The Hindu Business Line : Copper mine waste boosts crop yield

COPPER Ore Tailing (COT), the left over waste from copper that is extracted from mines, and dumped at mine sites, has turned out to be beneficial for agriculture.

The Hutti Gold Mines Ltd (HGML) in Karnataka is now virtually deriving `wealth from this waste'. It is selling the COT as a source of micro-nutrient to the farming community, producers of fertilisers and bio-organic products.

COT in short is helping in boosting crop yields. The HGML, a Karnataka Government undertaking, has not stopped at this. It has stepped up further research on possible utilisation of Gold Ore Tailings (GOT) as micro-nutrients as well.

The HGML, Chitradurga Unit is involved in extraction of Copper concentrate. Scientists from the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Dharwar, procured the COT from HGML and applied it as an experimental nutrient for different crops such as soyabean, sunflower, groundnut, cabbage and cauliflower in a few years.

Convinced by the advantages of the copper wastes role in increasing crop yields, the University has already brought it into the package of practise and categorised it as a low cost technology.

The Central Food Technology Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysore has analysed samples of oil seeds, vegetables and grains grown on different levels of COT for toxic elements and composition of nutrients. It has found that the levels were within the safe limits prescribed by the Prevention of Food Adulteration Rules.

Giving these results in a scientific presentation, scientists from the UAS and HGML told at an international conference "Hazards 2004", organised by the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), during December 2-4, in Hyderabad, that the COT could be used as a cheap source of micro-nutrient containing mineral manure in agriculture to enhance the productivity level of soil and produce quality yield without affecting the environment.

Some of the well-known plant nutrients are zinc, iron, manganese, copper and calcium. UAS scientists found that application of COT at one tonne per hectare to soyabean and sunflower increased the yields of seed and oil by 30.3 and 15.5 and 29.7 and 23.7 per cent respectively. The increase was due to increased uptake of the nutrient by the plant.

In short, while the mining company would be rid of the task of disposing the waste materials from the mine sites, the poor farmers can get some benefits in the bargain.

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