MOHINI SAXENA, APARNA CHAUH.AN AND P. ASOKAN
Abstract
Around 60 million tonnes of flyash is being produced as a waste every year from different Thermal Power Plants in India. Attempts have been made to use flYash for its chemical composition for upgrading the wasteland lor agriculture purposes. The long use of flyash may impart toxicity due to the hyperaceumulation of heavy metals in soil. The present paper deals with biologically modified form of flyash by practicing Vermiteehnology. The Sisal green pulp. Parthenium and grass cuttings, were the major source of organic matter with combination of different concentration of flvash, though rich in primary, secondary and micronutrient may be lethal to the biological system if dumped repeatedly for increasing its agriculture productivity. Vermicompost treatments enhanced earthworm proliferation: The NPK content increases as compared to the standard manures. The biochemical analysis revealed the efficacy of the composts in terms of the microbial respiration and microbial number which shows declination with an increase in the concentration of flyash, but the difference was not at all very high as compared to the control except with parthenium where, the mortality was around 50% in 30% flash. 10-15 folds proliferation had been observed in the compost made from sisal green pulp. Recent investigations highlighted the ability of earthworm Eisenia foetida to partially detoxify tile toxic thermal power waste-flyash and transform sisal green pull), Parthenium and other organic rich waste into valuable vermicompost. Vermicomposting has been done to assess the impact of flyash in combination with the agricultural waste : Cowdung, Sisal Pulp, Parthenium, Grass cuttings and Eisenia _foetida's ability to vermicompost. The biofertilizer value of the vermicomPost Produced, in terms of chemical, biochemical properties highlighted the beneficial effects of the waste treatments- The enrichment of nutrients in soil admixed with flyash after being processed for vermicomposting with different organic sources would have been a better formulation of flyash for bulk utilization in agriculture.