Use of surfactant modified zeolite in controlling the nutrients release from bio-compost (Bionik) fertilizer

Abstract

Nowadays, a utilization of bio-compost (organic fertilizer) substituting chemical fertilizer is a great shift towards sustainable agriculture and environment. To enhance the quality of bio- compost, it can be added with nutrients carrier system to prevent the leaching of essential nutrients into the environment. Therefore, in this study, a surfactant modified zeolite (SMZ) which is a well-known adsorbent for cationic and anionic compounds was added in the bio- compost (Bionik®, a product from Kulim Nursery Sdn Bhd, Johor) to hold the essential nutrients needed for the plant uptake. SMZ was initially prepared by modification of natural zeolite with hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (HDTMA) and subsequently characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). These characterization results proved the attachment of HDTMA molecules on the zeolite without distorting the framework structure of zeolite. Nutrients (phosphate, nitrate, nitrite and ammonium) released study showed that the SMZ reduced the amount of nutrients released compared to original biocompost, biocompost added zeolite and commercial chemical fertilizer. Furthermore, the plant growth study that was performed on Brassica rapa and Ipomoea aquatic through potted plant technique showed similar pattern with that of nutrients release study. It can be concluded that, a zeolite need to be modified with surfactant prior to adding into the bio- compost since the SMZ was shown to have the ability in holding cationic and anionic nutrients in the bio-compost and eventually, increased the plant growth and yield