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Manual
Introduction
has become a global environmental problem. Chemical fertilizers leach easily from the
soil, evading their purpose as nutrients for the plants and finding their way to polluting
lakes, rivers, and groundwater supplies. The dependence on these for the fertility of
the soil has the opposite effect. Soils become nutritionally depleted year after year as
chemical nutrients are applied and leached back out subsequently. Organic fertilizers
aim to replenish the soil as nature would do, through the building of a nutritional
support system. That is, nutrients are held in the soil by decomposed organic matter
called humus. The use of chemical pesticides has had comparably devastating
such chemicals are often only discovered once the destruction has been too great.
Organic pesticides use compounds found in nature as a plant`s own defense against
pests. It is ideal for a large scale organic food producer to both be able to provide for
the nutritional needs of the plants and to be able to protect the plants against pests in
Reaching 50% food self sufficiency here at Jama- Coaque is an important goal
use of organic liquid fertilizer could greatly improve the health of plants and their yield
within the production areas. The introduction of this method of fertilization has big
We strive to be an example for the community of Camarones and for all of greater
developing, mainly in South American countries, which utilizes the natural process of
to benefit the growth of plants. The term biol generally refers to a fermented liquid
foliar fertilizer consisting mainly of manure and water as base ingredients. There is a
great variability of recipes for making biol fertilizers. This is because each recipe utilizes
materials which are readily available for a low cost. Thus biol fertilizer is a practical and
organic materials, producing a nutrient rich source of humus and living culture to
and fruit growth, and overall plant development. Applied in small amounts, Biol
promotes the lives of microorganisms which improve soil structure when applied in the
ground and reduce fungal and bacterial infections when applied to leaves. Users of biol
fertilizers
report
a
noticeable
greening
in
the
leaves
of
treated
plants
and
an
increase
in
harvest
quantity
and
quality.
The
overall
health
of
the
plant
is
improved.
Biol
liquid
fertilizer can also be applied as a treatment for plants damaged by frost or hail, which I
Materials
anaerobic. This means that it must take place without oxygen. Other biol recipes have
used aerobic processes, however both methods are acclaimed by their users for the
vicinities, we were forced to be a little bit creative and think back to medieval
methods. There is a great advantage to our design, and that is its adaptability. The
pressed closed between planks of wood. The tightness of the seal is ensured through
the use of threaded poles flanking the barrel and passing through the wooden planks.
These poles are secured and tightened by nuts on the outside of the sandwiched wood
(refer to diagram, Figure 1.). Our model has been constructed to fit a smaller 5 gallon
equally important that gas is allowed to escape the fermentor. Any fermentation
these
gasses
are
not
allowed
to
escape,
your
fermentor
will
become
bloated,
and
may
explode.
Maintanance
of
anaerobic
integrity
while
allowing
gas
release
is
achieved
through a water air-lock. This involves a hose entering the fermentor through holes in
both the rubber sheet and wooden covering. It is important that the connection of the
hose through the rubber is airtight around the hose. We have done this by inserting a
threaded joint through the rubber and tightening connector pieces on either side. The
protruding end of the hose must be submerged in water, which can be done very
simply by inserting it into any bottle filled with water which is then secured to the rest
of the fermentor system. Thus, because the only opening to the fermentor (the hose
end) is secured under water, gas may be released as bubbles through this opening, but
Ingredients:
materials, recipes can often be vague and contrasting. Generally, a Biol liquid fertilizer
is made from the fermentation of equal parts of manure and water. Other ingredients
are typically added to increase the nutrient content of the fertilizer and to promote
beneficial microbial growth. For example, molasses and other forms of sugar provide
carbohydrates upon which microbes can feed and ferment; Milk, whey, or soymilk is
often added as a source of proteins and amino acids; Yeast, yogurt, or corn chichi
are irritants to other organisms and serve to protect plants from fungal, microbial,
insect,
and
other
pest
attacks.
For
example,
hot
peppers
contain
the
organic
compound
capsaicin,
which
is
an
irritant
to
mammals,
a
deterrent
to
the
growth
of
some fungal infections, and has been found to be fatal to some insects, including
weevils. Adding hot peppers to the fermented Biol can allow your fertilizer to double
as a pesticide.
The following table provides the basic recipe which was followed by us at Jama-
noted that the process is not exact, and the recipe need not be followed too precisely
if some ingredients become difficult to come by. For the use of staff and interns at
there is included the typical pricing of items. The annotated ingredients section
includes the locations near the reserve which ingredients may be obtained, as well as
Approximate
200 L Gallon
Cow Manure 50 L 5 L $ 0
Whey 2 L 0.2 L $ 0
Annotated Ingredients
Manure:
Cow manure can be picked up from any cow pasture in or near Camarones with
permission from the owner. We have picked our manure from the Vaca familys
pasture. It is important that the cow manure is fresh, preferably dropped from the cow
during the same day that you begin the fermentation. When the droppings dry out,
much of their beneficial microbial life is lost. Dried manure will also be much less
Milk/Whey:
Milk and whey are interchangeable ingredients. Some sources have indicated that
whey is better for making biol, however others have indicated just the opposite. Whey
can be obtained for free from the Lalo Loor farm a few miles down the main road,
have so far decided to use whey. It is possible that in the future, employees/interns at
hinder their growth, in order to slow the spoilage of foods. This heat also tends to
results in shorter peptides and free amino acids. Milk or whey serves our biol as a
source of amino acids for the growth of our microbes. Whether the amino acids are
free, bound into short peptides, or longer full proteins should not particularly matter
for this purpose. Whey itself, as the byproduct of making cheese from milk, is
harmful and non-beneficial bacteria and other microorganisms which would otherwise
thrive in the cheese as a vector for growth, spoiling the final product. Thus, the use of
fresh milk, pasteurized milk, or whey may be something to experiment with in the
future, although we have been told by others that whey or fresh milk are best. One
last thing to consider is the lack of refrigeration at the reserve. Milk or whey should be
gotten near the same day as the start of the fermentation, so as to avoid spoiling.
