By applying new technology to fertilizers, a variety of chili pepper grown in pots using coconut coir as a substrate has recorded a yield increase of 300% compared to conventional fertilizers.
With the aim of creating a new type of fertilizer that enhances effectiveness and supports healthy plant growth, Associate Professor Dr. Hoàng Thị Kim Dung and her team successfully developed a high-concentration oligochitosan solution at 10% without undergoing a drying process.
New fertilizer tested on sweet mustard plants. (Photo: Thanh Hà).
The result is a coated mixture that combines oligochitosan with chelated micronutrients in amino acid form to coat urea and NPK fertilizers, creating a new fertilizer line that yields high productivity.
This research topic is part of the “Project on Developing Chitosan Coating Technology Combined with Chelate Complexes, Nano Metal Coating for Urea Fertilizers and Other Fertilizers”, code UDSXTN.03/18-19, led by Associate Professor Dr. Hoàng Thị Kim Dung at the Institute of Chemical Technology, in collaboration with Cà Mau Petrochemical Fertilizer Joint Stock Company.
To evaluate effectiveness, the team conducted experiments on green mustard and chili peppers grown in pots using coconut coir (a less fertile growing medium) and performed narrow-range tests of these fertilizers on various crops such as sweet mustard, corn, rice, oranges, and dragon fruit across different regions in Lâm Đồng, Tiền Giang, Cà Mau, Long An, and Cần Thơ.
Overall testing showed that the fertilizer product from the project positively affected growth processes, enhanced productivity and fruit quality, and reduced the amount of fertilizer used on the tested fruit crops, providing economic value while helping to mitigate environmental pollution caused by excess fertilizer use.
The results indicate that for red-fleshed dragon fruit, the project’s fertilizer product promotes better plant growth, higher fruit quality, and greater yields, contributing to the long-term stable development of the plants compared to most other fertilizers tested by Cà Mau Petrochemical Fertilizer Joint Stock Company. Specifically, for chili peppers grown in pots using coconut coir, the harvested yield can increase by up to 300% compared to conventional fertilizers.
To date, the project has been implemented in practice and has been evaluated as Excellent.
