Sustainable fertilizer

It will replace use of chemical fertilizers through the reuse of sludge, which will be transformed into agricultural fertilizer to be applied to crops preventing sludge from becoming environmental liabilities

The use of sludge from dairy treatment plants, for the most part, is not exploited and becomes environmental liabilities causing great pollution to water sources and soil, in addition to generating bad odors if there is no previous treatment. The reuse of this product is proposed to solve environmental problems and replace chemical fertilizers used in agriculture.  The transformation of the sludge will become an organic fertilizer known as biol, this process starts from the fermentation of organic residues, which during its application to crops will provide nutrients to plants and improve the fertility of soils so that alternatives are sought that increase agricultural production through different forms of agro-sustainable management. The processing of biofertilizer from sludge from a dairy industry does not require as much economic resources or energy. The container where the biol will be obtained, is known as biodigester, this must be hermetic and plastic, wood, cement to avoid temperature alterations. Within the biodigester, a controlled environment is provided where anaerobic processes occur thanks to the influence of microorganisms that break down organic matter

Wastewater from industry has become a real problem for ecosystems because it represents a very different composition from household flows characterized by more complex biodegradability. And sometimes they are discharged into aquatic bodies without prior treatment. As a result, the channels have become true sewage sinks, thus critical contamination of the flows that alter their physicochemical conditions deteriorate the metabolism between species and cause a water deficit in the ecosystem and the populations

The dairy industry consumes large quantities of water for the production of milk and milk products, and the ratio of wastewater per liter of processed milk is estimated at 5-10 liters. However, it must be taken into account that there is an extra expense of the resource outside the productive process and corresponds to preserving the conditions of asepsis of the place and the workers.

The development of an organic liquid sludge-based fertilizer from a dairy industry will serve as a source of motivation for farmers to replace chemical fertilizers and make way for sustainable and organic agriculture.

Currently, the use of chemical fertilizers, lack of support, high costs of inputs and services, climate and pest losses, lack of training, the loss of soil fertility, and insufficient infrastructure for production is a major challenge for farmers.
Most farmers rely on nitrogenous fertilizers to increase yield, but the creation of a sludge-based biol will meet the same requirements because of the high amounts of nitrogen. 
The creation of biol is expected to ensure food security, in such a way that natural resources are preserved and protected by benefiting and encouraging the development of the agricultural sector together with the civic participation of the rural community and its producers in the parish of San José de Ayora in the canton of Cayambe.
During the pandemic, the agricultural sector did not paralyze its activities, but they were among the most neglected sectors, especially small producers and farmers. Through this project, training, advice, and, above all, the development of biol for the benefit of the rural community will be carried out so that this technology will enable them to improve their productivity in a sustainable manner, increase their profits to reinvest in their crops and improve the lives of farmers and their families.

Yes, I am currently investigating, together with a research group, the behavior of sludge from a dairy industry as a fertilizer in agricultural fields. This organic liquid fertilizer was applied in three plant species and its evolution and production will be determined.

Yes, if I have involved potential users in the design and development of my solution so that it is an articulate and transversal work that has a great positive impact on society

The development stage is in a pilot stage. The product is being applied on the grounds of the Ayora Parish. Currently, the area of application represents 10 m2 , where it was applied in three plant species. It is expected for these dates, the harvest of the products and compare their evolution with the different treatments that were applied: without any fertilizer, with liquid organic fertilizer and with chemical fertilizer. The products obtained will be delivered to about 20 to 25 older adults in the community of Ayora.

The use of sludge from a dairy industry (food industry) having a large amount of organic matter should not pass a pre-treatment to apply on agricultural land, unlike sludge from sewage treatment plants that contain high amounts of pollutants such as past metals or pathogens.

Analysis of sludge from a dairy industry was performed and large amounts of macronutrients such as nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, as well as micronutrients such as iron, zinc, molybdenum were found.

The sludge can be applied in two ways: the first will be through an anaerobic process, that is, the organic matter will be fermented within a fully hermetic biodigester or container or the second way through direct application in crops. Regardless of the form of application, the appropriate amount shall be determined according to the nutritional needs of the crops. This process is manual.

The fermentation system requires a container, preferably plastic, connected to hoses and valves for the exit of gases, in addition to being enriched with molasses, manure and ash in an approximate time of thirty to forty days, and then be applied according to the recommendations

The direct beneficiaries would be the residents of the rural community of Ayora, initially it is expected to benefit 150 families involving also the Group of Elderly of the parish of San José de Ayora, to the Parish Board. With the development of the project, it is planned to benefit all the population engaged in rural-related productive economic activities corresponding to 45 per cent of the population.

To make visible the recycling of products resulting from a treatment plant of a dairy industry through the use of biol (liquid fertilizer produced in the biodigester) to empower the farmer and producer in their agricultural fields, so that, they can fertilize their fields, saving costs of buying synthetic fertilizers, and giving an added value to their production by being an organic management. The use of biol will allow them to approach an agroecological practice of production, more sustainable and resilient. In this way, biodigesters and reuse of products, through the use of biol, will help to increase the independence of the producer from external inputs, adding value to its harvest and soil.

It is proposed to achieve them by making visible the increases in crop yields when using biol by carrying out Research and Development (R&D) in established crops and regions and Participatory Action of the community of Ayora. In addition, to provide the means and tools necessary to generate the small and medium farmer conditions of sustainability and empowerment to their self-management and independent development.

