoot growth.
- Supports mineral weathering: the microbial content in POC helps speed up the weathering process of mineral materials in the soil, thus enriching nutrients naturally.
- Increase cation exchange capacity(CEC): POC can help improve the ability of soil to absorb and store nutrients, making it more fertile and productive.
- Improves soil structure: POC plays a role in strengthening soil particle bonds and improving aeration and porosity, which are important for root growth.
- Being a food source for Soil Microbes: the organic content in POC is a source of energy for beneficial microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi that play a role in the soil ecosystem.
Disadvantages of liquid organic fertilizers
Low viability of microorganisms: microorganisms contained in POC have low viability, especially if storage is not carried out correctly.
Limited microorganism population: the number of microbes in the POC is often below 10 ° cfu/ml, which is low enough to significantly improve the soil in a short time.
Relatively low nutrient content: the main nutrients in POC generally come from added ingredients such as urea or NPK, rather than purely from organic fermentation.
Non-durable: POC has a short shelf life, usually less than one year, and is not suitable for long-term storage without special treatment.
Potential for contamination and odor: if not fermented optimally, POC is at risk of producing gases and pungent odors, and is susceptible to being contaminated with pathogens.
Not yet ideal for industrial scale: POC production is often still manual and not immediately ready for mass scale use without standardization.
How to make POC
Liquid organic fertilizer (POC) can be made independently by utilizing organic materials that are easily found around the environment.
The manufacturing process involves fermentation using effective microorganisms such as EM4, which contains Lactobacillus bacteria, Actinomycetes, Streptomyces, yeast, and photosynthetic bacteria. These microorganisms play an important role in accelerating the decomposition of organic matter into nutrients that are ready to be absorbed by plants.
Here’s an example of a simple recipe for making POC:
Necessary ingredients
- 1 kg of banana tree trunk (cut into small pieces)
- 1 kg of animal waste (preferably from herbivorous livestock such as goats or cows)
- 1 kg of vegetable waste or fruit peels
- 200 grams of brown sugar (melted)
- 15-20 ml of EM4 solution
- Clean enough water (until all ingredients are submerged)
Necessary tools
- Machete or large knife (for chopping organic matter)
- Plastic sacks or temporary fermentation containers
- Large bucket or plastic barrel
- Jerry cans or plastic bottles (for storage of the final result)
Manufacturing Steps
- Prepare the starter solution: slice the brown sugar and put it in a container. Add 3 liters of clean water and 15-20 ml of EM4. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Allow to stand for ±30 minutes for microorganisms to start to activate.
- Prepare solid ingredients: while waiting, chop the banana stalks and vegetable or fruit waste. Mix with animal waste on the sack until evenly distributed.
- Add to jerky: transfer the solid ingredient mixture to the jerky. Add enough clean water until all ingredients are flooded. Beat gently so that the ingredients are well mixed.
- Add the starter solution: once the solid ingredients are mixed, pour the brown sugar and EM4 solution into the jerry can. Close the jerry can tightly, then shake again to mix all the ingredients.
- Fermentation: store jerry cans in the shade and cool, away from direct sunlight. Fermentation lasts for at least 14 days.
- Care during fermentation: every day, open the lid of the jerry can for a few seconds to release the fermented gas, then close it tightly again.
- Signs of ready-to-use POC: after 14 days, the POC will give off a characteristic aroma such as tape or sweet fermentation. This indicates that the fertilizer is ripe and ready for use.
Additional notes:
The process of creating a POC cannot be done instantly. It takes at least two weeks of fermentation to produce fertilizer with good quality. The results of this POC can be used directly on plants, either sprayed on the leaves or sprinkled on the ground.
Cover
Liquid organic fertilizer is an environmentally friendly and economical solution to increase agricultural productivity. Both for household scale and wider agricultural land, POC offers ease of manufacture and use.
By taking advantage of the available organic waste, anyone can make their own fertilizer at home. Now, there is no reason to let plants grow without nutrients—even if only in the yard.
Featured image: Ilustrasi pupuk organik cair (pixabay.com/PollyDot)