1 Introduction
There are so many BSF frass-based products on the market in Malaysia, it can be hard to choose from for the most suitable one. And with no regulation around what can be sold as ‘organic fertiliser’ or ‘frass-based fertiliser’, there is a huge variation in quality, spec, and price.
We conducted a study to compare the different options available to farmers, & put together a factsheet to help you choose the right one for your plants. Follow this page, and over the next few weeks we will post different tips on making the best selection for you!
2 Quality, Contents & Price
Frass-based fertilizers are either 100% insect-based, or diluted with filler ingredients to reduce the cost. Diptia® for example, is 100% composted BSF frass, with added chitin and beneficial microbes.Because there is only high-grade material in the bag, this makes it one of the more
expensive frass products available. There are also a number of cheaper and low quality blended options on the market which have the benefit of being lower cost per kilogram, but generally also have lower nutritional density. Because you’re paying for the filler materials, the actual price of the nutrients is usually higher. In our analysis of some of the cheaper products available, we found:
- Sand
- Coffee sludge
- Small stones
- Pieces of plastic
3 Source of Frass
Do you know where your frass is coming from? Frass is microbially very active, and is very carefully regulated, so importing & exporting raw frass is extremely difficult. Countries like Japan & Australia have extremely strict regulations around organic fertilisers. Frass is also very bulky, & shipping it is very expensive. Importing frass to Malaysia costs around RM500/MT port-to-port. Fortunately, locally produced frass from Nutrition Technologies was recently certified by Control Union under the United States National Organic Program (US NOP) and Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS) which audit the entire production process, from input to output. The hygiene, organic standards and quality were all checked and approved according to these international standards. This certification was provided by the Control Union, A Netherlands based global organization specializing in inspection and certification services across 80 countries.
4 Transparency & Reliability
There are often big differences between the stated composition on the pack and the actual tested results of the products. This means that you don’t actually know what is in the bag you are buying, and could be under-fertilising your plants.
Tip: You should always be able to ask your supplier for a Certificate of Analysis (CoA) from a reliable laboratory with recent test results to demonstrate the actual product specs, to help you calculate your requirements, and the cost of the nutrients.
5 Fillers & Phytotoxicity
The ‘filler’ materials used in many products often add no nutritional value to the plants, and can even be damaging (eg coffee sludge). You can do a simple germination test with cheap seeds (eg cucumber) to see whether the product will harm young plants. If it has a low Germination Index, it is probably bad for your plants, and could be damaging the younger ones.
6 Pathogens & Weeds
Many organic fertilisers carry a risk of disease transmission, especially those that have not been properly treated or composted correctly. Chicken dung is a cheap source of organic nitrogen, but without fully composting it can be dangerous for use on edible plants. Mixing in vegetable-based material that isn’t fully composted can also lead to invasive seeds growing in your fields. Fully composted 100% BSF frass fertilisers are extremely safe, and carry no risk of pathogenic bacteria or invasive seeds.
7 Moisture & Content
Organic fertiliser with low moisture content can be quite dusty, bulky, and difficult to apply. Organic fertilisers with high moisture contents are easier to handle, and don’t create dust when applied. But the cost per kg of nutrition is diluted by the moisture content. A product with only 25% moisture has 33% more nutrients than a similar product with 50% moisture content. Low moisture organic fertiliser is also unlikely to be infected with fungus after opening the bag, whereas higher moisture products are more likely to have fungus growing in them after a few days. Additionally, lower moisture material is likely to have a much higher water retention capacity than high moisture fertiliser.
8 How to make & your selection
Decide what is factor is most important to you - absolute nutrition (eg organic matter, total NPK) or performance (eg germination & water retention).
Ask for a recent CoA of the product you’re buying - it should match or exceed the nutrition stated on the packaging.
Avoid products with organic matter below 70%.Pure frass should always has an organic matter above 70% so anything below that is sign the manufacturer is diluting the product with non-nutritive material like sand or clay.
Do a simple quality test will your seeds germinate? If they don’t, the product probably has ingredients that are causing damage to your young plants.
When you compare the different products, consider the nutrient density and the required application rate.
Higher quality products require lower dosage to be effective.
Talk to a representative from Nutrition Technologies to discuss whether Diptia or Diptia Essential is the right product for you.
Комментарии