How to make a 'cow fertiliser' - a fermented organic fertiliser

Summary

This video demonstrates how to make a simple and effective microbial fertilizer using cow dung, cow urine, and molasses. The process, which takes five days, is affordable and ideal for small-scale farmers. The tutorial outlines the necessary equipment and ingredients, including a 200-liter drum, cow dung, cow urine, flour, and molasses. Once mixed, the solution ferments, allowing microbes to breed, enhancing its effectiveness. The fertilizer is then diluted for application at different stages of crop growth, helping improve yields. The video also emphasizes the importance of testing the fertilizer's impact through trial plots.

Takeaways

• 😀 Microbial fertilizer can be made using cow dung, cow urine, molasses, and flour.
• 😀 This method is effective for farmers with animals, and other animal dung can also be used instead of cow dung.
• 😀 The process involves five easy steps, following the same method used by Lifeworks to train farmers.
• 😀 The fertilizer is cheap and easy to make, delivering good results when applied to crops.
• 😀 Required equipment includes a 200-liter drum, a stick for mixing, a net (if the drum doesn't have a lid), and a tie for the net.
• 😀 The ingredients required for 200 liters of fertilizer include 20 kg of cow dung, 20 liters of cow urine, 2 liters of molasses, and 2 kg of flour.
• 😀 The fermentation process takes five days, during which microbes breed and the fertilizer develops.
• 😀 After mixing the ingredients, cover the drum and leave it to ferment for five days before use.
• 😀 Before application, dilute the fertilizer in water at a ratio of 1:200 (5 capfuls per jerry can).
• 😀 The fertilizer should be applied at least five times during the crop cycle: during land preparation, seed preparation, when plants first appear, at flowering, and when small fruits or vegetables are visible.
• 😀 Lifeworks encourages farmers to test the fertilizer’s effectiveness by setting up trial plots to observe its impact on crops.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the video?

The video demonstrates how to make a microbial fertilizer using cow dung, cow urine, and molasses, which can be used to enhance crop yields in farming.

What equipment is required to make the fertilizer?

To make the fertilizer, you will need a 200-liter drum (either new or used), a stick to mix the ingredients, a net to cover the drum (if using a second-hand drum without a lid), and something to tie the net onto the drum.

What ingredients are needed for the fertilizer?

The ingredients for the fertilizer include 20 kg of cow dung, 20 liters of cow urine, 2 liters of sugarcane molasses, and 2 kg of flour (preferably pulse flour like green gram or bean flour, or alternatives like maize or wheat flour).

How much fertilizer does the recipe produce?

The recipe produces 200 liters of liquid microbial fertilizer.

How much fertilizer is recommended for an acre of land?

A farmer with one acre (just under half a hectare) needs about 20 liters of the microbial fertilizer.

How long does the fermentation process take?

The fermentation process takes five days, which is necessary for the microbes to breed and develop.

What is the process for making the fertilizer?

The process involves mixing 180 liters of water with the ingredients: cow dung, cow urine, flour, and molasses, then stirring the mixture well, covering the drum, and leaving it to ferment for five days.

How should the fertilizer be applied to crops?

Before applying, the fertilizer should be diluted with water at a ratio of 1:200. For each jerry can of water, five capfuls of the fertilizer should be added. It is applied at least five times during the crop cycle, including for land preparation, seed preparation, when the first plants emerge, when the first flowers appear, and when the first small fruits or vegetables show.

Why should farmers set up a trial plot?

Farmers are encouraged to set up a trial plot to test how the microbial fertilizer and compost affect their crops. This allows them to observe the differences and determine the effectiveness of the fertilizers.

What is recommended if farmers want to track the performance of the fertilizers?

Farmers can download a data recording sheet from the Lifeworks website to track the performance and results of the microbial fertilizers and compost.