[rexamus616]

Hello.

I've been researching some info on Fish Hydrolysate. A horticulture teacher was advocating it as a liquid fertilizer over fish emulsion.

He explained that it had 'better properties' than fish emulsion, only it was more expensive and harder to source.


I've (only) recently looked it up, and found similar claims and explanations:

(from https://www.nofrillsfertilisers.com.au a local manufacturer of fish hydrolysate )

NF Hydrofish is 100% pure fish. It is made by an enzyme digestion process that produces a pure hydrolysate. No water is added. It is made from Australian processed wild caught Tuna, from a sustainably harvested catch.

Fish hydrolysate is better and more effective than a fish emulsion. This is because emulsions have been cooked to remove valuable oils. This process denatures the protein. NF Hydrofish is packed full of natural proteins, amino acids, vitamins and trace elements. They are natural chelating agents that make nutrients immediately available to plants and also stimulate soil microbes.

(from wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_hydrolysate)

Fish hydrolysate, in its simplest form, is ground up fish carcasses. After the usable portions are removed for human consumption, the remaining fish body, which means the guts, bones, cartilage, scales, meat, etc., is put into water and ground up. Some fish hydrolysate is ground more finely than others so more bone material is able to remain suspended. Enzymes may also be used to solubilize bones, scale and meat. If the larger chunks of bone and scales are screened out, calcium or protein, or mineral content may be lacking in the finished product form. If purchasing fish hydrolysate for agricultural applications, one should look at the label carefully for the concentration of mineral elements in the liquid. Some fish hydrolysates have been made into a dried product, but most of the oil is left behind in this process, which means a great deal of the functional food component would be lacking.

Comparison with fish emulsion:
If fish hydrolysate is heated, the oils and certain proteins can be more easily removed to be sold in purified forms. The complex protein, carbohydrate and fats in the fish material are denatured, which means they are broken down into less complex foods. Over-heating can result in destruction of the material as a food to grow beneficial organisms. Once the oils are removed and proteins denatured and simplified by the heating process, this material is called a fish emulsion. The hydrolysate process has substantially lower capital and production costs compared to fish emulsion production.

Sorry if this should be in the fertilizer forum, but I thought it'd be more appreciated here...

anyone ever used this stuff? any problems?

any extra info?

[Lifebreather]

I use this particular version:

Neptunes Harvest Fish and Kelp.

I've personally found just plain fish to be a little lacking, this version--with kelp, is a nice all arounder.

I feed once a week @ 1 tbsp per gallon. (I feed almost daily).

my friend gets it by the pier in 5 gallon buckets from some fisherman. All chunky and nasty. Puts it in the tea brewer and folliar sprays

[Madrus Rose]

IC mod Vonforne , over in the ---> Organics for Beginners forums
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.p...te#post3835764


they're all over this & much more .

[Zendo]

OP, over the years this has been covered at length in the organic forums here.

[smellychronic]

I use Hydroslate with my compost tea along with Baseline Granular Compost. They are both made by Vital Landscaping.

https://vitallandscaping.com/

[Scrappy4]

Originally Posted by Zendo

OP, over the years this has been covered at length in the organic forums here.

You are probably right. But it is still helpfull and relavent for some of us.

I just accepted the hydrolysate, was better but with the OP's posting, I have a better understanding why it is better.

Thanks for posting it 616.

BTW I have both and have not yet noticed a significant difference.......scrappy

[rexamus616]

OK, so maybe I should rephrase my question:

Does anybody know the difference between fish EMULSION and fish HYDROLYSATE?


I've looked through some threads and posts, and it seems that, YES, there are people that USE it..... But does anyone know of any difference between the products?

In my country there are many fish EMULSION products, but not as many HYDROLYSATE products.


Is there any benefit/difference between the two different extraction methods for these fish fertilizers?
-------------------------------------------

edit: found these two posts which are most helpful...

