Yogurt Fermentation

Materials Needed

1.  Milk - 1000ml

2.  Live Yogurt Culture - 1 TBSP (You can use Yogurt purchased from store provided it still got live yogurt culture and NOT pasteurized)

3.  Yogurt container that can hold 1500ml or more; preferably glass container

 

Procedure

1.  Heat the milk in a pan at 72C for 15 seconds or more;

2.  Pour the heated milk into the container, place lid slightly ajar, and let the milk cool to around 42C or less;

3.  Once cooled, mix the Live Yogurt Culture to the milk; Stir to ensure the culture is distributed evenly throughout the milk;

4.  Cover the container, this time you can keep the lid tight.  Wait for 24 hrs for the milk to curd.  Once the milk got consistency similar to store bought Yogurt, your homemade Yogurt is ready.  Place it in the refrigerator for storage.

RedHill Lactobacillus Concentrate (RLC)

RedHill Lactobacillus Concentrate (RLC)

• RLC is beneficial microbial inoculant for soil.  It is similar to EMAS, JMS, IMO and LABS.  It principally composed of different strains of lactobacillus and a small proportion of yeasts.  This simple procedure was developed by RedHill Nature Farm and Learning Site Incorporated (RNFLSI).
  

Why use RLC?

• RLC is the most cost-effective bio-fertilizer as it is a just a by-product of cooking rice.  It only uses wash rice water, which are often thrown away, as its main ingredient.

Use

• Bio-fertilizer
• Seed treatment to increase germination rate
  
• Probiotics for farm animals and pets
• Odor control for kitchen wastes
   

Materials Needed

• Softdrink bottle with cap (Preferably 1.5 or 2 liter capacity)
  
• Wash rice water (1st and 2nd wash only; Make sure that the wash rice water is cloudy like milk and not super diluted with water).  
• You can also use STALE RICE so long as the rice have no moldy growth.  When using stale rice, add water, mash the stale rice to a milky texture.  The consistency of milky texture should be the same as the wash rice. 
  

Preparation

1. Place the wash rice water in the softdrink bottle.
2. Cap tightly.  This is a MUST as we ferment the wash rice water anaerobically.
3. Wait for 3-5 days for the wash rice water to ferment.  If the softdrink bottle is hard already, it means gasses has accumulated in the bottle and the wash rice water is already teeming with lactobacillus.  It is now ready for use.
4. Dilute the RLC using 1:10 ratio of RLC to water.  Do not store RLC longer than 7 days as other microorganisms may grow besides our desired lactobacillus and yeasts.  You can always prepare a new batch.

Preservation

• Should you really need to store the RLC for much longer period than 7 days, you will need Molasses or Sugar to preserve it.  Add 50ml of Molasses to the RLC.  Cap it tighly and shake till all molasses has been dissolved.  This is ready after 3-5 days.  RLC with Molasses is good for 3-4 months.  The same dilution ratio of 1:10 RLC to water for usage.
   

 

Fermented Cow Dung and Urine Fertilizer

Ingredients

• Cow Dung - 20 kgs
• Cow Urine - 20 liters (If there is no cow urine, replace this with 20 kgs of cow dung)
  
• Molasses - 2 liters
  
• Flour - 2 kgs
• Non-chlorinated Water - 180 liters 
• (Optional) 2 liters of EMAS, JMS, LABS or PSB
  

Materials

• Drum, 200kg capacity with lid;
• Stick for stirring the ingredients;
  

Procedure

1. Fill the drum with non-chlorinated water (180 liters);
2. Pour the cow dung (20 kgs) to the drum;
3. Pour the cow urine (20 liters) to the drum;
4. Add the molasses (2 liters);
   
5. Add the flour (2 kgs);
6. If you have the microbial inoculants like EMAS, JMS, LABS or PSB, add these;
   
7. Mix all the ingredients;
8. Close the lid; label "FCDU" and "Date of Fermentation"; and ferment for 5 days;
   

Usage

• 40 liters to 1 hectare;
• Dilution Ratio is 1:200;
• Application Rate is 5 times (Seed Preparation [soak seeds for a maximum of 12 hours]; Land Preparation; First Seedling Sprout; First Flowers; First Fruit or Vegetables)
   

Compost Tea

Compost Tea is compost extract.  You can use this compost extract for drench, foliar spray or organic hydroponics.  The following procedure is good for 1 hectare:

1.  Prepare 100-200 liter plastic container for mixing;

2.  Add 3.5kg to 4kg of Compost to the plastic container;

3.  Add 90-100 liters of Non-Chlorinated Water and mix (Do not use fast mechanical stirrers);

4.  Steep the tea for 3 days, occasionally stir it slowly during the steeping time;

5.  Optional:    (a)  use aquarium bubbler to oxygenate the compost tea; (b)  you can add 1 liter of EMAS, JMS, LABS or PSB; (c) you can add 1kg of Leaf Mold Soil (LMS); (d) you can add humic acid or leonardite (300g or 1 liter); (e) you can add seaweed extract (50g or 100 liters).

