Reusing wool to manufacture pellets as a biofertilizer: a sustainable alternative
Keywords:
wool, pellets, agroecology, circular economyAbstract
This article presents the results and scope of the project "Alternative Use of Medium and Coarse Wool in Stock from the Wool Industry of Uruguay," conducted at Universidad Tecnológica del Uruguay (UTEC’s ITR Norte) by the Engineering in Control and Automation program and the R&D Directorate in the Technological Unit for Automation and Intelligent Systems (UTASI). The primary goal of this initiative is to repurpose discarded wool to produce wool pellets for use as a slow-release natural fertilizer. The project is based on principles of sustainability and circular economy, utilizing Corriedale wool with a fiber diameter above 30 microns, sourced from local farmers in the Valle del Lunarejo region of northern Uruguay. The collected wool underwent various analyses to assess its fertilizing capacity by measuring mineral content. The results indicate that wool pellets made from waste wool contain significant nitrogen and phosphorus levels, with a slow-release profile that enhances nutrient retention in soil. These findings suggest that producing wool pellets facilitates field application and storage, making their use in sustainable agriculture more efficient and reducing dependency on synthetic fertilizers.
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