Multifacets of Water Hyacinth: A Cinderella of the plant world
N. Lata* and Veenapani Dubey** Botany Department, C.M.D.P.G.College Gurughasi Das University, Bilaspur (C.G)India
Water is one of the most important natural resources. It is often adversely affected by aquatic weeds resulting in critical problems in agriculture, navigation, irrigation, pisciculture and public health. The menace of water weeds is reaching alarming proportions in many parts of the world. The problem is global but more pronounced in tropical and subtropical zone. Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is so called “menace and nuisance” but a highly productive aquatic weed causing a serious hindrance to nations developmental activities. Eichhornia crassipes Mart Solm. (Vern- Kachuripana / Bilatipana) (Family-Pontederaceae) is a free floating nuisance aquatic angiospermic weed with beautiful purple flowers, commonly known as water hyacinth (a Cinderella of plant world). It is a highly propagative noxious plant species described as world’s worst weed. The mechanical, chemical and biological methods of eradicating this weed are not proved much. Therefore a gradual change in the destructive attitude towards this apparently troublesome plant should be turned in to a positive attitude and its productive use. Aquatic weeds constitute a crop, requiring no tillage, fertilizer, seed or cultivation, utility and development which makes them a promising source of multipurpose raw material. Eichhornia crassipes has been found to have potential for various uses. Some of them have been reviewed here:Phytoremediation: Water hyacinth can be used to aid the process of water purification either for drinking water or for liquid effluent from sewage systems. In a drinking water treatment plant, water hyacinth has been used as part of the pretreatment purification step. In sewage systems, the root structures of water hyacinth provide a suitable environment for aerobic bacteria to function. Aerobic bacteria feed on nutrients and produce inorganic compounds which in turn provide food for the plants. The plant is effectively capable of accumulating heavy and trace elements such as Cobalt, Cromium, Copper, Manganese, Nickel, Zinc, Cadmium, Lead and also removes Phenols and carcinogenic materials from the water bodies. Biogas Production: The fibrous component of water hyacinth is useful as a base for a biogas-producing system. Work at NASA has demonstrated that each kilogram of the plant (dry weight) yields about 370 litres of biogas, with an average methane content of 69%. Primarily in India with quantities of up to 4000 litres of gas per tones of semi dried water hyacinth being produced with a methane content of up to 64 %.
Animal fodder: In China pig farmers boil chopped water hyacinth with vegetable waste, rice bran, copra cake and salt to make a suitable feed. In Malaysia fresh water hyacinth is cooked with rice bran and fishmeal and mixed with copra meal as feed for pigs, ducks and pond fish. Similar practices are much used in Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and china. Silage composed of water hyacinth can be used for
ruminant diets with excellent results for acceptability, dry matter and protein digestibility. This type of feed has been evaluated with cattle and sheep. Fertilizers: The plant can be used on the land either as a green manure or as compost. As a green manure it can be either ploughed in to the ground or used as mulch. The plant is ideal for composting. The compost increases soil fertility and crop yield and generally improves the quality of soil. In Sri Lanka water hyacinth is mixed with organic municipal waste, ash and soil, composted and sold to local farmers and market gardeners. Fish feed: Water hyacinth has also been used indirectly to feed fish. Dehydrated plant has been added to the diet of channel catfish fingerlings to increase their growth. It has also been noted that decay of water hyacinth after chemical control releases nutrients which promote the growth of phytoplankton with subsequent increases in fish yield
Paper: Another possibility for the use of water hyacinth is as a source of pulp and paper. When the plant fibre is particularly blended with waste water paper or jute it results in the production of good quality paper. Fibre board: Another application of water hyacinth is the production of fibre boards for variety of end uses. The physical properties of the board are sufficiently good for use on indoor partition walls and ceilings. Yarn and rope: The fibre from the stems of the plant can be used to make rope. In Bangladesh, the rope is used by a local furniture manufacturer who winds the rope around a cane frame to produce an elegant finished product. Basket work: In the Philippines water hyacinth is dried and used to make baskets and matting for domestic use. In India, the plant is also used to produce similar goods for the tourist industry.
Pigments: In Guatemala, the leaf or aerial part with flowers of water hyacinth used as a source of pigments in the diets of laying hens and broilers because the plant exhibits high levels and a good distribution of pigments. Single-cell protein (SCP): Another possibility is the use of the fibrous parts of Eichhornia crassipes (stolons and petioles) as a source of cellulose for the production of single-cell protein (SCP). Alternative uses: The novel use of the plant is the production of pressed, dried material with some resin or agglutinant for making a light type of “woody” table. “Distilled” water can be obtained from the water hyacinth. It is seen that the transpired water (vapour) could be collected, condensed, and re-used. In Egypt people distributed the plant as an ornamental plant for public gardens in the
vicinities of larger towns, such as Cairo and in the Nile Delta. Water hyacinth could be used as a source of mineral nutrient rich compost as a substrate for the cultivation of high export quality edible mushrooms. Conclusion: From the above presentation it is very clear that the water hyacinth needs to be addressed with a multi pronged approach combining the resources of various organizations. Efforts should be taken to turn the weeds into economically and commercially important bio-resources.
