Project title: The effect of Meat and Bone Meal (MBM) Technology on the Yield and Quality of Vegetables
Project number: SSTC-OSC-001
Project acronym: MBM-technology
Abstract:
The current global population is 7.6 billion. It is expected to reach 9.2 billion by 2050. Global food production will need to increase by 70%, and food production in the developing world will need to double to meet demand. The projected increase in food production will have to be done innovatively to overcome rising energy prices, depletion of underground aquifers, the continuing loss of farmland to urbanization, and increased drought and flooding resulting from climate change. These challenges effect the entire food industry, including producers of plant products. This project contributes by improving plant production systems for greenhouse vegetable crops through assessing the effect of meat and bone meal on the growth, yield and nutrient content of vegetables. The project will introduce meat and bone meal technology for greenhouse vegetable crops in Estonia and Asia. After visiting Theodore Radowich research group in Oahu (Hawaii, USA) in June of 2017, we thought to start collaboration in order to test meat and bone meal on vegetables, as they had trials with sweet corn. While the concept is not very new, Oahu experiments started around 20 years ago, more attention has to be on how the meat and bone meal influences vegetables growth in greenhouses. The food production chain across Estonia, and Asia, will reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers, increase food security, and decrease energy consumption by the development of economically viable largescale production of MBM containing growth substrates in organic greenhouse vegetable production.
Despite the studies carried out to date demonstrating benefits of MBM in cereals production, the MBM technology needed for horticultural organic crop production is absent and therefore there is a big need for scientific investigations for MBM fertilizers for organic greenhouse vegetable production. How to use MBM in the content of growth substrates are still unsolved. Therefore, this investigation is INNOVATIVE and as interest has come from Tiare Silvasy (University of Hawaii, USA) to start collaboration on that topic between Estonia and USA, it could be seen as a good kick start of collaboration. Therefore, it can be concluded, that this project advances the science and innovation in Asia and Estonia and can be a foundation to establish long term scientific collaboration between those two countries. This project will, in the longer-term, help ensure food safety quality and feasibility of plant growing systems and allow us to grow plants in an environmentally safe way using organic wastes (meat and bone meal) to produce healthy and more yielding production.
Keywords: Greenhouse vegetables, growth, meat and bone meal, organic agriculture, yield, organic fertilizer.
What problem or which question is to be solved/answered? Which idea or vision is to be tested or further developed? What is the hypothesis?
The purpose of the project:
The goal of the project is to increase organic greenhouse vegetables production system yields and quality by introducing organic fertilizer: meat and bone meal.
Long-term goals:
1. Improve the food production chain across Estonia and Asia by testing and introducing socially and economically viable solid/liquid organic fertilizers and disease suppressants utilizing MBM technology suitable for the Nordic climate.
2. Reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers, increase food security, and decrease energy consumption.
Background information:
The current global population is 7.6 billion. It is expected to reach 9.2 billion by 2050. If the global population increases so significantly, world food production will need to increase by 70%, and food production in the developing world will need to double. The projected 70% increase in food production will have to overcome rising energy prices, a growing depletion of underground aquifers, the continuing loss of farmland to urbanization, and increased drought and flooding resulting from climate change (Silva, 2018). Urban agriculture is increasingly becoming an important issue. Innovative farming technologies mean that plants can now be grown in indoor environments without sunlight. This cultivation process, known as urban farming or vertical farming, is ideal for propagating young plants, cultivating full head crops, and growing healthier, pesticide-free crops.
Organic waste is becoming an increasingly important issue, both on the local and global level. A third to half of world food production is lost or wasted (?stergren et al., 2014). Food waste was recently defined in the EU project FUSIONS as “any food, and inedible parts of food, removed from (lost to or diverted from) the food supply chain to be recovered or disposed (including composted, crops ploughed in/not harvested, anaerobic digestion, bio-energy production, co
generation, incineration, disposal to sewer, landfill or discarded to sea)” (?stergren et al., 2014). Around 88 million tonnes of food are wasted annually in the EU, 20% of total food production, with associated costs estimated at €143 billion (Stenmarck et al., 2016). This estimate is from 2012 and includes both edible food and inedible parts associated with the food supply chain and equates to 173 kg of food waste per person.
The disposal of organic wastes from domestic, agricultural, and industrial sources causes environmental and economic problems; many technologies have been developed to address these problems. There is a distinct trend towards using novel technologies, mainly based on biological processes, for recycling and effificient utilization of organic residues. Doing so conserves the available resources, recovers natural products, and in some cases, combats the disposal problems and minimizes pollution effects.
