Special Program for International Students

GRADUATE COURSE IN EARTH SCIENCE
  & GEOENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
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Mohammed Zahidul Islam (Bangladesh)

Email: s139712 @matsu.shimane-u.ac.jp

Thesis title:  Application of conifer wood wastes for vegetable production without composting, fertilizing and agricultural chemicals.
Supervisor:  Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sadanobu Katoh (2013-2015).

The wood of conifers is softwood. Conifers are of great economic value world-wide, for both timber and paper production. The most common examples of conifers are cypresses, pines, hemlocks, Douglas firs, junipers, kauri, larches, redwoods, yews, spruces, and cedars. Most of these are woody plants and grow as trees, and a few species occur as shrubs are found. Conifers are usually cone-bearing seed plants with vascular tissue.

Harvesting and milling conifers produces wood wastes in huge volume. Two of the guiding principles of wood waste management are that wood waste is a resource, and waste recycling can solve problems of waste management. Wood waste generation and subsequent accumulation generated by increased human population is a significant problem confronting future generations. This problem is increasing in severity by improper wood waste disposal, which often leads to greater problems in terms of environmental pollution and occurrence of plant disease. In addition to this wood waste, thinned material from stagnated and overstocked small diameter wood poses a serious threat to forest health by increasing fuel load. This can result in forest fires that severely damage ecosystems.

Global demand for energy and nutritious food continues to increase, as has the shortage of natural resources. Over the last century many differing agrochemicals substances have been introduced into the environment. Use of agro-chemicals in vegetable farms can create both soil and air pollution. Residual effects of agro-chemicals can also impact on human health. Outflow of chemical fertilizers and pesticides from vegetable farms and gardens also promotes growth of toxic algae in rivers, often making them uninhabitable for aquatic organisms, and unpleasant or unexploitable for humans. Some toxic chemicals make their way from landfill waste sites into groundwater, rivers and the oceans. Intensive cropping to feed the ever-expanding world population coupled with high erosion rates in uplands has resulted in severe soil nutrient depletion in some places. The most common nutrient deficiencies are nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur and zinc. The use of high-input agricultural systems increases day by day. Scientists, Politicians, NGOs and farmers are searching for alternatives of fertilizer and agricultural chemicals. This has led to the emerging popularity of organic agriculture worldwide.

My aim of my study is to grow vegetables using conifer wood wastes without composting, and without the use of fertilizers or agricultural chemicals. Conifer wood waste is a good source of plant nutrients. I expect that conifer wood wastes provide not only Nitrogen (N), but also other elements including Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Sulphur (S), Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), and micro-nutrients. My research will explore the levels of macro and micro-elements present in conifer wood wastes. These elements are essential for vegetable production. I hope that these elements can work together on the growth and development of vegetable plants.

Objectives:

Outcomes

Current agricultural practice is basically chemical-based farming that contributes significantly to degradation of our natural resources, particularly soils. Global population is increasing day by day, but there is an urgent need to expand vegetable production. I hope that my study will add a new dimension to the agricultural world. I think that this research should be valuable for scientists, farmers and policy makers.


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