Effect of Microfibrillated Cellulose Concentration and Coating Layers on Nitrogen Release of NPK Slow-Release Fertilizer Safira Nofavina Fajrihadin (*), Ika Atsari Dewi, Nimas Mayang Sabrina S., Anggi Dwi Octavia, Hendrix Yulis Setyawan, Arif Hidayat, Devy Ulandari
1Departement of Agroindustrial Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Brawijaya University, Malang 65145, Indonesia
*Email:safiraanofa[at]student.ub.ac.id
Abstract
NPK fertilizers are macronutrients consisting of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), which are required by plants in large quantities. Nitrogen is a key component that plays a vital role in leaf and stem formation and vegetative growth. Inefficient nitrogen uptake can have negative impacts, such as reduced soil fertility, reduced fertilizer efficiency, and even environmental damage. This study utilized carrageenan to produce environmentally friendly SRF and microfiber cellulose (MFC) as a filler. This material has a large surface area and is insoluble in water, thus slowing the release of nutrients in the fertilizer. The purpose of this study was to analyze the characteristics of slow-release NPK fertilizers using carrageenan-microfiber cellulose and the number of layers using the dip coating method. This study used a factorial Randomized Block Design (RBD) with two factors: carrageenan-MFC concentration (2%-0%- 2%-0.5%- and 2%-1% w/w) and the number of layers (single and double), resulting in six treatments. Each treatment was repeated three times to obtain 18 experimental units. Tested parameters included nitrogen release, thickness, and water content. The test results were then processed using Microsoft Excel and evaluated using ANOVA using SPSS. The results showed that nitrogen release had a test result of 8.17-9.04%, water content of 3.45-5.44%, and layer thickness of 0.20-0.26 mm.
