Chemistry: fertilizers – Processes and products – Bacterial
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-22
2002-09-10
Sayala, Chhaya D. (Department: 1761)
Chemistry: fertilizers
Processes and products
Bacterial
C071S011000, C071S008000, C071S023000, C071S024000, C071S062000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06447568
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a composting accelerator; a process for producing, by using said composting accelerator, an organic fertilizer by composting a raw material to be composted; an organic fertilizer available by this process; and a method for spreading the composting accelerator on the floor of a livestock barn. More specifically, this invention pertains to a composting accelerator capable of composting an organic raw material to be composted, such as livestock excrement, food remnants, activated sludge and ligneous residues, while reducing an emission amount or emission time of ammonia, thereby producing a good-quality organic fertilizer having excellent fertilizing efficiency in a short period; a process for producing an organic fertilizer by using said composting accelerator; and a method for reducing a malodor such as ammonia odor by spreading said composting accelerator on the floor of a livestock barn.
Background Art
Although conventional, popularly-employed compound fertilizers are fast acting, they have caused problems such as poor growth or death due to a concentration disturbance, soil infertility due to continuous use, and environmental pollution. In recent years, therefore, a compost prepared by composting an organic raw material to be composted, for example, animal excrement such as fowl dung, swine dung or cattle dung, food remnants dumped from home or food plants, or activated sludge has been sprayed to the soil, whereby the above-described problems of the compound fertilizer can be overcome and plants can be reared while the soil fertility is reinforced. Although the above-described organic raw material to be composted can be composted singly without addition of any composting accelerator or composting auxiliary, composting does not proceed smoothly because of a large water content and poor air permeability. It is therefore common to carry out composting after mixing a raw material to be composted with a plant type organic matter such as sawdust, wheat straw, rice straw and/or fallen leaves, and adjusting the water content of the resulting mixture. It however takes time to decompose the plant type organic matter such as sawdust because it contains a sparingly decomposable component in a large amount. Composting of a raw material to be composted with the plant type organic matter incorporated therein is accompanied with the drawback that it takes long time (usually, 3 to 6 months) for composting the mixture and in some cases, the mixture becomes anaerobic during a long composting period, thereby emitting an offensive odor over a long period of time. In addition, a lignin component contained in the plant type organic matter is decomposed into a phenolic acidic substance, which happens to inhibit the growth of a plant.
Also known is a process for composting an organic raw material to be composted such as livestock excrement, food remnants or activated sludge after adjusting its C/N ratio, water content and pH by using a so-called “returned compost” which is a fully-composted compost returned to the raw material for further composting thereof, or a mineral such as vermiculite or diatomaceous earth. Compared with the above-described process wherein a plant-type organic matter is added, this process usually produces a good-quality compost, since it does not take so much time for composting and-a phenolic acidic substance is formed in a reduced amount. It is however accompanied with the drawbacks that it takes not so long time but still takes 1 to 2 months for composting, adjustment of a C/N ratio, water content and pH of the raw material to be composted necessary for this process is cumbersome and requires much labor, and ammonia is emitted over a long period of time.
In addition, proposed is a process (Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 5-73718) for composting an organic waste, by mixing the organic waste with artificial calcium particulate selected from tobermorite or xonotlite, compulsorily bringing the resulting mixture into contact with air to convert it into the composted material in half maturity, and naturally composting it into the composted material in full maturity. This process however requires forced composting by using a forced composting apparatus equipped with a porous plate or agitating blade for blowing the air into the mixture of the organic waste and artificial calcium silicate, so that it is complex in both step and apparatus and requires much labor and cost. In addition, artificial calcium silicate in an amount as large as 30 to 50 kg must usually be mixed with 100 kg of the organic waste for adjusting the water content of the resulting mixture to 50 to 60 wt. % upon composting, which makes a large burden in cost and labor. Moreover, artificial calcium silicate remains in the resulting compost without being decomposed and lowers a decreasing rate of the volume or weight of the organic waste, one of the important targets of the composting, whereby a smooth reduction in the amount of the organic waste is disturbed.
The organic raw material to be composted such as livestock excrement, food remnants or activated sludge has a large water content, and has an unstable pH due to various components mixed therein. The microorganism flora (microflora) contained in it therefore tends to become ill-balanced, which disturbs the proliferation of an effective microorganism group usefully acting on composting. Particularly in winter, composting of it does not proceed smoothly at a low atmospheric temperature and it requires a longer period for composting.
With the foregoing in view, the present inventors previously developed and proposed a composting accelerator comprising 100 parts by weight of an organic matter, such as wheat bran, having an arabinoxylan content of 20 wt. % or greater, 1 to 3 parts by weight of slaked lime, 3 to 10 parts by weight of a humic acid and 5 to 20 parts by weight of a microorganism material; and a process for producing an organic fertilizer by using the composting accelerator (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 8-198694). Moreover, the present inventors developed and applied, for patent, a process for producing an organic fertilizer by adjusting the water content, pH and C/N ratio of a raw material to be composted which is composed of livestock excrement and/or activated sludge, to 55 to 65 wt. %, 70 to 8.5 and 20 or less, respectively, and adding, to 100 parts by weight of the thus-adjusted raw material, 25 to 50 parts by weight of a composting auxiliary composed of wheat bran, as a main component, slaked lime and the like, thereby composting the raw material (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 9-48685).
The above-described inventions by the present inventors are advantageous in that the organic raw material to be composted, which has a large water content, such as livestock excrement, food remnants and activated sludge can be composted in a short time, compared with the conventional process. Based on these inventions, the present inventors have proceeded with an investigation. As a result, it has been found that there is a room for improvement in the former invention, because the pH of the composting accelerator becomes as high as 9 or greater, usually about 10 owing to a comparatively large amount of slaked lime in the composting accelerator, which induces emission of a large amount of ammonia causing a malodor. It has also been found that there is also a room for improvement in the latter invention because it needs extra time and cost for adjusting the water content, pH and C/N ratio of the organic raw material to be composted.
In a livestock barn wherein animals such as cattle, swine and horses are bred, an offensive odor due to their excrement is strong, which markedly deteriorates their breeding environment. With a view to suppressing the emission of a malodor, a microorganism material has conventionally been spread on the floor of a livestock barn. From the viewpoints of suppression of emission of an offensive odor and safety for livestock and persons working in the barn,
Kanzaki Ken
Okada Kenzo
Shiiba Kiwamu
Nisshin Flour Milling Inc.
Sayala Chhaya D.
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