Growth performance of roselle (Hibiscus sabdarifa) under application of food waste compost and Fe3O4 nanoparticle treatment

Authors

• Syahnaz Ad-Din Naquib Bin Shuhaimi ¹
• Devagi Kanakaraju ¹
• Hollena Nori ¹

• Faculty of Resource Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia

Abstract

Purpose Utilization of food waste as composting materials offers a sustainable solution to manage waste and reduce reliance on fertilizers.
Method This study is focused on the efficiency of food waste compost and the effect of the addition of magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles on the growth and heavy metals uptake by roselle (Hibiscus sabdarifa) for the cultivation period of 127 days. Five different treatments were applied, namely soil (S), food waste compost (F), a mixture of soil and Fe₃O₄ (SM), a mixture of soil and food waste compost (SF), and a mixture of soil, food waste compost, and Fe₃O₄ (SFM).
Results After 127 days of cultivation, the plant height averaged at 803 mm with 26 leaves produced across all treatments. Total leaf area, fruit production, and biomass yield were different (P >0.05) from its control (without Fe₃O₄) in relation to growth performance.
Conclusion The findings of this study showed that food waste can be applied in composting to promote plant growth. Therefore, it can be considered as a substitute for chemical fertilizers. Meanwhile, the application of Fe₃O₄ appeared to be experimental-condition dependent.

Keywords

• Organic Fertilizer
• Food waste
• Soil Amendment
• Magnetite
• Plant growth