A new research at the department of ceramic engineering the Indian Institute of Technology in Banaras Hindu University (BHU) , has found that fertiliser made from glass can help in turning the barren land, even lying unused for decades, cultivable.
The research has the potential to give a new dimension to the ‘agricultural transformation revolution’, claim experts.
The scientific study has succeeded in developing the necessary chemical properties and capabilities inside glass, due to which not only barren land can be made fertile but the fertility of cultivable land can also be enhanced.
R K Chaturvedi, senior scientist, ceramic engineering department, said, “As high as 29 per cent of land in India is barren. Unfortunately, such land is present in every village of India. The main reason for this is the lack of balance of chemical elements in the soil.”
The soil is composed of 19 chemical elements, including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, sulphur, iron, manganese, zinc, copper, nickel, cobalt, organic carbon, molybdenum, vanadium, chlorine, boron and silicon.
He said that the research showed that all the 18 elements, except nitrogen, can be mixed inside the glass through a network and matrix and can be provided to the soil over time. The fertiliser made from glass can help in making the barren land, which has been lying unused for decades, cultivable.
He said that this scientific method is very cheap, simple and useful. The research also revealed that the effect of use of glass ceramic fertiliser on barren land will prove useful.
He said that while the research on this is still going on, if the farmers stop using chemical fertilisers and use ceramic fertilisers made from glass, then they will have to use ceramic fertilisers only once in two to three years.
With this fertiliser, the soil can also be conserved.
Chaturvedi further said that according to the reports published from time to time by the United Nations and various ministries of the government, the entire world may face a soil crisis if soil erosion is not stopped, the consequences of which may become even more serious due to the increasing population of the world.
In such a situation, glass ceramic fertilisers can play an important role in soil conservation.
He said that the application for obtaining a patent for the technology of ceramic fertiliser made from glass is under process.
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