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Anirudh MK, Lal AMN, Harikrishnan MP, Jose J, Thasim J, Warrier AS, Venkatesh R, Vaddevolu UBP, Kothakota A. Sustainable seedling pots: Development and characterisation of banana waste and natural fibre-reinforced composites for horticultural applications. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 270:132070. [PMID: 38705313 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Plastic pots used in horticultural nurseries generate substantial waste, causing environmental pollution. This study aimed to develop biodegradable composites from banana pseudo-stem reinforced with agricultural residues like pineapple leaves, taro and water hyacinth as eco-friendly substitutes. The aim of this study is to develop optimised banana biocomposite formulations with suitable reinforcements that balance mechanical durability, biodegradation, and seedling growth promotion properties to serve as viable eco-friendly alternatives to plastic seedling pots. This study was carried out by fabricating banana fibre mats through pulping, drying and hot pressing. Composite sheets were reinforced with 50 % pineapple, taro or water hyacinth fibres. The mechanical properties (tensile, yield strength, elongation, bursting strength), hydrophilicity (contact angle, water absorption), biodegradability (soil burial test), and seedling growth promotion were evaluated through appropriate testing methods. The results show that banana-taro composites exhibited suitable tensile strength (25 MPa), elongation (27 %), water uptake (41 %) and 82 % biodegradation in 60 days. It was observed that biodegradable seedling trays fabricated from banana-taro composite showed 95 % tomato seed germination and a 125 cm plant height increase in 30 days, superior to plastic trays. The finding shows that the study demonstrates the potential of banana-taro biocomposites as alternatives to plastic nursery pots, enabling healthy seedling growth while eliminating plastic waste pollution through biodegradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- M K Anirudh
- Agro-Processing & Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Trivandrum, Kerala, India
| | - A M Nandhu Lal
- Agro-Processing & Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Trivandrum, Kerala, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - M P Harikrishnan
- Agro-Processing & Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Trivandrum, Kerala, India
| | - Jijo Jose
- Agro-Processing & Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Trivandrum, Kerala, India
| | - J Thasim
- Agro-Processing & Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Trivandrum, Kerala, India
| | - Aswin S Warrier
- Agro-Processing & Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Trivandrum, Kerala, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Rangaswamy Venkatesh
- Agro-Processing & Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Trivandrum, Kerala, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Uday Bhanu Prakash Vaddevolu
- Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) Univerisity of Florida, Florida 32611, USA
| | - Anjineyulu Kothakota
- Agro-Processing & Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Trivandrum, Kerala, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India.
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Zhang W, Guo L, Liu Q, Yang M, Chen J, Lei Z. Preparation and properties of a biodegradability superabsorbent composite based on flax cake protein‐g‐poly (acrylic acid)/Kaolinite. J Appl Polym Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/app.51975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wenxu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Eco‐functional Polymer Materials of the Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Eco‐environmental Polymer Materials of Gansu Province College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University Lanzhou China
| | - Lulu Guo
- Key Laboratory of Eco‐functional Polymer Materials of the Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Eco‐environmental Polymer Materials of Gansu Province College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University Lanzhou China
| | - Qian Liu
- Key Laboratory of Eco‐functional Polymer Materials of the Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Eco‐environmental Polymer Materials of Gansu Province College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University Lanzhou China
| | - Mei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Eco‐functional Polymer Materials of the Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Eco‐environmental Polymer Materials of Gansu Province College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University Lanzhou China
| | - Jing Chen
- Key Laboratory of Eco‐functional Polymer Materials of the Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Eco‐environmental Polymer Materials of Gansu Province College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University Lanzhou China
| | - Ziqiang Lei
- Key Laboratory of Eco‐functional Polymer Materials of the Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Eco‐environmental Polymer Materials of Gansu Province College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University Lanzhou China
