Tandojam University Professor Discovers Unique Uses of Banana Stems

A professor at the Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam, has successfully experimented with making yarn, fertilizer, eco-friendly tissue paper, paper, and other items from banana stems.

Dr. S. Ibrahim Abro, an Associate Professor at the Department of Civil Science, accomplished this feat with his colleagues.

Ninety percent of Pakistan’s banana crop is grown in Sindh, which is why the province is also called the ‘Garden of Bananas’. They are grown on 130,000 acres in Sindh, with about 1,200 to 1,500 plants per acre.

The plant bears fruit only once in its lifetime. Next to it grows another plant that bears new fruit after a while. Eventually, the old plant is cut down so that the new plant can get the required energy and minerals for its growth.

Farmers usually burn the banana plant for disposal after cutting it but this practice causes the emission of greenhouse gases that spur climate change and air pollution.

“People are emitting carbon in the atmosphere by burning banana plants. These emissions are ultimately leading to climate change in the world,” Dr. Ibrahim Abro told an international news outlet.

“Therefore, for the first time in Pakistan, we have successfully tested a special machine to extract waste fiber, which not only produces yarn but also makes tissue paper and paper with organic fertilizers,” he said.

He explained that the banana stem is first converted into sheets to make yarn. The yarn is inserted into the machine that extrudes wet yarn. Various items can be made from the yarn after it dries.

Dr. Abro said, “The fertilizer made from it is pure potash, a liquid that is sprayed on the crops, whose market price is Rs. 6,000 to Rs. 7,000 per acre”.

Candy, pickles, and soft drinks can also be made from the fibers in the middle of the stem, which is a common practice in Bangladesh, India, the Philippines, and other countries.

Via: Independent Urdu



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