Rural Industrialization

-
Leaf to Root Approach
Dr .A. Jagadeesh, Director
Nayudamma Centre for Development Alternatives
2/210 First Floor, Nawabpet
Nellore 524 002 Andhra Pradesh, India
E-mail: anumakonda.jagadeesh@gmail.com
Agave Americana
Sisal Agave
Sisal Plant
The main drawback for wider application of Biofuels is
input. There was a big moment for biofuel from Jatropha
in India but in reality not much has been achieved.
Agave (Americana), Sisal Agave is a multiple use plant
which has 10% fermentable sugars and rich in cellulose.
The fibre is used in rope making and also for weaving
clothes in Philippines under the trade name DIP-DRY. In
Brazil a paper factory runs on sisal as input. A Steroid
HECOGENIN is extracted from this plant leaves. Since
on putrification, it produces methane gas, it can be cut
and used as input in biogas plants. Also in Kenya and
Lesotho dried pieces of Agave are mixed with concrete
since it has fibres which act as binding.
Agave fibers contain 65 percent to 78 percent cellulose,
according to Jimenez. "With new technology, it is
possible to breakdown over 90 percent of the cellulose
and hemicellulose structures, which will increase ethanol
and other liquid biofuels from lignocellulosic biomass
drastically," he said. "Mascoma is assessing such
technology."
Annona Squamosa (Sugar Apple)
Pulp in the fruit
On top of ice cream, jelly & jam making
Drinks and in fermented liquors.
The fruit has sizeable number of seeds. The seed yield
about 30% oil. The extraction of the oil can be done by the
process of solvent extraction.
The oil is used in
In paints and varnishes
As natural insecticide.
Annona seed oil contains acetogenins that are toxic to
insects.
Annonin, ascimicin, bullatacin, isobullatacin,
desacecylucaricin and isodesacetylucaricin have been
isolated from the sugar apple seeds and shown to be
biologically active against the spotted stem borer, chilo
partellus swin, oriental armyworm,Mythimna Separate
wek, head bugs, Calocoris augustus Leth, and the aphid,
Melanaphis sacchari Zehnt.
Pesticides derived from plants like Annona Squamosa
can play a major role in pest management in sustainable
agriculture. They have renewable character, are non
persistent in the environment, and are relatively safer to
the natural enemies, non-target organisms, and human
beings.
The Annona oil contains the following percentages of
acids

Oleic: 18.1
Linoleic: 55.1
Palmitic: 14.7
Stearic: 10.7

Oleic: Soap base, manufacture of oleates, cosmetics,
polished compound, lubricants, Ore floatation, organic
synthetic intermediate, surface coatings etc.
Linoleic: Soaps, special dryers, for protective coatings,
emulsifying agents. medicine, Foods, feeds, and bio-
chemical research.
Palmitic: Starting point in the manufacture of various
metallic palmitates, soaps, Soaps, lube oils, and water
proofing.
Stearic: Chemicals, especially stearates and stearic
driers, lubricants, soaps, candles, Pharmaceuticals, and
cosmetic rubber compounding, shoe and polishes,
coatings and food packaging.
The seed cake after extraction of oil can be used as
fertilizer. The nitrogen content of the defatted meal from
the sugar
apple is in the range of 4.3 %. The epicarp after removal
of pulp and seed from the Annona Squamosa fruits can
be used as green manure. The leaves of the plant are
bitter and thus cattle wont eat them.
Water Hyacinth ( Eichhornia Crassipes)

Wealth from Waste

Water hyacinth which is generally regarded as a menace
can find many uses:

In food production
As leaf protein concentrate, which is rich in protein and vitamin A.
As a substrate for mushroom cultivation,
By making soils more fertile which yield better crops,
By purifying water, in which fish can then thrive,
Through the production of silage, for fattening animals,
Through vermiculture, producing feed for poultry or fish,
In regenerating degraded soils,
As mulch
As compost
As fertilizer, produced by mixing with other organic
materials, and phosphate rock.
In biogas production. 1 hectare of weed can produce 100
tons of dry water hyacinth/year which could produce
30,000 cubic meters of gas sufficient to supply cooking
for 40 families. The residual slurry must be used as
mulch.
As briquettes, which can be used for cooking in kitchens
for schools and restaurants.
In providing employment and income, through the
production and sale of a range of art papers and cards,
crafts and furniture, (on industrial level), chemicals and
liquid fuels.
Nutritious Protein from Water Hyacinth

Leaf Fractionation:

