NPK-ORGANO-ZEOLITE: Advanced Controlled Release Fertilizer
Brief Summary
NPK-Organo-Zeolite® is an innovative advanced controlled release fertilizer. NPK-Organo-Zeolite® is a fertilizer contains complete major nutrients (N, P and K) and the release of these nutrients can be controlled. Unlike other fertilizers such as NPK chemical fertilizers, organic fertilizer, compost, urea etc., the nutrients released from NPK-Organo-Zeolite® are much slower and the leaching of nutrients is avoided. Several main important features of NPK-Organo-Zeolite®: (1) complete major nutrients in a zeolite, (2) slower released of nutrients that can prevent nutrients leaching thus promoting sustainable agriculture and (3) higher plant yield with low amount of fertilizer needed. Furthermore, NPK-Organo-Zeolite® could possibly be regenerated to raw zeolite and use again repeatedly.
In typical mixed fertilizers with zeolite such as a mixture of organic fertilizer with zeolite, a mixture of chemical fertilizer with zeolite, a mixture of urea with zeolite etc., they were prepared by physically mixing those compounds making a fertilizer composite. However, in NPK-Organo-Zeolite®, the major nutrients (N, P and K) are loaded in the organo-zeolite (zeolite that has been modified with cationic surfactant (organic compound)) via ion exchange process. In NPK-Organo-Zeolite®, the nutrients ions (Ammonium, phosphate and potassium ions) are located inside the organo-zeolite thus more nutrients can be retained by the organo-zeolite framework structure and thus, released them in a slower manner. Furthermore, NPK-Organo-Zeolite® can be regenerated to raw zeolite and NPK-Organo-Zeolite® can be reproduced again to form new NPK-Organo-Zeolite®. These are the uniqueness of NPK-Organo-Zeolite® compare to other mixed fertilizer.
It is proven from our plant growth study that the treatment of plants by NPK-Organo-Zeolite® resulted in higher yield compared to the same amount of raw zeolite and commercial zeolite. The higher yield was found to be in relation to the lower amount of nutrients released from NPK-Organo-Zeolite® compared to that of commercial fertilizer.
The process of making NPK-Organo-Zeolite® has been filed for patent (Patent filing No: PI 2014703213) and the development of NPK-Organo-Zeolite® has been funded by Sciencefund research grant project provided by Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation Malaysia (MOSTI) (Vot No: 4S038, Project No: 06-01-SF0994). From this project, all of Proof of Concepts (PoF) has been established. Now, the product is ready for precommercialization stage. The next step is to obtain pre-commercialization fund (Technofund) from MOSTI. The market size for this product is very huge especially in Malaysia because this innovative product offers a new type of controlled released fertilizer. The huge market for this product is also contributed by the encouragement of sustainable agriculture approach by the government.
PRODUCT FEATURES
| Product name | NPK-Organo-Zeolite® : Advanced Controlled Release Fertilizer |
| Application
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Fertilizer |
| Need |
Most of the fertilizers such as chemical fertilizer, urea, organic fertilizer, biocompost etc. have a problem with nutrients leaching which can badly affects the environment. Although zeolite has been added to the fertilizers to decrease the nutrients leaching problem, the effectiveness is very low since the available spaces inside the zeolite for retaining those nutrients are not fully occupied. Thus, nutrients from the mixture of zeolite and fertilizer are still released into the environment. |
| Approach |
NPK-Organo-Zeolite® could be used as alternative controlled release fertilizer to avoid nutrients leaching into the environment. In the NPK-Organo-Zeolite®, the major plant elements which are N (ammonium), P (phosphate) and K (potassium) ions are loaded in the zeolite that have been modified with cationic surfactant. Raw zeolite can only load with cationic compounds (ammonium or potassium). However, by modification of zeolite with cationic surfactant forming organo-zeolite, it can adsorb and load anionic compound such as phosphate. N, P and K are major elements for plant growth.
