Two points relevant to a discussion about liquid fish hydrolysate are cost effectiveness and the fish species involved. I recently gave this answer in addressing the question are all cold-processed fish sources the same:
Cold-processing of whole fish is the key to a biological product. The filet may have been removed but the oils are still intact.
Neptune's Harvest and
Organic Gem are both out of Gloucester, Massachusetts, and utilize unwanted species caught in trawling nets, primarily dogfish shark.
Dramm and
Schafer's in the Midwest utilize Asian carp, an invasive species determined to reach the Great Lakes.
Brown's in North Carolina utilizes rainbow trout but I suspect this might be farm-raised fish (fed gmo soymeal). I've heard Brown's gets a charge of ocean species as well but haven't confirmed that. And then there's
Pacific-Gro in Washington that promotes the higher quality oils found in wild salmon coupled with crab and shrimp remnants to add a 'chitlin factor' to its fish product. Price point certainly matters and that often comes down to shipping costs. I order from Organic Gem as a pallet load of four barrels ships from relatively nearby in the Northeast. I've had the opportunity to use the Dramm product and it seems equally rich. Same for Neptune's Harvest. Most growers understand that we are not talking about 'fish emulsion' which lacks the oily portion and has been pasteurized. Be aware as well that some conventional ag companies spike nitrogen levels in so-called hydrolysate products.
Chime in with your experiences. I'm particularly wanting to hear anything more about the fish species being used. Some powdered fish fertilizers are made from species specifically caught solely for this one purpose. Such taking from ocean ecosystems on an industrial scale to prop up depleted soils fails on an ethical level in my opinion. It's a fine enough line (as described above) with what I consider to all be reputable companies.
Lost Nation OrchardZone 4b in New Hampshire
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/27/2018 01:22AM by Michael Phillips.