USE the compost tea in place of your commercial inorganic fertilizer.

Compost tea is also known as Compost Extract or Compost Soil Extract.

Simple Procedure for Making Lactic Acid Bacteria Serum (LABS)

The following procedures are the simplest and the most practical way to make Lactic Acid Bacteria Serum (LABS).  

 

Procedure No. 1:  This procedure is preferred when Probiotic Milk or Natural Greek Yogurt is readily available.

Ingredients:  (1) Molasses - 50ml, (2) Probiotic Milk (e.g., Yakult, Goodday, Delight) or Natural Greek Yogurt - 50ml; and (3) Non-chlorinated Water - 900ml

1.  Get 1 liter plastic container (preferably bottle of softdrink) and pour 50ml of molasses into the plastic container;

2.  Pour 900ml of non-chlorinated water into the plastic container, cap and shake the container to dissolve the molasses;

3.  Pour 50ml of probiotic milk or natural greek yogurt into the plastic container and shake the container;

4.  Label the container as "LABS" with the date of preparation;

5.  Wait for 5-7 days for the LABS to ferment.  After that, it is ready to use.  The dilution ratio for drench and spraying is 20ml to 1 liter of water.

Procedure No. 2:  This procedure is a by-product of cooking rice.

Ingredients:  (1) Molasses - 50ml; and (2) Water from washed rice - 900ml;

1.  Get the wash water (approximately 900ml) from rice and place it in 1 liter plastic bottle, loosely cap and leave it for 1-3 days;

2.  Add 50ml molasses to the plastic bottle, tightly cap it and shake it to mix;

3.  Label the container as "LABS" with the date of preparation;

4.  Wait for 5-7 days for the LABS to ferment.  After that, it is ready to use.  The dilution ratio for drench and spraying is 20ml to 1 liter of water. 

Procedure No. 3:  This procedure is a by-product of cheese making (This assumes that you know how to make cheese)

Ingredients:  (1) Molasses - 50ml; (2) Whey (a by-product of curd milk (cheese); and (3) Non-chlorinated Water

1.  Get the Whey from your cheese and place it in a 1 liter plastic bottle;

2.  Add non-chlorinated water to the 1 liter plastic bottle till in reaches around 900ml;

3.  Add 50ml molasses to the plastic bottle, capped and shake the bottle to mix and dissolve the molasses;

4.  Label the container as "LABS" with the date of preparation;

5.  Wait for 5-7 days for the LABS to ferment.  After that, it is ready to use.  The dilution ratio for drench and spraying is 20ml to 1 liter of water.

Minimum Fertilization for Rice

Using Organic Fertilizers or Composts for 1 hectare of Rice

• Ten (10) bags of Organic Fertilizers or Composts

Microbial-Based Fertilizers [1]   (Accordingly, using Microbial-Based Fertilizers with Inorganic Fertilizers increases yield by 10%.

• One (1) to Four (4) liters per hectare

• 1st Application - At seedbed, 10-15 days after sowing of seeds
  
• 2nd Application - 10-15 days after transplanting (DAT)
  
• 3rd Application - 20-25 DAT
  
• 4th Application - 30-35 DAT
  

Using Inorganic Fertilizers for 1 hectare of Rice [1]

• Three (3) bags of Urea (46-0-0) and 3 bags Complete Fertilizer (14-14-14); or
• Three (3) bags of Urea (46-0-0), two (2) bags of Ammonium Phosphate (16-20-0) and one (1) bag of Potassium Chloride / Potash Fertilizer (0-0-60);

 

 

 

Organic Hydroponics

Organic Hydroponics refers to hydroponics farming using organic fertilizers.  The basis of the procedure below is 10 liters of water with 8 lettuce vegetable plants using Kratky method:

 

Materials Needed:

1.  Katanim box (Kratky) that can handle 10 liters of water with 8 plant holes;

2.  Good Compost (must be complete compost with adequate NPK ingredients, e.g., good combination of cow manure, chicken manure, vermicast, guano, decomposed banana parts, decomposed egg shells, decomposed used coffee grounds or teas, etc.) or commercially-graded Organic Compost/Fertilizer (e.g., Plantmate) - 700g kilogram;

3.  Non-chlorinated Water - 10 liters

Procedure:

1.  Just like in any regular Kratky setup, place 10 liters of non-chlorinated water in the Katanim styrobox;

2.  Make the Compost Tea.  Pour 700g of Good Compost, mix and stir until the 10 liters of water turns dark brown like chocolate;

3.  Transplant the seedlings (seedlings must be 14 days after sowing);

4.  Leave and wait for the seedlings to grow.  The lettuce plants will grow in 4 weeks and should be ready for harvest by then.

Important Note:

The above procedure can be the basis in implementing organic hydroponics using other hydroponic methods such as NFT, DWC, etc.  For hydroponic methods requiring pumps, you may need to filter the Compost Tea in order not to clogged your water pump.  Also, you may need to steep the Compost Tea for 3 days before filtering the solid materials.

