As by-product from the mechanical pressing of the Jatropha oil, KIMMINIC produces organic fertilizer from the Jatropha seed cake which has a nitogen-phospherous- potassium (N-P-K) content analysis of 4-2-1 or higher and, therefore, a fertilizer value second only to chicken manure. The detailed chemical composition of the organic matter is:
- Organic Carbon (55.2%)
- N (4.1%)
- C/N (13.3%)
- P (2%)
- K (1.2%)
- Ca (0.3%)
- Mg (0.4%)
- Na (0.1%)
Our planned capacity be 65,000 tonnes of fertilizer in the first year of full operation, growing steadily over the next four years to more than 300,000 tonnes of organic fertilizer.
Some of the produced organic fertilizer is used back on the Kimminic Jatropha plantations. The remainder is sold to various fertilizer distributors in Africa, Europe, Asia and North America for useage on various tropical and non-tropical agricultural products.
Applications and benefits
Applications for the Jatropha organic fertilizer include:
- Pineapple plantations
- Cocoa plantations
- Palm Nuts
- Fruits
Benefits of Jatropha seed cake as organic fertilizer include increased soil organic matter content and improved water-holding capacity of the soil. It improves the physical structure of the soil thus allowing more air to get to the plant roots. Beneficial bacterial and fungal activity increases in the soil; mycorrhizal fungi which make other nutrients more available to plants thrive in soil where the organic matter content is high.
This fertilizer leaches from the soil very slowly thereby making it less likely to contribute to water pollution than synthetic fertilizers; this slow release factor means that the supply of nutrients to plant roots is also more sustained.
