Author: nusagri12

(Nusantara Agritech) was established on 1988, is one of the pioneers in exploitation and processing of Zeolite minerals in Indonesia for used in Agricultural and multi sectors.
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Effect of Zeolite in Fertilizer

Natural zeolites are known for their benefit on many aspects. They are used in many things include cosmetic, automotive, and agriculture. In agriculture, natural zeolites have been used as feed additive, water conditioner, soil conditioner, and even for growing medium for hydroponics. Farmers used zeolite for good reason. It could help their plants have more nutrients or bind heavy metals that cause bad effect on fish, or reducing ammonia production from animal feces.

Benefit of natural zeolite in agriculture have been mentioned in our article before. Please check our article about Uses of Zeolite in Agriculture, and check our full articles at Nusagri’s Blog. In this article, we will discuss about zeolite application in fertilizer for plants. The discussion included properties of zeolite and how zeolite affect the growth of plants.

Natural Zeolite came along with volcano eruption. Geochemists and mineralogists estimate that zeolites are the product of frozen volcanoes into volcanic rocks, sedimentary rocks and metamorphic rocks which subsequently undergo weathering due to the influence of heat and cold so that zeolite minerals eventually formed.

Zeolite properties have been discovered by studies. As result, studies found that zeolite contained up to 70% of high ration between silica and aluminum oxides. Study also found morphology of the porous structure on natural zeolites that able to absorb and desorb substances. Zeolite also have ability to selective adsorption of large cations. This is due to the proximity of the ions size that defined as strong Coloumb interaction with structure of zeolite. Their physicochemical properties essentially depend on the content of the
zeolitic phase in the rock, such as cations exchange form and nature of impurities. Natural zeolites are porous systems, the primary porosity of them is determined by the micropores of crystals, and the secondary one – by the transitional pores and macropores. Natural zeolites start to be applied on multi sectors of agriculture. One of them is become fertilizer mixer for plants growth.

Plants can growth because of soil as their growing medium that contain water and nutrients as growing needs. Those are required for photosynthesis reaction to produce energy. Photosynthesis create food for plants using water, carbon dioxides, sun light, and minerals. That make plants grow and produce resource for us. Soil is one of the most important environmental factors and is considered the main source in providing essential plant nutrients, water reserves and a medium for plant growth. Giving soil a fertilizer purposed to increase nutrients needed by plants like nitrogen, potassium, kalium, magnesium, calcium, and many more. With eligible nutrient, plants will produce higher quality and quantity of fruits and any parts that consumed by human. Each minerals affect certain effect on plants growth. Fertilizer also used to neutralizing soil pH for better environment.

Fertilizer is divided into two categories, organic fertilizer and inorganic fertilizer. Organic fertilizer is fertilizer obtained from weathering and decomposition of organic materials that exist in nature, for example compost. Organic fertilizer is difficult to regulate its nutrient content so it is not necessarily suitable to the needs of plants. Meanwhile, inorganic fertilizers are fertilizers made with certain mineral contents so that they have the quantities needed by plants.

Studies found the effect of zeolite in fertilizer. The experiment showed that fertilizer mixed with zeolite resulted in the same growth and productivity, although the fertilizing doses were reduced. This means that zeolite increase fertilizing efficiency. This is because of zeolite properties. Zeolites have porous surface that able to bind nutrients.

Mostly, fertilizer will lose their nutrients by earth-water flow underground. These nutrients carried away by water, so it can’t be absorbed by plants. This case occurred often during rainy season. Rainy season decrease fertilizer efficiency in soil. Zeolite bind nutrients so they are not carried away by water. This is needed not only in rainy season, but also in any season. Fertilizer consumption is decrease with zeolite.

That’s all of our article today. The conclusion is zeolite will increase the efficiency of fertilizer. Zeolite will decrease the consumption of fertilizer for plants. Zeolite can adsorb substance because of is porous properties. Within fertilizer, zeolite bind nutrients  so they are not easily carried away by water in soil.

Thank you for reading our article. Keep in touch with Nusagri to get more information about zeolite. Nusagri.co.id is the pioneer in exploitation and processing of zeolite minerals in Indonesia used in Agricultural and multi sectors. Nusagri exported tons of zeolite for many countries including India and Malaysia. Please check our website and social media for further information about zeolite. 