Molasses:
sold here as a feed supplement for livestock, and is not typically sold in grocery stores
for human consumption. Agripac sells molasses in bulk quantities, by the 20 L barrel.
Yeast:
Yeast can be found in most grocery stores in Pedernales in large packets of the dry
active
form.
The
smaller
packets
should
be
avoided
because
they
involve
a
lot
more
plastic
waste.
Fresh
yeast
should
also
be
avoided,
because
it
is
usually
stored
in
a
refrigerator.
Wood Ash:
There is likely plenty of wood ash already at the reserve, near the pizza oven or
under the house. Ask the current reserve manager if it cannot be located.
Minerals:
Basalt rock powder and phosphoric rock dust are ingredients which were not used
for the first fermentation of biol at Jama-Coaque, but seemed to be relatively common
ingredients in the recipes from other sources. These minerals simply provide additional
sources of nutrients to the fermentation, and should be used if they can be found in
the vicinity. Basalt is rich in magnesium and calcium, and used in building blocks and
ground work. Its powder may be found at the site of any recent construction.
Phosphate rock, as its name indicates, provides phosphates for the Biol. It is used for a
variety of purposes, including its use as an animal feed supplement. You may look for it
at an animal feed supplier as well. Phosphate rock is also used in fungicides, and thus
may hold some potential as fungicide in the Biol either during the fermentation, or
Methods
Starting
the
Fermentation:
It is simple enough to begin the Biol fermentation once all ingredients have
been obtained. Simply mix everything together and seal it in the airtight container,
smaller 5 gallon water jug with a narrow mouth, we first mixed the ingredients in a
different container and then funneled the solution into the barrel. The fermentation
barrel should then be topped off with water, leaving approximately 20 cm of air space
between the liquid and the top of the barrel. Then, seal your container, and set up the
The wooden base should be set up so that the metal poles are in place
through the two holes on either side of one of the cross pieces. The nuts
should be in place on the underside of the wood, tightened just so that the
poles will hold well to the base. The barrel should be placed on the wooden
Push the grey threaded piece through the hole in the rubber sheet, and
tighten both white joints in either side. This may already be assembled, but
make sure that the connection is tight and will not allow air to pass
Place the rubber/hose connection in the opening of the barrel so that one
white joint is inside the barrel and the other is sticking out of the top.
Lower the top wooden piece over this with its hole coming over the
protruding white hose connection. The Wood should be lowered with the
metal poles coming through the two holes on either side of the center hole
for the hose. The nuts can then be tightened on the poles above the top
piece of wood. Make certain that the rubber is lying flat and smooth over
check that the barrel is centered. Unequal pressure on the top may cause
The hose piece can then be threaded into the white tube connector piece
protruding from the hole in the top wood. This hose may also already be
It is also very important to know that the seal is tight enough to restrict any
air flow. You can, and should, practice sealing the barrel before starting a
batch of biol. The seal of an empty barrel can be tested by bringing the
whole apparatus to the river or waterfall and submerging the seal under
water. You can blow air into the barrel through the tube. If air bubbles are
seen escaping from any part of the seal, then it is not air tight.
The open end of the hose must then be inserted into the water bottle, filled
approximately half way with water. The hose should be submerged in the
fermentor. Given that the fermentor is sealed correctly and all ingredients
are fresh, gas bubbles should be seen escaping through this hose end within
a few hours. Adding some vinegar to the water in the bottle can alleviate
any foul smells from the released gas and should stop things like algae or
The water air-lock should be seen bubbling away very steadily at first. As
the fermentation slows down, within a week, the bubbling may be less
often. This is nothing to worry about. The fermentation starts out quickly
and
slows
over
time.
The
time
needed
to
brew
a
batch
of
biol
varies
much
according
to
the
season,
temperature,
and
atmospheric
pressure.
It
cantake
a nice amber color and should smell fermented. That is, it should not be a
Application of Biol:
Once the biol is finished, the product must be strained and diluted. At Jama-
Coaque, there is a larger green barrel and smaller bottle, both with measurement
markings for this purpose. A piece of netting can be tied around the top of this green
barrel to serve as a filter. Standard dilutions for biol:water seem to range between,
1:10 and 1:20. That being said, there is a lot of room for experimentation regarding
biol concentrations. Keep in mind that the optimal concentration may vary between
seasons and plants. Consider higher applications for weakened or diseased plants.
Diluted biol can be applied directly to foliage using a sprayer, or it can be applied
directly to the soil beneath the plants. Of course, please feel free to investigate the
There is a guideline table below for the application schedule of different types of
Plant Application
Tomatoes weekly
every 10
every 12
Legumes days
from available biocidal plants to our biol fertilizer, allowing it to double as pest
repellent in our production zone. The following are plants to be considered for use in
the Biol liquid fertilizer as a means of pest repellent: pepper, ginger, garlic, neem,
nutmeg. Generally these components can be ground up into a paste and added to the
diluted Biol liquid. There has been speculation that Biol at high concentrations, so
before it is diluted, works well for repelling pests. The application of concentrated Biol
for the use of pest repelling is another thing which can be experimented with, along
with the methodology of adding these other ingredients for the same purpose.