Using Bacteria to generate hydroponic nutrient

[Dufflight]

I was reading about fodder and the costs of nutrient having an effect on how viable it is as a stock feed. Also with the increase in hydroponic nutrients(think its been %1300 over the last couple of years and set to increase)

This brought me back to using the same bacteria in AP to generate hydroponic nutrients. It might be a cheap way of producing plant food as well as the added benifit of customizing what goes into it. With out the fish in the tank also opens up other options. You can still start out with AP water as a base.

[Bidadisndat]

Dufflight, I too am interested in growing fodder and will soon be trialing a small growing unit, which I am hoping will fit somewhere within the AP setup I am currently installing. Have a look at: http://www.aquaponics.net.au/hq/view...php?f=21&t=250 If you're interested in following up my progress once I have everything underway I'd be happy to post the results here. RupertofOz posted this link which you may also find useful: http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/web/root/domi ... fodder.pdf
......Bid...

[GaryD]

Hi Bid,

I too am interested in growing fodder and will soon be trialing a small growing unit, which I am hoping will fit somewhere within the AP setup I am currently installing.

I've been following hydro fodder developments since I first happened across a brochure for an Italian production system about 25 years ago.

I'd be interested to see how you go. Most of the hydroponic fodder efforts that are not done in controlled environment sheds fail due to mould problems.

Since the mould seems to be an issue in the last few days of the grow out period (around 8 days), I've often wondered if it would be useful just to sprout the grain for a shorter period (like they do for human consumption) and feed that to micro-livestock.

Rupert's link was a good one. While (based on my quick reading) it seemed to rule out hydro fodder for growing out cattle, it suggested that it might have other small-scale possibilities.

Dufflight.....

I was reading about fodder and the costs of nutrient having an effect on how viable it is as a stock feed. Also with the increase in hydroponic nutrients(think its been %1300 over the last couple of years and set to increase)

This brought me back to using the same bacteria in AP to generate hydroponic nutrients. It might be a cheap way of producing plant food as well as the added benifit of customizing what goes into it. With out the fish in the tank also opens up other options. You can still start out with AP water as a base.

I'm aware of an American aquaponicist who uses worms to power his grow beds in the off season......so what you are proposing (if I understand it correctly) is possible. As you've indicated, you could add other things to your mix to ensure that it provides the full range of nutrients.

GaryD

[Dufflight]

I skimed the link as well. No good for large scale but okay for small scale. It focused on dry weight before and after sprouting. If the cost of nutrient was taken out or at least reduced and the fodder grown longer then the sun and plant food would increase the dry weight of the end product.

Mould could be reduced with better water managment or the the fodder mat to be placed on a wicking table. The water then is drawn up and the root zone is kept dryer.

[GaryD]

Hi Dufflight,

I skimed the link as well. No good for large scale but okay for small scale.

I think it comes down to the cost per kg and the way in which cattle (as distinct from other animals) process their food.

If the cost of nutrient was taken out or at least reduced and the fodder grown longer then the sun and plant food would increase the dry weight of the end product.

It's the duration of the growing period that is at the heart of the mould problem. The mould spores are naturally occurring on grain.

Mould could be reduced with better water managment or the the fodder mat to be placed on a wicking table. The water then is drawn up and the root zone is kept dryer.

Possibly......but I'm more inclined to think that it's about temperature and humidity (plus initial disinfection of the grain and post-harvest cleaning of equipment) which is why the most successful of the growing sheds are air conditioned.

Perhaps it's time to get a trial growing. Just need a small air conditioner.

Gary

[Bidadisndat]

Speaking of trials....
Gary, I've been fortunate to have been offered the loan, for a short time, of a small unit for experimenting with. (Just need to fit a towbar to the new second-hand car so I can collect it.)

The document found in the link that RupertofOz posted, which was produced in 2003 and was more of a literature review than a definative study in its own right, didn't exactly paint a rosy picture of the concept. However, after wading through it my personal feeling is that the report tended to be biased, perhaps by default, somewhat on the negative side. Later research, and work by companies such as Foddertech have shown that sprouted grains are a cost effective way of providing nutritious food to stock of all types - in fact San Diego Zoo has been using a fodder production unit for many years to feed a wide variety of animals.

You're correct as to temperature/humidity being the main culprit in mould problems, however whilst successful fodder production is essentially an exersise in environment control, it should be possible to run a small unit in, say, a well ventilated shadehouse.

[Dufflight]

Post some pic's when you get the unit home.

[Bidadisndat]

Dufflight: "Post some pic's when you get the unit home."

Well, after it's assembled anyway: I haven't seen it yet, but it's apparently in lots of pieces at present. Oh, and I still need to get a camera.

GaryD: "I think it comes down to the cost per kg and the way in which cattle (as distinct from other animals) process their food."

The cost per kg is often of more concern to the farmer/agribusness who wants to turn as big a profit as possible. This unfortunately doesn't always take the total wellbeing of stock animals into consideration. (Not to say that all farmers are that way, of course - I know they aren't.) The smallholder or homesteader is usually much more in tune withe the needs of his/her critters.

[GaryD]

Hi,

The cost per kg is often of more concern to the farmer/agribusness who wants to turn as big a profit as possible. This unfortunately doesn't always take the total wellbeing of stock animals into consideration. (Not to say that all farmers are that way, of course - I know they aren't.)

It's also a matter of succeeding in a business context. Concern for animals has to be reconciled with the cost of doing business otherwise there's no animals to be concerned about.

The smallholder or homesteader is usually much more in tune withe the needs of his/her critters.

I guess the smallholder has the advantage of being able to see all of his/her animals more readily than a large producer. While it seems logical that smallholders (for reasons of scale if nothing else) should look after their animals better, it's not always the case. During my years in country environments, I've seem my fair share of starving horses, fly-blown sheep and similar objects of neglect in the (alleged) care of hobby farmers.

I guess my point is that best practice in animal welfare is not necessarily a question of size but rather the mindset of the owner.

Gary

[Laurie]

Growing fodder is a very simple process. The dearest part is the grain you're going to grow. As for the 'mould' situation, this is easy to overcome, if you know what your doing. It only takes 7 days to grow & it is soon devoured by whatever you're feeding it to.


Cheers,
Laurie.

www.geelonghydroponicgardening.com