That s rich!
recycling crop wastes to produce enriched manure, besides improving the fertility of the soil, also facilitates hygienical waste disposal and prevents environmental pollution.
Sugarcane trash is a commonly available farm waste in sugarcane growing countries. At present, most of the trash is burnt in fields as an easy way of disposal. This results in the release of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide which pollute the environment. The nutrients of nitrogen and sulphur present in the trash are lost in gaseous forms. Organic matter, which could be transformed into humus for sustaining the productivity of soils, is also lost. Even the microorganisms present in the soil, which are essential for maintaining soil fertility, are killed. All this can be avoided by recycling the trash as manure using a method introduced by K Kumaraswamy of the Sugarcane Research Station, Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu (Encology, Vol 11, No 7).
After harvesting the crop, the cane trash can be composted in the field itself. The trash can be spread in a pit nine metre (m) long, five m wide and one m deep dug in a corner of the field. About 500 kg of cane trash is dumped in this pit. Over this, about 500 kg of soil is spread and 25 kg of a fertiliser mixture
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