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Zeolite as Water Treatment and Control

Zeolite’s benefit is known very versatile, even in agriculture. In agriculture, water is most important component, like water in plants, water in aquarium, and water in aquaculture. Water used everywhere. There are lot of water everywhere. In some sector like aquaculture, water quality should be important.

Water for aquaculture is like air for human. Good air quality means healthy, while if there are lot of pollutant, it means not healthy. Same as air, healthy water support the growth of aquaculture product, even just in aquarium.

There are several ways to maintain the water quality, including water filtering pump. But it will cost so expensive if applied in large scale of aquaculture. Another way is using zeolite stone to clear water. We already discussed about pond water quality before, if you like to check out, go to Good Pond Water Quality with Zeolite.

Water pollution is serious problem. As we can see, many rivers have poor quality. Sometimes in some areas, it is difficult to get clean water during the dry season. This water problem also found in pond, aquarium, and another area that covered by water.

Zeolite can be used as water purification. Water purification process refer to the treatment of removing and filtering impurities particle such as microorganisms, suspended soils or dissolved substances in various type of water.

Zeolite have several characteristics that so helpful for water treatment. Zeolite has internal and external surfaces large enough to be able to produce high ion binding capacity. Zeolite has the ability to absorb various heavy metal cations such as Zinc, Copper, Silver, Lead, Cobalt, and Nickel. Effective in filtering pollutant particles and absorbing clean water. Zeolite belongs to GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe), which is a compound that is safe for humans and animals.

Zeolite have benefit to stabilize ammonia levels when biological filters are used, provides a large surface for the nitrification process by bacteria, able to absorb organic compounds and heavy metals, so water is safe for consumption, stabilize the pH of the water, prevent algal growth that can interfere with fish activity.

Studies found, using zeolite as water filter can make the water cleaner and free of heavy metals.

The conclusion is, zeolite can be used as water treatment and control because of its properties. The properties of zeolite can absorb pollutant from water that contaminate the water. Zeolite can be use in aquarium, fish pond, or even for drinking water.

Thank you for reading this article. If you need zeolite supplier, please contact us. Nusagri have exported natural zeolite overseas. High quality zeolite from Nusagri can improve your plants productivity, clean your water, and keep your animals healthy. There are also many articles in our website. The benefit of zeolite is various. 

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Natural Zeolite as Growing Medium

Natural zeolite is mineral contain hydrated aluminosilicate with alkali and alkaline-earth. Benefit of zeolite found in many sectors in the world, include agriculture. Studies found natural zeolite have so many benefits in soil, animal feed, and water for sustainable agriculture. In this article, we will discuss about natural zeolite as growing media in agriculture.

We already discussed about benefit of zeolite in agriculture. If you want to know relation
between zeolite and soil, you should check our article at The Benefit of Zeolite in Soil. There are also another article about zeolite in generalpurpose of agriculture. Please check our Blog Post too.

 In agriculture, growing media known as media like soil to help the grow of plant, especially for containing water and for holding plants. Grow medium can be soil or non-soil. If the media is non-soil, that supposed to be hydroponic, while soil media found in every agriculture field. There are lot of non-soil medium: bark, perlite, black peat, white peat, wood fiber, rice hull, etc. How about zeolite? If you have read the benefit of zeolite in Agriculture, you should know that zeolite is good in adsorbing water, ion, and nutrients. This will increase efficiency in soil.

Hydroponic with zeolite as growing medium have several benefits. This mineral can absorb higher volume water, plants almost don’t need watered every day. This mineral also contains plants needed component. The color of zeolite can indicate the water content inside it. Beside that, pH in medium can be controlled. Zeolite used in hydroponic usually came in strong granular form. This form helps the growth of plants, especially for the root. Esthetically, zeolite always look clean and nice.

Hydroponic systems in plants can be divided into 3 groups. First is water culture, where plants are cultivated through the water. The second is called sand culture which is a combination of sand and water culture. Furthermore, the third is a porous culture whose system is similar to sand culture, but the sand is replaced by the porous material.

There are several kinds of sand substitutes and one of them is zeolite rock. The most suitable types of plants to be cultivated hydroponically with zeolites are ornamental plants. Ornamental plants developed through this hydroponic method can be placed indoors or indoors and outdoors or outdoors. Hydroponics with zeolite rocks

To get perfect results and quality, zeolite rocks must be chemically processed. However, if only processed up to the physical stage, this rock can still be used for hydroponic cultivation media.

