Availability And Utilization of Organic Waste: A Study on the Potential of Sugarcane Bagasse and Tofu Waste as Raw Materials for Liquid Organic Fertilizer

Organic waste is abundantly available, yet its utilization remains suboptimal. Among the various types of organic waste, sugarcane bagasse and tofu waste are notable for their high content of essential nutrients that can support plant growth and development. These materials can be processed into liquid organic fertilizer with the addition of supplementary inputs to enhance the availability of nutrients required by plants.

This study utilized sugarcane bagasse and tofu waste as primary raw materials, with cow feces serving as a supplementary component. The research was conducted in Sidoarjo, East Java, Indonesia, and applied two experimental factors: B, representing the type of base material (sugarcane bagasse (B1) and tofu waste (B2)), and R, representing the ratio between the base material and the supplement (1:5 (R1); 1:5 (R2); and 1:7.5 (R3)). A total of six treatment combinations were examined.

Parameters observed during the study included temperature, pH, organic carbon (C-organic), ammonium, nitrate, and phosphate content, measured from the second to the eighth week of the fermentation process. The temperature during the production of the liquid organic fertilizer ranged from 28°C to 30°C. The resulting pH levels were generally acidic, ranging from 3.5 to 5.0. The highest C-organic content was observed in treatments using tofu waste as the base material. Conversely, treatments using sugarcane bagasse as the base material yielded higher concentrations of ammonium, nitrate, and phosphate.