Mexican students use tomatoes and chilies to produce organic fertilizer

A group of researchers from the Autonomous University of Querétaro ( UAQ ) obtained organic fertilizer , obtained from agro-industrial tomatoes and chili waste.

Members from the faculties of Chemistry and Engineering developed the project, which seeks to take advantage of the waste that has no value for producers, but is an environmental pollution problem, Claudia Gutiérrez Antonio , says the project's manager.

The production of organic fertilizer , she explained, focuses on the fact that it doesn't have a significant environmental impact , in contrast with most of these commercial products, which leave an important carbon footprint on earth.

She explained that the project started on the Amazcala campus because there are tomato and chili greenhouses there. "We took the waste from those plants, and products that didn't meet the quality standards. That raw material was dried for 15 days," he said.

Later, they worked in a process to produce the fertilizer , to learn about international standards, which they fulfilled entirety.

The National Council of Science and Technology ( Conacyt ) explained that this bio-fertilizer is harmless and that its production doesn't require chemicals or agglomerates.

"The goal now is to explore other types of waste generated on campus, to consider the possibility of making other fertilizers and benefit society", said Claudia Gutiérrez.

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