ROURKELA: Rourkela-based startup Biotez Agrinovation Pvt Ltd (BAPL) is using LD (Linz-Donawitz) slag - normally used in the steel industry - to improve agricultural yield. Founded by a biotechnology alumni of National Institute of Technology, Rourkela (NIT-R) Shitarashmi Sahu and retired botany professor Meena Kumari Maharana, the company is developing and manufacturing high-quality plant nutrition products and biofertilizers using LD slag under the brand name of Biotez. The products have been found to address the problem of soil infertility and acidity. The start-up is being incubated at the Foundation for Technology & Business Incubation (FTBI) of the NIT-R.
LD slag is a byproduct of the Linz-Donawitz process which is produced as pig iron and is processed into crude steel. For the last one year, the company has been testing application of its products in agricultural fields of 50 farmers of adjacent Nuagaon block. They have reported 10 to 20 per cent more plant growth and yield. These LD slag-based biofertilizers and natural manures are also gaining popularity among individuals opting for growing kitchen gardens.
.jpg?w=640&auto=format%2Ccompress)
Shitarashmi said the steel-making process generates a huge amount of LD slag and its proper utilisation in a gainful manner is crucial. “Our LD slag based manure is formulated with natural ingredients and non-hazardous to human kind. It consists of CaO (lime), Si (silica), P (phosphorous), Fe (iron), Mn (magnesium), etc. Some other hazardous heavy metals are also there but they are relatively less in amount and show lesser leachability activity,” she said.
Due to its mineral value, LD slag could be a promising substitute to neutralise soil acidity, enhance plant growth and crop yield using proprietary natural formulation. “Our formulation balances the pH condition (6-8) of soil and increases microbial activity. We are trying to further improve its quality and composition through natural formulation. We have filed a patent on this technology,” she added.
The company, which started production in 2021, is now producing seven to 10 tonnes of biofertilizers and natural manures annually. Its products have got clearance from three reputed testing laboratories. These products assume significance as 70 to 80 per cent of agricultural land in Sundargarh district face high soil acidity and infertility while the Rourkela Steel Plant produces a large amount of LD slag.
The company has been recognised by Startup India and Startup Odisha and it has been recently acknowledged as the best agri-startup innovation by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. It is receiving mentorship support from a host of professors of the NIT-R and scientists of the ICAR-NRRI, Cuttack, said CEO of NIT-R FTBI.
LD slag, a solid waste produced during steel manufacture, has very limited utilisation but a city-based startup is using it to address the problem of soil infertility and acidity, writes Prasanjeet Sarkar