![Organic fertilizer can be produced from hazelnut husks in Azerbaijan](https://smb.gov.az/storage/6453/image.png)
Prospects for the use of hazelnut husks as an organic fertilizer were studied within the framework of grant projects of the Small and Medium Business Development Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (KOBİA) to finance education, science, research and support projects.
This was reported to AZERTAC by the project manager Altay Demirzade.
The head of the project said that one of the areas with a significant share of exports in the country is nut growing. Of course, hazelnut orchards take the first place in this area. Taking into account the growing demand for nuts in the world market, important work is being done in our country in recent years to plant new hazelnut orchards and increase productivity in old orchards. According to current statistics, the total area of hazelnut orchards in the country is about 80,000 hectares, of which about 50,000 hectares are fruit-bearing gardens. Last year alone, 840 hectares of new hazelnut orchards were planted in the country. In general, in 2021, more than 67,000 tons of hazelnuts were harvested in Azerbaijan. Most of this product has also been exported. Last year, our country ranked third in the world for the production and export of hazelnuts. All these figures are of great interest in increasing hazelnut orchards and developing this area.
According to him, first of all, the potential to convert hazelnut husks formed during the harvest and thrown away into organic fertilizers was studied: "During the hazelnut harvest in August-September, the green husk on the fruit turns into waste. If we look at the total amount of harvest in the orchards, according to preliminary estimates, this means thousands of tons of hazelnut husks per year. If we can turn this husk into organic fertilizer in the laboratory, we can get hundreds of tons of organic fertilizer a year. The new type of product to be obtained, i.e fertilizer, is organic and can be considered especially useful in the cultivation of crops and gardens.
During the research in the hazelnut growing areas, it was found out that after harvesting from the orchards, they are quickly cleaned of husks by special techniques. The remaining hazelnut huks are often burned and destroyed. Altay Demirzadeh said that if we take into account that thousands of tons of waste are generated every year and all this waste is burned and destroyed, this issue has a negative impact on the environment. However, the collected waste can be collected and involved in the production process. Thus, first of all, farmers and people who harvest from the backyard can direct the husk to a more profitable business, without burning it unnecessarily. On the other hand, the environment will be free of smoke and unnecessary waste. The project is nearing completion. It is also planned to test organic fertilizer from various wastes under different plants. If the results are successful, hazelnut husks can be produced as organic fertilizer in the coming years.
Altay Demirzadeh noted that discussions with local residents and owners of large farms during visits to Gabala, Zagatala and Khachmaz regions, which specialize in hazelnut growing, and people's interest in the project give hope that this work can be useful for hazelnut growing regions. On the other hand, it can make a significant contribution to the protection and sustainable use of soil fertility.
https://azertag.az/xeber/Azerbaycanda_findiq_qerzeyinden_uzvi_gubre_istehsal_oluna_biler-2181884
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