In comparison to Chemical Fertilizers and other manures, the scientists of ICAR, Pune applied the manure on a six square meter plot and experimented the same on a variety of onion planted. The yield was more than the chemical fertilizers and other manures, when the night soil extracted manure was used.
The research has enthused the tribal development department of Maharashtra that is now planning to get companies in the state that would collect this manure and sell it to the farmers. An experiment by scientists at the Pune chapter of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has found that manure extracted from night soil leads to high yield among onion crops as compared to that of chemical fertilizers or other manures.
The manure was applied on a six square meter plot and bulbs of the ‘Bhima Shakti’ variety of onion planted. In a similar size plot they used the cow dung manure while in another a mixture of the night soil manure, chemical fertilizers and cow dung manure was used. In yet another just chemical fertilizers were used.
“We have found that the bulb was bigger and of better quality and also weighed more, for instance the onions from the night soil manure plot weighted 26 kg, whereas the onions on which chemical manure was used weighed at 24 kg,” said Amar Jeet Gupta, Principal Scientist-Horticulture, ICAR-Pune. He further added more tests would be needed to see if it can be used for food produced for humans, to check for presence of heavy metals, transmission of human diseases and virsuses.
Consultant for the UNICEF in Maharashtra, Jayant Deshpande said that there is no reason to be worried as research has shown that manure procured from night soil is not harmful. and
Ayush Prasad, Assistant Collector, Pune, said once the final tests are received, the department will get in touch with companies and support self help groups that would collect the manure from twin pits and then would package them and sell it to farmers at nominal rates.