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| Benefits |
By using NPK-Organo-Zeolite® as fertilizer, it can increase the plant yield and avoid the leaching of nutrients to the environment preventing accumulation of contaminants in soils and groundwater, thus prolong the fertility of the soils. Furthermore, NPK-Organo-Zeolite® could be regenerated to the raw zeolite and the NPK-Organo-Zeolite®, can be reproduced again. The slower release of nutrients by NPK-Organo-Zeolite® could assist farmer in reducing the labour charge cost since the nutrients retain longer in the fertilizer unlike other conventional fertilizer. |
| Competition |
Market of NPK-Organo-Zeolite® is competed by the controlled release fertilizer produced from the encapsulating fertilizer in a polymeric coating such as Haifa’s Multicote technology, SK Cote Precise, SK Cote Plus and SK Cote Single. Most of the products are exported from other countries and they are using synthetic materials (polymer) as the coated materials. Greenfeed® slow release fertilizer is one of the local slow release fertilizers that contain zeolite as its main ingredient. However, the raw zeolite can only have the ability to adsorb and retain cationic compounds but not anionic compounds. Furthermore, all commercialized fertilizer cannot be regenerated and retain in the soils. |
PRODUCT FACTS
| ITEMS | DOCUMENTATION |
| Patents | Nik Ahmad Nizam Nik Malek, Noor Hidayah Dzkulfli, Niza Syafiqah Hamzah (2014). NPK-Organo-Zeolite as Advanced Controlled Release Fertilizer. PI 2014703213 |
| Trademark Logo | Registration No: 2014 065394 (Class 1) |
| Design Machine for Large Scale production | Proposal No. FKP 2014-2, Proposal for DUAL-ANTIBAX machine for large scale production by Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM), Melaka. (09 Oct 2014) |
| Research Grants | 1. Sciencefund, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation Malaysia (MOSTI), Development of Organo-Zeolite as Advanced Controlled Release Fertilizer. 01/08/2012–31/01/2015. RM 254,600.00. Vot No: 4S038
2. Research University Grant (RUG), UTM, Tier 2. Nanozeolites from Rice Husk Ash as Nanofertilizer. 01/12/2012–30/12/2013. RM 32,000.00. Vot. No: 07J45 |
PROOF OF CONCEPT
| ITEMS | DOCUMENTATION |
| Theses | 1. Niza Syafiqah Bt Hamzah. (2012-DATE). NPK-Organo-Zeolite as Advanced Controlled Released Fertilizer. MSc (Biosciences). FBME, UTM, Research Student Grant (RSG) from Sciencefund (4S038).
2. Haryani Abdullah (2014-2015). The Study of Controlled Release Propagating Substrate (CRPS) and NPK-Organo-Zeolite Performance on Clinacanthus nutans. MSc (Biotechnology) (Mixed Mode, FBME, UTM). 3. Teo Wee Siang (2014-2015). NPK-Organo-Zeolite as Controlled Release Fertilizer for The Growth of Clinacanthus nutans. BSc (Industrial Biology). |
| Scientific Articles | 1. Teo Wee Siang, Nik Ahmad Nizam Nik Malek. NPK-Organo-Zeolite as Controlled Release Fertilizer for The Growth of Clinacanthus nutans. Biosciences and Medical Engineering Sudents Conference (BME15), FBME, T02 Building, UTM, Johor, 26-27 May 2015.
2. Niza Syafiqah Hamzah, Nik Ahmad Nizam Nik Malek, Noor Hidayah Dzkulfli, W Mohd Madhi W Abdullah, Salehhuddin Hamdan. Effect of NPK-Organo-Zeolite on the Growth of Okra (Abelmochus esculentus L.). BIO JOHOR 2014, Johor Biotechnology Conference and Exhibition, Persada Johor, Malaysia, 25-27 August 2014. 3. Nik Ahmad Nizam Nik Malek, Teo Wee Siang, Niza Syafiqah Hamzah, Noor Hidayah Dzkulfli. Evaluation of NPK-Organo-Zeolite as Controlled Release Fertilizer for the Growth of Clinacanthus nutans. 5th International Conference on Environment 2015 (ICENV 2015), Penang, Malaysia, 18-19 August 2015. |
COMMERCIALIZATION APPROACHES
These are the methods to commercialize products under UTM suggested by Innovation and Commercialization Centre (ICC-UTM) and needs to follow the “UTM Intellectual Property Commercialization Policy”.
| OPTION | DESCRIPTION |
| Spin-off / joint-venture companies
|
· Third parties investments into UTM’s patent to enable the most effective commercialization of the product.
· Spin-off type A: UTM has equity and receives up-front payment and royalties · Spin-off type B: UTM will receive only upfront payment and royalties.
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| Commercialization project
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· Small commercialization project for production and commercialization of NPK-Organo-Zeolite® by any interested companies.
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| Licensing | · Manufacturing and marketing NPK-Organo-Zeolite® by any interested company. In return, UTM and inventor will get a royalty for the selling item.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
- Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation Malaysia
- Provet Group of Companies Sdn Bhd, Serdang, Selangor
- Bioprospect Sdn Bhd, Kluang, Johor.
- MARDI, Pontian, Johor
- Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM)
- Mineral Research Centre (MRC), Mineral and Geoscience Department Malaysia.
- Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)
- Faculty of Biosciences and Medical Engineering, UTM
- Centre for Sustainable Nanomaterials (CSNano)
- Nanotechnology Research Alliance, UTM
- Research Management Centre (RMC), UTM
- Innovation and Commercialization Centre (ICC), UTM
- Frontier Materials Research Alliance, UTM
