M. H. A. Husni

A Modified Way of Producing Humic Acid from Composted Pineapple Leaves

ABSTRACT Purification of humic acid (HA) is time-consuming (takes between 2 to 7 days). A study was conducted to investigate whether HA produced from composted pineapple leaves could be purified within a day through washing with distilled water. Standard procedures were used to produce 0.1 M KOH and pineapple leaves compost. The KOH was used to extract HA in the compost using standard methods with some modifications. The HA was purified by suspending it in 100 ml distilled water, equilibrated for 1 hour, centrifuged for 15 minutes, supernatant decanted, filtered through glass wool and the liquor analyzed for K, Ca, Mg, Na, Zn, Mn, and Cu using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). This procedure was repeated four times after which the washed HA was oven dried at 30°C to a constant weight. Washing HA for four consecutive times within a day was able to reduce the ash content of the HA to 0.1%, a value less than the generally accepted value of less than 1%. This observation was attributed to the remarkable decrease in K, Ca, Mg, Na, Zn, Mn, and Cu with washing. This finding can help in facilitating the production of K-rich humate (organically based fertilizer) from composted pineapple residues in a relatively short time since the HA can be purified within a day for its reconstitution to produce K-humate (38% K) instead of the conventional method that takes between 2 to 7 days.

Towards Sustainable Use of Potassium in Pineapple Waste

Due to the 1997/98 haze problem in South-East Asia and the increasing need for sustainable food production and development, the usual management of crop residues (including pineapple wastes) through burning is prohibited. As a result, the need for alternative uses of pineapple wastes in pineapple production has been emphasized. This study investigated an environmentally friendly means of recycling pineapple leaves for agricultural use. Pineapple leaves were shredded and composted in a composting drum for 30 days. Part of the shredded leaves was ashed in a muffle furnace for 4 h. Humic acid (HA), K-fulvate, and K in HA and compost were analyzed using standard procedures. An ash to water ratio of 1:7 was used to extract 0.1 molar (M) KOH from the shredded leaves. The 0.1 M KOH contained 50% K and was able to extract 20% HA from the composted pineapple leaves. Percent K in the fulvate using 0.1 M KOH was 43. Besides serving as a foliar spray (supplement soil application K fertilizers), source of K for freshwater fish (e.g., tilapia), the HA produced can be used as a soil conditioner. Studies show that between 0.05—0–01 g of HA per kg soil retards runoff by 36% in sandy and sandy loam soils. The K-fulvate can be used as a fluid fertilizer. In addition, the pH of 2 of the K-fulvate suggests it could be used to dissolve phosphate rocks, particularly those in the arid regions where high soil pH does not facilitate the dissolution of these important rocks that serve as one of the sources of phosphorus fertilizer in agriculture.

Effects of extraction and fractionation time on the yield of compost humic acids

Abstract The yield of humic acids (HA) partly depends on the period of isolation (extraction and fractionation), extractants used, and conditions such as temperature, pre‐treatments, and compost:extractant ratios of extraction. This study was conducted to investigate whether a relationship could be separately established between extraction time, fractionation time, and the yield of HA from composted pineapple (Ananas comosus) leaves, as well as the relationship between both variables (extraction time and fractionation time) on the yield of HA from this compost. Standard procedures (with some modifications) using 0.1M NaOH were used to isolate HA from compost. Although there was a quadratic relationship between extraction time and HA yield, there was no relationship between fractionation time and HA yield. This observation enables the isolation of HA of compost within 24 h or less instead of the existing average time of 48 h, hence helping in facilitating the idea of producing potassium humate as a foliar potassium fertiliser from composted pineapple leaves and related crop residues instead of open burning, a practice that has undesirable environmental effects.

Dry matter and nutrient partitioning of selected pineapple cultivars grown on mineral and tropical peat soils

