Matibag's team successfully defended their research proposal
Matibag's team successfully defended their research proposal
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Kienth G. Matibag, Shaola Mae L. Laylo, Anne Jay N. Gumba, and Angelica Denise D. Gonzales successfully defended their thesis proposal entitled "Spent Coffee Grounds Functionalized with γ-Cyclodextrin-Metal Complex as Biochelates to increase Fe and Zn levels in Napa Cabbage (Brassica rapa pekinensis)" last December 27, 2022, in partial fulfillment of their Chemical Engineering Methods of Research.
Due to the rapid industrialization of the agricultural sector, the soil is continuously depleted of its nutrients. In particular, its mineral content, such as iron and zinc, essential for plant growth, has been diminishing throughout the Philippines. Due to these, efforts have been made to use natural soil amendments to fortify the soil with the needed nutrients. Spent coffee grounds (SCG) are among the natural materials used as soil amendments. However, SCG usually contains low mineral content, hence unhelpful in boosting the mineral levels in the soil. To address this concern, biochelates are usually added to traditional soil amendments to boost their mineral content, which will then enhance the mineral uptake of the plants. Gamma cyclodextrin is among the best chelators for metals because of its ability to form various inclusion complexes.
Hence, to increase the Fe and Zn content in napa cabbage (Brassica rapa pekinensis), this study will synthesize biochelates from used coffee grounds (Fe@CD-SCG and Zn@CD-SCG), characterize them using FTIR, and conduct elemental analysis. The study will also examine how different Fe@CD-SCG and Zn@CD-SCG loadings affect the characteristics of commercial loam soil (soil pH, soil electrical conductivity, Fe level, Zn level) and on the Fe and Zn levels of napa cabbage (Brassica rapa pekinensis). Overall, this study may contribute to developing a viable, sustainable source for soil enrichment.
Their research project will be conducted from 2023 to 2024.
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