An organic, fresh-smelling fertilizer product is produced by collecting llama pellets from llamas that have preferably been fed only alfalfa hay with grain supplements. The pellets are first dried by means of a relatively slow process that enables them to harden as pellets rather than fragment, and they are then ground to produce a particulate mass such as powder, granulates or pellet-sized particles which has an alfalfa-like scent and is a very effective fertilizer.
The instant process forms a pellet comprised of at least sixty percent composted sewer sludge, up to forty percent cellulosic plant material and up to fifteen percent nutrient materials and chemicals for soil enhancement and plant nutrition that provides a combination of both long and short term beneficiation of soil and herbage and has no pathogenic microbes above regulatory ranges. The composted sewer sludge comprises primary sewer sludge admixed with cellulosic plant material that is thermally treated at temperatures between 140 and 180 degrees F. during composting to destroy mesophyllic pathogenic microbes and the viability of reproducible botanicals including seeds, but leave most thermophilic soil enhancing microbes in a viable state. Additional fibrous cellulosic material and chemicals are admixed with the composted sewer sludge and the mixture pelletized in a thermal process that raises pellet temperature to between 140 to 180 degrees F. The nutrient and chemical materials selectively comprise nitrogenous fertilizers, phosphate, potash, trace elements, herbicides, insecticides and botanical chemicals. The pellets may contain viable seeds desired for propagation.
A substantially odorless and sterilized fertilizer in pellet form is produced by combining a dry organic waste material and a dry binder material, then combining the resulting dry mixture with steam, water and/or further organic waste in the form of sludge. The resulting material is provided to an extruder for a more thorough, dispersive mixing, a pressure increase to at least 100 psi, and heating above the glass transition temperature of the binder, and more preferably to at least about 125.degree. C. to substantially sterilize the material mass. The extruded material is forced through a die and released to an ambient environment, rapidly reducing pressure of the material and thereby lysing spores and microorganisms surviving conditions within the extruder. The emerging material is segmented and dried, or segmented and tumbled to form pellets, then dried. When dried to a moisture content of at most 7%, the pellets further can be inoculated with an active agent within an adhesive, resulting in a final moisture content of 10-14%.