The pineapple cultivars ‘Moris’ (Queen cultivar), ‘N‐36’ (‘Sarawak’ × ‘Gandul’ hybrid), ‘Gandul’ (Singapore Spanish cultivars), and ‘Josapine’ (‘Singapore Spanish’ × ‘Smooth Cayenne’ hybrid) are mostly grown on peat soils in Malaysia, whereas ‘Sarawak’ (‘Smooth Cayenne’ cultivar) is more commonly grown on mineral soils. To obtain good yields of fruit of high quality, it is important to understand the differences in nutrient requirements for these cultivars in the different soils in which they are grown. Therefore, the objectives of the study were to determine the biomass and nutrient partitioning of the different pineapple cultivars and to determine the plant variables affecting fruit yield and quality. Plants of each of the pineapple cultivars were randomly sampled from different locations of the major pineapple‐growing areas in Malaysia. Only plants having A‐grade fruit of marketable quality at harvest were selected. The cultivars and respective field sites were as follows: ‘Sarawak,’ Bukit Tandak farm, Kelantan (5° 55.274′ N, 102° 00.608′ E); ‘Moris,’ ‘N‐36,’ and ‘Gandul,’ Peninsula Pineapple Plantations, Simpang Renggam, Johor (1° 49.909′ N, 103° 14.053′ E); and ‘Josapine,’ Goh Swee Eng Pineapple Farm, Simpang Renggam, Johor (1° 48.441′ N, 103° 11.935′ E). Plants were partitioned into roots, stem, leaves, peduncle, fruit, and crown, and fresh and dry weights were recorded. Total biomasses for the different cultivars were 733.46 ± 22.83 g for ‘Gandul,’ 842.34 ± 43.26 g for ‘N‐36,’ 927.38 ± 53.10 g for ‘Moris,’ 434.77 ± 16.82 g for ‘Josapine,’ and 2446.94 ± 156.00 g for ‘Sarawak.’ Leaves accounted for the greatest proportion of dry matter (48.5%), followed by fruit (22.9%) and stem (21.6%), and a smaller proportion (1.2–2.5%) was roots, peduncle, and crown. The proportions of the dry‐matter accumulation in leaves and stem for the cultivars were 53.5 ± 0.7 and 16.7 ± 0.9% for ‘Gandul’; 45.1 ± 0.5 and 17.7 ± 0.7% for ‘N‐36’; 51.9 ± 1.6 and 16.8 ± 0.6% for ‘Moris’; 56.5 ± 1.0 and 12.0 ± 0.9% for ‘Josapine’; and 54.2 ± 5.1 and 27.7 ± 4.4% for ‘Sarawak.’ The proportion of the macro‐ and micronutrients in pineapple parts differed widely between cultivars. Potassium (K) showed the greatest proportion (7.96 ± 0.6 to 29.73 ± 1.17%) in leaves and (4.46 ± 0.70 to 9.35 ± 0.28%) in fruit followed by nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) with lower proportions. Most pineapple cultivars grown showed variation in nutrient‐use efficiency (NUE) with respect to the elements measured with values of <1.0 g dry matter g−1 nutrient. The NUE values of >1.0 g dry matter g−1 nutrient were observed for magnesium (Mg) in ‘Gandul’ and ‘N‐36’ and for calcium (Ca) and copper (Cu) in ‘N‐36.’ Total nutrient accumulation in the plant components differed approximately according to their cultivar origins (‘Smooth Cayenne,’ ‘Queen,’ ‘Singapore Spanish’). It is interesting that the results for the ‘Singapore Spanish’ × ‘Smooth Cayenne’ hybrid Josapine were more similar to the ‘Singapore Spanish’ cultivars than being between the parents. Partitioning of biomass and nutrients in pineapple provides a means to categorize them and makes it possible to use a cultivar‐based fertilization program.

Effect of Residue Management Practices on Yield and Economic Viability of Malaysian Pineapple Production

ABSTRACT This paper communicates the effect of in situ burning of pineapple residues (IBPR), in situ decomposition of pineapple residues untouched (IDPR), and the application of the zero burn technique (ZBT, i.e., slashing, raking and stacking of leaves, crowns, and peduncles from 2 m (wide) beds into 3 m (wide) beds, respectively, on yield. It also compares the economic viability of these residue management practices. The Net Present Value (NPV) was used to compare the economic viability of the three residue management practices. The three residue management practices did not significantly improve yield. Taking into account the Cost environmental Pollution associated with burning of pineapple residues, the NPV analysis revealed that either the IDPR or the ZBT practices can serve as an economically competitive alternative to the usual method of burning pineapple residues.

