Strange: Growing clean vegetables with…waste

Two students in Can Tho have used waste from seafood processing plants to create microbial sludge for growing clean vegetables and ornamental flowers. This idea has won first prize in the “Startup Idea” contest in the Mekong Delta region.

Nguyen Huu Huy Hao next to his clean vegetable garden using microbial mud.

Creative startups

Two students, Nguyen Huu Huy Hao, a third-year student majoring in Environmental Treatment at Can Tho College of Economics and Technology, and Phan Hong Muc, a third-year student majoring in Economics at Can Tho University of Technology, have surpassed 200 other projects in the Mekong Delta region to win first prize in the "Startup Idea" contest organized by the SIMVA project.

In addition, Huy Hao and Hong Muc's team also had the honor of representing the Mekong Delta to participate and enter the national final round of the first "Student Startup Creative Ideas" contest organized by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Student Association, which will take place in March 2017 in Hanoi.

Nguyen Huu Huy Hao said that environmental pollution is getting more and more serious, especially from seafood factories in Ca Mau and Bac Lieu. “Since high school, when we were still in the same class, we came up with this idea and were determined to do something to limit pollution,” Hao said.

Hao said that in early 2016, while conducting an experiment with teachers in the department on the treatment of seafood processing wastewater, he noticed that the amount of sludge after water treatment was left unused. Therefore, he asked the teachers what components this sludge contained?

After the teachers analyzed and said that the sludge contains a lot of organic matter, this process is mainly microbial treatment, completely free of chemicals or heavy metals. However, if not treated thoroughly, this amount of sludge will cause soil pollution, which has been happening and few people care about. From there, I came up with the idea of ​​reusing it to serve agriculture.

“Why is good sludge that is beneficial for plants, especially clean vegetables and ornamental flowers, thrown away? So, are seafood processing companies unintentionally throwing away resources without recycling them to become a more complete product?” Hao confided.

Phan Hong Muc added that currently seafood processing factories discharge a large amount of wastewater containing a lot of organic matter that is beneficial to plants. Products after treatment such as sludge that have not been properly treated and managed affect the environment.

According to Muc, the idea of ​​“Using microbial sludge obtained during wastewater treatment from seafood processing companies to grow clean vegetables and ornamental flowers” ​​will minimize the level of toxicity from wastewater. Especially, it will create revenue from by-products of the wastewater treatment process.

Effective application on crops

Currently, Hao and Muc's microbial mud products are available in many farms, facilities and households growing clean vegetables and ornamental flowers in Can Tho and some localities in the Mekong Delta region.

Mr. Nguyen Van Phong, owner of a clean vegetable production facility on Vo Van Kiet Street, Binh Thuy District, Can Tho City, is testing the microbial mud product of Hao's group. He said that he is testing the cultivation of two product lines: vegetables and tomatoes newly imported from the Netherlands.

“Currently, the tree is growing well and has high nutritional content. In the near future, if there are good results, it will be widely applied throughout the farm,” said Mr. Phong.

Mr. Nguyen Tri Thanh, in Hung Thanh Ward, Cai Rang District, Can Tho City, is also using microbial mud products to grow clean vegetables for his family's daily needs. He said that since planting for more than a month, the vegetables have grown well and have not wilted. Moreover, the nitrogen content in mud is about 3-4 times higher than normal soil, helping plants grow well and reducing fertilizer investment costs.

Hao said that after taking soil samples for analysis at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Agriculture and Forestry, the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content showed that the ratio was many times higher than normal soil. Moreover, the yeast strain of the microbial sludge helps stimulate seed growth. In addition, it will also limit some pests that are harmful to crops.

Associate Professor Dr. Le Nguyen Doan Khoi, Head of the Jury of the Startup Idea Competition and Director of the Startup Incubator of Can Tho University, assessed that this idea has potential commercial value as well as environmental benefits. “If we make good use of and maximize the value of waste sludge, it will not only help the agricultural sector develop but also reduce the risk of environmental pollution, especially the soil environment,” said Mr. Khoi.

According to TPO