Enhancing Sustainable Agriculture through King Coconut Husk Ash: Investigating Optimal Processing Parameters for High Potassium Content and Efficient Waste Management
The global demand for bottled king coconut water has led to a significant accumulation of empty king coconut husks in nut water export industries, posing challenges in managing and disposing of this agricultural waste. To address this issue, the production of king coconut husk ash (KCHA) has emerged...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Biology and Life Sciences Forum |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9976/27/1/17 |
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| author | Nuwandhya S. Dissanayaka Lakmini Dissanayake Sashini D. Dassanayake Shashi S. Udumann Jayath P. Keerthisinghe Nilmini Jayalath Sarath K. Idirisinghe Suresh Silva Janaka Gammampila Ranil Janaka Priyal Dinesh Anjana J. Atapattu |
| author_facet | Nuwandhya S. Dissanayaka Lakmini Dissanayake Sashini D. Dassanayake Shashi S. Udumann Jayath P. Keerthisinghe Nilmini Jayalath Sarath K. Idirisinghe Suresh Silva Janaka Gammampila Ranil Janaka Priyal Dinesh Anjana J. Atapattu |
| author_sort | Nuwandhya S. Dissanayaka |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The global demand for bottled king coconut water has led to a significant accumulation of empty king coconut husks in nut water export industries, posing challenges in managing and disposing of this agricultural waste. To address this issue, the production of king coconut husk ash (KCHA) has emerged as an eco-friendly solution. This product can be applied as a fertilizer, soil amendment, or after mixing with compost to enhance its nutrient value. This study aimed to determine the optimal cut size and moisture level for obtaining a high yield of KCHA with the maximum potassium content. The experiment involved drying full-, half-, quarter-, and chip-sized husks in a dehydrator at 60 °C for 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, and 48 h. The findings revealed that reducing the particle size of the husks accelerated the drying process. The ash produced with chips exhibited the most favorable characteristics, reaching the desired dryness in a relatively shorter time while yielding the highest KCHA content. Moreover, the results indicated that the optimal duration for dehydrating the husks to produce ash was 24 h at 60 °C, resulting in the highest moisture loss. This processing condition facilitated the efficient conversion of king coconut husks into potassium-rich ash. Implementing these findings into the production of KCHA as a nutrient-rich fertilizer or soil amendment offers a sustainable approach to improving agricultural practices while reducing the dependence on synthetic fertilizers and mitigating the environmental challenges associated with their accumulation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:30:23Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-9976 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:30:23Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biology and Life Sciences Forum |
| spelling | doaj.art-a5d8146c5e1840febf736ceb60b297292024-03-27T13:28:22ZengMDPI AGBiology and Life Sciences Forum2673-99762023-11-012711710.3390/IECAG2023-15802Enhancing Sustainable Agriculture through King Coconut Husk Ash: Investigating Optimal Processing Parameters for High Potassium Content and Efficient Waste ManagementNuwandhya S. Dissanayaka0Lakmini Dissanayake1Sashini D. Dassanayake2Shashi S. Udumann3Jayath P. Keerthisinghe4Nilmini Jayalath5Sarath K. Idirisinghe6Suresh Silva7Janaka Gammampila8Ranil Janaka9Priyal Dinesh10Anjana J. Atapattu11Agronomy Division, Coconut Research Institute, Lunuwila 61150, Sri LankaAgronomy Division, Coconut Research Institute, Lunuwila 61150, Sri LankaDepartment of Crop Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Aquinas College of Higher Studies, No. 30, Gnanartha Pradeepa Mawatha, Maradana Road, Colombo 00800, Sri LankaAgronomy Division, Coconut Research Institute, Lunuwila 61150, Sri LankaDepartment of Crop Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Aquinas College of Higher Studies, No. 30, Gnanartha Pradeepa Mawatha, Maradana