Originally Posted by CFP65

first of all its nessesary to understand what fishmeal actually is.
there are several grades of fishmeal i will explain the two most common LT80 - LT90 = Low Temperature 80% protein and 90% protein made up from herring,
the herrings are caught and transported to the fishfactory and the filets are cut of for consumption it could also be Cod or any other white fish, the leftovers eg. the finns the scales thebones and the heads etc etc. are then cooked at low tempereature and this mulch is then sprayed up in a chamber where hot air is passed by and the mulch then dries to a fishmeal
(the correct term is more like Fish Hydrolysate)

therer is however also other tecniques
and freeze drying = no heat but extreme cost (best product)
low temperature = under a certain degree (lesser but feedgrade A)
high temperature = over a certain degree (even lesser can be used for agriculture economic feedgrade and glue etc etc.)

and then there is products like CPSP
where the process of making ex. LT90 involves a skimming of the proteins (or semi broken up proteins into aminos) before the mulch is seperately handeled. and as described there is nothing wrong in using heat, you do it all the time when you cook your food, (you make a pre digestion, to ease the protein breakup into Aminoacids before it hits your stomach.) the same is made here first you cook the fishmeal to seperate the proteins and make a partial breakup into aminoacids, and later you add enzymes to chew the rest to make essentially free aminoacids)

like you chew your food - then swallow - and letting your stomach acid break up the proteins into aminoacids

normally you use this product in fishfeed as a suplement for lesser grade fishmeal and economic fishfeed containing high degrees of Soyprotein, the free aminos are connecting with receptors in the fishs nostrels and barbules that signals easy obtainable food.
like when you get hungry from the smell og chips = the scent from the grilled beaf or barbecue is in reality a signal of free aminos making you hungry.

now you want free aminos to your plants?
try CPSP but be avare that its absolutely stinking
but in reality any kind of fat free enzyme treated hydrolystae
ranging form Kasein milkpowder hyrolysate to feathermeal hydrolysate to what ever would be usefull. aminos is aminos whatver they come from

(from https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=184961&)

Originally Posted by Capt.Cheeze1

Make ACT with fish hydrolysate and you can use it through flower as it is good for introducing beneficial fungi...in fact I use it as directed if I have any early yellower's. That and top dressing of compost or EWC will delay some premature yellowing of types that don't naturally yellow at that point in there life,and developing flowers won't suffer as much. There is a big difference between fish hydrolysate (Neptunes Harvest) and a fish emulsion. There will be no fishy taste or smell in the flowers using a fish hydrolysate even in late flower. Neptunes Harvest is a great product,yet if you look around you can get fish hydrolysate and kelp extracts of Acadian kelp meal for half the price.

If you want to have a good P source using fish,try incorporating fish bone meal in the soil mix or make a tea with it and some EWC.
If you have a good complete soil mix and a decent population of organisms in your soil mix they'll eat that stuff up fast....and in turn aid in the delivery of the nutrients fast as well.
I'd say if you haven't got a water only mix that carries you through flower you'll be using a lot of fish/kelp to keep up. But it's good stuff and I never need to reach for anything else other than fish hydrolysate/EWC/compost if have any pots that develop issues.

(from https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=200023&)

The first 3 hits on google when you type in "fish emulsion versus fish hydrolysate"

For the average grower though, just know the fish hydrolysate is superior.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_hydrolysate

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_emulsion

https://www.amsoil.com/lit/g2778.pdf

[Microbeman]

Here is my take on the subject

https://www.microbeorganics.com/#Resources__Links

A word about fish fertilizers;

I have had many questions regarding fish hydrolysates vs. fish emulsions. Well, now I’ve done a little research and can give an answer. Fish emulsions are produced under high heat conditions, which as we know kills most nutrients. Fish emulsions also separate the oils and protein which are marketed separately for other uses (fish oils & fish meal). Fish emulsions are therefore not very valid as a microbial foodstock.

Fish hydrolysate, on the other hand, is produced with a low heat process known as enzymatic digestion. All the oils, nutrients and amino acids protein are left intact resulting in a substantial microbial foodstock which can be ‘mineralized’ (made bio-available) and passed on to your soil and plants.

For these reasons, when given a choice it is better to pick fish hydrolysate over emulsion.

Here is a link to Great Pacific Bioproducts who make very fine quality liquid fish fertilizer (hydrolysate). Their product is available in British Columbia, Canada but bulk purchases in the Western USA are possible. I have tested their product and it grows the most enormous fungal hyphae from our vermicompost that I have ever seen. > https://www.greatpacificbioproducts.com