Ecological sanitation system using human urine as a fertilizer to replenish nutrient-depleted agricultural soil
Ecological sanitation system using human urine as a fertilizer to replenish nutrient-depleted agricultural soil
This proposal involves an ecological sanitation system which uses urine as fertilizer and fecal matter as a fuel source, and proposes the design of a simple urine-separation toilet system that can be made by women for their households at minimal cost using recycled plastic containers.
In addition to soil replenishment this proposal also addresses the need for low-cost safe sanitation, and the protection of water supplies. Implementation of an eco sanitation system has the potential to improve health, nutrition, social and economic conditions, especially for women in impoverished communities.
Needs Assessment-
The majority of people in sub-Saharan African are depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. Africa cannot produce enough food to keep pace with its needs, and per capita food production is declining. Low soil fertility, including depleted nutrients, organic matter and poor water holding capacity are the major factors responsible for depressed yields on small-scale farms across Africa.
Severe soil depletion results in a vicious cycle of declining yields, deepening poverty, and increased degradation of the natural resource base that farmers depend upon. Subsistence farmers have little access to fertilizers, as soils decline and farm yields drop, impoverished farmers move on to clear forests and savannah, where the cycle begins again.
Fertilizers enhance crop growth and increases nutrition for those who depend on subsistence farming. Access to fertilizers which are free, plentiful, locally available, and easily applied are needed to create healthy, fertile soils that retain nutrients, water, essential microbes and other soil organisms that promote plant growth and are vital for sustained agricultural development. Farmers reliant on external inputs are in need of a commercial fertilizer replacement as oil prices escalate the price of oil-based fertilizers rise. A more sustainable source of fertilizer is necessary as peak oil forces an end to the affordability of these commercial fertilizers. The salts in chemical fertilizers have added to the depletion of natural micro flora, and have increased water use.
Sanitation- Sanitation can improve social and economic conditions especially for impoverished communities. In sub-Saharan Africa, a baby's chance of dying from diarrhea is almost 520 times that of a baby born in Europe or the United States. Poor sanitation and hygiene and unsafe water claim the lives of an estimated over 1.5 million children under the age of five every year. World Health Organization statistics indicating that in 38 of the 46 African countries more children under the age of five die from diarrhea than HIV/AIDS. Other indicators of health risks associated with poor sanitation are the frequency of related parasites that have human fecal origin - about 1 billion people are infected with roundworm and 700 million with hookworm. Conventional pit latrines contribute to groundwater pollution and can be health and environmental hazards and face a variety of problems like pit collapsing and flooding. Also the need for digging of new pits once the old one is filled is considered a drawback of this conventional technique.
Urine as a fertilizer- Urine is a locally produced resource that is free. As a fertilizer it is effective, is a high quality fertilizer, urine is sterile and requires no processing other than dilution, is readily available, can be used immediately or stored, rapid acting, and is easily applied. Urine provides a constant supply of fertilizer, instead of the annual or semi-annual composting systems that require physical labor to aerate and require management.
As a fertilizer, urine is rich in nitrogen and also contains substantial amounts of phosphorus and potassium. A family of four produces enough urine to fertilize 1/3 of an acre at a rate compared to the application of 100kg per hectare in developed countries -note that Africa currently has the lowest fertilizer use in the world at 8.5kg per hectare. The use of urine as fertilizer has been studied by Arba Minch University in Ethopia and the Sodo Agricultural Department investigated the use of human urine as fertilizer for different crops. Their research indicates equal or higher yields of maize and wheat when fertilized with urine when compared with the applications of chemical fertilizer.
Advantages of dry toilet systems In a dry/ urine diversion toilet system, urine is separated from feces which reduces the amount of fecal material to be handled and lowers the risk for disease transmission and reduces odors and flies. Fecal matter is collected separately in an above-ground closed compartment that prevents leakage into the groundwater and the surrounding environment.
Proposed Urine Separation Toilet design-I am proposing a simple, low cost alternative to the existing urine-separation dry toilet designs. The majority of designs whether pedestal or squat style, currently utilized incorporate a platform and require skill, purchased materials, and substantial labor. The pedestal toilet design incorporates a flap in the front of the toilet to collect urine, where a squat toilet design uses separate holes in a platform for urine and feces. My proposal is to design a dry toilet that can be constructed quickly and easily by women with little skill using readily available recycled materials and tools.
