Bhagalpur: Adding another feather to its cap, Bihar Agricultural University (BAU) has secured a patent for its innovation ‘Hydrogel from mango seed kernels’, a breakthrough in secondary agriculture with potential applications in water management under the concepts of ‘waste-to-wealth’ and ‘zero wastage’.
The patent was granted by the Patent Office, govt of India, for research carried out under the supervision of BAU vice-chancellor D R Singh and undertaken by director (research) A K Singh with a team of inventors comprising V Shajeeda Banu, Mohd Wasim Siddiqui, Deep Lata and Rajesh Kumar.
Speaking on Thursday, BAU VC Singh said in laboratory testing, the hydrogel exhibited a water-uptake of 400%, demonstrating its ability to absorb and retain moisture. “The end result indicates the hydrogel’s potential role in water management in the farming sector and its future use,” he added.
Singh said mango seeds, which make up 20-25% of the fruit’s weight, are usually discarded. “India produces about 26.3 million tonnes of mangoes annually, nearly 45% of global output. Bihar ranks as the third-largest producer with 15.84 lakh metric tonnes grown across 1.65 lakh hectares.
Hence, the volume of wasted seeds is enormous,” he said.
“By making productive use of mango seed waste, this innovation opens up new applications that will immensely benefit farmers and strengthen Bihar’s mango value chain,” Singh said, adding that the development gives new meaning to the old saying, “Aam ke aam, gutliyon ke daam.”
Director (research) A K Singh and scientist V Shajeeda Banu said, “The invention titled ‘A method for preparing hydrogel from mango seed kernel powder’ provides a novel pathway to utilise mango seed kernels, underlining secondary agriculture where by-products are converted into high-value, farmer-centric innovations. It will help address water and waste management challenges.”