Leaf fractionation produces up to 10 times as much
protein per hectare as when the land is used to grow
food for animals. It doers not require artificially fixed
nitrogen, which is made using a large amount of energy.
It is already being used on Lucerne, or alfalfa in France,
Hungary and the US to make supplementary feed for
pigs and poultry. As Lucerne is a legume, it adds
nitrogen to the soil. The process can be applied to
almost any fresh green leaves, including weeds such as
water hyacinth and nettles. The leaf protein it produces
contains no animal fats, and the fibrous residue is an
excellent ruminant food.
Teak Hyacinth Bed
Water Hyacinth Furniture
Water Hyacinth Harvester
There were efforts to utilise Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia Crassipes)
in combination with animal dung to produce biogas. But Biogas from
Opuntia offers promise especially in developing countries since
Opuntia can be grown under a variety of Environmental conditions.
(Opuntia_ficus_indica)
Biogas from
Opuntia
Biogas from Opuntia: A source of renewable gas and fertilizer

Structure of the proposed process

1st step: Production of biomass (Opuntia)

2nd step: Process of the biomass into biogas trough anaerobic
fermentation

3rd step: Process of the digested material into fertilizer

The potential of Opuntia Biomass for energy production in semi-arid
areas 100 to 400 tons of biomass/ha/year
1 ton Opuntia biomass = 50-60 m3 of biogas = 300-360 kWh of gas
30 000 to 140 000 kWh per ha
150 to 400ha necessary for 1MW electrical capacity

High efficiency in water & fertilizer use
Reduced risk for farmers of crop failure due to high drought
tolerance. No competition with food crops on arable land as it can
grow on degraded land.
Pomato is a hybrid variety of potato and tomato. It is a small tomato-
like fruit, with white flesh, edible either raw or cooked.

Pomato plant produces tomatoes on the top and potatoes
underground.
Pomato = Potato + Tomato
How to grow Pomato plant
Choose Potato and Tomato plant with the same height.
Place the two plants side by side so that the stems will touch easily.
Gently remove a sliver of the stem from the potato plant by using thin
sharp knife.
Locate an area on the tomato stem that matches the height of the cut
on the potato plant.
Set the plants in an area out of direct sunlight.
Watch the new growth on the top of the tomato.
Allow the plant to grow until you again see vigorous growth on the
tomato plant. This should take two or three weeks.
Allow the plant to grow for two or three weeks to see vigorous growth
on the tomato plant
Remove the bottom portion of the tomato plant.
Enclose the plant in a clear plastic bag to maintain moisture. After
several days, remove the plastic.
Once the plastic is removed, watch for signs of new growth. When
the plant shows lush green leaves, remove the grafting tape. Now
the Pomato plant was created successfully.
The Winged bean (Psophocarpus
tetragonolobus), also known as
the Goa bean and Asparagus pea,
Four-angled bean and Winged
pea, is a tropical legume plant
native to New Guinea. It grows
abundantly in hot, humid equatorial
countries, from the Philippines and
Indonesia to India, Burma, Thailand
and Sri Lanka. It does well in humid
tropics with high rainfall. There are
also varieties that can be grown in
most areas of the U.S.
Winged Bean
Uses
This bean has been called the "one species
supermarket" because practically all of the plant is
edible. The beans are used as a vegetable, but the
other parts (leaves, flowers, and tuberous roots) are
also edible. The tender pods, which are the most
widely eaten part of the plant (and best eaten when
under 1" in length), can be harvested within two to
three months of planting. The flowers are often used
to color rice and pastries. The flavor of the beans has
a similarity to asparagus. The young leaves can be
picked and prepared as a leaf vegetable, similar to
spinach. The roots can be used as a root vegetable,
similar to the potato, and have a nutty flavor; they are
also much richer in protein than potatoes. The dried
seeds can be useful as a flour and also to make a
coffee-like drink. Each of these parts of the winged
bean provide a source of vitamin A, vitamin C,
calcium, iron, and other vitamins. The seeds contain
35% protein and 18% oil.
Boiled winged bean roots
as a snack in Burma
Roots of the winged
bean at a market in
Mandalay, Burma
Hydroponics
Hydroponics is a subset of hydroculture and is a
method of growing plants using mineral nutrient
solutions, in water, without soil. Terrestrial plants may be
grown with their roots in the mineral nutrient solution only
or in an inert medium, such as perlite, gravel, mineral
wool, expanded clay or coconut husk.

Researchers discovered in the 18th century that plants
absorb essential mineral nutrients as inorganic ions in
water. In natural conditions, soil acts as a mineral
nutrient reservoir but the soil itself is not essential to
plant growth. When the mineral nutrients in the soil
dissolve in water, plant roots are able to absorb them.
When the required mineral nutrients are introduced into
a plant's water supply artificially, soil is no longer
required for the plant to thrive. Almost any terrestrial
plant will grow with hydroponics. Hydroponics is also a
standard technique in biology research and teaching.

Bring diversity back to agriculture.
That's what made it work in the
first place

- David R. Brower
The End