If you want to process it physically, zeolite stone must be soaked first in water so that there is no residual soil and dirt attached. After that, it is broken down and dried in the sun to reduce the water content.

After drying, the zeolite stones are crushed and sieved or filtered through several stages, starting from the size of the large sieve hole to the small one. If used as a hydroponic growing media, the required size is around 1 to 5 mm.

Before using zeolite stones must be washed once again and dried and sterilized by heating at a temperature of 250 to 350 degrees Celsius for 1 to 2 hours. Finally, zeolite stones are cooled and refined.

Furthermore, hydroponics with zeolites are mixed with nutrient solutions according to the type of plant that is cultivated in pots or other containers.

To get perfect results and quality, zeolite rocks must be chemically processed. However, if only processed up to the physical stage, this rock can still be used for hydroponic cultivation media.

If you want to process it physically, zeolite must be soaked in water first so that there is no residual soil and dirt attached. After that, it is broken down and dried in the sun to reduce the water content.

After drying, the zeolite stones are crushed and sieved or filtered through several stages, starting from the size of the large sieve hole to the small one. If used as a hydroponic growing media, the required size is around 1 to 5 mm.

Before using zeolite stones must be washed once again and dried and sterilized by heating at a temperature of 250 to 350 degrees Celsius for 1 to 2 hours. Finally, zeolite stones are cooled and refined.

 

Furthermore, hydroponics with zeolites are mixed with nutrient solutions according to the type of plant that is cultivated in pots or other containers.

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How to Mix Zeolites with Feed?

Zeolites are minerals that contain hydrated aluminosilicate with alkali and alkaline-earth. Zeolites have so many benefits in many sectors, especially agriculture in general. There are many studies have found benefit of zeolite in agriculture. They are good for feed additive, soil conditioner, and even for maintaining good quality of water. In this article, we will discuss about how to mix zeolites for feed additive.

Anyway, we have already discussed about the benefit of zeolites as feed additive. If you want to know more about benefit of zeolite, please check our article Benefit of Zeolite as Feed additive and More Quality Feed with Zeolite. There are lot of things that zeolites can do for animals.

Let’s talk about animal husbandry. What kind of animal included in animal husbandry? Well, there are lot of animal, which can be consumed by human, not only for the meat, also for any resources that is needed for the industries. In example, animal husbandry include cow, sheep, pig, chicken, horse, goat, etc. To produce a thing, animals need feed. Feed that given by farmers must be qualified feed to get qualified product from animals. But, using qualified feed is not cost-friendly. If you have read our article about zeolite’s benefit, you have already known that zeolite able to make feed more efficient. With addition of zeolites, feed uses will decrease, and it will decrease the cost for animal feed.

 

The use of zeolite as feed is mainly related to animal nutrition. Zeolite’s properties able for retention of nitrogen and improving efficiency in protein digestion. Studies also shown zeolite relation with preservation of the environment due to capacity to retain pollutants of animal production, especially ammonia.

How to mix zeolites with animal feed?

Many farmers accepted general composition of zeolite and feed. They are using 2 – 4 % of zeolite in feed. From those composition, we can make any mixed feed. For example, if we want to create 1000 kg of mixed feed, we can mix 960 kg of feed and 40 kg of zeolites. That will generate zeolite composition of 4 % zeolite in mixed feed. That composition can be applied to different animals in animal husbandry. But it is steel needed more studies about best composition for each animal.

According to research, giving 1.5 % of zeolite will increase the egg production of chicken. In another research, using zeolites on laying hen manure in low ( 2,5 % ), medium ( 5 % ), and high ( 10 % ) doses, reduced NH3 emissions by 36 %, 62 %, and 92 % after seven days of storage. Zeolite also usually used in pig diets at concentrations from 0.5 % to 8 %. For cow, the zeolite composition for feed additive is 2 %. The study confirm that zeolite supplementation in dairy cows at moderate level was associated with the increase in dry matter intake, milk yield, 4% fat corrected milk, and components in milk.

