Abstract
Dairy products contain high level of minerals and organic materials. The disposal of these materials is a source of environmental pollution and recourses loss. Recycling of expired dairy products is the ideal practical solution for an integrated ecosystem. Thus, a greenhouse trails were carried out to investigate the effectiveness of natural fertilizer extracted from expired dairy products. Expired dairy products powder (EDPP) was applied to wheat (Triticum aestivum vulgar) plants grown on pots filled with a sandy soil. The experiment contained three treatments: (C) control without any fertilization, (IF) inorganic fertilization (a mixture of inorganic fertilizers at a rate of 500 mg N + 150 mg P + 100 mg K /pot) and (EDPP) at a rate of 1% (10 g/pot). EDDP increased the degree of soil aggregation and water holding capacity by 24 and 38% in comparison to inorganic fertilization. The measured soil quality characteristics were improved as a result of the EDDP addition and this led to a remarkable improvement in wheat growth. EDPP elevated all the recoded growth parameters of wheat and increased the total chlorophyll by 22% in comparison to the IF treatment. The application of EDPP significantly raised N, P and K uptake by 45, 73 and 95% compared to IF. EDPP minimized the pH of the soil by 10% and raised the availability of N, P and K by 54, 67 and 14 in comparison to the IF treatment. EDPP fertilizer caused a remarkable increase in wheat growth and improved soil properties. Based on the obtained results, the expired dairy products powder can be used as an organic fertilizer.