![biocahr](http://blogs.dickinson.edu/writingsciencenews2020/files/2020/03/download.jpg)
Biochar can be a valuable soil amendment for crops. Photo courtesy of Eco-Business.com
Banana peels – we peel them, we occasionally slip on them, and I’m sure most of us end up throwing them away (unless you compost, in which case you are a credit to society). Researchers in Bangladesh have recently found alternative uses for banana peels that could potentially curb the agriculture industry’s hunger for synthetic fertilizers.
A study conducted at Khulna University in Bangladesh, has demonstrated that biochar made from banana peels can be quite effective at keeping potassium, a key nutrient for plants, in the soil. It’s made through a process called pyrolysis in which biomass is heated to very high temperatures with very little oxygen. The benefits of biochar have already been fairly well-documented, with past research finding that it can absorb toxins like heavy metals, reduce nutrient leaching, increase the soil’s ability to hold water, increase soil microbial activity, and improve soil quality and plant growth. You may be wondering why we would need to develop yet another kind of biochar since it can already be made out of other biomass materials, but much of the significance of this study comes from the fact that it’s place-based. Bangladesh is a country that produces one million tons of bananas every year. The crop is not only economically important, but it’s also a major food source and consumed at a high rate because bananas can be grown year-round. This study sought to fill the knowledge gap concerning banana peel biochar specifically, because it’s such an abundant byproduct in Bangladesh and could be used to replace some synthetic fertilizers if it proves to be beneficial for crops.
This study was composed of two experiments. The first included three replications of four treatments: plants grown with a soil content of 1, 2, and 3% banana peel biochar, and one control treatment. Water spinach was planted in each replicate and harvested after 42 days. The second experiment included three replicates of three treatments of soil amendments: banana peel biochar, potassium applied through conventional fertilizer, and a control treatment. A variety of pumpkin was planted in these treatments. Researchers did not find any significant differences in plant height of water spinach, but they did notice that while the pumpkins in the control treatment exhibited signs of potassium deficiency, those growing with both the potassium amendments and the banana peel biochar did not. It was also observed that the pumpkins growing with banana peel biochar appeared to be greener and healthier compared to the other treatments. This finding could be really beneficial for banana-growing countries like Bangladesh, but it’s also an important lesson for the agriculture industry that the most valuable resources are sometimes the things that you see every day.
Article:
Islam, M et al. (2019). Banana peel biochar as alternative source of potassium for plant productivity and sustainable agriculture. International Journal of Recycling of Organic Waste in Agriculture. Supplement 1, Vol. 8. Pg. 407-413. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40093-019-00313-8
Alex
"This title was very eye catching! That is so interesting that such a ..."
Alex
"This is really interesting! The fact that crops and plants are damaged is ..."
Alex
"Well done, this article is great and the information is very captivating! Ethics ..."
Alex
"I was intrigued throughout the whole article! This is such an interesting topic, ..."
Alex
"This is such an interesting article, and very relevant!! Great job at explaining ..."
Grandpa
"Honey You Did a good job I will forward to my eye doctor "
murphymv
"This article is fascinating because it delves into the details of the research ..."
murphymv
"I agree, adding the photo helped solidify the main finding. "
murphymv
"This is a fascinating finding. I hope this innovative approach to improving transplants ..."
Sherzilla
"This is a great article! I would really love to hear how exactly ..."
Sherzilla
"It's disappointment that these treatments were not very effective but hopefully other researchers ..."
Sherzilla
"I agree with your idea that we need to shift our focus to ..."
Sherzilla
"It's amazing to see how such an everyday household product such as ..."
Lauren Kageler
"I will be interested to see what the data looks like from the ..."
Lauren Kageler
"A very interesting article that emphasizes one of the many benefits that the ..."
maricha
"Great post! I had known about the plight of Little Browns, but I ..."
Sherzilla
"I assumed cancer patients were more at risk to the virus but I ..."
Sherzilla
"Great article! It sheds light on a topic that everyone is curious about. ..."
maricha
"This article is full of really important and relevant information! I really liked ..."
maricha
"Definitely a very newsworthy article! Nice job explaining the structure of the virus ..."
maricha
"It's interesting to think that humans aren't only species dealing with the global ..."
murphymv
"This is very interesting and well explained. I am not too familiar with ..."
Lauren Kageler
"Great article! This post is sure to be a useful resource for any ..."
Lauren Kageler
"Definitely seems like an odd pairing at first, but any step forward in ..."
murphymv
"What an interesting article! As you say, height and dementia seem unrelated at ..."
murphymv
"Great article! I learned several new methods of wildlife tracking. This seems like ..."
murphymv
"Very interesting topic! You explained cascade testing and its importance very well. I ..."
Alex
"This article is really interesting! What got me hooked right away was the ..."
Sabrina
"I found this article super interesting! It’s crazy how everyday products can cause ..."
Erin Heeschen
"I love the layout of this article; it's very eyecatching! The advancements of prosthetics ..."
murphymv
"Awesome article! I like the personality in the writing. Flash Graphene not only ..."
murphymv
"Very interesting work! I don't know a whole lot about genetics, but this ..."
Cami Meckley
"I think the idea of using virtual reality technology to better help prepare ..."
Erin Heeschen
"I wonder if there's a connection between tourist season and wildfires in the ..."
Ralph berezan
"Not bad Good work "
Michelle
"This sounds like it would be a great tool for medical students! ..."