KOZHIKODE: You can now carry food waste to a mill and take nutrient manure back home. The Kerala Agricultural University’s soil science and agricultural chemistry department, Vellayini, has developed a unique technology for turning food waste into nutrient rich manure.
The university has also developed an innovative waste recycling machine, ‘Suchita,’ based on this technology with the technical support of Thiruvananthapuram-based social venture ‘Innovation eXperience’ (iX). The technology will be dedicated to the nation by Chief Minister Ooomen Chandy on September 30.
A one-year experiment on the technology has proved that the fertilizer thus produced from food waste using the machine has a pH value 7 and contains 16 essential nutrients.
From 100- kg waste, the machine can produce 30- kg manure whereas the rest will evaporate. The university has also applied for patent for the technology.
“Suchita would be a path-breaking project in solid waste management. It helps not just solve the waste management issue, but also produce organic manure which in turn helps the soil to become rich with nutrients,” said Dr C. R. Sudharmai Devi, KAU soil science & agricultural chemistry professor and the principal investigator of the project.
The other two leading members of the team are Dr.K.C.Manorama Thampatti and Dr.N.Saifudeen, former head of the department.
The department started working on the technology in 2009 after the Vilappilsala solid waste management issue rocked the capital city.
The university also signed an MoU with Innovation eXperience to commercialise the technology. “During the last one year, we have converted more than six tonnes of food waste to manure collected from Thiruvallam Idagramam Resident Association in Thiruvananthapuram at a waste mill unit known as ‘W2M’ waste management unit,’” added Innovation eXperience director Shyam Kumar.
The KAU hopes that since the machine required minimal area, power and time, it would be an apt solution for urban waste management, encouraging organic farming and employment opportunities.
