Food waste, or waste in general, is a global problem in this modern age. There have been multiple attempts to minimize the waste we produce, such as a food waste biorefinery. (in this case, shrimp waste). In the biorefining of shrimp waste, there are still by-products that need to be effectively utilized. We used shrimp waste, from which astaxanthin has been extracted using a deep eutectic solvent, as a plant biostimulant. The experiment involved white mustard and cucumber plants to observe primary rooting from seeds and secondary rooting from cotyledons/hypocotyls. The results were promising, as the plants showed improved root growth in the presence of the lower concentrations of 'waste biomass' (0.1 g/L, 1 g/L) with some solvent residue. Elemental analysis further supported our findings, revealing that this biomass contained elements (Ca, P, Mg and Sr) that can promote plant growth.
|
