4 Ways to Maximize Corn Waste

Many agricultural commodities in Indonesia whose waste is wasted, when in fact it can be used to make other products that provide benefits for farmers. In addition to rice husks , corn plant waste also appears to be often left alone, rotting without further processing.

If taken on average, for every 100 kg of corn, there is about 20-30% of waste generated. One study  conducted by several students of the Faculty of Agriculture, Medan Area University, showed that 1 hectare of corn can yield up to 9 tons of total yield, and 1.8 to 2.7 tons of which is waste.

Therefore, farmers should know how to use corn waste into products that have more value. The following are some things that can be done to utilize corn waste.

Also read: A Guide To How To Live Sheep For Beginners And The Benefits

Using corn straw as animal feed

In many rural areas in Indonesia, corn straw is something that we can find easily. Corn straw mixed with other feeds will provide nutrients for livestock, especially cattle, goats, and sheep. In fact, this corn waste can be given to livestock in a fresh or dry state.

Corn Straw Can Be Made Into Animal Feed

Farmers can convert corn straw into complete feed block  (CFB), which is a feed formulation produced by mixing feed ingredients consisting of agricultural waste and concentrate without any other additives. The price of CFB feed is usually sold cheaply so that it can compete in the market in terms of price. In terms of benefits, of course, the natural nutrients from CFB can provide good for livestock.

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Making bioethanol from corn cobs

Bioethanol is a fuel derived from plants and has properties resembling premium oil. Bioethanol can also be interpreted as alcohol fuel that comes from the fermentation process using biological materials. On average, one ton of corncobs can produce 142.3 liters of ethanol. The potential for corncob waste is quite large, of course, it can produce bioethanol which is also in large quantities and is profitable for farmers.

Making briquettes with corn cobs

Making briquettes from agricultural waste can not only be done using the basic ingredients of rice husks, but also from corn cobs. The manufacture of briquettes from this waste is made by the carbonation method, which is the process of heating the material in a room without using oxygen, usually the temperature used is between 500-800 degrees Celsius.

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In simple terms, here are the steps you can take to make corncob briquettes:

1. Clean the dried corn cobs first
2. Put the dried corn cobs into the cooking stove
3. Mash and sort (sieve) the corncob charcoal
4. Mix the resulting charcoal powder with an adhesive, such as starch glue
5. Put the mixture into the briquette mold
6. Dry in direct sunlight for 1-2 days
7. Pack the briquettes so that they can be used at any time
8. Making various handicrafts from corn husks

This method is the most common method if someone wants to use certain types of waste, including corn husks. One of the handicrafts that can be made is flowers. Here's how to make it:

• Peel the dried corn husks completely
• Color the corn husk by boiling it in water mixed with textile dye
• Dry the corn until the moisture content is about 85% (slightly damp)
• Iron the corn husk with a cloth on it until the surface becomes straight
• Corn husks are ready to be formed into flowers that can be used as table decorations.

Also read: Definition of Livestock Breeding

Well, that's 4 ways to make the most of corn waste. Corn waste can be turned into animal feed, briquettes, bioethanol, and handicrafts.