Hya Power Organic Fertiliser

Hya Power Organic Fertiliser

Hya Power Organic Fertiliser, also marketed under HyaMatla Organics, is an organic farm input produced from water hyacinth. The product is promoted for use on vegetables, maize, lawns, fruit trees, flowers and other crops. The supplier states that it contains no added chemicals or preservatives and that it can be used as a fertiliser and as an animal feed product.  

Water hyacinth is usually seen as a problem plant because it can block dams, rivers and waterways. Turning it into fertiliser is therefore an interesting circular economy approach: a waterway management problem is converted into a soil input. This makes the product relevant for organic agriculture, waste reduction and climate-smart farming, provided that quality, safety and certification claims are checked.

What the product claims to do

The supplier says the fertiliser contains up to sixteen nutrients required by plants in one product. It is described as a slow-release organic fertiliser that bonds to the soil, does not easily dissolve in water, improves soil nutrient retention, supports higher crop yields and helps restore soil pH balance.  

The product is also described as weed-free and odour-free. The supplier says it can be used once per growing season in most cases, although repeat applications may be needed where soils are badly depleted.  

Nutrient content

According to the brochure, the fertiliser nutrient content was tested by Intertek and includes the following main nutrients:

• Nitrogen: 5.27 percent
• Phosphorus: 0.13 percent
• Potassium: 1.76 percent
• Magnesium: 0.48 percent
• Sulphur: 0.38 percent
• Calcium: 0.54 percent
• pH: 7.69
• Electrical conductivity: 1,570 microsiemens per centimetre

The brochure also lists several trace elements, including zinc, copper, boron, iron, molybdenum, sodium, cobalt, chromium and aluminium.  

Because aluminium is listed at a high level in the brochure, growers should ask the supplier for the full laboratory report and, where possible, get advice from a soil scientist or agronomist before heavy use, especially on food crops or acidic soils.

Application rate

The supplier gives a general application rate of 250 grams to 500 grams per square metre, or 2.5 tonnes to 5 tonnes per hectare, depending on soil condition.  

The brochure also contains a lower hectare figure in one place, saying 250 kilograms to 500 kilograms per hectare, while another document says 2.5 tonnes to 5 tonnes per hectare. This difference should be clarified with the supplier before field-scale use.  

Recommended use before planting

Where possible, start with a soil and water test. The supplier recommends checking soil acidity first, because this helps decide how much fertiliser is needed. Where acidity is too high, the application guide suggests mixing some lime with the product.  

For planting holes, the application guide suggests applying about 250 grams per planting hole. It compares this to one English tea cup, not a mug. The guide says the product should be covered and watered immediately so that it can start reacting with the soil before planting. Planting can then happen three days, one week or even two weeks later.  

Use during planting

The product can also be applied on the same day as planting. In that case, the hole is dug, the fertiliser is added, the hole is watered, and the crop is planted. For seedlings, the guide recommends transplanting after watering the hole. It also recommends watering twice daily for the first two weeks after planting.  

Use on crops already growing

For crops already in the field, the product can be applied close to the plant stalk. For vegetables planted about 30 centimetres apart, the guide suggests digging a hole between two plants and applying the product there. For vegetables grown in beds, it suggests applying about 500 grams between four crops. The guide says plants may show visible improvement from day 11 to day 15, especially through stronger stalks, greener leaves and faster growth.  

Possible uses

This product may be useful for:

• Vegetable gardens
• Maize production
• Fruit trees
• Lawns
• Flowers
• Soil restoration trials
• Organic demonstration plots
• Community gardens
• Smallholder production systems

Because it is made from plant biomass, it may be especially interesting where farmers want to build soil organic matter rather than only feed plants with soluble fertiliser.

Advantages

The strongest advantages are practical ones:

• It uses water hyacinth, which can otherwise become an invasive waterway problem.
• It supplies organic matter as well as nutrients.
• It appears easy to apply by hand in gardens and small farms.
• It may reduce the need for repeated fertiliser applications.
• It fits well with organic, regenerative and low-waste farming approaches.
• It can be tested easily in small plots before larger use.

Important cautions

This article should not treat all marketing claims as proven. Before using the product at scale, farmers should check:

• Whether the product is officially registered for fertiliser use in Namibia
• Whether the “organic” claim is accepted by the relevant organic certification body
• Whether the laboratory report confirms safety for food crops
• Whether heavy metals or unwanted contaminants are within safe limits
• Whether the correct application rate is 250 to 500 grams per square metre, or 250 to 500 kilograms per hectare
• Whether the product is suitable for the specific soil, crop and irrigation system

Farmers should first test the product on a small area and compare it with an untreated control area. This is especially important where the soil is saline, acidic, very sandy or already nutrient-rich.

Simple trial method for farmers

A practical trial can be done as follows:

• Choose two similar garden beds or crop rows.
• Apply Hya Power to one bed at the recommended rate.
• Leave the second bed untreated, or manage it with the farm’s normal fertiliser practice.
• Plant the same crop on the same day.
• Water both areas the same way.
• Record germination, leaf colour, plant height, pest pressure, yield and taste.
• Take photos every week.
• Compare results after harvest.

This kind of simple side-by-side trial helps farmers see whether the product works under their own conditions.

Contact

For supply, price, application advice and updated product documents, contact:

Ms Naamejo-Omaano
Mobile: 081 147 5703
Mobile: 081 125 5251
Alternative mobile from poster: 081 394 3120
Email: omaano@gmail.com
Postal address: P.O. Box 96320, Windhoek
Registration number: CC/2008/3605

Suggested wiki categories

• Organic fertilisers
• Soil fertility
• Circular economy
• Water hyacinth
• Namibia farm inputs
• Organic vegetable production
• Soil restoration