The essence of the Zero Waste Agriculture concept

The concept is based on the creation of Zero Waste Agriculture (ZWA) growth points – pilot enterprises for the production of microdosed biostimulants from agricultural waste.
Such enterprises will become drivers for the widespread adoption of the ZWA approach for the following reasons:

• Will demonstrate effective integrated application of ZWA technologies for waste management.
• They will produce an innovative product that significantly increases the productivity of the agribusiness sector.
• Demonstrate the high profitability of producing biostimulants from waste.
• Serve as a model for dissemination of the approach in other regions.
• Draw investors’ attention to the potential of the ZWA concept.
• Interest the state in promoting ZWA as a driver of agricultural growth.
  Implementation of pilot projects will launch scaling up of ZWA based on demonstration of their economic and technological efficiency.

Relevance

In Cambodia, significant amounts of agricultural wastes are inefficiently utilized. Their conversion into biostimulants through ZWA technologies will improve agro-sector sustainability, economics and production efficiency.

Challenges

Inefficient utilization of agricultural waste potential.
High costs of achieving crop and animal biopotential.
Insufficient volumes and poor quality of agricultural products.
Dependence of the country on import of fodder, fertilizers and biopreparations.

Objectives

Establishment of microdosed biostimulants production as key growth points of ZWA.
Increase the volume and quality of agricultural products through the use of effective biostimulants.
Increase of overall efficiency and profitability of agro-sector.

Tasks

Creation of pilot production of biostimulants on the basis of ZWA technologies.
Scaling up production in the regions and outside the country.
Development of legal and regulatory framework to support ZWA.
Attraction of public and private investments.

Stakeholders

• Ministry of Agriculture
• Agribusinesses
• Regional authorities Investors
• Technology partners

Expected results

Establishment of 5 ZWA plants within 2 years 20% increase in crop yields reduction of livestock production costs by 15% Attraction of investments into the industry in the amount of 50 million dollars

Implementation plan

Creation of pilot production of biostimulants, fodder and fertilizers (ZWA plant) – 1 year Launch of microdosed biostimulants on the market – 1 year Replication of ZWA plants) in provinces and abroad 2 years Scaling up nationally and internationally.

Annex: The essence of the applied technologies, their interrelation and peculiarities

1. Waste bioconversion through BSFL (Black Soldier Fly Larvae):Essence: Use of larvae to process organic waste into protein feed, zoohumus, obtaining a wide range of biologically active substances.
   Efficiency: Fast process, does not require expensive equipment.
   Relationship to other processes: Zoogumus and larvae after bioconversion are used as raw materials for obtaining biologically active substances and increasing the nutritional content of mixed fodder.
2. Pyrolysis of mango seeds into activated carbon:
   Essence: Process of thermochemical destruction of organic material without access to oxygen to produce activated carbon.
   Efficiency: Conversion of waste into a valuable product with high demand.
   Thermal energy: Possibility to utilize 2/3 of the released thermal energy in other processes.
3. Processing of rice husk into silicon nanodioxide:
   Essence: Low cost technology for processing rice husk into valuable nanomaterials.
   Efficiency: Opens new markets for agricultural waste.
   Thermal Energy: Possibility to utilize 2/3 of the released thermal energy in other processes.
4. Microdosed biostimulants:
   The bottom line: the use of microdoses of bioactive substances and low-cost raw materials makes biostimulants both economical and highly effective for agricultural applications. This is a key success factor of the ZWA approach.
   Efficiency: High efficiency (20-40% yield increase) at low application doses (20-60 ml/ha) ensures high cost- effectiveness (>1000%).
5. Cavitation bioreactor
   Essence: A fundamentally new bioreactor design has been developed, the possibility of washing and disinfection of the reactor with electrochemically activated solutions (catholyte, anolyte) has been realized.
   Preparation of nutrient media from available inexpensive components, including agricultural waste.
   Efficiency. The use of cavitation bioreactor allows to reduce the cost of production of biopreparations by cheapening the process and increasing its efficiency.
   The developed device is an effective and economical solution for intensification and optimization of biotechnological processes within the framework of Zero Waste Agriculture concept implementation.
6. Cavitation reactor
   The essence of the technology: Zoogumus and peat contain humic acids in insoluble form.
   Cavitation treatment breaks down the structure of these substances, transforming humic acids into soluble and plant-available form. The resulting liquid humates are used for the production of biostimulants.
   Efficiency: High degree of extraction of target compounds.
   Possibility to use inexpensive raw materials (zoogumus, peat). Reduction of energy consumption for the process in comparison with traditional methods.
   Obtaining an environmentally friendly and effective component for biostimulants.
7. Semi-liquid feed for steers and piglets
   The essence of technology: Use of mango peelings as a basis for feed. Addition of peat or Use of molasses as a source of easily digestible carbohydrates. Processing in a cavitator for homogenization and disinfection. Introduction of lactobacillus and propionic bacteria to improve feed digestibility, increase protein digestibility, increase animal productivity and immunity due to the probiotic effect of the added bacteria. Increasing the shelf life of feed Efficiency: Obtaining highly nutritious and balanced feed from waste.
   This approach effectively solves the problem of mango waste utilization and produces a valuable feed product under the ZWA concept.
8. Resource conservation through thermal energy:
   Essence: Utilization of heat generated in pyrolysis processes for drying or other energy intensive processes.
   Efficiency: Reducing external energy consumption, reducing environmental impact.
   These technologies are interrelated and together form a coherent and efficient zero-waste production system. The use of microdosed biostimulants offers a unique combination of high efficiency and cost- effectiveness, making them particularly attractive to growers.
   Method-technology interrelationships:
   The interrelationships of technologies and processes in the ZWA concept:
9. The bioconversion of waste through BSFL provides raw materials for the production of biostimulants and feeds.
   • Protein and fat extracted from BSFL are used to improve the nutritional quality of feeds
   • Pyrolysis of mango seeds – activated carbon + heat for other processes.
   • Pyrolysis of rice husk – nanosilica + heat.
   • Biostimulants are produced from products derived from
   • other processes.
   • Cavitation bioreactor optimizes production of probiotics and biologics.
   • Cavitation and ECA solutions are used to produce humates from zoohumus.
   • Thermal energy from pyrolysis is used to prepare substrate for BSFL, drying of BSFL and drying of semi- liquid feed components.
   • Semi-liquid feeds are produced using cavitators and the addition of probiotics.

All processes are integrated and complement each other

This description revived with attention to this subject of one Thailand university.

Now we prefer realizer our new project.