UAE school pupils turn feathers into fertiliser as plans to combat waste take flight
Three enterprising UAE teenagers are turning discarded chicken feathers into biofertiliser in a project they hope could eventually help farmers and reduce agricultural waste. Adit Mital, Anushka Harlalka and Maanit Misra have spent months developing BioFeathers, a process that uses bacteria to break down chicken feathers and convert them into nutrients that can be used by plants. What started as…
Three UAE teenagers, Adit Mital, Anushka Harlalka, and Maanit Misra, have developed a method to convert discarded chicken feathers into biofertilizer, aiming to reduce agricultural waste. Their project, BioFeathers, involves using bacteria to break down the keratin in chicken feathers and transform it into plant nutrients. Initially a school science project, the idea came from the students' shared interest in science and the potential for repurposing waste.
They began by collecting about 2kg of feathers from a Sharjah poultry farm and spent hours preparing samples for lab testing. The teenagers faced challenges, including adapting to the project while attending school, dealing with delays in obtaining necessary chemicals, and navigating laboratory equipment issues. Despite these hurdles, they filed a provisional patent application in April and plan to present their findings to Dubai Municipality and explore opportunities through the Dubai Farms programme.
Early trials showed higher growth rates in bok choy and radishes compared to commercial treatments, though results are still preliminary. The teenagers estimate the raw formula costs less than Dh1 per 100ml to produce, making it an affordable solution for farmers.
Written by urgent.news from The National Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
