Molasses is widely used in food industries and agriculture. In agriculture, can we use it as raw material ?? If used in field crop, what is the possibility to catch soil insects??? We want to use it as substrate for azospirillum and azotobacter bacteria.
Yes, it could be a good carrier for these microbes but you will need to standardize it .. Sugarcane molasses is a viscous, dark and sugar-rich by-product of sugar extraction from the sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.). It is a major feed ingredient, used as an energy source and as a binder in compound feeds.
Unlocking the bacterial and fungal communities assemblages of sugarcane microbiome (Scientific Reports 6, Article number: 28774 (2016), doi:10.1038/srep28774)
Abstract:Plant microbiome and its manipulation herald a new era for plant biotechnology with the potential to benefit sustainable crop production. However, studies evaluating the diversity, structure and impact of the microbiota in economic important crops are still rare. Here we describe a comprehensive inventory of the structure and assemblage of the bacterial and fungal communities associated with sugarcane. Our analysis identified 23,811 bacterial OTUs and an unexpected 11,727 fungal OTUs inhabiting the endophytic and exophytic compartments of roots, shoots, and leaves. These communities originate primarily from native soil around plants and colonize plant organs in distinct patterns. The sample type is the primary driver of fungal community assemblage, and the organ compartment plays a major role in bacterial community assemblage. We identified core bacterial and fungal communities composed of less than 20% of the total microbial richness but accounting for over 90% of the total microbial relative abundance. The roots showed 89 core bacterial families, 19 of which accounted for 44% of the total relative abundance. Stalks are dominated by groups of yeasts that represent over 12% of total relative abundance. The core microbiome described here comprise groups whose biological role underlies important traits in plant growth and fermentative processes.
Dr. Kamal, molasses contains considerable amount of organic matter and plant nutrients particularly K and S and appreciable amount of N and P. However, because of its high organic load, resulting in high biochemical oxygen demand ( BOD) and chemical oxygen demand ( COD), they are unsafe for direct application on to agricultural lands. However, be safely applied for different crops after suitable dilution. Probably, it can be use as substrate of Azotobacter and Azospirillum.
Potential uses include:
High energy low protein livestock fodder supplement, e.g. cattle in Cuba
For stabilisation of non - tarmac road near sugar mills.
Sugarcane molasses having plant nutrients so that can be used as source of plant nutrients after diluted with water. It also very good source of organic amendment of salt affected soil because of high content of S.
Molasses are equally good and effective amendments for salt affected soils, i agree with you Dr Yaduvanshi..
In general, molasses is used in the distillery industry as a raw material for production of alcohol and the distillery effluent viz., spent wash is being used for direct application to the land after treatment or dilution. However with respect to direct application of molasses, as pointed out by others it will provide enough plant nutrients and based on my field experience, I can say in Potash deficiency soil, this will have a tremendous effect on productivity of crops. As pointed out it can be used as a substrate for microbes. Besides, we found that if molasses is applied to the land along with the pressmud (filter cake), all the nutrients removed from the soil by the sugarcane are returned back to the soil by which mining of nutrients from soil can be avoided, apart from improving the physical properties of soil also.
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