Milorganite
Encyclopedia
Milorganite is the trademark of a biosolids fertilizer
produced by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District
. The name Milorganite is a contraction of the phrase Milwaukee Organic Nitrogen, and was the result of a 1925 naming contest held in National Fertilizer Magazine. The biomass from activated sludge
is heat dried to 95% solids and pelletizing at the Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility in Milwaukee
, Wisconsin
. Mistakenly, Milorganite 6-2-0 is referred to as a compost
, which it is not. Compost are blends of thermophilic organic materials, with higher moisture, lower nitrogen and much higher application rates.
Raising taxes for public health was relatively controversial in the early 1900s. In 1911, reform minded Milwaukee Sewer Socialists were elected on a platform calling for construction of a wastewater treatment plant to protect against water borne pathogens.
Experiments showed that heat dried activated sludge pellets "compared favorably with standard organic materials such as dried blood, tankage, fish scap, and cottonseed meal." Sales to golf courses, turf farms and flower growers began in 1926. Milorganite was popularized during the 1930s and 1940s before inorganic urea became available to homeowners after WWII.
Milorganite guarantees 4% iron. Iron is added to remove phosphorus from the wastewater before discharged to Lake Michigan. Heat dried biosolids contain slow release organic nitrogen, largely water insoluble phosphorus bound with iron and aluminum and high organic matter.. Given these characteristics, Milorganite is ideal for Low Input Lawn Care (LILac), a strategy to reduce the use of lawn care products while maintaining healthy turf grass.
Milorganite 5-2-0 is sold throughout the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean as a home lawn and golf course fertilizer. Boston (Bay State), Ocean County New Jersey (Oceangro) and other sewerage authories pelletize heat dried biosolids "just like Milorganite" as part of wastewater treatment system improvements. Marketing to willing buyers is sustainable recycling of nutrients without the controversy that out-of-town agricultural use provokes.
University research confirms anecdotal evidence that applying Milorganite on lawns and near plants deters deer
due to its fecal odour. However, the manufactuer cannot tout Milorganite as a deer repellent because it is not registered as a "pesticide." Therefore, repelling hungry deer from Hostas remains an "off-label" use..
Environmental regulations classify Milorganite as "exceptional quality" biosolids.
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...
produced by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District
Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District
The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District is a state-chartered government agency which provides wastewater services for 28 municipalities within Milwaukee County and also portions of the surrounding counties....
. The name Milorganite is a contraction of the phrase Milwaukee Organic Nitrogen, and was the result of a 1925 naming contest held in National Fertilizer Magazine. The biomass from activated sludge
Activated sludge
Activated sludge is a process for treating sewage and industrial wastewaters using air and a biological floc composed of bacteria and protozoans.-Purpose:...
is heat dried to 95% solids and pelletizing at the Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility in Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. Mistakenly, Milorganite 6-2-0 is referred to as a compost
Compost
Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as a fertilizer and soil amendment. Compost is a key ingredient in organic farming. At its most essential, the process of composting requires simply piling up waste outdoors and waiting for the materials to break down from anywhere...
, which it is not. Compost are blends of thermophilic organic materials, with higher moisture, lower nitrogen and much higher application rates.
Raising taxes for public health was relatively controversial in the early 1900s. In 1911, reform minded Milwaukee Sewer Socialists were elected on a platform calling for construction of a wastewater treatment plant to protect against water borne pathogens.
Experiments showed that heat dried activated sludge pellets "compared favorably with standard organic materials such as dried blood, tankage, fish scap, and cottonseed meal." Sales to golf courses, turf farms and flower growers began in 1926. Milorganite was popularized during the 1930s and 1940s before inorganic urea became available to homeowners after WWII.
Milorganite guarantees 4% iron. Iron is added to remove phosphorus from the wastewater before discharged to Lake Michigan. Heat dried biosolids contain slow release organic nitrogen, largely water insoluble phosphorus bound with iron and aluminum and high organic matter.. Given these characteristics, Milorganite is ideal for Low Input Lawn Care (LILac), a strategy to reduce the use of lawn care products while maintaining healthy turf grass.
Milorganite 5-2-0 is sold throughout the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean as a home lawn and golf course fertilizer. Boston (Bay State), Ocean County New Jersey (Oceangro) and other sewerage authories pelletize heat dried biosolids "just like Milorganite" as part of wastewater treatment system improvements. Marketing to willing buyers is sustainable recycling of nutrients without the controversy that out-of-town agricultural use provokes.
University research confirms anecdotal evidence that applying Milorganite on lawns and near plants deters deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
due to its fecal odour. However, the manufactuer cannot tout Milorganite as a deer repellent because it is not registered as a "pesticide." Therefore, repelling hungry deer from Hostas remains an "off-label" use..
Environmental regulations classify Milorganite as "exceptional quality" biosolids.