I am attempting to upload pictures of designs.
Abena Asare said 6 months ago
Cannot wait to see the pictures!
This is a fascinating idea and proposal.
Have you done any research about the social acceptability/feasibility of urine as a fertilizer in different locales? where would you begin with dissemination, education, and training after designing the dry toilet?
SydneyWood said 6 months ago
Looking forward to the photos of your design! Excellent idea... Eagerly awaiting the specifications.
GailSwithenbank said 6 months ago
Hi Abena,
Thank you so much for your comments.
I have posted a youtube video of the design at- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSXvY_NWvso
Research by Arba Minch University in Ethopia with farmers in the Sodo Agricultural Department indicated that the farmers had no issues with adoption of using urine as a fertilizer once they saw the benefits in terms of yeild. I do need to do some research on the cultural acceptability or possible taboos of using urine, and of collection methods in different areas. I plan to be in Malawi, Zimbabwe and South Africa for a tour of local farms and education programs in November as part of the Permaculture Convergence in Malawi, this will be an excellent time to do this kind of research as well as an opportunity to look at availability of recycled materials. I am hoping to do some experimentation and training as we travel to develop the process as well as to research some other ideas.
GailSwithenbank said 6 months ago
Hi Alan,
According to Dr. Peter Morgan- "Urine contains a lot of nitrogen and also phosphorus and potassium in smaller quantities, nutrients which are very valuable to plant growth. The nitrogen found in abundance in urine is good for plant growth because it helps to build protoplasm, protein and other components of plant growth. It certainly promotes leafy growth. Leaves become more numerous, go greener and larger and more fleshy with urine application. Phosphorus is important in the root formation, ripening of fruits and germination of seeds, although the percentage of phosphorus compared to nitrogen in urine is low. Potassium is also essential for promoting good fruit (and flower) development. Plants differ in their requirements, but overall plants fed with some urine grow better than plants which never come into contact with urine. Urine is particularly valuable for grasses like maize and leafy green vegetables, and onions, which respond to the high nitrogen content of urine.
When applied to the soil the urea (a small organic molecule) in urine changes into ammonia ions which can be transformed into ammonia gas, which can evaporate and be lost or, in the soil, can be converted by autotrophic bacteria (Nitrosomonas) into nitrite ions and then Nitrobacter into nitrate ions which can be taken up by the plant. The conversion is thus dependent on these bacteria being in the soil. The process takes place in less than two weeks and often within a few days. It is the nitrogen in the nitrate and the ammonia ions which are available to plants, thus the urea in urine must be transformed before it becomes useful as a “plant food.” The nitrite ions, present during the conversion, can be toxic to plants, but the period is brief and normally there is little effect on plant growth.
According to Wolgast (1993) one litre of urine contains 11gms nitrogen, 0.8 gms. phosphorus and 2 gms. potassium. That is a ratio of NPK of about 11:1:2. If 500 litres of urine are produced by each person per year, that amounts to the equivalent of 5.6 kg nitrogen, 0.4 kg phosphorus and 1.0 kg potassium.
Dr. Peter Morgan has been working with humanure in Zimbabwe for a number of years
link to his article on urine in agriculture-http://www.ecosanres.org/pdf_files/PM_Report/Chapter_10_The_usefulness_of_urine_a.pdf
GailSwithenbank said 6 months ago
This response came thu on my e-mail
Hi Gail thanks so much for sharing. I read your proposal and just brought a few questions to mind. Are folks already using human urine as a fertilizer? What happens to the feces? I know in theory that when an human is healthy their urine is sterile, but I also know (from my father, a urologist) that if folks aren't healthy, their urine in turn, may or may not be sterile. How to do folks work around those sorts of issues?
Very interesting idea though. I'd love to see some of your designs.