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Gubišová M, Hudcovicová M, Matušinský P, Ondreičková K, Klčová L, Gubiš J. Superabsorbent Polymer Seed Coating Reduces Leaching of Fungicide but Does Not Alter Their Effectiveness in Suppressing Pathogen Infestation. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 14:76. [PMID: 35012099 PMCID: PMC8747295 DOI: 10.3390/polym14010076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) applied to soil have been recognized as water reservoirs that allow plants to cope with periods of drought. Their application as a seed coat makes water available directly to the seeds during their germination and early growth phase, but on the other hand, it can affect the efficiency of plant protection substances used in seed dressing. In our experiments, we evaluated the effect of seed coating with SAP on fungicide leaching and changes in their effectiveness in suppressing Fusarium culmorum infestation. Leaching of fungicide from wheat seeds coated with SAP after fungicide dressing, as measured by the inhibition test of mycelium growth under in vitro conditions, was reduced by 14.2-15.8% compared to seeds without SAP coating. Germination of maize seeds and growth of juvenile plants in artificially infected soil did not differ significantly between seeds dressed with fungicide alone and seeds treated with SAP and fungicide. In addition, plants from the seeds coated with SAP alone grew significantly better compared to untreated seeds. Real-time PCR also confirmed this trend by measuring the amount of pathogen DNA in plant tissue. Winter wheat was less tolerant to F. culmorum infection and without fungicide dressing, the seeds were unable to germinate under strong pathogen attack. In the case of milder infection, similar results were observed as in the case of maize seeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela Gubišová
- National Agricultural and Food Centre, Research Institute of Plant Production, Bratislavská cesta 122, 921 68 Piestany, Slovakia; (M.G.); (M.H.); (L.K.); (J.G.)
| | - Martina Hudcovicová
- National Agricultural and Food Centre, Research Institute of Plant Production, Bratislavská cesta 122, 921 68 Piestany, Slovakia; (M.G.); (M.H.); (L.K.); (J.G.)
| | - Pavel Matušinský
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Palacký University in Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, 783 71 Olomouc, Czech Republic; or
- Department of Plant Pathology, Agrotest Fyto, Ltd., Havlíčkova 2787, 767 01 Kromeriz, Czech Republic
| | - Katarína Ondreičková
- National Agricultural and Food Centre, Research Institute of Plant Production, Bratislavská cesta 122, 921 68 Piestany, Slovakia; (M.G.); (M.H.); (L.K.); (J.G.)
| | - Lenka Klčová
- National Agricultural and Food Centre, Research Institute of Plant Production, Bratislavská cesta 122, 921 68 Piestany, Slovakia; (M.G.); (M.H.); (L.K.); (J.G.)
| | - Jozef Gubiš
- National Agricultural and Food Centre, Research Institute of Plant Production, Bratislavská cesta 122, 921 68 Piestany, Slovakia; (M.G.); (M.H.); (L.K.); (J.G.)
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Zinc Plus Biopolymer Coating Slows Nitrogen Release, Decreases Ammonia Volatilization from Urea and Improves Sunflower Productivity. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:polym13183170. [PMID: 34578067 PMCID: PMC8472901 DOI: 10.3390/polym13183170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, the global agriculture productivity is heavily relied on the use of chemical fertilizers. However, the low nutrient utilization efficiency (NUE) is the main obstacle for attaining higher crop productivity and reducing nutrients losses from these fertilizers to the environment. Coating fertilizer with micronutrients and biopolymer can offer an opportunity to overcome these fertilizers associated problems. Here, we coated urea with zinc sulphate (ZnS) and ZnS plus molasses (ZnSM) to control its N release, decrease the ammonia (NH3) volatilization and improve N utilization efficiency by sunflower. Morphological analysis confirmed a uniform coating layer formation of both formulations on urea granules. A slow release of N from ZnS and ZnSM was observed in water. After soil application, ZnSM decreased the NH3 emission by 38% compared to uncoated urea. Most of the soil parameters did not differ between ZnS and uncoated urea treatment. Microbial biomass N and Zn in ZnSM were 125 and 107% higher than uncoated urea, respectively. Soil mineral N in ZnSM was 21% higher than uncoated urea. Such controlled nutrient availability in the soil resulted in higher sunflower grain yield (53%), N (80%) and Zn (126%) uptakes from ZnSM than uncoated fertilizer. Hence, coating biopolymer with Zn on urea did not only increase the sunflower yield and N utilization efficiency but also meet the micronutrient Zn demand of sunflower. Therefore, coating urea with Zn plus biopolymer is recommended to fertilizer production companies for improving NUE, crop yield and reducing urea N losses to the environment in addition to fulfil crop micronutrient demand.
