Making Duckweed into feed pallets

Making Duckweed into feed pallets

  Based on analytical formula, the ingredients components are mixed in order to provide the targeted crude protein %.

 Crude protein for Ducweed    : approx 40%,
                             Rice Bran   : approx 9%
                             Fish Meal   : approx 52%
                 
  For our products, we are able to provide a range of crude protein from 10% - 30%. The higher the crude protein %, the higher price the product is.  The is due to the crude protein is needed to be  converted into the animal or fish protein after consuming the feed pallets.  In other words, they will increase the weights. However, with the crude protein alone, they are not converted effectively.  The Feed Conversion Rate (FCR) is low.  

  In Duckweed, the Amino Acid of Lysine & Methionine is very high. They will increase the FCR, and act as booster for the growth.  There are many researches demonstrate that with Lysine and Methionine,  the pallets with only 19% Crude Protein showing the similar results of 32% Crude Protein that without Lysine and Methionine.

  With this in mind, we have produce a special formula fish pallets for Arowana Fish. Will discuss in detail about the Arowana Fish pallets.

  The duckweed after the cleansing process, they need to be drained off excessive water. The components are weighed and mixed according to the recipe.

 
                                         Picture 1: Duckweed and other components are mixed

    The grinding process that we are showing here is the prototype, it is manual for the time being. However,  the process is being developed into highly automation.  The output of the grinding process is still wet, and they need to be dried immediately. The cheapest way is using the sunlight, but there will very very inconvenient during the raining day.

 

         
                                                         Picture 2: The mixture is grind

                                       
                                          Picture 3: The output is greenish due to the Duckweed

                                         
                                         Picture 4 : Drying process under the sun.

   Hence, we are developing an automatic drying process with burner. I will share it with you at later articles.

  The dried products will be collected for making feed pallets according to the size: 2mm, 4mm or 6mm.  Some customers want the product in powder form. Will discuss later.

   See you.

Cleaning System with Plasma Ion technology

  For the time being, let us assume we have gone through growing, and harvesting process of the duckweed.  The duckweeds are the tiny floating plants.  They absorbs 'fertiliser': urine , ammonia etc. They contain smells of urine if they are not cleansed properly.

                                           Picture 1: The samples of Duckweed. Background is
                                                           the canal full of duckweed.

  Hence, we designed an automatic system to cleanse the harvested duckweed. The system is designed-in with a very high tech plasma ion.  Electrodes produces unstable  OH akil, which breakdown excessive fertilisers active molecules hence remove the smell effectively.  This is the first cleansing system in ASIA applying the technology.

 The duckweed is floating on the water, it might contains BOD or bacteria. we incorporated Ultra Violet rays shining from top to the water surface.

                                       Picture 2: The air bubbles are Plasma Ion. They only
                                                       exist in nano seconds. The UV from above.


   The tank is made of stainless steel. The water is recycled to save water.  If the water is too dirty, they are drained to the canal for the duckweeds. As you can see on the video, the duckweed floating on the water and being cleansed with palsma ion and the UV. At last, the duckweed collected with a net, draining off the water.

Video: showing the cleansing process

Picture 3: The duckweed after treated with plasma ion and

                                                    UV, being collected with a net.

  The collected duckweed later will be sent for making feeds for animals, fish and poultry.  Will discuss later. 

   Bye.

 

   Duckweed Farm -- Fertilising system set up

ABiotech Duckweed farm should have a few sections.  We designed the farm as automatic as possible so that less labour involvement.

  

   we devided the farm into a few sections with the limited funds involved:

         1) Fertilising system

         2) Growing channel

         3) Watering system

         4) Harvesting system

         5) Cleaning system

         6) Drying system

         7) Back end production

   Today, I would like to discuss the fertilizing system.   Duckweed will double it mass in 48 hours, In Malaysia, the sunlight is strong and it encourages photosynthesis process. the Carbon Dioxide is free. the river water is available at our farm since it is located in the middle of paddy field. 

   What we need is the fertilisers.  Fertilisers in Malaysia is expensive. Animal waste and urine are ammonia. In ammonia, there are Nitrogen atom or Amine akil which can be converted into NPK fertilisers.  However, the wastes have to be treated with good bacterial before they can be used.

   For this purpose, hence, we designed 12 units of huge fibre tanks with  8ft diameters. they are above the ground so that the water can be drain off with gravity. this will save electricity.  Below are some set up pictures:

                                          Picture 1: Fibre tanks sitting on the cement platform

  The cement concrete platforms are needed to support the heavy load of the tanks and its water. we took time to level up all the 12 tanks, because the PVC pipes are connected to all the tanks, the water surface are levelled among all the tanks. These are are for the fertilisers to ferment here.

                                          Picture 2: Fibre Drum as buffer for the fertilisers

 

                   
                                          Picture 3: The buffer drum located at the bann

  The drum are meant for the buffer.   the fertilisers are pumped from the huge tanks to these drum. The fertilisers are buffered here before flowing to the canals.

   Our fertilising system is designed to be automatic. The water level are controlled by a sensor to activate the 3HP water pump.

  In a few days later, i am going to share with you my farming technique. I need to stop here today, due to the month end is coming, i need to rush for some funds for the worker payroll.

  

    

Bioweed Project Overview

  In view of the raising environmental temperature due to the Carbon Dioxide, a few of s raise the awareness of go green. reducing the Carbon dioxide by absorbing the planting duckweed.  

  Duckweed is a very special tiny aquatic plant. It absorbs sunlight, CO2,water going though phototsyntesis process. It doubles it mass within 48 hours!  Can you imagine that, every 2 days, it mass doubles.... it follow binomial equation. Hence, it should be very effectively  reducing carbon dioxide.

  It also absorbs ammonia from the water and converts into crude protein in the duckweed plant. In other words, it treated the dirty water become clean water, at the sometime produce biomass with protein. under controlled environment, the crude protein achieves approximately 40%, which is on par with the soy bean. Hence, with proper process,it should be turned into feeds for Poultry, Fish, animals. We did project the out bursting of the food crisis by end of 2012. 

  A few of us, planed out the project, gather limited funds, formed a company, and kicked off the visionary project on 5th March 2012.

  We rented a paddy field, converted into duckweed farm. the first duckweed farm in South East Asia was born.

                                                                                          Photo 1 : Digging the canals

                                              Photo 2 : Clearing bushes to turn into production farm

                                            Photo 3: After 3 months, the duckweed starts to grow.

                                          Photo 4: These are the BioWeed.

   That's all for the time being. we send in more info and photo about the process how we grew them. there are plenty problems need to be solved. Cherrio!