Scope for organic wastes as eco-friendly materials in crop protection.

摘要

Researchers have been looking for safe alternative materials, especially those based on organic matter because of several hazards associated with the use of chemicals. Both in urban and rural India, organic wastes are largely burnt or left to rot in situ. India generates enormous quantities of wastes every year. Indian garbage, which consists of 85 per cent organic matter, offers an opportunity to convert it into useful crop nutrients as well as plant protection materials. Historically, through the knowledge contained in Vrikshayurveda, organic wastes of animal origin were most commonly used for nutrition and plant protection. In addition, herbs processed in liquid wastes of animals were used for plant protection. Cow dung manure and liquid manure from animal wastes called kunapajala were used universally. Kunapajala can be prepared from (i) slaughterhouse wastes (flesh, hair, fat, horns, skin bits), (U) dairy wastes (residual milk, spoiled milk, cattle dung and wine, whey, etc) (iii) fishery wastes (leftover fish parts, dried fish wastes, and fish wash), (iv) poultry wastes (spoiled eggs, dead chicks, husk coated with excreta, feathers), (v) sugar/jaggery factories (molasses, cane trash), (vi) some material from tannery wastes, although presence of chromium in leather factory wastes makes the material objectionable (vii) garbage including night soil (city kitchens, septic tanks), (viii) non-edible oilcakes, and (ix) wastes from food processing factories. Utilization of organic wastes based on the methods recommended in Vrikshayurveda offers us tremendous opportunities to develop novel, eco-friendly methods of manuring and plant protection through research. The Vrikshayurveda-prescribed methods should be applicable to plantation and field crops.