Organic waste products are a commonly available local resource valuable to farmers because of their nutrient content. Meat and bone meal (MBM), also called “bone meal” or “tankage”, is an organic waste product derived from inedible animal parts and may be safely used as a fertilizer for organic crop production. Animal rendering is the ancient technique of using heat to physically and chemically transform non-edible animal by-products into a stabilized form (Silvasy, 2017). Despite of that MBM has been used already centuries ago, it has become more popular in the beginning of 21 Century. MBM is tested since then in organic crop production in USA (Hawaii, Oahu, Dr. Theodore Radovich group used product called Tankage) and Europe (Finland – University of Helsinki scientists used product called Agra). Since 2015 MBM has been tested also in cereals organic crop production in Estonia – Estonian University of Life Sciences and Estonian Crop Research Institute.
While in greenhouse crop production as a component of growth substrates MBM has not been used worldwide. Therefore, it can be thought that MBM is one such innovative organic value
added product, which can be utilized for improving the growth substrate and fertility in organic greenhouse farming and in vertical farming.
MBM technology in greenhouse crop production is therefore an Asia – Estonian, and also global innovation in agricultural science.
Baker Commodities, Inc. in Kapolei, (Hawaii, USA) is the facility that produces MBM on the island of Oahu. It recycles the island’s fish and meat by-products into a useful locally available resource and is certified by the National Organic Program (NOP) for use on organic farms. It has been gaining popularity for use as a fertilizer and Hawaii producers are currently using this product, probably because of its high nitrogen content (~10%) and its low cost at about $0.30 per pound (Silvasy, 2017). Bioly Ltd. in Estonia produces also MBM.
The advantage of this fertilizer is that it is nutrient rich and low cost, which make it proper to be used as one of organic growth substrate components.
As commercial fertilizer/shipping costs increase, a wide range of food producers in the Asia region have realized the need for locally available fertilizers from organic sources to improve soil fertility, crop health, and productivity. In addition to concerns surrounding availability of affordable soil amendments, interest in sustainability and organically produced crops has risen among Asian consumers in the past few decades. Increased tourism has further amplified the need for fresh local fruits and vegetables, especially “locally grown” labeled goods. Shifting from conventional farming to organic farming has many benefits to the human's well‐being, protecting the environment (soil, water, and air), rebuilding soil fertility through improving its physical, chemical, and biological characteristics, and improving the quality of produced crops (Ahmad et al., 2016).
Researchers affiliated with University of Hawaii (USA) have studied the MBM produced in Hawaii for over 20 years. The earliest published study found in the literature on Hawaiian MBM was using a test crop of jicama. In this replicated experiment, MBM was compared to synthetic fertilizer, chicken manure, and compost. Results showed MBM was comparable to synthetic fertilizer and yields were greatest at the rate of one kilogram per hectare. Scientist Radovich tested yield response from four increasing application rates of MBM on eggplant and the results showed eggplant maximum yield peaked at an N rate of 300 kg ha-1 and was slightly decreased at higher rates. Meat and bone meal was studied in combination with invasive seaweed (Eucheuma sp.) to determine growth response and yield of sweet potato using these local fertilizers in field trials. In this study, MBM was applied at 155 kg N ha-1 to compare with synthetic fertilizer (ammonium sulfate) as a source of N along with application rates of invasive seaweed as a source of K+ . These studies suggest that a rate of 1 to 3 Mg ha-1 is an adequate rate of MBM application, with rates of 4 Mg ha-1 and above reducing yields. However, the numbers of crops tested in these field trials were limited in the rates compared, locations tested, and none examined timing of application (Silvasy, 2017).
Previous research on MBM:
Researchers affiliated with University of Hawaii have studied the MBM produced in Hawaii for over 20 years. The earliest published study found in the literature on Hawaiian MBM was using a test crop of jicama. In this replicated experiment, MBM was compared to synthetic fertilizer, chicken manure, and compost. Results showed MBM was comparable to synthetic fertilizer and yields were greatest at the rate of one kilogram per hectare (Silvasy, 2017). Radovich et al. (2012) tested yield response from four increasing application rates of MBM on eggplant and the results showed eggplant maximum yield peaked at an N rate of 300 kg ha-1 and was slightly decreased at higher rates. Meat and bone meal was studied in combination with invasive seaweed (Eucheuma sp.) to determine growth response and yield of sweet potato using these local fertilizers in field trials (Silvasy, 2017). In this study, MBM was applied at 155 kg N ha-1 to compare with synthetic fertilizer (ammonium sulfate) as a source of N along with application rates of invasive seaweed as a source of K+. These studies suggest that a rate of 1 to 3 Mg ha-1 is an adequate rate of MBM application, with rates of 4 Mg ha-1 and above reducing yields. However, the numbers of crops tested in these field trials were limited in the rates compared, locations tested, and none examined timing of application.
