Congress grass makes good compost: Researcher

Nagpur, June 3: In research that could turn a liability into an asset and benefit millions of farmers across the country, a vicious weed that sucks vital micronutrients from the soil and inhibits growth of other plants in the vicinity besides causing allergy among humans was turned into compost of superior quality that resulted in a higher yield in a test crop.

The conclusion is the result of a detailed study of the biodegradation of the biomass of parthenium hysterophorous, commonly known as 'congress grass' in India, into compost, carried out by Dr Gouri Shrikrishna Kshirsagar, a lecturer in Biology at Labour Camp Junior College at CAD (Central Ammunition Depot) in Pulgaon Camp in Wardha district in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.

This was the first time in the country that the congress grass, compost was subjected to extensive analysis and field trials.

Rasthrasant Tukdoji Maharaj (RTM) Nagpur University recently awarded a doctorate in science to Dr Kshirsagar for her research on the topic. According to Dr Kshirsagar, compost prepared from 'congress grass' resulted in up to 88 per cent higher yield in wheat and relatively higher vegetation in mustard during field trials.

This was in addition to the common benefit of pest control associated with the 'usual' compost prepared from other kind of biomass, Dr Kshirsagar told UNI.

Converting 'congress grass' into compost would contribute in preventing its rapid proliferation by getting rid of its seeds. It will also check but also of the hazardous toxic substance found in the weed, 'parthenin,' which caused severe allergy among humans, she said.

Dr Kshirsagar said that the compost made from 'congress grass' had higher content of phosphorous and potash, thus making it good for crop that needed more of these nutrients. It also resulted in better soil texture by improving the water-retention capacity and porosity of the soil, she said.

. In mustard, the average total number of leaves per plant after 45 days was 8.86 for UHC, 9.29 for PHC, 9.04 for UVC, 9.2 for PVC, 7.6 for UNC, 8.2 for PNC and 6.13 for control. Thus, plants with the 'congress grass' compost showed slightly higher vegetation than those with manure from other biomass, and much better than those without any manure at all.

In wheat, the total yield per plot was (figures in brackets indicate approximate yield in kilograms per acre) 660 grams for UHC (1210), 810 for PHC (1485), 625 for UVC (1146), 735 for PVC (1347), 630 for UNC (1155), 675 for PNC (1237) and 430 for control (788).

Thus, the highest yield of 810 grams per plot obtained with PHC was nearly 88 per cent higher than the 430 grams for control, and even 29 per cent higher than the lowest yield using any compost, which was 625 grams with UVC. Parthenium compost compared favourably with the usual compost for all the three methods of preparation.

Parthenium hysterophorous is a dreaded weed that grows rapidly, causes pollution and allergy, sucks nutrients and starves other crops, and releases growth inhibitors into the soil affecting other plants in the vicinity. It has become one of the seven most dreaded weeds in the world in the last decade, and has covered about 50 lakh hectares in India alone.

The presence of sesquiterpene lactones in the plant get ingested by milch animals during grazing, and find their way into the milk, giving it a bitter taste and also causing allergic reaction like asthma, dermatitis and hay fever among human beings who consume it.

The weed can grow and produce seeds within four weeks in almost any kind of environment. Each plant can produce up to 10,000 seeds, with the large ones capable of going even up to 25,000. Even immature seeds can germinate into full plants.

Composting is the process by which organic wastes are transformed into a soil-building substance for farming and horticulture.

UNI