Study on the use of keratin waste as a biofertilizer

Abstract

The number of pet shops has increased due to the greater number of pets, mainly dogs, which require hygiene care such as grooming, however, this procedure generates a large amount of dog fur. Dog fur is classified as keratinous waste and can, when improperly disposed of, pollute the environment. For this reason, researchers are investigating ways to dispose of these residues as animal feed or their use as biofertilizer in order to reduce their environmental impact. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the use of substrates made with different amounts of dog fur and at different degradation times as a substrate in the cultivation of american lettuce. The experiment was implemented in a completely randomized design, in a 3x3 factorial scheme (3 compositions of substrates x three times of decomposition of dog fur), with 10 repetitions per treatment, where each repetition consisted of a unit of 1 kg containing a plant of great lakes lettuce, totaling 90 experimental units. The composition of the substrates used was: substrate composed of 80% soil + 20% dog fur, 90% soil + 10% dog fur and control, containing 100% soil, and the degradation time was 90, 120 and 150 days. The number of leaves, the diameter of the aerial part, the height of the aerial part, the fresh weight of the aerial part, the length of the root and the fresh weight of the root were evaluated. The use of substrates containing dog hair incorporated in different amounts and with different degradation times impaired (p <0.05) the agronomic performance of lettuce, the fresh weight of the aerial part and the length and the fresh weight of the root. It is suggested that more research be conducted, based on a longer degradation time and/or the use of keratin hydrolysis techniques present in the dog fur, in order to enable the use of this residue as a biofertilizer.