GailSwithenbank said 6 months ago
According to the Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease “Several types of bacteria may cause urinary tract infections. The environmental transmission of these are normally of low importance. E. coli is the most common cause of urinary tract infections, where certain clones may also be associated with gastrointestinal infections. The pathogens traditionally known to be excreted in urine are Leptospira interrogans, Salmonella typhi, Salmonella paratyphi and Schistosoma haematobium (Feachem et al., 1983). There is a range of other pathogens that have been detected in urine but their presence may not
be considered significant for the risk of environmental transmission of disease.
For the urine, mainly temperature and a elevated pH in combination with ammonia have been concluded to affect the inactivation of microorganisms. So far, storage at ambient temperature is the only method practiced to sanitize urine. Increased temperature or pH of the collected urine would further speed up the inactivation of potential pathogens. Recommended storage time at temperatures of 4-20°C varies between one and six months for large-scale systems depending on the type of crop to be fertilized. For single households, urine could be applied to any crop without storage as long as one month passes between fertilization and harvest if fecal cross-contamination is avoided. Dilution of the urine should be avoided.
Guidelines on the Safe Use of Urine and Feces in Ecological Sanitation Systems by Caroline Schönning and Thor Axel Stenström from the Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control (SMI
http://www.ecosanres.org/pdf_files/ESR_Publications_2004/ESR1web.pdf
GailSwithenbank said 6 months ago
Shelton’s question addressed the use of feces. The use of fecal matter as a soil additive is complicated when humanure is from a highly pathogenic population. A thermophilic composting technique must be used where the temperature rise in the compost is sufficient to kill pathogens and feces must be composted and then aged requiring a one to two years cycle. Because of this issue I propose the use of dried feces as a fuel source. Desiccation happens naturally in hot dry climates if the feces are first covered with wood ash after deposit, and then exposed to the air and sun. Addition of ash facilitates
pathogen inactivation and decrease the risk for disease transmission during handling and reuse
of the material. Desiccation of the material and low moisture contents aid to pathogen inactivation. Esrey et al. (1998) suggested that there is rapid pathogen destruction at moisture levels below 25%, and that this level should be aimed for in ecological sanitation toilets that are based on dehydration. Low moisture content is also beneficial in order to reduce smell and fly breeding.
The ash created by the burning of feces provides a fertilizer with phosphorous and potassium.
The heat content of human waste when totally dry, is about 4000-7000 Btu/lb, which is equivalent in heat to lignite coal--also, appropriately, called brown coal.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2240/can-animal-including-human...
GailSwithenbank said 6 months ago
Comment from Maggie Sharzan-
Great proposal. I love the simplicity of the design, and the fact that it could be constructed by any skill level. I can imagine school children in Africa making the system as a school project and then using the urine on their school garden or for use by a local farmer. It makes so much sense, I wonder why I haven't heard much about using urine as fertilizer through the Permaculture Community since there is so much emphasisis on soil regeneration. Your presence at the Permaculture Convergence should help to educate that community, they sponsor local farmers to attend from all over Africa, as well as the participants from other countries around the world, you could make a great impact!
Hi Maggie,
Great to hear from another Permaculture enthusiast! I wondered about the lack of information about urine as fertilizer from the Permaculture community as well. I studied with Bill Mollison and Geoff Lawton, and have spent time at both of their farms in Australia and neither separate urine. Geoff has a humanure system, which involves composting in a dual chamber, then transfers the compost to a vermacomposting system to be further processed. Both Geoff and Bill also rely heavily on green manure, and nitrogen fixing trees and plants, and fertilizer from their cows and horses as well as chicken and pig tractors to manure the soil and scratch/dig it up.
Bill Mollison was very actively teaching Permaculture in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa starting in 1987, and left many students and demonstration sites to continue teaching his regenerative techniques. It is very possible that the idea of using urine as a fertilizer could be spread throught Africa by the Permaculture community through this Convergence, it is the first time the Permaculture community has met in Africa. I am hoping to have the funds to arrive early and to set up a demonstration model so the participants can experience the toilets during the Convergence and the tour of Permaculture sites across Milawi, Zimbabwe and South Africa will be a great chance to further the designs, and to test them in a real-life situation.
