Magazine - Free trial of organic soil conditioner

By Dave Saltman in General News on 20th Jul 2004 14:00

Free trial of organic soil conditioner

By Dave Saltman

A new company to the UK are offering a free 4.5kg tub of organic soil conditioner to twenty clubs who would like to trial their product and provide feedback as to the results achieved.

For more information please read below and for the opportunity to receive enough product to cover 50 square metres, please contact the e-mail address at the bottom of the article.

ECOLAND GUANO is a naturally occurring product, animal droppings that have been broken down through microbial activity to produce a stable soil conditioner, that is completely odourless and as such suits both indoor and outdoor applications with excellent landscaping results. GUANO is a natural soil conditioner or soil additive. Soil that is deficient in organic matter can be made much more productive by the addition of guano in that it contains the three main plant nutrients, the secondary plant nutrients and trace elements that are involved in plant nutrition.

The advantage of GUANO is that it is completely natural and no manufactured chemicals are added. This is particularly useful as it has the same characteristics as many chemical fertilisers and is therefore an alternative. It is also useful in a world that is becoming increasingly sensitive to environmental issues. The product has an added benefit in that it very economical in terms of quantities applied, frequency of application and price.

Tests performed on the product by a large Chemical company and Agricultural College in Portugal showed that the guano performed as well as the chemical fertiliser.

The tests were performed by adding varying quantities of both guano and chemical fertiliser to sand in containers and then growing tetraploidal rye-grass over a three month period. The grass was cut, dehydrated and then weighed to give an indication of growth over the period. The full test report and methodology is available for interested parties.

The guano is dark brown in colour, has the texture of fine sand. Once collected the Guano is screened to remove stones and other materials. It is then bagged and exported.

In terms of health and safety it does not have any special handling requirement and it has been imported into the UK, meeting all DEFRA requirements.

GUANO originates from Central Africa, and there are significant quantities available for export ensuring continuity of supply from a single source. The reserves are backed up by a geological survey.

At present the product is available in 1Kg-4.5Kg for household use and is available in 25 Kg bags, one ton pallets for larger applications and container loads for importers.

Guano supplies fast and slow release nutrients to the soil. The guano should be applied in smaller amounts than traditional manures and when applied as a top dressing or blended with topsoil the Guano will have a significant effect on plant development. When applied directly use 1Kg per 10 sq.metres.

GUANO is not restricted in its use and is a multipurpose product with various uses from flowers to vegetables to fruit trees and lawns and could be used as an additive to an existing product, say compost or top dressing.

The composition of ECOLAND GUANO is B07490 - Sociaf.Lda

Item	Result
Organic Matter %	5.5
Ph	6.9
Dry Matter %	90
Ash %	81.3
Sulphur Total %	5.87
Boron Total mg/kg	27.8
Zinc Total mg/kg	2312
Iron Total %	0.94
Phosphorus Total %	8.26
Nitrogen Total %	2.45
Calcium Total %	11.88
Copper Total mg/kg	606
Manganese Total mg/kg	1382
Potassium Total %	1.21
Magnesium Total %	4.46

(Results per UK testing house)

The Guano is an organic product so there will be a small fluctuation in these values but the results are generally fairly consistent. To support the benefits from using ECOLAND GUANO Sociaf Ltd will deliver to the first 20 interested parties a sample 4.5KG container of ECOLAND GUANO and we look forward to any comments you may have on its performance.

Sociaf Ltd import and own the source of the Guano so are in a position to supply and deliver Guano on a continuous basis. We do not trade in guano and are committed to delivering a quality, Eco-friendly product.

Any inquiries can be directed to : David Wallace via E-Mail davidwallace@telkomsa.net

Read more articles in General News, by Dave Saltman or from July 2004.