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utilized as adsorbent of metals in wastewater for example Cr (VI) was adsorbed by activated

carbon prepared from Lantana stem with an adsorption capacity of 26.25 mg/g (Ravulapalli
and Kunta, 2018). It has also demonstrated potential role as adsorbent of phenol from

aqueous solutions (Girish and Ramachandra, 2014).
Soil fertility

Lantana survives in conditions of drought and even on poor soils. It could be also
utilized as a green manure as evident in many scientific studies (Sharma et al., 1995). Sharma

and Raghubanshi (2009) have observed that the Lantana litter is low in lignin content but

high in Nitrogen (N) and a favorable microclimate beneath Lantana canopy favored faster
decomposition and release of N by significantly alterting soil N availability, N-

mineralization, and total soil N. Due to this, Lantana canopy favor its growth cover by

increasing the nutrients beneath its canopy. Fan et al. (2010) studied soil samples underneath,
on the edge and 2-5m out from Lantana plants and found that soil underneath the

Lantana canopy had significantly higher pH, total N & Phosphorus (P), available N & P with
higher soil respiration, enzyme activities and microbial biomass.

Lantana has been shown to improve soil fertility, effective utilization
of carbon substrates and thus, it could also improve soil quality for other plant species. A

study of effect of Lantana on soil ecosystem in Nairobi National Park, Kenya has revealed its

soil nutrient improving capacity as soils of Lantana invaded sites were rich in calcium,
magnesium and potassium levels indicating the possible cause of its outcompeting potential

than native ones (Simba et al., 2013). Decmposed leaf litter of Lantana has shown to improve
soil quality by improving soil enzymes, organic matter, NPK status and microbial richness

(Wang et al., 2015). A good quality of vermicompost could be prepared from leaf litter of
Lantana and it could be very well utilized as an organic fertilizer by vermicomposting (Suthar

and Sharma, 2013; Hussain et al., 2015). Recently, Lantana has also shown to be a good food

for microbes to produce methane gas (Saha et al., 2019).
Biocontrol agent

Allelopathic effects of invasive species could be very well utilized for biocontrol of some

biological organisms. For example, aqueous lechate (3% w/v) of Lantana twigs has
demonstrated allelopathic effect to the growth of Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth)

growing in experimental pots, and killed water hyacinth after 21 days under the experimental
conditions. Water hyacinth showed chlorosis, necrotic spots on the leaves, leaf folding, and

reduced growth development with symptoms of damaged roots, black root tips, shrunken root
hairs, and decaying root pockets (Saxena, 2000). The mechanism behind high toxicity after

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