To determine the progress of the project, the sludge efficiency will be checked by applying biol to plant species by dosing the amount of application, that is, the production volume per unit of work broken down by size and type of farm (agricultural/livestock/forestry) shall be determined and the behavior of plants with residual sludge fertilizer observed.

In addition, this solution is based on the sustainable management of solid and liquid waste, giving added value to what is often discarded, however, we also approach it as a precursor for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda.

The SDGs that comply with this project are:
SDG 2: Zero Hunger
SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation
SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth
SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities
SDG 13: Climate action
SDG 15: Life of terrestrial ecosystems. 

Without withdrawing the credit to the other SDGs.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals most closely aligned to the solution is Goal 2: End Hunger, Achieve Food Security and Improve Nutrition and Promote Sustainable Agriculture, ensuring the sustainability of food production systems and implementing resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, contribute to the maintenance of ecosystems, strengthen resilience to climate change, extreme weather events, droughts, floods, and other disasters, and progressively improve the quality of land and soil.

The biodigester can be affected by solar radiation, therefore, it is necessary to build zinc covers. In addition, in cold climates, the biodigester may operate and require longer than normal weather conditions, it is, therefore, necessary to consider the construction of greenhouses or as an alternative the biodigester can be covered with a tarpaulin of resistant material containing the elongated expansion of the biodigester dome, protect them from solar radiation and eliminate the need to make a cover.

A challenge is to consolidate and work in cold weather conditions, such as those found in dairy regions. For small producers, biodigesters have usually been linked to cooperation projects or developed where they have been heavily subsidized, sometimes 100%. This financing usually involves a high risk of abandonment of biodigesters, which is only avoided if a good selection of beneficiaries has been made prior to installation and with a strong post-installation monitoring activity. Because of this situation, it is essential that, in order to reach small producers, a subsidy be available for the installation.

Currently, in our team, we are about to deliver the final product at the end of January this year. Our team is committed to finding solutions or alternatives for sustainable management and recovery of solid or liquid waste from food production processes because its composition represents a viable alternative to contribute to the improvement of agroecology, promoting the use of organic products and promoting the care and rational use of existing natural resources, It is also proposed that communities have access to safe, healthy and ecologically sustainable production.

We have been in contact with the dairy companies, and we believe it is necessary to generate technologies that allow the return of waste to the production chain, that is, the proper treatment of wastewater and its by-product (sludge or biosolids), and which can become, from an environmental and economic point of view, one of the fundamental strategies for promoting sustainable waste management and responsible consumption patterns.
With our team’s involvement with farmers, we’ve realized that the farming community wants to make a transition to chemical-free agriculture, and they’re receiving this new fertilizer with very good intentions,  similarly, people in the rural community told us that they want to improve soil characteristics by using a chemical-free product, benefiting the health of their population, through the responsible and sustainable consumption of organic products, They are also keen for academia and research to become more involved in cost-effective and sustainable alternatives for farmers through the fertilization of their crops.

This solution currently has three groups of partners for the development and piloting of the application of residual sludge based biol:

• GIERENA - Research group belonging to the line "Ecology, Natural Resources and Environmental Management" of the Salesian Polytechnic University, are generating information on the analysis of parameters and data.

• Farmers of the parish "Ayora", who will be involved during the development and control of crops.

•  Station of Research and Innovation of Life Sciences and Sustainable Development located in the Canton Cayambe Province of Pichincha, space where research is carried out to strengthen the agricultural, livestock and agro-industrial systems of the surrounding communities.

For 2 years, we have focused on finding different alternatives to properly manage and manage solid and liquid waste, as inadequate management represents a major environmental and social problem. 
Our team has worked hard to find viable and environmentally friendly alternatives to prevent and measure the impact of climate change on ecosystems and agriculture. We have now focused on agricultural fields, peasants, and farmers to provide them with tools to address climate change in agriculture through science. 
Many of the waste is not being properly managed and we believe that it is necessary to make a transformation for these environmental problems, We hope that there will be an involvement of science and innovation to help communities through projects and the creation of different alternatives.  Smart farming practices need to be taught to make production more prosperous and sustainable. We would like these practices to be implemented in agriculture to benefit entire families and, above all, women in agriculture. Rural women contribute significantly in their homes, communities, and in the food sovereignty of the country, in addition to working with them will highlight the productive and social role of women in food systems.  In Ecuador, peasant family farming, led by rural women, guarantees more than 60 percent of food production, through productive diversification and crop rotation. 

It is essential to transform the reality of women because it is the smartest position to transform the reality of all people. The aim is for rural women to be autonomous and to be part of the decision-making spaces on production and how to produce, with better quality.
Working on the development of new technologies and techniques to increase agricultural productivity is essential for food and nutrition security, In addition to investing in collective capacities for self-organization in rural areas without the State determining partnerships, this is an option for rural development. 
We also seek to establish future growth or agricultural development scenarios to determine the evolution and behavior of fertilizers over time.
The use of the prize will be used only for the development of this solution such as the purchase of inputs (220L polyethylene tank, hoses, valves, tubes, and/or), labor, technical assistance, services, maintenance, training, transportation, field trips.