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Álvarez-Castillo E, Aguilar JM, Bengoechea C, López-Castejón ML, Guerrero A. Rheology and Water Absorption Properties of Alginate-Soy Protein Composites. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:1807. [PMID: 34072653 PMCID: PMC8197920 DOI: 10.3390/polym13111807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Composite materials based on proteins and carbohydrates normally offer improved water solubility, biodegradability, and biocompatibility, which make them attractive for a wide range of applications. Soy protein isolate (SPI) has shown superabsorbent properties that are useful in fields such as agriculture. Alginate salts (ALG) are linear anionic polysaccharides obtained at a low cost from brown algae, displaying a good enough biocompatibility to be considered for medical applications. As alginates are quite hydrophilic, the exchange of ions from guluronic acid present in its molecular structure with divalent cations, particularly Ca2+, may induce its gelation, which would inhibit its solubilization in water. Both biopolymers SPI and ALG were used to produce composites through injection moulding using glycerol (Gly) as a plasticizer. Different biopolymer/plasticizer ratios were employed, and the SPI/ALG ratio within the biopolymer fraction was also varied. Furthermore, composites were immersed in different CaCl2 solutions to inhibit the amount of soluble matter loss and to enhance the mechanical properties of the resulting porous matrices. The main goal of the present work was the development and characterization of green porous matrices with inhibited solubility thanks to the gelation of alginate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estefanía Álvarez-Castillo
- Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Universidad de Sevilla, Calle Virgen de África, 7, 41011 Sevilla, Spain; (J.M.A.); (C.B.); (M.L.L.-C.); (A.G.)
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Álvarez-Castillo E, Felix M, Bengoechea C, Guerrero A. Proteins from Agri-Food Industrial Biowastes or Co-Products and Their Applications as Green Materials. Foods 2021; 10:981. [PMID: 33947093 PMCID: PMC8145534 DOI: 10.3390/foods10050981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
A great amount of biowastes, comprising byproducts and biomass wastes, is originated yearly from the agri-food industry. These biowastes are commonly rich in proteins and polysaccharides and are mainly discarded or used for animal feeding. As regulations aim to shift from a fossil-based to a bio-based circular economy model, biowastes are also being employed for producing bio-based materials. This may involve their use in high-value applications and therefore a remarkable revalorization of those resources. The present review summarizes the main sources of protein from biowastes and co-products of the agri-food industry (i.e., wheat gluten, potato, zein, soy, rapeseed, sunflower, protein, casein, whey, blood, gelatin, collagen, keratin, and algae protein concentrates), assessing the bioplastic application (i.e., food packaging and coating, controlled release of active agents, absorbent and superabsorbent materials, agriculture, and scaffolds) for which they have been more extensively produced. The most common wet and dry processes to produce protein-based materials are also described (i.e., compression molding, injection molding, extrusion, 3D-printing, casting, and electrospinning), as well as the main characterization techniques (i.e., mechanical and rheological properties, tensile strength tests, rheological tests, thermal characterization, and optical properties). In this sense, the strategy of producing materials from biowastes to be used in agricultural applications, which converge with the zero-waste approach, seems to be remarkably attractive from a sustainability prospect (including environmental, economic, and social angles). This approach allows envisioning a reduction of some of the impacts along the product life cycle, contributing to tackling the transition toward a circular economy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Carlos Bengoechea
- Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Escuela Politécnica Superior, 41011 Sevilla, Spain; (E.Á.-C.); (M.F.); (A.G.)
