“Agricultural Waste to Wealth”

Future belongs to countries which utilize agriculture waste as wealth not as waste”
Agriculture provides food for the people, income for the farmers, raw materials for the industries.
But apart from these, the drawback of agriculture is due to improper management of its residual waste which
imparts a hazardous impact on the environment. It plays a part in various types of Environmental pollution like
soil degradation, air pollution, water pollution etc. and one of the major cause for pollution in county like India
is due to its huge agricultural waste of 350 million tons and then there arise the idea to make agricultural waste
to wealth by safe using of these waste and getting income from these waste. There might be numerous reasons
for the improper management of agricultural waste like. a). Illiteracy of the farmers b). laggard farmers c). lack
of interest of rich farmer d). lack of time in utilizing these agricultural products e). making use of agricultural
waste as fire wood only instead of using it in most utilizable form etc. To make agricultural waste to wealth
change should be brought with every aspect starting from encouraging the new technique in utilizing the
agricultural waste to changing the thinking of the farmers to adopt the safe use of agricultural waste with a
business idea.
‘Agricultural waste is not a dustbin waste’. These are the byproducts which has
multipurpose use. Innovative approach towards proper utilization of this agricultural waste is most important
with respect to Agricultural waste management. Some of the useful ideas are as follows,
During summer season Paddy straw, Wheat straw or Pigeon pea stalks can be tied across the Air Cooler by
sprinkling water over it, brings cooler air inside the room.
 Fibrous roots of many crops and trees like Coconut, Arecanut etc. can be used as cushion in making Sofas,
Beds, and Pillows.
 During festivals rose flowers are usually utilized to decorate home and temple you can utilize this rose to
make Gulukand from petals after the pooja.
 The waste outer peel of various fruit crops like Lemon, Mandarin, and Orange etc. can be used after
removing the pulp for citric acid extraction which can be used as spirit in lamp, or even using the waste
outer covering of pineapple you can make alcohol in home.
 Fruit crops like Banana apart from taking fruits, the entire tree has multiuse, where the stem fibers can be
used for preparation of the rope, leaves can be used as plates, stem can be used to decorate home etc., In
Arecanut the flower covering can be used for preparation of plates, caps etc.
 Using the dried Neem leaves you can make mosquito repellent paper. Mainly by squeezing and smashing
the old newspaper then add Neem leaf powder then spread the smashed paste on the flat flour dry it until all
water evaporate and make it as a paper which can be used as mosquito repellent.
 Sunflower and pigeon pea stem stalks can be used for making the side wall of sericulture unit, spraying
water over these maintain R.H inside the unit which is good for the silk worm cultivation.
 Paddy straw or wheat straw or even maize and sorghum broken grains can be used as media for the
cultivation of Button mushroom, Oystrous mushroom, Paddy straw mushroom etc. which is one of the
leading markets were we get a good income.
 Stalks of various crops can be used as a mulching material which increase retention of soil moisture and
reduce excess water loss due to evaporation.

1
 Green manure crops like Sunhemp and other leguminous crops after decomposition adds 40-60kg of
nitrogen per hectare as a result it reduces the extra cost on the nitrogen fertilizer and also maintain the soil
fertility.
 Coconut fiber can be used as washing brush for cleaning the utensils where you can save expenses in taking
scrubs for washing utensils.
 Pigeon pea stalks can be used as decomposing material in Vermicompost preparation, and this compost can
be marketed with huge prize.
 Maize cob fibers are of huge importance for several cottage industries, handicraft sector and textile industry
which we usually consider it as waste.
 Ragi straw or Paddy straw use to cover the glass utensils which protect from any scratch to glass wares and
even Fruits are packed in these straws which protect fruits from various shocks which maintain its quality.
 Using the coconut shell, you can make Bowl, artistic designs to decorate your home.
 After extraction of oil from the seeds of groundnut and soybean the out remain product can be utilized for
making Biscuits. Kurkures and even Fish meal.
Animal husbandry is a part of agriculture, India has huge livestock population of about
529.7million which include Cattle(205 million), Buffalo(85 million) ,Poultry, Sheep, Goat etc. and products of
these livestock fetches huge amount to Indian economy, which include meat, milk, skin, wool etc. And survival,
growth and development of these live stocks require huge quantity of fodder. The left-over products of food
crops which we call as agricultural waste can be used as nutrient rich fodder to animals by fortifying its
nutrients.
 Various crop bran can be used for cattle and poultry feed by these you can reduce extra expenses for feed
for cattle and poultry and you get a good income from poultry birds.
 Silage can be made by using the left over materials of crops which forms fermented high moisture stored
fodder which can be fed to cattle, sheep, and other such ruminants during offseason and this is one way
where agricultural waste is utilized into useful offseason fodder.
 Wheat bran and straw powder can be sold as Bhusa in market which fetches high prize in market.
 Certain weeds are eaten by the Cattles and Buffalo such as Cynadondactylon, Cyperousrotundusetc.So
instead of weeding these weeds either by manual or by using the herbicides they can be managed by just
grazing the weed field by animals, by this it save your expenses on weeding operation and also maintain
your soil fertility.
 Waste bran can be used to spread inside the poultry house as a ground material instead of sand and it is
most useful because of its water holding capacity and letter after mixing with excreta it acts as compost
which can be dumped in field which increase the nutrient status of the soil.
 Apart from the main product of the livestock the excreta of livestock fetch huge value where it can be used
cow dung cake preparation, composting, biogas preparation, vibhuti making, cattle urine can be utilized as
nitrogen sources in field as a result you get a good income from all these sources by this you can say
agricultural waste is an wealth.
 After slaughtering the animals there skin what we call lather can be used to make Belts, Bags, Valets,
Jackets etc. and the Bones can be used in making tooth paste and many cosmetic products.
Technological intervention in managing the agricultural waste play a very important role,
because application of technologies which makes the agricultural waste into useable form where their

