Eco-friendly fertilizer from organic waste: a sustainable solution for enhanced plant growth

Abstract

The use of chemical fertilizers in agriculture often leads to environmental issues such as water, soil, and air pollution. During production, chemical fertilizers release byproducts like ammonia, carbon dioxide, and methane, contributing significantly to air pollution. This project aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of a green fertilizer made from paddy husk, banana peel, tea waste, coffee grounds, anchovy waste, onion peels, garlic peels, and eggshells. To create the fertilizer, approximately 50g of paddy husk was ground into a fine powder and set aside. Banana peels, tea waste, coffee grounds, anchovy waste, onion peels, garlic peels, and eggshells were then sun-dried for four days and finely chopped. Each dried material was crushed separately into powder form and then combined to form a homogeneous mixture. Water was added to this powder mixture to create a dough, which was shaped into rounds and sun-dried for several hours. In order to test the effectiveness of the eco-friendly fertilizer, two brinjal seeds were used in two pots. In Pot A, the soil was mixed with the newly developed fertilizer. At the same time, Pot B served as a control without any fertilizer. After a few weeks, plant height was measured, revealing that the eco-friendly fertilizer positively impacted plant growth. This unique fertilizer offers an eco-friendly solution, as it is made entirely from biodegradable waste materials, thus being safe for the environment. Results of this study show that fertilizer produced from organic waste effectively enhances plant growth, specifically in okra plants, while contributing to sustainable agricultural practices.