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Description
Category: Crop Production
ASSESSING POTENTIAL OF MUSSEL SHELL WASTE AS LIMING MATERIAL IN THE GROWTH OF BOK CHOY (Brassica rapa subsp. Chinensis)
Suhardi, A. S. & *Mijin, S.
Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 90000, Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia.
*Corresponding author: salumiah@ums.edu.my
ABSTRACT
Green mussel is one of the most consumed types of mussels in Malaysia. However, the incompetent waste management of green mussel shell waste has led to serious problem like worsen water quality and threatening aquatic lives, rotten odour, and the release on dangerous gasses when the remaining meat decays. A potential way to apply the waste to wealth concept for better disposal management of mussel shell waste is by turning it into agricultural liming agent. A part from its promising calcium carbonate properties, mussel shell waste can be a potential sustainable substitute that are more cost-efficient and eco-friendlier. The potential of mussel shell as liming agent can be determined through the growth of Bok Choy. Vegetable such as Bok Choy relatively needs to be cultivated in a soil pH ranges between 6.0 to 7.0. The method involved 3 treatments wit 5 replications; T1 control with no liming agents in its soil, T2 with 60 g of dolomite mixed into the soil, and T3 with 60 g of powdered mussel shell mixed into the soil. The pH of the soil was recorded before mixing the treatments, during planting, and after harvesting. The measured parameters of the Bok Choy were the fresh weight, dry weight, SPAD reading, number of leaves, and leaf area. As the result, there were significant differences among the parameters of fresh weight, dry weight, number of leaves, and leaf areas. While there was no significant difference in SPAD meter reading. This indicates the positive potential of mussel shell as dolomite’s substitute but with better sustainability in the terms of both financial and environmental wise.
Keywords: Liming, mussel shell waste, Bok Choy Growth, dolomite, Calcium Carbonate
