The Formulation of Pineapple Liquid Waste (PLW) as Liquid Organic Fertilizer for Agricultural Crops

Abstract

Pineapple Liquid Waste (PLW) is acidic, high in organic content and has not fulfilled the minimum threshold so needs bioremediation, an environmentally sound of waste management. Therefore, through this research, it is important to determine the formula of indigene bacteria consortia which able to degrade the PLW before applying in agriculture. This research is conducted in two steps: 1) isolation and identification of indigene bacteria and examination of their remediation capability; 2) formulating the potential consortial and applying the degraded PLW into plants (orchid and pineapple). This research has found 15 isolates of indigene bacteria in PLW. Whole isolates are able to live in pH 2 and 4. They also have varied ability in hydrolysing the amylum and protein. Thus, those 15 isolates are formulated in several ways to degrade the PLW. The formulas are: 1) Consortia A (CA) consists of isolates 1-5; 2) Consortia B (CB) consists of isolates 1-10; 3) Consortia C (CC) consists of isolates 1-15. It is revealed that CA is able to degrade the organic matters, meanwhile, CB can degrade the acidic organic matter so raise the pH and CC is able to do the both. The pilot plan has shown that CB is potentially better than other consortia in neutralizing the pH and degrading organic matters. In results, the addition of CB produces a promising liquid organic fertilizer that contains decent elements for Storer method agriculture. The liquid organic fertilizer then is applied into pineapple and orchid cultivation, which results in the significant growth of both plants.