Dr. Peter Morgan is in Zimbabwe, he is the leading expert on humanure - perhaps a short sidetrip while in Zimbabwe.
AlanRye said 6 months ago
Your responses to everyone's questions demonstrate the validity and viability of this proposal. Urine is clearly a useful fertilizer for many of the subsistence crops grown in Africa. It is meeting three significant needs: provision of a fertilizer; disposal of human waste; and the rectification of degraded soils. Your responses also indicate your extensive knowledge and research on the subject of ecological sanitation systems where urine is used as a fertilizer.
AlanRye said 6 months ago
Your responses to everyone's questions demonstrate the validity and viability of this proposal. Urine is clearly a useful fertilizer for many of the subsistence crops grown in Africa. It is meeting three significant needs: provision of a fertilizer; disposal of human waste; and the rectification of degraded soils. Your responses also indicate your extensive knowledge and research on the subject of ecological sanitation systems where urine is used as a fertilizer.
GailSwithenbank said 6 months ago
This came thru on my e-mail
Hi Gail,
Congrats on your EcoSan initiative. I, like everyone, am very interested in seeing your simple design. I have also applied some very simple designs here in Ecuador. One revolucionary and simplifying tidbit: empty rice sacks are sufficient to contain the feces, with plenty of dry leaves in the bottom before use and a cup of ashes/soil/sawdust ontop of each deposit.
Esp since you are looking at very dry places, I highly recommend adapting Peter Morgan's ArborLoo, in which the feces go into shallow holes in the ground, where a tree is later planted. No contact with the feces ever (until they are converted to delicious fruit on the tree). If people don't have unlimited places to dig, short-lived trees or plants may be planted (such as papaya, banana or squash). Definately try to visitt Peter Morgan, but I do agree that given the huge need, we can apply simpler, faster and more economical options. It seems a waste to burn the feces, although firewood may be really lacking ...but will people want to cook on dried feces? Also, it seems it may be hard to burn them with all the ashes or soil mixed in. One solution (if you really do want to burn them) is to sift them, burn the "petrified logs", and use the powder fraction to cover new deposits of feces. In such a dry, tropical climate, in less than a year (likely 6 months) there will be no smell and no disease risk. In any case, people should wash their hands after using the toilet. Another key technique is the Portable Ecological Urinal, made with two one-gallon plastic bottles, connected mouth to mouth (firmly, with tape and wire), the top one cut off diagonally (in the same way I make urine diverters for sitting). These can also be used in dry toilets and, after more water is added, carried to the farm where the diluted urine is> dispersed on the soil.
Please see my blog, http://inodoroseco.blogspot.com/, even if you cannot read Spanish, as there are a lot of pictures.
I also highly recommend you to join the Ecosanres Yahoogroup (see> www.ecosanres.org), where you can exchange ideas with hundreds EcoSan> promoters throughout the world ... and search all of our postings. It would> be great for you to post your advances there.
Please let me know if I can be of any help.
Best wishes,
Chris Canaday
Puyo, Ecuador
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GailSwithenbank said 23 minutes ago
Hi Chris,
Thanks so much for your response.
I made a short video to help explain how the urinals could work in a school or public situation. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSXvY_NWvso . I am still working the design for the men's urinal which is dependant on available containers, and am also working on a urinal design for women's urinal that does not require the construction of an elevated platform. My end goal is to have a design that does not require any purchaed material, and to use things that are easily available locally. A goal is also to eliminate the raised platform of most compositng toilets, I worry that the extra time and expense in the added construction adds a barrier to adoption to the humanure systems.
For using feces as fuel, my thought is to have feces deposited into a box of ashes, with more ashes added on top after a deposit, and then to sift out the 'petrified logs' (good description) separated out when dry, almost like cleaning a cat box (US style). As you say, the ashes can be re-used for the next batch. Your point is well taken about cooking over dried feces, I think adoption might be dependent on the type of stove used. An internal combustion type stove might make the use of feces more palatable- I have seen some pretty simple ceramic/mud versions. I like your idea of the empty rice sack, it could accommodate drying quickly and eliminate the problems with contamination during handling, it sounds like this something you have used, as fertilizer or for other uses ?
