Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT) has joined hands with the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) in a project to tackle agricultural challenges caused by soil salinity in the Northeast using bio-cement.
According to Thidarat Bunsri, a member of the Smart Biomaterials and Technology Research Group at KMUTT, bio-cement is developed with microbial-induced calcium carbonate.
Microbes from fermented fish bone residue, a byproduct of industrial-scale fish sauce production, are used in the project as the key organic compound.
Ms Thidarat said this bio-cement material is saline-resistant and, thanks to geopolymer technology, it can retain rainwater while preventing salt from entering.
RID civil engineer Peerawat Phuengpaphat said the problems of saline soil and sandy earth have long been major obstacles to healthy agriculture in northeastern Thailand.
Because the region was once a sea, there is a layer of rock salt in the groundwater level while its sandy soil cannot store rainwater.
Thus in the rainy season, fresh water will quickly rinse through the soil and in the dry season, groundwater will rise up and form salt crystals on the soil surface which makes it harder to plant crops.
Mr Peerawat said bio-cement could be used to build irrigation canals and other water systems, and could solve issues related to water leakage in the region as well.
The project’s bio-cement compound includes gangues that contain silica and alumina, a microbial solution, and egg shells, which serve as food for microbes.
The material is resistant to salt erosion and can repair itself from micro-cracks as the microbes will create calcium carbonate crystals to fill them.
Ms Thidarat said production has been supported by the private sector, including Charoen Pokphand Foods and the Akara Resources mining company.
She added the materials can replace conventional cement or plastic HDPE sheets commonly used for water retention in soil, but they can also deteriorate and contaminate the soil with microplastics.
A pilot test is now being conducted in a rice field at the Irrigation Experiment Station No 3 (Huay Ban Yang) in Muang district of Nakhon Ratchasima.
In this test, bio-cement sheets, each measuring 75 centimetres x 75cm and 8.5cm thick, have been put in field lysimeters, to observe the rate of water evaporation in plants and soil.
It is also to study the bio-cement’s ability to slow water absorption and prevent salt from the ground from entering the water.
The test will be carried out during one rice-growing cycle, for about four months, she said, adding the self-repair capabilities and salt resistance will be examined regularly.
“If successful, the team aims to develop a formula of bio-cement that can be used with a 3D printer, possibly to make artificial reefs or bio-concrete for construction to retain water underground,” said Ms Thidarat.
She added the project is not just a significant step forward in terms of agricultural technology, but will also contribute to environmental sustainability.
It is expected to expand and be applied to other areas shortly, she said.