most of the agro-wastes can be grouped into three major categories: (i) cellulosic wastes, (ii) non-cellulosic wastes, and (iii) partially waste chemical-rich agricultural products. these can be further classified as wastes obtained during harvesting and subsequent processing. cellulosic wastes constitute mainly straws of paddy, wheat, linseed and ragi, corn stover and cobs, bagasse and cotton linters. of these, straws are obtained essentially during harvesting. non-cellulosic wastes consist mainly of products obtained during the processing of agricultural products. these include rice and wheat husk, rice bran, cotton seed flour, cotton seed hull, coconut shell and pith, oil seed cakes, sugarcane filter cake and sludge, etc. there is also the heap contributed by tea, tobacco, cashew-nut, sisal, nuxvomica and many other domestic and wild plants, which leave behind their respective byproducts, viz shells, hulls, leaves, seeds, kernels, flowers and fruits. the partially-waste chemical-rich agricultural products consist mainly of mahua flowers, cashew apple, artichokes and arhar (pigeon-pea) sticks. 11 refs