Peter Morgan's ArborLoo is a good idea for dealing with the feces as fertilizer without worry about pathogen transmittal.
I have been surprised at the lack of information about urine as a fertilizer in the Permaculture community, and even in the Soil Food Web community. Yesterday I sat in on a lecture by a composting specialist, and was surprised at his lack of information on the subject.
Thank you for the suggestion to join the EcoSanRes community, I look forward to hearing what people are working on and participating. I enjoyed looking at your blog, unfortunately I don't read Spanish, but the pictures are very informative. I would love to hear more about your work in Ecuador, and how you became interested in EcoSanitation.
I look forward to hearing more. Thanks again for your questions and suggestions.
Gail
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GailSwithenbank said 17 minutes ago
This came thru on my e-mail
Hi Gail,
Thanks for your answers. Just to understand the overall panorama ... are you a Peace Corps Volunteer? Or are you doing this pro-bono, while continuing with your architecture business in NYC? (Beautiful green roofs, by the way!)
I will see your video soon from an internet cafe, as neither my computer nor my connection are up to it.
Male urinals are easy. I have been wanting to work out female urinals made from disposable bottles and for the squatting position. The challenge is not to need the platform. I look forward to seeing your designs.
Without the raised platforms for the toilets, you are clearly looking at ArborLoos. Have you read both of Peter's books that are downloadable from ecosanres.org? The "ring beam" seems very practical ... and nearly impossible without buying cement, etc. Or is it?
With respect to enclosed stoves, check out the "Justa" stove with a "rocket elbow" promoted by a foundation in colorado called something like "trees forests people". It has a scavenged sheet of stainless steel grill between the fire and the pot. A lower-tech option is the Lorena, with holes in the clay where the pots fit in.
Rice bags are great. We mix the finished contents into garden soil. We also pulverize it (running it through an open plastic mesh) to use as cover material.
This is a big gap in permaculture. Esp since recycling nutrients should be top priority.
I got involved because I am a conservationist. All conservation problems are caused by us not knowing how to meet our basic needs without wreaking havoc. EcoSan is a great way to put things back together with out crawling back into the cave. It is one of the easiest ways to reduce out ecological footprint, without needing great sacrifices. There are estimates that just EcoSan, applied on a big enough scale, could straighten out Global Climate Disruption.
I look forward to seeing more of your work.
Best wishes,
Chris
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GailSwithenbank said 12 minutes ago
No, not a Peace Corps worker. I am an architect who got disillusioned with the LEED rating system and its high tech systems, and headed to Australia to do a Permaculture Design Course with Bill Mollison and Geoff Lawton. I liked the regenerative possibilities and the low tech systems. I have always believed that the best design is the simplest, and and most functional. I started my career as a sculptor, so have skills with many materials, and have always built things and have been interested in how things work. Believing that one person can make a difference, I have been on a mission to figure out for myself what is happening with climate change, and which systems seem to have the most potential. I have come to the conclusion as you have, that farming is a big factor, and think that Africa has the potential to teach a much about future solutions, like Cuba did.
I feel like I have access to an audience that has the potential to make a difference. I am planning to attend the Permaculture Convergence in Malawi in November, and hope to be up to speed with the EcoSan theory and design ideas enough to get the Permaculture community on board with promoting EcoSan in Africa and in other countries that are represented at the convergence. There is quite a strong Permaculture community across Africa within the farming community, the Permaculture demonstration farms could be a great place to show local communities the advantages of urine as a fertilizer.
I am looking forward to hearing what you think.
Gail
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GailSwithenbank said 0 seconds from now
this came thru e-mail
Hi Gail
Very interesting and encouraging.
I also agree that LEED to way too high-tech. I have written to a number of those people suggesting inclusion of EcoSan toilets in building that are supposedly trying to really be green ... and the response is silence. What is needed is more demonstration in up-scale, urban situations, like NYC.
Pls tell me more about Soil Food Web.