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Comparison between pea and soy protein‐based bioplastics obtained by injection molding. J Appl Polym Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/app.50412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Jiménez‐Rosado M, Perez‐Puyana V, Rubio‐Valle JF, Guerrero A, Romero A. Processing of biodegradable and multifunctional protein‐based polymer materials for the potential controlled release of zinc and water in horticulture. J Appl Polym Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/app.49419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Jiménez‐Rosado
- Departamento de Ingeniería QuímicaUniversidad de Sevilla, Escuela Politécnica Superior Sevilla Spain
| | - Víctor Perez‐Puyana
- Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Facultad de QuímicaUniversidad de Sevilla Sevilla Spain
| | | | - Antonio Guerrero
- Departamento de Ingeniería QuímicaUniversidad de Sevilla, Escuela Politécnica Superior Sevilla Spain
| | - Alberto Romero
- Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Facultad de QuímicaUniversidad de Sevilla Sevilla Spain
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Beig B, Niazi MBK, Jahan Z, Kakar SJ, Shah GA, Shahid M, Zia M, Haq MU, Rashid MI. Biodegradable Polymer Coated Granular Urea Slows Down N Release Kinetics and Improves Spinach Productivity. Polymers (Basel) 2020; 12:polym12112623. [PMID: 33171829 PMCID: PMC7695163 DOI: 10.3390/polym12112623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Low nitrogen (N) utilization efficiency due to environmental N losses from fertilizers results in high-cost on-farm production. Urea coating with biodegradable polymers can prevent these losses by controlling the N release of fertilizers. We calculated N release kinetics of coated granular with various biodegradable polymeric materials and its impact on spinach yield and N uptake. Different formulations were used, (i) G-1: 10% starch + 5% polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) + 5% molasses; (ii) G-2: 10% starch + 5% PVA + 5% paraffin wax (PW); (iii) G-3: 5% gelatin + 10% gum arabic + 5% PW; (iv) G-4: 5% molasses + 5% gelatin + 10% gum arabic, to coat urea using a fluidized bed coater. The morphological and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses indicated that a uniform coating layer with no new phase formation occurred. In the G-2 treatment, maximum crushing strength (72.9 N) was achieved with a slowed-down N release rate and increased efficiency of 31%. This resulted in increased spinach dry foliage yield (47%), N uptake (60%) and apparent N recovery (ANR: 130%) from G-2 compared to uncoated urea (G-0). Therefore, coating granular urea with biodegradable polymers is a good choice to slower down the N release rate and enhances the crop yield and N utilization efficiency from urea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bilal Beig
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad 24090, Pakistan; (B.B.); (Z.J.)
| | - Muhammad Bilal Khan Niazi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad 24090, Pakistan; (B.B.); (Z.J.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +92-51-9085-5103
| | - Zaib Jahan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad 24090, Pakistan; (B.B.); (Z.J.)
| | - Salik Javed Kakar
- Department of Healthcare Biotechnology, Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences (ASAB), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Sector H-12, Islamabad 24090, Pakistan;
| | - Ghulam Abbas Shah
- Department of Agronomy, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Murree Road Rawalpindi, Punjab 10370, Pakistan;
| | - Muhammad Shahid
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan;
| | - Munir Zia
- Research and Development Department, Fauji Fertilizer Company Limited, 156-The Mall, Rawalpindi, Punjab 46300, Pakistan; (M.Z.); (M.U.H.)
| | - Midrar Ul Haq
- Research and Development Department, Fauji Fertilizer Company Limited, 156-The Mall, Rawalpindi, Punjab 46300, Pakistan; (M.Z.); (M.U.H.)
| | - Muhammad Imtiaz Rashid
- Centre of Excellence in Environmental Studies, King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia;
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Jiménez‐Rosado M, Alonso‐González M, Rubio‐Valle JF, Perez‐Puyana V, Romero A. Biodegradable soy protein‐based matrices for the controlled release of zinc in horticulture. J Appl Polym Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/app.49187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - María Alonso‐González
- Facultad de Física, Departamento de Ingeniería QuímicaUniversidad de Sevilla Sevilla Spain
| | | | - Victor Perez‐Puyana
- Facultad de Química, Departamento de Ingeniería QuímicaUniversidad de Sevilla Sevilla Spain
| | - Alberto Romero
- Facultad de Física, Departamento de Ingeniería QuímicaUniversidad de Sevilla Sevilla Spain
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