Photosynthetic Bacteria (PSB) Solution

Photosynthetic Bacteria (PSB) Solution

 

PSB Solution is a microbial inoculant that you can use in your farm or garden similar to EMAS or JMS.  PSB are a group of beneficial bacteria that degrades contaminants in water and soil.  They are generally anaerobic and is believed to have built the world we live in today.  They are known to occur in water columns (Sergei Winogradsky water column) in rice fields, waste water environments, and aquatic sediments.  PSB plays an important role in the circulation of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur.

Ingredients

1.  Egg (or Fish Sauce, Soy Sauce, or any Sulfur-rich material)

2.  Egg shell (as source for Calcium Carbonate and Cellulose) or you can use Agri Lime as source for Calcium Carbonate and Paper as source for Cellulose

3.  Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) - this is the Sodium salt of Glutamic acid arising from the fermentation of Glucose via the action of Corynebacterium Glutamicum.  It is one of the most naturally occuring amino acids.

4.  Pond water (or River Water as source or inoculant of the PSB bacteria); preferably, get the bottom water of the pond as the Purple Non-Sulftur Photosynthetic Bacteria (PNSPSB) thrives in anaerobic condition;

5.  Empty 1 liter Coke bottle (or similar) - 3 pcs

6.  Optional:  Seawater (Prefered - 1 cup) or Natural rock salt (1 tsp);  Do not use Iodized Salt as the Iodine in salt inhibits bacterial reproduction.

Procedure

1.  Crack the egg into a bowl and stir and mix the yoke and albumen; (alternatively, you can use 1 tablespoon of fish sauce or soy sauce and add to around 50ml of water)

2.  Place the egg shell in a plastic bag.  Crush it to smaller pieces and add the crushed pieces to the bowl with stirred egg; (alternatively, you can use 1 tablespoon of Agri Lime and 3x3inches Paper and dissolve it in 50ml of water;

3.  Divide the mixture into 3 parts and add 1 part to 1 liter of Pond water.  Repeat the process till you have filled all 3 liters of Pond water.

4.  Add 1 tsp of MSG to each liter of water.  Cap the bottle and shake the contents.

5.  Place the bottles in the field where it is exposed to sunlight.

6.  The fermentation process will take approximately 30 days.  Visit the bottles every week and shake the bottle.

7.  After thirty days, the mixture should change color to "Purple".  This is now your PSB and is ready for use.

8.  Optional step:  Check under a microscope the presence of any of the Photosynthetic Bacteria.  The most well studied and preferred for tropical climate is the Purple Non-Sulfur Photosynthetic Bacteria.  However, as we now currently from the works of Dr. Elaine Ingham, Dr. David Johnson and Dr. Teruo Higa), the more varied and diverse these beneficial bacteria, the better it is for the environment, soil and agriculture.

Application

• For watering, mix 10 ml of PSB to 1 liter of water
• For foliar application, mix 10ml of PSB to 10 liters of water
• For aquarium (to reduce ammonia and nitrite wastes), mix 25ml of PSB to 10 liters of water
  

 

Types of Photosynthetic Bacteria

1. Cyanobacteria - Color: Green;
   
2. Prochlorophytes
   
3. Green Sulfur Photosynthetic Bacteria (Chloro biacae) - Green; uses reduced sulfur species as electron donor;
   
4. Green Non-Sulfur Photosynthetic Bacteria (Chloroflexi) - Green, filamenous
   
5. Purple Sulfur Photosynthetic Bacteria (Chromatiales)- Purple, gram-negative, short rods, uses sulfide and sulfur as electron donor
   
6. Purple Non-Sulfur Photosynthetic Bacteria (Rhodospirillaceae; Rhodobacter Sphaeroides; Rhodobacter capsulatus; Rhodopseudomonas) - Purple; gram-negative; rod-shape whose length can vary; eye-catching and easily identifiable; uses hydrogen gas as electron donor; preferred for tropical environment;  

 Cyanobacteria

 

Prochlorophytes

 

 Green Sulfur Bacteria

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rhodospirillaceae

Rhodopseudomonas

Rhodopseudomonas under Microscope (Screen-capture from Matt Powers' Youtube)

-oOo-

 

Super Simple Procedure 

 

Ingredients:

1. PET Bottle 6 liter water container
2. Eggs - 2 pcs
3. MSG - Ajinomoto - 1 small pack
4. River / Pond water
   
   
   

 Procedure:

1. Gather river / pond water using the 6 liter PET bottle;
2. Beat the 2 eggs;
3. Crush the eggshells and mix it with the beaten eggs;
4. Add the MSG into the beaten eggs and mix it;
5. Add the beaten eggs solution to the river / pond water;
6. Cover the lid and label "PSB date_of_fermentation and date_of_harvest".  The date of harvest is 1 month after the date_of_fermentation;
7. Place the 6 liter PET bottle PSB Solution in the sunny field to ferment;
8. Every week, shake the bottle at least once;
9. After one month, the contents of the PSB will turn from light yellow to purple.  This is now ready for use.  

Note:  PSB smells bad because of sulfur.  The bacteria we have cultured eats sulfur.
 

 

What to expect...

1.  This is the look of PSB on the day of fermentation after the above-mentioned procedure.  (Date of fermentation here is 1 July 2022)  

 

2.  After 7 days, the PSB we prepared looks green.  (Date of photo is 8 July 2022)

The PSB solution has turned milky green after I have shaken the bottle.

3.  After 14 days, the PSB has turn deep red-brown (maroon) color.  (Date of photo is 15 July 2022)

 

 4.  At the time of harvest (after 1 month), the PSB color did not change much from the color observed after 14 days.