Local Fertiliser to Revolutionise the Farming Industry In Samoa
Alocally made liquid organic fertiliser that is being produced through the process of a digester could revolutionise the farming industry in Samoa.
For the past three years, Brenton Ellis of Bdehl Samoa has been developing this organic fertiliser that turns invasive plant species and produce waste into liquid fertiliser with the added advantage of also producing compost and bio gas.
The multiple benefits of the digestive process may hold the key to solving many of the problems faced by growers here on the island.
The digester is not a new invention but Mr Ellis, who is an electrical engineer by trade from Australia, has adapted a design that suits the conditions of Samoa. Their test system is located in Matautu Lefaga and does not require any machinery parts.
“I’m an electrical engineer by trade in Australia, it had to be something that’s not too technical here otherwise it will not last which I had seen happen to a few projects out here so we needed something that was simple, it’s concrete, we can make it ourselves here and there’s no maintenance except just feeding it so it was a simple process that fits into the farming lifestyle.”
The process of producing the liquid fertiliser requires feeding the plant every day with plant waste. “The resources are there. We are currently using what people class as your invasive species which is your grass and your vines. We’re using that as our mix to get our fertiliser,” he said.
“Invasive plant species are fast growing species because it sucks all the nutrients out of the soil which causes our plants to struggling and people are putting chemicals into their plants and getting it to grow but the grass and weeds and vines are taking all these nutrients.
“So all we are doing is taking all these invasive weeds and chucking them into a system that is taking out all the nutrients back out of it and putting it back into the soil through the fertiliser.” During the early development stages, Mr. Ellis sent samples of the fertiliser to SROS and a testing lab overseas and found that his product was of a very high quality, which led to the revelation that the secret to such a rich fertiliser is attributed to Samoa’s own home grown soil.
The process of producing the liquid fertiliser requires feeding the plant every day with plant waste.