2
utilization is easier and less time consuming, and utilization of agricultural waste in processed form gives more
returns. Some of the examples where technological intervention can make the agricultural waste easily
manageable are,
 Stalks of various crops can be chopped and Briquetting it by Briquetting Machine and these briquettes
can be marketed where you get huge prize for your waste agricultural products and this Briquette emits
less pollution on burning compared to direct burning of waste.
 Rice husk which has huge ash content of (20-25%) and also high content of silica in it which can also be
used in constructions of road which has stabilizing property by technological application but instead
farmer usually burn it for heat or dumped it as waste.
 Extraction of Bioactive Phytochemicals from the waste stalks of various crops like sugarcane, tobacco
etc. through technological application.
 After extraction of oil from rice bran, the bran is used in stream preparation which plays a very important
role in parboiling of rice.
 Using the Paper Making machine it would be very easy in conversion of the waste raw material into
useful papers which has multiuse.
 Nowadays plastic is moist important pollutant which harms the nature hence it is most important for us
not to use plastic bag instead we can use the Eco –friendly bags which are made from the wheat straw
which is biodegradable.
 One of the byproducts of sugarcane industry is Bagasse which is mainly used as burning fuel in the
industries but instead of that it can be used in the paper industry where by using this you can produce
vary good quality paper. Andmost important is stops the activity of cutting tress for producing papers. In
this way technological intervention can play a very important role in utilizing the agricultural waste with
maximum profit.
At topmost it makes most important us to understand how to change thinking of every
individual and farmer to adopt safe agricultural practices with a business idea to make agricultural
waste to wealth with a sustainable aim. Motivation with respect to agricultural waste management is most
important and to make these following steps should be taken as follows,
 Proper counseling to the farmers by extensional persons and innovative farmer to encourage them to adopt
safe agricultural practices and innovative skills by which they make the unusable things to useable form.
 Result demonstration of agricultural waste management techniques should be done at rural field level to
show the village individuals about the techniques and to motivate them adopt it easily.
 Demonstration of income generation practices from the agricultural waste by methods like Composting,
Briquettes making, Card board making, Paper making.
 Showing a right platform for the farmer for marketing of their modified agricultural waste where they get
real prize for their products.
 Starting the small scale industries which depend on agricultural waste as raw material in the rural area
where both industries and farmer are benefited because industries get there raw material easily and farmer
can sell their agriculturalwaste to industries and also farmers can get job opportunity in off season Ex:
Plywood making factory, Briquettes making factory which play role in converting the agricultural waste
into useful wealth.

3
 As much of the farmer purchase the necessary inputs from the Raitha Samparaka Kendra so motivation
activities should be done at that place, regarding the waste management and getting profit from the waste,
for example demonstrating individual regarding compost preparation using the agricultural waste and
getting income.
Sustainable management of agricultural waste to make it wealth is most important
because management strategies for only a season or few years may not work under such aspects future plan
with respect to management of agricultural waste is most important and this can be achieved by the support
of government, private agency and some role of Non-Government Organizations in following ways,
 Firstly,survey committee should be formed which should collect information from every village regarding
the residual waste and strategies what people are adopting in managing these agricultural wastes with
profiting ideaand the future plane should be taken based on this data.
 Formulating the government policies and schemes on sustainable agricultural waste management and
getting income from the product of the agricultural waste which can play a role to support the National
economy.
 Central education board should make agricultural waste management to make it as wealth as a course or a
chapter in school education where the students get information at school level only and new ideas emerge
from these students regarding their waste management and income generation.
 Private perfume industry should take part in buying flowers from temples such as Rose, Jasmine from
which they can extract perfume oil, by this both perfume industry and temple authority will be profited and
there is use of agricultural waste also.
 Government should establish various Firms at the rural level which depend on agricultural waste as raw
material such as paper industry, paper plate making industry etc. where proper utilization agricultural waste
can be continuously.
 Government should start skill improvement class to village residents for agricultural waste management
with business idea and providing them a official certificate by which they can starts to train other people.
 Films, Drama or Songs should be released on agricultural waste management which promote and make
awareness among the citizens regarding importance of this.
 Crop based and season-based waste management strategies should be planned by the experts and message
regarding these strategies should be broadcasted among all.
 Exhibition, Seminar, Debate should be organized in State and National level on the Agricultural waste to
wealth topic which motivate students and also brings new ideas.
Hence it makes most important for safe use of agricultural waste making it as useful resources instead
improper using it and making it as a harmful resource to environment. Sustainability with respect to utilization
of agricultural waste in an Eco- friendly manner is most important, Hence there is a need to increase awareness
and interest among the farmer with respect to safe utilization of agricultural waste with business aim.
“Agricultural waste can be reduced, reused, repaired, rebuilt, refurbished, refinished, resold, recycled or
composted ;hence it is a wealth and not a waste”
******* Akshay Kumar Kurdekar

Final year B.Sc(Agri)

4
 College of Agriculture, Kalaburgi(Karanataka)

Briquettes from stalks Silkworm house from pigeonpea stalk

sttsstalkstalk

Neem paste to make mosquito coil cocopeat

5
 Coconut tea cup
Coconut fiber scrub
Broom sticks from pigonpea stalks

Vermicomposting

Farm yard manure

Akshay Kumar Kurdekar

Final year B.Sc(Agri)

College of Agriculture, Kalaburgi(Karanataka)

6
7