Blood meal
Encyclopedia
Blood meal is a dry, inert powder made from blood
used as a high-nitrogen
fertilizer
and a high protein
animal feed. N= 13.25%, P = 1.0%, K = 0.6%. It is one of the highest non-synthetic sources of nitrogen. Blood meal is completely soluble and can be mixed with water to be used as a liquid fertilizer. It usually comes from cattle as a slaughterhouse
by-product
. It can be spread on gardens to deter animals such as rabbit
s, or as a composting activator. It may also be used as an animal food supplement for cattle, fish and poultry and is in fact widely used due to the high lysine
content. In some countries, it is mixed with molasses before use as animal feed. At least one major marketer is offering blood meal derived from hogs, as an alternative to bovine-derived product.
Blood meal, bone meal
, and other animal by-products are permitted in certified organic production as soil amendments, though they cannot be fed to organic livestock. Blood meal is different from bone meal
in that blood meal contains a much higher amount of nitrogen, while bone meal contains phosphorus.
Nitrogen is more typically missing from soils than the other elements provided by most fertilizers (phosphorus and potassium). Plants grown in soil lacking proper amounts of nitrogen will yellow from the leaves down due to nitrogen deficiency
. Applying blood meal will help plants become green again.
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
used as a high-nitrogen
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N, atomic number of 7 and atomic mass 14.00674 u. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78.08% by volume of Earth's atmosphere...
fertilizer
Fertilizer
Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
and a high protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
animal feed. N= 13.25%, P = 1.0%, K = 0.6%. It is one of the highest non-synthetic sources of nitrogen. Blood meal is completely soluble and can be mixed with water to be used as a liquid fertilizer. It usually comes from cattle as a slaughterhouse
Slaughterhouse
A slaughterhouse or abattoir is a facility where animals are killed for consumption as food products.Approximately 45-50% of the animal can be turned into edible products...
by-product
By-product
A by-product is a secondary product derived from a manufacturing process or chemical reaction. It is not the primary product or service being produced.A by-product can be useful and marketable or it can be considered waste....
. It can be spread on gardens to deter animals such as rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
s, or as a composting activator. It may also be used as an animal food supplement for cattle, fish and poultry and is in fact widely used due to the high lysine
Lysine
Lysine is an α-amino acid with the chemical formula HO2CCH4NH2. It is an essential amino acid, which means that the human body cannot synthesize it. Its codons are AAA and AAG....
content. In some countries, it is mixed with molasses before use as animal feed. At least one major marketer is offering blood meal derived from hogs, as an alternative to bovine-derived product.
Blood meal, bone meal
Bone meal
Bone meal is a mixture of crushed and coarsely ground bones that is used as an organic fertilizer for plants and formerly in animal feed. As a slow-release fertilizer, bone meal is primarily used as a source of phosphorus....
, and other animal by-products are permitted in certified organic production as soil amendments, though they cannot be fed to organic livestock. Blood meal is different from bone meal
Bone meal
Bone meal is a mixture of crushed and coarsely ground bones that is used as an organic fertilizer for plants and formerly in animal feed. As a slow-release fertilizer, bone meal is primarily used as a source of phosphorus....
in that blood meal contains a much higher amount of nitrogen, while bone meal contains phosphorus.
Nitrogen is more typically missing from soils than the other elements provided by most fertilizers (phosphorus and potassium). Plants grown in soil lacking proper amounts of nitrogen will yellow from the leaves down due to nitrogen deficiency
Nitrogen deficiency
All plants require sufficient supplies of macronutrients for healthy growth, and nitrogen is a nutrient that is commonly in limited supply. Nitrogen deficiency in plants can occur when organic matter with high carbon carbon content, such as sawdust, is added to soil. Soil organisms use any...
. Applying blood meal will help plants become green again.