Chapter 249 Harold: Because it's convenient
Haroldt specifically recorded this method because it is the basis of the synthetic ammonia process and the main raw material for nitrogen fertilizer.
In the continent of Teyvat, Xumi originally had fertilizer, which was called "the blessing of fertility". In the plot of the game, after the isolation order of Inazuma was lifted, the Xumi merchant immediately opened a grocery store in Inazuma with it and other special products of Xumi.
According to the merchants who sell this fertilizer, the "Blessing of Fertility" comes from the blessing of the Little Auspicious Grass King. It can use elemental power to make the soil more vibrant and allow crops to grow on barren land. Farmers who grow crops in Xumi City also said similar words.
But there are many exaggerated elements in it. According to the time, when the Inazuma Lock-up Order was just lifted, the little Jixiangcao King was still imprisoned in the Jingshan Palace.
Although she can possess her consciousness on other people, she cannot use elemental power freely, and grass elemental power cannot be attached to inanimate objects for a long time after leaving the user.
We can also see some clues from some things that happened later: after regaining her freedom, the Little King of Grass was committed to developing desert education and improving the quality of life of desert people, but she did not let the Order of the Gods transport the "Fertile Benefit" into the desert, nor did she use this fertilizer in other remote areas...
All signs indicate that the fertilizer produced in Xumi is not as miraculous as the merchants who sell it say.
In order to confirm, Harold specifically sought confirmation from his partner Dolly.
After hearing Harold's question, Dolly crossed her arms and said, "The rainforest has a lot of rainfall, and the soil fertility is seriously lost. If farmers do not use stone fences properly and apply fertilizers many times during the planting process, it will be impossible to harvest crops.
The Ministry of Education knows this, so every year it distributes free "Fertile Benefits" to residents in the suburbs of Xumi City. However, the quantity is limited, and the benefits are not as good as those for residents outside Xumi City.
If residents outside the city want to grow crops, they have to buy "fertility fertilizer" from merchants out of their own pockets, but the price of this fertilizer is not cheap.
Therefore, outside Xumi City, there are very few farmlands, and people with some assets who want to get rich through planting will choose to plant trees instead of vegetables. "
Dolly's words further confirmed Harold's guess. Harold nodded and continued to ask:
"What is the raw material of this fertilizer? Can you tell me?"
"Oh my, my friend, you actually asked about the material of this fertilizer... This is an important trade secret!" Dolly rubbed her hands and looked at Harold expectantly.
"Why are you asking about this? You're not trying to steal our business, are you? From what I know about you, you must have come up with an idea to improve this fertilizer so that we can earn more Mora, right?!"
Harold smiled and said, "That's the theory. My students and I are working on a new method for making fertilizers, but I need to first confirm the raw materials of the 'Benefit of Fertility' you have.
If necessary, we will continue to study along this line of thought. If not, we will temporarily put it aside and go in another direction first - that is also a profitable research. "
Dolly's eyes lit up when she heard this. She took out a stack of papers, quickly pointed to the middle one, and patted a wooden box beside her:
"Okay, okay, here is the formula, and here are the raw materials. Here they are, all for you! My friend, you must tell me your research plan after you read it!"
Harold smiled and nodded, and read the document in his hand carefully. As expected, just as he thought, "Fertile Blessing" is actually a kind of organic fertilizer.
To put it in plain words, it is a mixture of dry chicken manure, pack animal manure, rapeseed cake, wood ash, etc.
Expected.
Harold thought.
After all, on Blue Star, there are only three common types of fertilizers: inorganic fertilizers, organic fertilizers, and microbial fertilizers.
As for inorganic fertilizers, Teyvat's technology tree has not yet reached the chemistry level, and nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, etc. have not been discovered.
As for microbial fertilizers...microscopes were improved after he came here, and he was the one who defined "microorganisms",
The residents of Teyvat generally believe that the source of nutrients provided by the soil to plants is the earth veins (although this conclusion is not wrong from another perspective). Scholars specializing in this field believe that the source of nutrients for plants is humus, so it would be strange if Teyvat had microbial fertilizers.
