In this study we evaluated CO2 emissions during composting of green wastes with clay and/or biochar in the presence and absence of worms (species of the genus Eisenia), as well as the effect of those amendments on carbon mineralization after application to soil. Original Source
Courtesy earthworms, hair, weed easily converted to manure in 2003, the government ordered the closure of several hair processing units, which made wigs, in Karnataka because of pollution. Burning of hair resulted in toxic elements, which caused allergies. The problem with human hair is it takes hundreds of years to …
The age-old practice of turning the soil before planting a new crop is a leading cause of farmland degradation. Many farmers are thus looking to make plowing a thing of the past.
The study was conducted in purposely selected Jhadol Panchayat Samiti in Udaipur district of Rajasthan. Four villages of Panchayat Samiti were selected on the basis of maximum work done in vermiculture by various organizations. The respondents were then selected from a list of vermicompost unit holders of each selected village …
With the aim to study the comparative effects of vermicompost, farm yard manure, biofertilizer and chemical fertilizers on growth, yield and quality of food product, the most common vegetable crop - Lady's Finger was selected and the impact of these four supplements on shoot length, fruits, plant and protein content …
A vermin-composting project at the household and farm level was carried out in Baroda in 2007. Its major objective was to encourage families and farmers to manage their garbage at the household and farm level by adopting vermin-composting. The following were the specific objectives: a) To motivate families and farmers …
Dairy industry generate large amount of white highly turbid liquid waste products which cannot be processed further in the industry and has to be discarded. They contain very high organic matter that may be in dissolved or colloidal form and is thus very high in BOD and total solids. Earthworms …
Experiments have been carried out on the impact of commonly used pesticides on the population of earthworms and enchytraeids in rice-wheat cropping system.
Meet Gurunatha Oudugoudar of Kurthkoti village, Gadag district, Karnataka. On his 20- hectare farmland, he sows cotton, chilly, papaya and many kinds of vegetables. Not a mean achievement, considering Gadag is a drought prone district. Oudugoudar owes his success to Sanjeevani, a vermicompost developed by L G Hiregoudar, head of …
To date, residents of Latur suffer, as a result of red-tapism. Despite spending Rs 12 billion on the rebuilding process, the needs of the community were ignored. As a result, the entire earthquake-affected area is dotted with single-kitchen-type blocks, which look more like lifeless barracks rather than homes. There is …
Are relief efforts in Latur adequate? Yes and no. During the initial stages, certain arms of the government, like the army, performed excellently. But after that the response has not been intensive, sensitive and constructive. Non-governmental organisations also function without much coordination. They also cannot be given a clean chit. …
To put it in a nutshell, the factors that have contributed to the lack of development of organic market in India include low awareness about the perils of chemically farmed products, high prices of organic produce, lack of consumer confidence in organic food standards and their erratic supply. Smritee Singh, …
The government's interventions have focused on promoting certified organic production, missing out the challenge of using the organic route to reward traditional, marginal farmers. This misplaced priority seems to be changing. A master plan for the production of organic coffee is almost ready. Formulated by the coffee board, the plan …
Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), DDT and its metabolites (DDTs), HCH isomers (HCHs), chlordane compounds (CHLs) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) were determined in sediment, soil, whole body homogenates of resident and migratory birds and their prey items (including fish, green mussel, snail, earthworm, crabs, prawn, lizard and frogs), bird eggs and …
Common garden earthworms ooze nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas. As a greenhous gas, these exhalations could contribute to global warming, German researchers warned the recently-concluded meeting of the American Society of Microbiology in Atlanta, USA. Carola Matthies and her col-leagues from the University of Bayreuth in Germany were …
Microorganisms, earthworms enrich the soil Biofertilisers and earthworms are increasingly being used to replace chemical fertilizers NATURAL is better than artificial -- at least as far as agriculture is concerned. Chemical fertilisers and pesticides -- though effective to some extent -- have proved to have adverse effects in the long …
IN TAMIL Nadu, some municipal corporations have begun to sell organic manure to farmers. This not only solves the problem of waste disposal but also supplements their budgets. In 1992-93, the Thanjavur municipal corporation sold 11,790 tonnes of organic manure for Rs 1.69 lakh. The manure consists largely of wastes …
IF SEWAGE disposal is your problem, try treating the waste with earthworms -- you won't be disappointed. Biotechnologists studying earthworms have evolved a process to convert organic waste water -- like sewage, food processing and paper and pulp industry waste water -- into reuseable water while the earthworms' excreta can …
