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insect frass NPK- independent analysis

Hash Man

Hash Man

Member
Hi everyone, I use a bunch of insect frass, so I had it tested to see if it really is a 2-2-2. Here are the results. Does anyone know how to convert these numbers to an NPK value?


​TOTAL NITROGEN…………………...%​​3.7​​​
​PHOSPHORUS AS P............................. %​​1.2
​PHOSPHORUS AS P205........................ %​2.7
​POTASSIUM AS K................................ %​​2.1
​POTASSIUM AS K20............................ %​​2.5
​CALCIUM AS CaCO3........................... %​​1.1
​MAGNESIUM AS MgCO3.................... %​​2.6
​SODIUM…............................................... %​0.04
​CHLORIDE.............................................. %​1.7
​ZINC....................................................... ppm​104.0
​MANGANESE........................................ ppm​234.0
​IRON....................................................... ppm​172.0
​BORON................................................... ppm​12.0
​COPPER.................................................. ppm​14.0
​Moisture………………………………….%​14.8
​pH............................................................ ​​6.2
​ECe (dS/m)………………………………​​11.0
​Organic Matter……………………….....%​​93.4
​Carbon…………………………………..​​54.2
C/N Ratio…………………………………​​14.6
 
hush

hush

Señor Member
Veteran
The numbers we know as "NPK" refer to percentage of N, P, and K in the total volume. All you need to do is add your 2 phosphorus sources together for your P value, the same thing with the 2 potassium sources for your K value. Your N value is listed already.

So your 2-2-2 insect frass is actually 3.7-3.9-4.6
 
green thumbs

green thumbs

Member
I read somewhere online dont remeber the website look it up and see, but they said it created a bunch of hermies. Ive also been told by someone who used it personally that it happened to them also. I got about 5lbs worth of samples on it and still have some left that I use on the lawn and other house plants. I would probably not use it on the "plants"
 
Hash Man

Hash Man

Member
green thumbs said:
I read somewhere online dont remeber the website look it up and see, but they said it created a bunch of hermies. Ive also been told by someone who used it personally that it happened to them also. I got about 5lbs worth of samples on it and still have some left that I use on the lawn and other house plants. I would probably not use it on the "plants"
Click to expand...

I have used over 1 ton of this stuff on my outdoor crop this year, so far no herms. My only complaint is that is sucks all the nitrogen out of your medium if you are not constantly resupplying high levels of N. This is because there are so many benificals in the frass that they feast on N. I know lots of guys using it on mass scale as well... and they are loving it. You just have to make sure and put in some extra calcium and some extra N. I also use liquid food, sometimes organic, sometimes synthetic. My main aim for using the frass this year was to curb my issues with fusarium. I have noticed less death overall this year, but have also changed my watering habits drastically, so i cant give the frass all the credit.

Dont believe the hype about frass having all 16 essential nutrients... it doesnt. Its not an end all game changer like some guys are saying. Its a good addition tho, and a good way to get uncalcified chitin in your soil mix.
 
J

jjenkins

New member
First, is the insect frass reported as elemental? Generally speaking fert companies report the oxide forms of P and K (P2O5 & K2O, respectively) so that the total looks bigger. If the 2-2-2 is in the oxide form then the elemental form would be 2-0.88-1.66. The elemental that was reported to you is 3.7-1.2-2.1 which reduces to 3.08-1-1.75. Obviously it is higher in nitrogen than reported....
 
Hash Man

Hash Man

Member
jjenkins said:
First, is the insect frass reported as elemental? Generally speaking fert companies report the oxide forms of P and K (P2O5 & K2O, respectively) so that the total looks bigger. If the 2-2-2 is in the oxide form then the elemental form would be 2-0.88-1.66. The elemental that was reported to you is 3.7-1.2-2.1 which reduces to 3.08-1-1.75. Obviously it is higher in nitrogen than reported....
Click to expand...

Yes this was an elemental report. I hate to make you repeat yourself, but can you elaborate a bit on the mathematics involved?
 
J

jjenkins

New member
Hash Man said:
Yes this was an elemental report. I hate to make you repeat yourself, but can you elaborate a bit on the mathematics involved?
Click to expand...

I understand that the report you received was elemental but notice the two figures for P and K --- the higher ones are the oxide form not the base. When the oxide form is reported on the containers of commercial ferts (which is pretty standard with fert companies) you multiply P & K by .436 and .83 respectively to ascertain the elemental of P & K. Will that work?
 
J

jjenkins

New member
Ahhh....I see my mistake --- in my first post I asked if insect frass was reported as elemental when I should have asked how was it listed on the container.
 
Dorky

Dorky

Member
For state of california u the label is the MINIMUM guarenteed. So they are good
3.7%N 2.7%P205 2.5%k20

the chitosan activated the jasmonic pathway for induced systemic resistance (ISR)

asprin or salilic acid activates systemic acquired resistance (SAR)

So the frass was too much stress for the plant and cause it to herm.
 
habeeb

habeeb

follow your heart
ICMag Donor
Veteran
I am still always concerned about high levels of iron, no bottled nutrient in the world would contain the levels of iron that has.. that has to be off-balancing something?


thanks for doing this hash man, I was interested in frass.. and more people should step up to the plate here.
 
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