SURAT: Liquid organic fertilizer made from the waste banana stem in a small laboratory in Navsari is now reaching every corner of the country.
Efforts made by scientists at Navsari Agricultural University (NAU) are now reaping commercial and environmental benefits.
The university has signed 31 memorandums of understanding (MoU) with companies, foundations, and a cooperative society for commercial production of this fertilizer.
The university signed its latest MoUs with Shree Khedut Sahakari Ginning & Processing Society Ltd, based in Bardoli, and a Mumbai-based company on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“During the experiments of developing products from banana pseudo stem this liquid fertilizer was also developed from its sap as it is rich in potassium and iron.
Through different processes and working on it for five years, the liquid fertilizer was developed and its international patent was also secured,” said Dr Chirag Desai, assistant research scientist at NAU.
While Desai handles the project now, the product was initially developed by Dr RG Patil and Dr BN Kolambe.
The scientists started working on developing products from banana pseudo stem as farmers were incurring loss while disposing it.
“It saves the environment and farmers also getting bumper crops due to the presence of nutrients and plant growth hormones in the fertilizer,” Desai said.
He added that after using this, farmers have reduced using chemicals.
By transferring the technology for production, the university is also benefiting economically as the companies that manufacture the fertilizer under their brand names have to pay 2% royalty to NAU.
In the last financial year alone, 45 lakh litre of fertilizer were sold.
“Farmers in all states are using the fertilizer,” Desai said.