Therefore, if there is no divine intervention, the “Benefit of Fertility” can only be organic fertilizer, and there are many things that can be done in this regard.
Harold felt that he saw a huge business opportunity.
"There are many areas that can be improved here," Harold said to Dolly.
"Really?!" Dolly opened her eyes wide in surprise, and then laughed her mouth off.
"Hehe, to be honest, we have also been looking for ways to improve 'Fengwo Zhihui'. The current 'Fengwo Zhihui' has a long production cycle, and it is not easy to store and transport, so the price remains high.
Our poor plantation owners and foreign farmers cannot buy the cheap "Benefit of Fertility" and can only watch their crops turn yellow and wither, with poor yields.
I really saw it with my own eyes and was worried about it! Now, you came and brought an improvement plan.
Great! The plantation owners in Xumi are saved! The farmers abroad are saved! You are the people’s savior and my cash cow!”
"Alright, alright," Harold said, getting more and more outrageous. He made a "stop" gesture helplessly. "Our research progress will not be fast. After all, both I and my students are entering this field for the first time."
"I know, I know." Dolly nodded repeatedly and said attentively, "You need research funds, the latest experimental equipment, and someone to test the semi-finished products for you...
No matter what you need, you can tell me. The omnipotent merchant Sangge Mahabayi is always here to welcome you!"
"I feel relieved when you say that, my friend. I happen to have a list of items here."
Harold said as he took out a note from his pocket. He did not list most of the things that could be bought with money. Dolly was not stupid, as she was a bridge between him and the merchants and manufacturers in Xumi. She could roughly guess how much assets he had.
He would definitely be careful with his investment, so he might as well leave some bottom line and do Dolly a favor. Most of the items on his list were equipment that couldn't be bought with money. What he needed most was Dolly's connections.
Although he has a little fame now, it is only in Xumi. Abroad, his influence is far less than that of Dolly, who has worked hard for many years and has almost become a benchmark for businessmen.
He needed Dolly to negotiate with the engineers at the Fontaine Scientific Academy on his behalf, so that those technical geeks could make more sophisticated instruments according to his descriptions and simple drawings, thus paving the way for his future research.
Dolly was stunned for a second when she saw the nearly 20-centimeter-long list. Her eyes instantly became sharp, but she still said cheerfully, "No problem, no problem."
After taking the list from Harold and reading it carefully, her smile and tone became unusually sincere:
"Oh, my friend, you really have the talent to do big business - leave it to me!"
The matter was settled.
Now, Harold was very satisfied to see that Radu had used a customized hot water steam generator and successfully produced ammonia in the laboratory using hot water steam and calcium cyanamide.
Of course, in Radu's experimental notebook, he wrote down the chemical formulas of these substances because he had not yet figured out how to name these substances.
Seeing that Harold's eyes lingered on the chemical formulas he had written for a long time, Radu stepped forward and said expectantly:
"Teacher, these are the substances I made based on your notes. I would like you to name them."
Harold nodded slightly and said, "Radu, you see, CaCN2 contains calcium, carbon, and nitrogen, so let's call it calcium cyanamide."
"Okay—hmm?" Radu agreed, then uttered a puzzled "Hmm?"
"What's the matter?" Harold asked.
Radu wondered: Why is it called calcium cyanamide when it has calcium, carbon, and nitrogen? Is there any connection between the two?
Is the teacher giving me a new hint? Yes, it must be so. The teacher must have a deep meaning behind this.
Thinking this through, Radu quickly explained: "It's nothing, I think this name is very good."
Harold nodded and immediately named CaC2 calcium carbide and NH3 ammonia.
They are all consistent with the names on Blue Planet, which will be much more convenient when I write papers in the future, Harold thought with satisfaction.