Nur Anisah Rizky Harahap, Yeyen Nurhamiyah, Ika Atsari Dewi, Young Hoon Jung, Muhammad Hazwan Bin Hamzah, Novita Ainur Rohma, Rizki Putra Samudra, Andhika Putra Agus Pratama, Yeon Ju Lee, Sri Suhartini
This study developed a sheet-type organic mulch from coconut fiber, banana pseudostem, and water hyacinth without synthetic additives through drying, alkaline pretreatment in 1% NaOH solution for 30 minutes, pulping, molding, and oven-drying at 50 °C for 72 hours. The products were characterized for physical, mechanical, and chemical properties, including moisture and ash contents, water absorption capacity, tensile strength, and proximate, lignocellulosic, CNPK, FTIR, and SEM-EDX analyses. The raw materials showed distinct compositions: coconut fiber was rich in lignin (27.52%) and cellulose (37.87%), banana pseudostem had the highest hemicellulose (36.25%), and water hyacinth contained the greatest protein content (16.74%). Among treatments, M3P3 (70% coconut fiber: 30% banana pseudostem) exhibited the highest water absorption capacity (257.00%), while P1 (100% banana pseudostem) achieved the highest tensile strength (9.97 N). In contrast, E1 (100% water hyacinth) showed the highest moisture content (8.83%) but the lowest tensile strength (5.11 N). FTIR and SEM-EDX results confirmed the presence of hydroxyl and carbonyl functional groups and a porous surface morphology, supporting water retention and nutrient release. Overall, the composite mulch demonstrated eco-friendly, economical, and adaptive properties suitable for sustainable tropical agriculture applications. © 2025, Universitas Brawijaya, Faculty of Agricultural Technology. All rights reserved.
Department of Agroindustrial Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia; Research Center for Biomass and Bioproducts, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Bogor, Indonesia; Center of Excellence for Bioenergy and Biorefinery, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia; School of Food Science and Biotechnology, Food and Bio-industry Institute, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea; Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
