Characterization of Sugarcane and Coconut Leaf Sheath Biodegradable Seedling Bag with Slow-Release Phosphate

• Published in: Malaysian Journal of Chemistry
• Main Author: Wong F.R.; Shah Habeeb Rahman M.N.; Yong S.K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malaysian Institute of Chemistry 2024
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85209907491&doi=10.55373%2fmjchem.v26i5.346&partnerID=40&md5=37302e20b356de2905e9d24217e89b09

Sustainable practices in agriculture are crucial for supporting the growth of human population without impacting the environment. However, excessive usage of seedling polybags has led to environmental pollution due to the increased waste of plastics. Usually, after the seedling is moved into pots or planting holes, polybags are thrown away and this may damage the root system from growing healthily. Besides, soils may lack nutrients that the plant seedlings need. Therefore, the solution for this issue is to develop a biodegradable seedling bag (BSB) that is made from natural fiber waste with slow-release phosphate function for increasing the survival of seedlings. Sugarcane bagasse fiber (SBF) and coconut leaf sheath fiber (CLSF) were used as the reinforced materials to slow-release fertilizer (SRF) matrix. SRF consists of a mixture of glycerol, water, cassava starch, vinegar, and fertilizer (phosphoric acid). Then, SBF was added to the SRF mixture and spread on top of the CLSF surface using the hand lay-up technique before being dried in the oven. Then, it was compressed using cold compression molding press machine. Three compositions with different ratios of CSLF, SBF and SRF were formulated. Then, BSBs were tested to identify the water contact angle, water absorption, biodegradability, chemical interaction, and tensile properties. The best composition of BSB consists of the highest fibers (CLSF and SBF) content, which gave the highest physico-mechanical and chemical properties except tensile elongation at break. Application of BSB may reduce seedling shock because of pot transferring, increase root growth and early shoot growth, accelerate ground cover for erosion protection and improve seedling survival. The development of BSB may help promote circular economy via reutilization of waste biomass. Thus, minimizes the environmental impact caused by utilization of non-biodegradable plastic and phosphate fertilizer. © 2024 Malaysian Institute of Chemistry. All rights reserved.