Characterization of cellulose nanocrystal extracted from household waste and its application for seed germination

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were extracted from waste corrugated cardboard (WCC), waste paper towel (WPT), and waste paper towel cardboard roll (WPTR) using modified chemical methods. Instead of being discarded in landfills, these household waste materials were recognized as cost-effective and readily available sources for producing CNCs, which can serve as efficient water adsorbents in agricultural applications. Despite the inherent impurities and contaminants in household waste, the pretreatment and acid hydrolysis processes were found to be effective in removing a significant portion of these undesirable substances, as confirmed by FTIR spectra analysis. The extracted CNCs displayed a needle/whisker-shaped morphology with diameters ranging from 4 to 15 nm. Crystallinity levels of the CNCs extracted from WCC, WPT, and WPTR were determined to be 81.11 %, 85.29 %, and 80.68 %, respectively. The CNCs were then tested for their role as promoters of seed germination in plant starter plugs under different relative humidity conditions. Results indicated that under high relative humidity (above 70 %), seeds exhibited rapid germination (within 3-4 days) when the plugs were coated with CNCs at a minimum concentration of 5 %. However, under moderate relative humidity (50 %), germination occurred within 5-6 days at CNC concentrations of 10-15 %.