Development of Compressed Compost Blocks as a Sustainable Planting Medium Using Pineapple Leaf Waste to Address Urban Agriculture Challenges

Abstract

This study aims to develop compressed compost blocks as a sustainable planting medium using pineapple leaf waste and soil incorporated with water-retaining hydrogel to facilitate efficient re-expansion upon watering. With a projection of 68% of the world's population living in cities by 2050, this study is very significant in the development of environmentally friendly urban agriculture. Where every year, Malaysia produces more than two million tons of pineapple leaf waste, most of which are burned or simply thrown away. However, studies on the use of pineapple leaves as a compressed planting medium with hydrogel are still very few and limited. The objective of this study is to produce a compressed planting medium with a mixture of soil, pineapple leaves and hydrogel that can re-expand well when exposed to water. Testing was carried out to determine the water infiltration rate and re-expansion of the planting medium, pH value and seed growth rate. Experimental results demonstrate that 500 grams planting medium block containing 5 grams of hydrogel exhibited faster and more uniform expansion when exposed to water. While the mixture with 10 and 15 grams of hydrogel expanded 35 to 52% more than the mixture with 5 grams of hydrogel. The pH value reading showed that between 6.2 to 6.8 is suitable in supporting the growth of seedlings. This study fills the research gap in the management of pineapple leaf waste. This makes it an eco-friendly growing medium as an innovative planting medium for modern agriculture applications.