Ocala, Fla.-An algae carpet that is being put to work to clean phosphate and other fertilizer from an important waterway produces at the same time a high grade organic compost that could have a wide variety of uses on farms, in nurseries and home gardens, and in municipal parks and playgrounds. “Water quality officials are interested in getting growers to substitute the compost for commercial fertilizer being brought into critical watershed areas in the state,” according to Margaret Palmer, president of developer HydroMentia, which is demonstrating how the unique system can keep nutrients from flowing into Lake Okeechobee, one of the state’s most important water sources. With the Taylor Creek Algal Turf Scrubber, Palmer explained, the algae attaches itself to a 3 ½-acre heavy plastic liner as water is distributed in a thin flow across the membrane. The plants, which are the fastest growing in the aquatic family, take up the nutrients as they precipitate on the cells. The algae, containing nitrogen, phosphate, and a small amount of potash (approximately 2-1-1/2), is harvested every 7 to 21 days with a specially-designed rake and deposited on a concrete pad. “We haven’t accumulated sufficient amounts as yet to evaluate all the potential uses,” Palmer reported. She said several farmers already have indicated an interest. The technology was originated by a Smithsonian marine biologist, and HydroMentia expects to see large-scale water treatment applications as the demand continues to grow.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain