Study on the nutrients content and shelf life of Shasyagavya prepared by utilizing different proportions of water
Ronith Banerjee
The experiment was conducted during January-2015 to May-2015 at the laboratory of IRTDM faculty centre, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University, Morabadi, Ranchi-834008. The treatments were prepared by utilizing different easily available materials like-cow dung, cow urine, vegetable wastes and water by mixing in different proportions of water. The treatments combinations were: T1 = Cow dung: cow urine: vegetable waste: water:: 1:1:1:0.5; T2= Cow dung: cow urine: vegetable waste: water:: 1:1:1:1; T3= Cow dung: cow urine: vegetable waste: water:: 1:1:1:1.5;T4= Cow dung: cow urine: vegetable waste: water:: 1:1:1:2; T5 = Cow dung: cow urine: vegetable waste: water:: 1:1:1:2.5; T6= Cow dung: cow urine: vegetable waste: water:: 1:1:1:3; T7= Cow dung: cow urine: vegetable waste: water:: 1:1:1:3.5 and T8= Cow dung: cow urine: vegetable waste: water:: 1:1:1:4. The findings revealed nutritional status and longevity of ‘Shasyagavya’ may be increased by mixing with different proportions of water. From the results, it was also revealed that T6 as the best treatment among all other treatments when nutritional status of the treatment in respect of the nutrient contents was taken into consideration. On the contrary, T8 (Cow dung: cow urine: vegetable waste: water:: 1:1:1:4) and T7 (Cow dung: cow urine: vegetable waste: water:: 1:1:1:3.5) emerged as best treatments in terms of longevity/shelf-life with desirable levels of almost all studied parameters that remain either unchanged or increased for longer periods after preparation of Shasyagavya as well as mixing with different proportions as per the specified treatments even after 90 days of their preparation. It is also concluded that the amount of moisture level is directly proportional to the amount of nutrients present in the preparation probably due to higher level of congenial conditions for the growth and development of the beneficial microbes in different treatments. In this context, T4 emerged as the best preparation because of its higher level of microbial population.
Keywords: Shasyagavya, Organic inputs, Cow dung, Cow urine, Vegetables waste.