Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
TABLE 19.1
Wastes Tested for Vermicomposting
Sl. No.
Source of Waste Generation
Utilizable Waste for Vermicomposting
I.
Agricultural wastes
1.
Agricultural fields
Stubble, weeds, husk, straw, and farm-yard manure
2.
Plantations
Stems, leaf matter, fruit rind, pulp, and stubble
3.
Animal wastes
Dung, urine, and biogas slurry
II.
Urban solid waste
Kitchen waste from households and restaurants, waste from market
yards and places of worship, and sludge from sewage treatment plants
III.
Agroindustries wastes
1.
Food processing units
Peel, rind, and unused pulp of fruits and vegetables
2.
Vegetable oil refineries
Pressmud and seed husk
3.
Sugar factories
Pressmud, fine bagasse, and boiler ash
4.
Breweries and distilleries
Spent wash, barley waste, and yeast sludge
5.
Seed production units
Core of fruits, paper, and date-expired seeds
6.
Aromatic oil
Stems, leaves, and flowers after extraction of oil
Extraction units
7.
Coir industries
Coir pith
in farmland to enrich the nutrient status of soil have been turned into pollutants in the city. In India,
domestic waste is mostly of an organic nature and contributes 70 to 80% of total urban solid wastes.
Each household of four family members generates 0.5 to 0.75 kg kitchen waste per day (Kale and
Sunita 1993).
STATUS OF AGRICULTURE IN KARNATAKA STATE, INDIA
Food production is a primary concern of any country. When productive lands are scarce and human
population growth is increasing at an alarming rate, maximum productivity must be achieved in
countries such as India from the available land. A little more than 71% of the population of
Karnataka state lives in rural areas. Among this rural population, 94% depend on agriculture for a
living. Reports from the Directorate of Agriculture, Economics, and Statistics and Economic Survey
show that land utilization for agriculture over the state averages 1.2 ha per individual. In this area,
nearly 56.2% of land is used for sowing annual crops, and 8.8% is cultivated more than once
annually. Only 12% of agricultural land is irrigated. For every ton of food grains produced, an
average consumption of chemical fertilizers, as an energy subsidy, is 50 kg N, 30 kg P, and 90 kg
K. Inorganic fertilizer utilization has more than doubled in the last decade and so has the use of
pesticides for pest control increased.
These increases in chemical applications have not boosted agricultural yields significantly, except
for those of sugarcane. For the rest of the crops, production has either remained the same or has declined
over the last 5 years. It is costlier to maintain crop plants in hot climates than in temperate areas because
of the high temperatures and water stresses (Best 1962). A mere 3% of the agricultural community in
Karnataka owns more than 10 ha of land, and the rest of the landholders are marginal-to-medium
farmers with less than 10 ha of land. The current strategy of a tenfold increase in use of fertilizers,
pesticides, and machinery to provide a mere twofold increase in agricultural production is economically
unviable under the existing situations in the state (Bennett and Robinson 1967).
The levels of pollution caused by different sources have been emphasized. Factory production
units of fertilizers are releasing various hazardous by-products that can pollute air, water, and soil
if proper preventive measures are not taken. Similarly, sludges from sewage treatment plants and
other organic degradable refuse are causing harm to the ecosystem. The same organic refuses can