How to make EM1 Inoculant

EM1 is made up of lactobacillus, actinomycetes, yeasts and photosynthetic bacteria.

Materials

• Jars - 2 jars that can accommodate 1 gallon (3.78 liters) water
• Plastic Pail - that can hold 10 liters water 
• Plastic Container with resealable cap (can be multiple to hold around 8 liters of EM1 solution)
  
• Mollasses - 1 liter
• Yogurt (Preferabley Greek Yogurt) - 1 liter
• Eggs - 3 eggs
• Yeasts - 2 tablespoon dissolved in warm water
• Non-chlorinated Water - 4.78 liters
• Leaf Mold Soil (LMS) - 2 cups

 

Procedure

For Jar No. 1

1. Fill-up with 1 liter non-chlorinated water;
2. Add 1 liter Yogurt;
3. Add 1 liter mollasses;
4. Using the 3 eggs, separate the egg whites from the yoke.  Add the egg whites;
5. Dissolve the 2 tablespoon of yeasts in warm water (just enough water, not too much) then add the yeast solution; and
   
6. Mix the solution
   

 

For Jar No. 2

1. Fill-up with 3.78 liters (1 gallon) non-chlorinated water;
2. Add the 2 cups LMS;
3. Mix the solution; and
   
4. Let it steep for 3 days;

• After 3 days, strain the contents Jar No. 2 to the Plastic Pail.  Then, add the contents of Jar No. 1.  Mix the contents;
• Clean the jars; 
• Place the contents of the Plastic Pail back to the jars;
• Place the cover but allow air to escape;
• Place the jars in a secure, cool, dry, and dark area;
• Label Date of Production; and
• Wait for 30 days;
• After 30 days, you now have EM1 solution.  Strain and place the contents in resealable plastic containers.  Fill the container to maximum contents and avoid as much as possible air.  The EM1 solution is good for 1 year.  Label date of production and date of expiration.

 

Note:

• The Actinomytes and Photosynthetic Bacteria will come from the Leaf Mold Soil (LMS);

• The Lactobacillus will come from the Yogurt;
  

Correlation Coefficient

The correlation coefficient measures the linear relationship between two variables.  It is often represented by p (rho) symbol for the population and r for the sample.  The value ranges from -1 to +1.  The sign of the value indicates the direction of the linear relationship.  A positive (+) sign indicates a positive relationship which can be viewed as an upward sloping line, where an increase in one variable meant an increase in the other variable.  A (-) sign indicates a negative relationship which can be viewed as a downward sloping line, where an increase in one variable meant a decrease in the other variable and vice versa.

The formula for the correlation coefficient is:

 

Generally, a correlation coefficient of 0.90 and above, regardless of the sign, is considered high correlation.  A correlation coefficient of 0.50 and below is considered low correlation.  A correlation coefficient between 0.5 and 0.9 is considered medium correlation.

Some things to note about correlation coefficient value:

a)  A correlation coefficient of 0.50 meant that the one variable explains only about 25% of the variation in the other variable;

b)  It takes a correlation coefficient of 0.70 for one variable to explain about 50% of the variation in the other variable;

c)  For a correlation coefficient to be convincing in determining the linear relationship between the two variables, a medium correlation needs to tested for statistical significance using t statistic;

d)  It is often safe to say, that low correlations means "no correlations".  By precision, no correlation will have a correlation value of 0.

 

t-Statistic of the Correlation Coefficient

The t-Statistic of the Correlation Coefficient is given by the formula:

        where:     r = value of the correlation coefficient

                        n = is the number of samples

 

The t-Statistic is used to test the following hypothesis:

a)  Ho (Null Hypothesis) that r is equal to 0 and there is no significant correlation between the two variables under study;

b)  Ha (Alternative Hypothesis) the r is not equal to zero and that there is a significant correlation between the two variables under study.

As a rule of the thumb for samples larger than 60, a t-Statistic value of 2 or more (regardless of the sign) means that it is statistically significant and therefore the Ha (alternative hypothesis) is accepted and the Ho (null hypothesis) is rejected.  Inversely, a t-Statistic value of less than 2 (regardless of the sign) means that it is NOT statistically significant and therefore the Ho (null hypothesis) is accepted and the Ha (alternative hypothesis) is rejected.  

For boundary values, the reference t-Statistic is found in most college level textbooks.  However, the reference t-Statistic can also be viewed using tinv() function found in most computer spreadsheets.  For the LibreCalc spreadsheet, the tinv() function is given by formula =tinv(risk level,degrees of freedom).  To illustrate, a sample of 200 with a confidence level of 95%, we place  =tinv(0.05,198).  This gives a t-Statistic reference value of (1.972017).  The degrees of freedom is 200-2=198.  The risk level is 1 minus the confidence level of 95% (0.95) equals (0.05).

As a note, the t-Statistic of the Correlation Coefficient is equal to the t-Statistic of the Simple Regression Equation.  As such, the t-Statistic can be derived from the Simple Regression Model using the F-Statistic as F=t^2 or t-Statistic is the square root of the F-Statistic.