I found your AfricanRuralDirect site, when searching the web for more info on productively giving our urine to farm animals as a nutritional supplement (see my recent posting on Ecosanres ... which no one has responded to). The Ecosanres yahoogroup has a great variety of members. Am not officially connected to the Peace Corps, but have given some training sessions and have helped a number of PCVs with construction of dry toilets. We did one last year adapting to the complicated flooding in a fishing village in the mangroves. Another is currently on track for in the Andes. Dont worry about knowing ALL the theory and background of EcoSan. No one knows, or can know, all that is going on. EcoSan is (or should be)creating the right circumstances and then trusting Nature to process things safely. Laboratory testing can confirm that the product are then safe, but we are not likely to know all that is going on, nor do we need to. We can also understand things on a broader level: disease organisms are adapted to live in our gut, in water and without oxygen; in a pile of ashes, they find themselves in totally hostile conditions that they cannot withstand very long. What we need are simpler, cheaper designs (for widespread third world applications) and more promotion and demonstration. Do I have any suggestions on how to involve the EcoSanRes community in this discussion or in a presentation to the Permaculture or to the Soil Food Web community? Post your designs and ideas on Ecosanres and ask for comments and suggestions. Also propose other ways members can participate. Congrats on deciding to make a difference.
Best wishes,
Chris
jrmcconville said 5 months ago
Hi Gail,
Glad to see that you have already posted this great idea. I am a former peace corp volunteer (Mali 2004-2006) and am currently working for the EcoSanRes group in Stockholm. We have been working extensively on the research behind the ecosan concept and in capacity building around it. In addition to the website and chat group that was refered to earlier (www.ecosanres.org) we have established three knowledge nodes in west, east and south Africa with local networks work on ecosan. In west Africa in particular, CREPA has lots of experience with working with farmers to promote the use of ecosan fertilizers. They are even going to scale in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso with the support of the municipality.
Feel free to contact me if you want more information:
Jennifer McConville
jennifer.mcconville@sei.se
GailSwithenbank said 5 months ago
Hi Chris,
Thanks for your comments. So you know by chance if there is an existing brochure in Spanish and English that explains the use of urine in agriculture for farmers - the best times to apply, dilution for specific crops, storage, applications methods etc? The adoption rate for use as fertilizer among farmers would be greater if it was well explained.
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GailSwithenbank said 1 minute ago
Recevied by e-mail
Hi Gail,
Yes, brochures and posters would be great, but there seems to be precious few out there. Sridevi finished her PhD. I think she would have great recommendations.
Properly applied, results are similar to chemical fertilizers, but as you say it would be good to look at the biological health of the soil. Also urine and dried feces for recovering damaged soils.
Chris Canaday
Puyo, Ecuador
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GailSwithenbank said 1 second ago
Hi Chris,
From our conversations, I am wondering if research and training related to agricultural could be a critical aspect of wide spread adoption of the EcoSan system. I think an easy to understand brochure is necessary which outlines storage, application techniques, dilution for individual crops etc. I looked up the PHD student you mentioned, Ms. Sridevi. I am not sure she is far along enough in her research to publish a manual for farmers, you might know better with your background, but I thought it was frowned upon by the University to publish a how-to on information and testing which as not been completed. I think we might have a long wait.
Most of the research I have found for urine in agricultural use is based plant growth, comparing the growth of plants with urine to plants grown with chemical fertilizers. The issue with this approach is that since we know chemical fertilizers made plants grow better initially, but killed off soil organisms, I am not sure this is the best comparison. I would think an interesting test would be at a microscopic level, where the bacteria, nematodes, fungi, and other organisms are monitored.
GailSwithenbank said 5 months ago
Hi Jennifer,
Thank you so much for your response to my post. It is great hear fom someone at EcoSan Research in Stockholm. I have a couple of questions.
I am preparing a presentation to promote the idea of Eco Sanitation at the International Permaculture Convergence which will take place in Malawi in November. I am focusing on the agricultural use of humanure, concentrating on urine only as a fertilizer, as I feel Africa has too high a pathogenic population to use fecal matter as fertilizer; urine is easier to manage and apply for small-scale and subsistence farmers. I have been searching for an illustrated brochure that would be suitable to hand out to subsistence farmers who do not read, to explain the application, dilution, and storage of urine for use in particular crops. I was wondering if EcoSanRes might have produced such a brochure, or know if one exists.
