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Russian researchers have succeeded in developing a natural plant growth stimulant using sheep wool waste, a promising step toward recycling agricultural waste and transforming it into useful products.
The innovation relies on extracting keratin protein found in wool, then thermally treating it with water under pressure and breaking it down using enzymes into peptides and amino acids that plants can absorb.
Experiments conducted on radish plants showed remarkable results: the most effective enzymatic preparation increased root mass by up to 68%, stem mass by up to 83%, and the length of the plant's aerial part by up to 70%, along with higher pigment content in the leaves.
The study's findings were published in the journal "Applied Biochemistry and Microbiology," and the researchers hope this innovation will pave the way for utilizing wool and feather waste in producing natural plant growth stimulants.
The experiments are still in their early stages, having so far only tested the product on radishes, with plans to study its impact on soil microorganisms.
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