Mineralization rate of Hawaiian MBM (Island Commodities, Kapolei, HI) was characterized in a study using leachate columns in Mollisol and Oxisol soils (Ahmad et al., 2016). The release rate of total plant available nitrogen was reported to be between 50 and 75% within 90 days. This is a wide range and needs to be confirmed with further studies and under field conditions, although is expected to be higher under field conditions with increased microbial diversity and activity. A greenhouse experiment, comparing MBM to urea, and evaluating the effect of MBM incorporated into potting media on corn and bean seedling growth and found fresh weight increased with increasing applications (Silvasy, 2017). According to Radovich et al. (2012), “The need for recommended application rates to guide growers is increasingly apparent”.
Meat and bone meal in USA (Baker Commodities, Kapolei, HI) contained an average (n = 12) of 9.7% N, 3.27% P, 0.84% K (Ahmad et al., 2016). MBM samples for each location were submitted to the Agricultural Diagnostic Service Center (ADSC) at the University of Hawaii, Manoa for nutrient analysis and results are in Table 1 (Silvasy, 2017).
Table 1. Nutrient analyses from meat and bone meal fertilizerz used in field trials at two locations in Oahu, Hawaii analyzed by the ADSCy at the University of Hawaii.
z*Meat and bone meal fertilizer obtained from Baker Commodities in Kapolei, HI.
y*Agriculture Diagnostic Service Center
It can be seen from table 1 that MBM is an excellent source of calcium and phosphorus and some other minerals (K, Mg, Mn, Fe, etc.). The ash content of the MBM normally ranges from 28 to 36 %. As it was seen MBM is containing lots of trace nutrients. Therefore, the MBM is very useful fertilizer to use also in organic greenhouse crop production.
Silvasy (2017) concluded that it is difficult for farmers to use MBM at the correct rates because there are currently no recommended rates from the manufacturer and is difficult to find recommendation from the literature.
Taking into account the beneficial nutrient content and low cost of the MBM it can be concluded that this product is very useful fertilizer to use as one component of the growth substates for organic greenhouse crop production.
Despite the studies carried out to date demonstrating benefits of MBM in cereals production, the MBM technology needed for horticultural organic crop production is absent and therefore there is a big need for scientific investigations for MBM fertilizers for organic greenhouse vegetable production. How to use MBM in the content of growth substrates are still unsolved. Therefore, this investigation is INNOVATIVE and as interest has come from Tiare Silvasy to start collaboration on that topic between Estonia and Asia, it could be seen as a good kick start of collaboration.
MBM technology is an innovative technology in organic greenhouse crop production, therefore it is important to compose recipes how to mix MBM with other organic and inorganic materials in order to get substrates for organic greenhouse vegetables production.
Impact:
The growing population necessitates increased agricultural productivity. At the same time, there is increasing consumer demand for high-quality, affordable, and safe food which necessitates increasing food production quality and increasing organic production.
The agricultural sector needs knowledge to develop technologies which can help meet consumer demands for increased food production and quality while maintaining competitiveness. The proposed project will contribute to meeting the challenge of increased food production by improving plant production systems for greenhouse vegetable crops through MBM substrate for greenhouse crops. The project will introduce MBM technology for the advanced utilization of organic waste in Estonia and Asia.
The biggest opportunities for MBM technology used in Estonia and Asia include:
1) Securing food safety by sustainable cultivation of healthier, pesticide-free crops.
2) Counteracting the widespread use of scarce resources in Estonia and Asia by the use of organic wastes MBM (MBM technology).
3) High production or transportation expenses lead to increased prices, which disproportionally affect the most vulnerable populations; local organic fertilizers from organic waste with MBM technology can potentially reduce production costs.
4) Fragile food products are not always suited for storage and transportation. Using MBM technology would increase production of more affordable and high-quality greenhouse vegetables throughout the world, leading to increased self-sufficiency.
5) MBM technology can overcome existing technologies which negatively impact the quality of products by using chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
Expected project results:
1) Novel products (greenhouse substrates) from MBM which will increase growth, yield, and nutrient content of vegetables and decrease the cost of production.
2) More sustainable use of agricultural resources, decreased incidences of plant disease or pests, and increased quality of crops, which would lead to improved storability of produce.
3) Reduced use of chemical fertilizers and plant protection products due to use of MBM in crop production.
4) Support for organic agriculture in developing sustainable agricultural production for the future and reducing food waste.