Do you know if any studies have been done at the microscopic level looking at how micro-organisms in the soil respond to the application of urine in terms of growth of bacteria, nematodes, fungi and other beneficial organisms for plant growth? The research I have found so far only compares the yields of crops comparing urine as a fertilizer to chemical fertilizers. I did find one study which looked at the response of earthworms to the application of urine, worms were used as they are considered a biological indicators. The problem with this study is that it considers the reaction of the worms to the urine, instead of looking to see if there was an increase of micro-organisms created by the urine that would in turn support an increase in the earthworm population.
I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Gail Swithenbank
GailSwithenbank said 5 months ago
Subject: SV: EcoSan on AfricanRuralConnect - agricultural use of urine
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 20:43:16 +0200
From: jennifer.mcConville@sei.se
To: gailswithenbank@hotmail.com
Hi Gail,
Here are the responses I have so far:
1) For the brochure some of our partners might be in the process of making them. I will try to track them down and get back to you before November.
2) For pathogens and diseases on plants. This can be terribly difficult and resource consuming, if you want to do it really scientifically. Reason is that many plants are healthier if they are well supplied with lacking nutrients. So if we only want to compare with unfertilized in a specific place - then it might be fairly easy, but if we want to see if there is any effect apart from nutrients, then it is a different question. In all studies that we somehow are involved in, in addition to yield, we should also encourage recording of diseases though.
3) As for microbial activity, I do not know of any studies. There are studies on effect of compost and on manure and also fertilizer. My very surface impression from the ones I have heard about is that some microbial activity increases, while other decreases. E.g. when ammonium fertilizer is applied, if I remember correctly the ammonium oxidizers are favoured, while the nitrogen fixing bacteria are inhibited. When lots of organic matter is applied the substarate induced respiration increases, if I remember correctly. But then if these changes are good or bad, there the researchers normally disagree. (Example: In some countries, use of chemicals that inhibit ammonum oxidation is allowed, as it decreases nitrate leaching from the ground. In Sweden it is not allowed - we do not want to inhibit such a large part of the soil ecosystem.).
4) One good thing is that if we take an anthropocentric approach, then the net effect of diseases and of microbes in the soil are shown by the yield! Especially in long term experiments.
Sounds like the soil research will be very site specific and hard to get generalizable results, hence why there is nothing substancial yet.
Too tired to look at the project tonight, but soon...
Cheers,
Jennifer
GailSwithenbank said 5 months ago
Hi Jennifer,
Thanks so much for your quick response.
When I began researching urine as a fertilizer replacement I was convinced that designing a low-cost urine diversion system was the key to adoption of the EcoSan concept. As my research progressed, and I talked to farmers here in Mexico, I realized that easy-to-understand information on how to store, dilute and apply the liquid urine fertilizer to their crops and reinforcement through pictures that they would achieve positive results was much more important than the collection device; they were willing to use almost any container for collection if they see it as a valuable product.
If a brochure has not already been produced by one of your partners, or even if it is in process, it might make sense to make the research, design and printing of a brochure the end result of the African Rural Connect project. If you can find out if a brochure in process, if so what is the status and can they use help, and if no-one is working on one, I will begin researching and collecting information while I have time before I head back to New York.
Gail
LannyPlans said 5 months ago
Hi Gail
I like the idea that people can safely generate plant nutrients. I think you have a practical concept.
LannyPlans
ifzama said 5 months ago
Hi Gail,
Fascinating idea. I have not read all the comments, but the question I have for you is:
How is the urine used as fertilizer?
Do you have to collect the urine can sprinkle it over the crops, or put in directly under the crop? Say you want to grow tomatoes, how exactly will the plant be fertilized?
How long can the urine stay in the collection cans before it can be used to fertilize?
I know that that there are lots of bars in Africa that have no unrinals, that proprietors will gladly have someone set up such a system. The question is, can you have say 50 gallon drums set aside somewhere where the urine can be collected in 20 gallon drums and poured into the 50 gallon drums until they are full, then you transport them to the farm?
Please explain exactly how this can be used. I am very interested in this idea.
Thanks
Isaac