The conclusion is zeolite have unique properties and fairly used in agriculture included animal husbandry. Zeolites have potential for pollution and waste control of the animal to reduce production of greenhouse gases. For feed additive, using zeolites mean improving the weight of animal, the production of eggs, and many more. But, specified portion of zeolite is needed to studied first before applying zeolite in feed. Therefore, this article is made to give example from studies that have done before about zeolite.

The present study confirms that zeolite supplementation in dairy cows at moderate level was associated with an increase in DMI, milk yield, 4% FCM, and components in milk. This increase was brought about by enhancing ruminal pH and acetate/ propionate ratio and by reducing ruminal ammonia level. We postulated that zeolite administration would alleviate the effects of a grain challenge and might affect the rumen or intestinal environment or modulate the acid-base metabolism. But at the high level, detrimental effects on milk production, milk quality, and ruminal environment are expected.

 

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Zeolite for Shrimp Aquaculture

Zeolites are minerals that contain hydrated aluminosilicate with alkali and alkaline-earth. Zeolites have so many benefits in many sectors, especially agriculture in general. There are many researchs have found benefit of zeolite in agriculture. They are good for feed additive, soil conditioner, and even for maintaining good quality of water. Anyway, there are so many sectors in Agriculture. But, in this article, we will discuss about how zeolite affect the shrimp aquaculture.

We have already discussed how zeolite effect on aquaculture. There are lot of things that zeolite can do for aquaculture. If you have not read yet, please check our article Benefit of Zeolite in Aquaculture Sector and Good Pond Water Quality with Zeolite. There a lot of information that you need to know about zeolite in aquaculture.

As we know, zeolites have so many benefits because of their properties. There are some unique properties of zeolite, especially their porous structure that able to adsorb water and minerals. With that properties, they have good capability to absorb of harmful material in water. Then, what about using zeolite on shrimp cultivation? 

But, first of all, let’s talk about shrimp. We need to know simply how to grow shrimp. Shrimp cultivation technique is influenced by so many factors like climate, location, availability, cost, transportation, labor, export, import, feed, fertilizer, and proximity to existing market. The condition will affect which technique is needed.

On shrimp cultivation, there are two recommended technique : Closed Recirculating System ( CRS ) and  Integrated Manure Denitrification System.

A closed recirculation system can be used in existing semi-intensive systems and in super-intensive systems. The cultivation of shrimp in closed recirculation systems involves the installation and operation of a recirculation system for the water being used during the grow-out period. The culture water is continuously re-used and treated in order to regenerate a  water quality suitable for the shrimp or fish to grow.

While, integrated manure denitrification system is fed with the concentrated waste flow from shrimp or fish farm system containing dissolved and particulate faecal organic waste, bacterial flocs and inorganic compounds. In the sludge of the bioreactor the faecal particulate carbonaceous waste is digested by the denitrifying bacteria and results in the production of bacterial biomass, reduction of nitrate into nitrogen gas, production carbon dioxide, production of alkalinity, and miniralization and reduction of the sludge. The particulate waste in the sludge bed serves also as media for the denitrifying bacteria to grow. Sludge leaves the bioreactor through a patented filtration unit, and can be discharged from system when needed.

The choise of system depends on the species that is cultured but it may consits out of a hybrid system utilizing a combination of heterotrophic, autotrophic bacterial flocs and clear water supported by probiotics.

Anyway, using zeolite in shrimp cultivation help to generate good water quality for any technique. According to research in 2017, zeolite help to maintain water quality with : (1) removing ammonia from water that will affect the health of shrimp (2) removing heavy metals (still affected by pH , temperature, and contaminants) (3) decrease turbidity (4) improving feed utilization index (5) improve dissolved oxygen in water (6) help the growth of phytoplankton.

So, zeolite can keep the water clean and healthy. Zeolites able to absorb many harmful materials and make a good condition for shrimp to live. Zeolites make a healthy water for shrimp. In shrimp cultivation, healthy water means good for shrimp. Shrimps will grow up in good condition. Using zeolite will increase feed efficiency. It will affect the cost allocated to feed.

Using zeolite on shrimp cultivation could improve the productivity. And, it also cut off cost from feed. Zeolite have many benefit to aquaculture. Not only shrimp, but also fishes. If you’re looking for zeolite ? please have a look at Nusagri website. Nusagri export natural zeolite overseas. There are three type of zeolites : crushed granules, powder, and granular.