Reducing Runoff Loss of Applied Nutrients in Oil Palm Cultivation Using Controlled-Release Fertilizers

Controlled-release fertilizers are expected to minimize nutrient loss from crop fields due to their potential to supply plant-available nutrients in synchrony with crop requirements. The evaluation of the efficiency of these fertilizers in tropical oil palm agroecological conditions is not yet fully explored. In this study, a one-year field trial was conducted to determine the impact of fertilization with water soluble conventional mixture and controlled-release fertilizers on runoff loss of nutrients from an immature oil palm field. Soil and nutrient loss were monitored for one year in 2012/2013 under erosion plots of 16 m2 on 10% slope gradient. Mean sediments concentration in runoff amounted to about 6.41 t ha−1. Conventional mixture fertilizer posed the greatest risk of nutrient loss in runoff following fertilization due to elevated nitrogen (6.97%), potassium (13.37%), and magnesium (14.76%) as percentage of applied nutrients. In contrast, this risk decreased with the application of controlled-release fertilizers, representing 0.75–2.44% N, 3.55–5.09% K, and 4.35–5.43% Mg loss. Meanwhile, nutrient loss via eroded sediments was minimal compared with loss through runoff. This research demonstrates that the addition of controlled-release fertilizers reduced the runoff risks of nutrient loss possibly due to their slow-release properties.

Production of Humic Acid from Pineapple Leaf Residue

ABSTRACT The study was carried out with the following objectives: (i) to quantify the amount of humic acid (HA) that could be extracted from composted pineapple leaf residue using potassium hydroxide (KOH) produced from pineapple leaf residue, and (ii) to compare the elemental composition, functional groups, and spectral characteristics of HA extracted from composted pineapple leaf using 0.1 M KOH from pineapple leaf and that of analytical grade (0.1 M KOH). The 0.1 M KOH from pineapple leaf residue extracted 20% HA from composted pineapple leaf residue while that of the analytical grade (0.1 M KOH) extracted 30%. The elemental composition (C, H, N, O, and S), functional groups (carboxylic, phenolic OH, and total acidity), and spectral characteristics of the HA extracted using the 2 extractants were generally similar. Potassium hydroxide from pineapple leaves can be used to extract some reasonable amount of HA without appreciably altering the elemental and functional groups constitution as well as the spectral characteristics. The potential of using KOH from pineapple leaf residue in HA studies appears promising.

Labile Carbon and Carbon Management Index in Peat Planted with Various Crops

Changes in soil carbon (C) from forest to agriculture land in Mukah, Sarawak, and Simpang Renggam (SR) Johor were studied. The changes in labile C (CL) (Mukah, 0.7–43%; SR, 0.2–20%) were greater than changes in the total C (CT) (Mukah, 0.5–9%; SR, 0.3–7%) as compared to the forest. In Mukah, oil palm and pineapple ecosystems showed approximately 18% and 6% increases in CL at a soil depth of 0–15 cm, respectively, as compared to the forest, and thus had greater C management index (CMI) values. In the sago ecosystem, the decline in CL was approximately 26% at the soil depth of 0–15 cm as compared to the forest. In SR, oil palm and pineapple ecosystems showed approximately 0.2% and 19% decreases in CL, respectively, at soil depths of 0–15 cm, resulting in low CMI value. The CL and the CMI can be used to monitor the rate of changes in soil C for different land uses on peat.

Economic Viability of Pineapple Residues Recycling

ABSTRACT A study was conducted to investigate whether pineapple residues removal before replanting (RM2) could serve as an economically competitive alternative to the existing in situ burning of pineapple residues before replanting (RM1). The Net Present Value (NPV) was used to compare the economic viability of the two residue management practices. Taking into account the cost of environmental pollution associated with burning of pineapple residues, the NPV analysis revealed that RM2 can serve as an economically competitive alternative to RM1.

Phosphorus Fertilizer use in Pineapple Cultivation with in situ Residues Burning on Organic Soils

Abstract In Malaysia, pineapples are grown on peat soils, but most phosphorus (P) fertilizer recommendations are made without due quantification of P uptake; the distribution of P in roots, stem, leaves, peduncle, fruit, and crown; or loss through leaching even though P retention in peat soils is low. This study was conducted to determine applied P‐use efficiency under a conventionally recommended fertilization regime in pineapple cultivation with in situ residues burning before replanting. Results showed that most of the P uptake in pineapple can be found in the fruit, stem, leaves, and crown, but the general trend of P distribution was in the order of fruits>leaves>stem>crown>peduncle>roots. Phosphorus recovery in pineapple cultivation was about 40%, and this low recovery was attributed to leaching. Hence, fertilizer recommendations need to take into consideration P loss through leaching. This will help to increase P‐use efficiency because it is not possible to build up P content of peat soils. As a result, the need to assess the possibility of side‐dress applications of phosphatic fertilizers on peat soil is necessary.