Developing organic solutions for soil management

In Nicaragua, our SMS team has developed two innovative products: a commercial compost produced from coffee pulp, and a fertiliser called Biol, made from mucilage, a by-product of the wet milling process.

The compost is produced at ECOM’s wet mill on La Cumplida farm in Matagalpa, where 7,500 tons of pulp are produced for each crop. Once composted and spread on the land, it provides a slow release of nutrients to coffee trees, helping produce improved soil structure and more productive plants. It also avoids GHG emissions, as pulp that is left to decompose releases methane.

The team has also been producing Biol, a unique formula of liquid fertiliser, containing macro and micronutrients, as well as beneficial microorganisms, developed in Costa Rica. These microorganisms capture nitrogen and release phosphorus from the ground, and play a vital role in improving soil drainage as well as water retention. Our SMS team is evaluating the use of Biol to reduce farmers’ dependence on synthetic fertilisers, which are expensive and increase the carbon footprint.

Currently, 200 tons of compost and 20,000 litres of Biol are produced every crop. Both SMS Biol and SMS compost are currently being registered for commercial use by coffee growers and we are looking to increase the production of compost to process 100% of coffee pulp produced.