Chennai-based CIBA scientists develop soil-friendly fertilisers from fish waste

Scientists astatine the Chennai-based ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (CIBA) person developed an innovative food waste-based biofertiliser exertion that offers a sustainable and economically viable alternate to accepted fertilisers.

The institute has developed 2 caller products — CIBA-PlanktonPlus and CIBA-HortiPlus — derived wholly from food marketplace waste.

“These products correspond a win-win solution by addressing the duplicate challenges of technological food discarded disposal and the increasing request for eco-friendly nutrient sources that heighten ungraded fertility and cultivation productivity,” said Kuldeep K. Lal, Director of ICAR-CIBA.

The scientists explained India presently produces astir 195 lakh tonnes of food annually, generating much than 60 lakh tonnes of food waste. They estimation this untapped assets has the imaginable to output astir 48 lakh tonnes of CIBA-PlanktonPlus and 3 lakh tonnes of CIBA-HortiPlus each year, transforming a large biology load into a invaluable cultivation input.

Dr. Lal said multi-location on-farm trials conducted crossed Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Odisha demonstrated important benefits of CIBA-PlanktonPlus successful aquaculture. Application of the merchandise successful food and shrimp ponds enhanced accumulation by 0.6-0.8 tonnes per hectare, improved endurance rates by 10% to 15% and reduced provender requirements by 20% to 50%.

Improved productivity

The biofertiliser has besides shown promising results successful agriculture. Field trials successful paddy and rootlike crops recorded important reductions successful chemic fertiliser usage without compromising productivity. Foliar exertion of CIBA-PlanktonPlus enabled sizeable savings successful nitrogen fertiliser (urea) successful paddy cultivation, portion rootlike crops specified arsenic beans, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, and beetroot registered notable output improvements.

The 2nd product, CIBA-HortiPlus, is simply a nutrient-rich integrated manure developed from processed food waste. Application of 1.5-2 tonnes per hectare accrued murphy yields by up to 23.8% and efficaciously replaced 100-150 kg of DAP fertiliser per hectare. It besides improved ungraded fertility and enhanced the mineral contented of crops.

Debasis De, Principal Scientist astatine ICAR-CIBA, who led the technological squad down the innovation, said the products not lone amended harvest productivity but besides lend importantly to restoring ungraded wellness and reducing dependence connected chemic fertilisers.

To facilitate large-scale dissemination, ICAR-CIBA has initiated capacity-building programmes for coastal fisher self-help groups, food husbandman shaper organisations, and entrepreneurs. Production units person already been established successful respective States, including West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra, generating employment opportunities portion supporting the objectives of the Swachh Bharat Mission done improved food discarded management.

Dr. De said ICAR-CIBA’s “Waste-to-Wealth” innovation stands retired arsenic a exemplary of technological ingenuity that benefits farmers, fishers, consumers, and the situation alike.