Alien plants are threatening animals in one of the Kenya's major wildlife reserves, a study has shown. The study found that at least 245 alien species, introduced in the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem accidentally or intentionally as ornamental plants, were destroying the grass and native plants the animals feed on. The plants …
This study deals with the effects of grass buffer strips using Ophiopogon japonicus on reducing soil and nitrogen losses from fertilized plots and the evaluation of the trapping characteristics under different depth of surface water gathered. Chemical fertilizer, conventional compost and granular compost were broadcasted on soils in both slope …
The collapse of the Soviet Union had diverse consequences, not least the abandonment of crop cultivation in many areas. One result has been the vast accumulation of soil organic carbon in the areas affected.
At the current rate of use the crude oil reserves of the world are predicted to deplete in about 40 years. Therefore, it has become necessary to find and devise methods of processing a renewable raw material for conversion into transportation fuel. Some countries are manufacturing ethanol from sugarcane or …
The value of grasses to mankind has been recognized since very early times. The Poaceae are one of the largest family of flowering plants, comprising some 10,000 species under approximately 896 genera. Intensive and extensive survey over the last 7 years on the grass flora, family Poaceae of North-western Rajasthan …
Integrating cover crops and green manures helps farmers rehabilitate degraded soils in highland areas. In Ecuador, farmers experimented with this conservation practice. They found that it improved their farming system in many ways: increased productivity in their main crop, decreased weeding time, provided them with an extra crop (for food, …
The anticipated impacts of climate change on grassland systems and appropriate management responses have been reviewed extensively, though the emphasis has been on European temperate and North American rangeland systems. This paper summarizes the relevant impacts of climate change and then discuss the opportunities for genetic improvement of forage species …
A species of cattail grass, Typha australis, is taking over river banks and farmlands in the wetlands of Nigeria's Jigawa state, disrupting farming and fishing activities, said the state environment commissioner Yusuf Mato while releasing a feasibility study on the control strategy of the weed. "Fishermen cannot fish in the …
In Little League dugouts, community parks, professional athletic organizations, and international soccer leagues, on college campuses and neighborhood playgrounds, even in residential yards, the question being asked is "grass or plastic?' The debate is over synthetic turf, used to blanket lawns, park spaces, and athletic fields where children and adults …
A model for the wetland part of KNP is presented and analyzed. Two-dimensional parameter scans suggest that this minimal model possesses dynamical complexities. Per capita availability of water to
This paper focuses on the following areas: reducing methane emissions from ruminant animals (cattle, sheep) by modification of plant composition; reducing nitrous oxide emissions by making the use of nitrogen more efficient both in terms of going from soil to plant and in the animal; plant breeding may also enhance …
there is little chance for a new bird or butterfly being discovered in the Western Ghats now, says a recent study. It has, however, not ruled out the discovery of frogs and grasses. First time in India, a team of researchers including scientists from the University of Agricultural Sciences in …
A field experiment under runoff plots was conducted at Devala, Gudallur taluk of the Nilgiris from 2001 to 2003 to evaluate the impact of vegetative barriers and mechanical measures on erosion losses on 25 per cent sloping land under cultivation of cassava.
I once saw a miracle. It was near a ragged wall of broken rocks near Udaipur. One side of the wall had patches of yellowing grass, not taller than an inch, with the occasional dry stalk. The other side, protected from goats by the wall, was a sea of green …
Durjan Singh Soda remembers how, two decades ago, he used bullocks to plough his fields in village Minjrad in the Chohtal tehsil of Rajasthan's Barmer district, bordering Pakistan's Sindh province. "In this part of the Thar desert, it is much better to plough the fields with bullocks. The spacing of …
Is bamboo a type of tree or grass? For the inhabitants of Sandni village in Rajasthan's Chittorgarh district as well as thousands of others dwelling in rural areas across the country, this is a million dollar question. The reason: residents of such villages are legally entitled to 100 per cent …
The Swiss take pride in their lush landscapes, and Bolly wood buffs know why. The breathtaking alpine pastures of this small mountain country have replaced strife-torn Sri nagar and polluted and overpopulated Ooty as a backdrop for frolicking fantasies as our buxom actresses and burly actors join Heidi in yodeling …
are the tiny grass blades capable of lighting up our houses? Farmers in Switzerland are coming up with the world's first commercial grass power station. The station, in the Schaffhausen town of northern Switzerland, would produce about three million-kilowatt hours of electricity annually from 4,400 tonnes of grass. More than …
The stories of conquest and depredation of alang alang grass and gypsy moth show how serious the unfettered invasion of alien life forms (both zoological and botanical) can become. A native of South Asia, and a valued source of thatch, alang alang grass is a weed whose economic importance is …
A FEW decades ago, David Croxton, farmer and consultant agronomist, would have struggled to support his family finances. But not today. At present, Croxton owns about 150 hectare (ha) farm near Kingsbridge in south Devon, UK. And this achievement follows an advice to use "elephant grass" - miscanthus - as …
