15.1 Introduction
Solid-waste management is a vital issue in many cities of developing countries
including India. The present day environmental deterioration is mainly due to
unscientific disposal of biowastes, which mainly comprises agricultural wastes,
food wastes, both aquatic and terrestrial weed biomass, leaf litters, municipal wastes,
industrial wastes, and other organic wastes (Dhande et al. 2005). Generation of huge
amounts of organic waste around the world causes serious environmental and
disposal problems, such as contamination of ground water as well as soil and
offensive odors (Edwards and Bater 1992). Large-scale industrialization, urbanization, and population expansion have affected the strong relationship between man
and nature (Elvira et al. 1995).
Weeds are one of the undesirable plants that compete with other plants for various
natural resources, such as water, nutrients, and sunlight. There are many reasons for
the establishment of weed in any ecosystem, which includes adaptive nature, high
growth rate, and high reproductive potential, and the most significant reason is
allelopathy (Kohil and Rani 1994). In the past years, many weed species have
been introduced in the country; many of them are the major source of contamination
in grains and food. Some of these weeds have found the suitable conditions due to
which they spread far with many serious consequences (Mooney et al. 2005).
Parthenium hysterophorus L. family Asteraceae is an exotic species which
originated in Mexico and Argentina and then accidently introduced in India in
1955 through the imported food grains. It is commonly known as “congress
grass,” which becomes neutralized and is spreading at an alarming rate all over
India due to its huge biotic potential and ability to enormously proliferate, remarkable power of generation, and capability to overcome environmental resistance
(Sivakumar et al. 2009). The plant contains various important chemical constituents,
viz. histamine, glucosides, saponin, triterpenes, toxins, etc., and also has the potential to decrease the crop productivity, biodiversity depletion, and fodder scarcity.
Due to its allelopathic effect, it inhibits the germination and growth of neighboring
plant species by releasing various allelochemicals, such as water-soluble phenolics
and sesquiterpene lactones, including coronopilin and parthenin. At present, it is one
of the most troublesome and obnoxious weeds of forest, wasteland, pasture, and
agricultural lands in India (Bakthavathsalam and Geetha 2004). Several attempts
have been made for its prevention, eradication, and control, but till date, there is no
success (Kavita and Nagendra 2000).
Different physical, chemical, and microbiological methods are currently in practice for the disposal of organic waste, but these methods are time consuming and
involve very high costs. Therefore, vermitechnology is a cost-effective alternative
method of shorter duration, which is particularly suitable to the Indian conditions
(Logsdson 1994). This method is about a century old, but it is now being received
worldwide attention with several ecological objectives, including waste management, regeneration, and soil detoxification. Recycling of waste material through the
248
H. Kaur et al.
Solid-waste management is a vital issue in many cities of developing countries
including India. The present day environmental deterioration is mainly due to
unscientific disposal of biowastes, which mainly comprises agricultural wastes,
food wastes, both aquatic and terrestrial weed biomass, leaf litters, municipal wastes,
industrial wastes, and other organic wastes (Dhande et al. 2005). Generation of huge
amounts of organic waste around the world causes serious environmental and
disposal problems, such as contamination of ground water as well as soil and
offensive odors (Edwards and Bater 1992). Large-scale industrialization, urbanization, and population expansion have affected the strong relationship between man
and nature (Elvira et al. 1995).
Weeds are one of the undesirable plants that compete with other plants for various
natural resources, such as water, nutrients, and sunlight. There are many reasons for
the establishment of weed in any ecosystem, which includes adaptive nature, high
growth rate, and high reproductive potential, and the most significant reason is
allelopathy (Kohil and Rani 1994). In the past years, many weed species have
been introduced in the country; many of them are the major source of contamination
in grains and food. Some of these weeds have found the suitable conditions due to
which they spread far with many serious consequences (Mooney et al. 2005).
Parthenium hysterophorus L. family Asteraceae is an exotic species which
originated in Mexico and Argentina and then accidently introduced in India in
1955 through the imported food grains. It is commonly known as “congress
grass,” which becomes neutralized and is spreading at an alarming rate all over
India due to its huge biotic potential and ability to enormously proliferate, remarkable power of generation, and capability to overcome environmental resistance
(Sivakumar et al. 2009). The plant contains various important chemical constituents,
viz. histamine, glucosides, saponin, triterpenes, toxins, etc., and also has the potential to decrease the crop productivity, biodiversity depletion, and fodder scarcity.
Due to its allelopathic effect, it inhibits the germination and growth of neighboring
plant species by releasing various allelochemicals, such as water-soluble phenolics
and sesquiterpene lactones, including coronopilin and parthenin. At present, it is one
of the most troublesome and obnoxious weeds of forest, wasteland, pasture, and
agricultural lands in India (Bakthavathsalam and Geetha 2004). Several attempts
have been made for its prevention, eradication, and control, but till date, there is no
success (Kavita and Nagendra 2000).
Different physical, chemical, and microbiological methods are currently in practice for the disposal of organic waste, but these methods are time consuming and
involve very high costs. Therefore, vermitechnology is a cost-effective alternative
method of shorter duration, which is particularly suitable to the Indian conditions
(Logsdson 1994). This method is about a century old, but it is now being received
worldwide attention with several ecological objectives, including waste management, regeneration, and soil detoxification. Recycling of waste material through the
248
H. Kaur et al.