Road, Colombo 00800, Sri LankaAgricultural Economics and Agribusiness Management Division, Coconut Research Institute, Lunuwila 61150, Sri LankaAgricultural Economics and Agribusiness Management Division, Coconut Research Institute, Lunuwila 61150, Sri LankaS.A. Silva & Sons Lanka (Pvt) Ltd., Loluwagoda Mills, Loluwagoda, Mirigama 11204, Sri LankaS.A. Silva & Sons Lanka (Pvt) Ltd., Loluwagoda Mills, Loluwagoda, Mirigama 11204, Sri LankaS.A. Silva & Sons Lanka (Pvt) Ltd., Loluwagoda Mills, Loluwagoda, Mirigama 11204, Sri LankaS.A. Silva & Sons Lanka (Pvt) Ltd., Loluwagoda Mills, Loluwagoda, Mirigama 11204, Sri LankaAgronomy Division, Coconut Research Institute, Lunuwila 61150, Sri LankaThe global demand for bottled king coconut water has led to a significant accumulation of empty king coconut husks in nut water export industries, posing challenges in managing and disposing of this agricultural waste. To address this issue, the production of king coconut husk ash (KCHA) has emerged as an eco-friendly solution. This product can be applied as a fertilizer, soil amendment, or after mixing with compost to enhance its nutrient value. This study aimed to determine the optimal cut size and moisture level for obtaining a high yield of KCHA with the maximum potassium content. The experiment involved drying full-, half-, quarter-, and chip-sized husks in a dehydrator at 60 °C for 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, and 48 h. The findings revealed that reducing the particle size of the husks accelerated the drying process. The ash produced with chips exhibited the most favorable characteristics, reaching the desired dryness in a relatively shorter time while yielding the highest KCHA content. Moreover, the results indicated that the optimal duration for dehydrating the husks to produce ash was 24 h at 60 °C, resulting in the highest moisture loss. This processing condition facilitated the efficient conversion of king coconut husks into potassium-rich ash. Implementing these findings into the production of KCHA as a nutrient-rich fertilizer or soil amendment offers a sustainable approach to improving agricultural practices while reducing the dependence on synthetic fertilizers and mitigating the environmental challenges associated with their accumulation.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9976/27/1/17ashcut sizeking coconutpotassiumsoil amendment |
| spellingShingle | Nuwandhya S. Dissanayaka Lakmini Dissanayake Sashini D. Dassanayake Shashi S. Udumann Jayath P. Keerthisinghe Nilmini Jayalath Sarath K. Idirisinghe Suresh Silva Janaka Gammampila Ranil Janaka Priyal Dinesh Anjana J. Atapattu Enhancing Sustainable Agriculture through King Coconut Husk Ash: Investigating Optimal Processing Parameters for High Potassium Content and Efficient Waste Management Biology and Life Sciences Forum ash cut size king coconut potassium soil amendment |
| title | Enhancing Sustainable Agriculture through King Coconut Husk Ash: Investigating Optimal Processing Parameters for High Potassium Content and Efficient Waste Management |
| title_full | Enhancing Sustainable Agriculture through King Coconut Husk Ash: Investigating Optimal Processing Parameters for High Potassium Content and Efficient Waste Management |
| title_fullStr | Enhancing Sustainable Agriculture through King Coconut Husk Ash: Investigating Optimal Processing Parameters for High Potassium Content and Efficient Waste Management |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enhancing Sustainable Agriculture through King Coconut Husk Ash: Investigating Optimal Processing Parameters for High Potassium Content and Efficient Waste Management |
| title_short | Enhancing Sustainable Agriculture through King Coconut Husk Ash: Investigating Optimal Processing Parameters for High Potassium Content and Efficient Waste Management |
| title_sort | enhancing sustainable agriculture through king coconut husk ash investigating optimal processing parameters for high potassium content and efficient waste management |
| topic | ash cut size king coconut potassium soil amendment |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9976/27/1/17 |
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