Tuesday, 24 September 2013
Understanding the Magic of Compost Teas and Compost Extracts
When I was first introduced to compost teas and compost extracts I was totally confused as to how they could possibly work. The concept didn't seem to make sense quantitatively but using these liquids provided amazing plant growth results. Questions to people who were supposed to know didn't help. My concern was how is it possible for a liquid solution to provide the plants with the nutrients needed for their growth and production when it is derived from such a small amount of compost. It was not until I came across the work of Dr. Elaine Ingham that I found the answers that made sense.
Dr. Inghams's work primarily involves studies of the living biology in the soil. Her studies also involve the living biology than can be extracted from the compost into a liquid. The studies are backed by microscope analyses of the living organisms in the liquid extracts. It is these living organisms that matter most but because we can't readily see them we don't understand much about them. We understand the interaction of living forms that we can see. We understand how plants and animals form a balanced ecology and how important it is to maintain that balance. We don't easily realize that a complex ecology exists in the soil and water that is as complex and fragile as the one we can see.
Dr. Ingham's work revealed that most soils have adequate nutrients but lack the necessary diverse micro organisms to extract the nutrients for plant use because farming practices such as excessive tillage, compaction, use of inorganic fertilizers and chemical pesticides have damaged or destroyed the biology of the soil. The key word in the previous sentence isdiverse. In order for the organisms in the total biological population of the soil to extract the nutrients from the soil and convert them into a form that the plants can use there must be diversity among the microbial life. Just as in our own above ground environment we see different plants and animals do different things. That is how our environmental resources are optimized. For example, animals eat the plants and convert the plant cells into protein and humans eat the animals to get the benefit of the protein. The same scenario exists in the microbial environment. One type of microbe will eat another and convert the cells to another form needed by another microbe or by a plant. If a necessary microbe type is missing the process is damaged.
So how does this answer the question of how a liquid solution can provide the plants with the nutrients needed for their growth and production when it is derived from such a small amount of compost? The answer is that the liquid is not supplying all of the nutrients. It is supplying the biological life that will extract the nutrients that are already there in the soil as well as the nutrients supplied in the liquid. The nutrients and the biological life is extracted from the compost and exist in the liquid. The nutrients provided in the liquid is small compared to the nutrients already available in the soil.
A quality organic fertilizer will add additional nutrients but must also add the necessary diverse biology to make those nutrients available to the plants. The biology is amazingly complex and fragile. The bacteria and fungi do their work and then protozoa, nematodes and micro arthropods take the process a step further. If this biology has been destroyed by use of chemicals or by adverse farming practices the nutrients will remain in an unusable state. A properly prepared liquid extract of that quality fertilizer can restore that biology and produce amazing results in the plants growing in that soil.
The author farms soybeans, cotton, wheat, corn and rice. He is the owner of Fishcat Farm, producer of catfish and Fishnure(TM) composted fish manure organic fertilizer.
Sunday, 22 September 2013
Cattle Branding UAV Device Needed
The other day, I was talking to an acquaintance whose father had a cattle ranch many decades ago. She explained that during "branding" time, you learned just how smart those so-called dumb cattle really are. You see, she told me that after you branded a few, the other cattle would start to avoid the branding area as they heard the sounds, and watched the treatment of other members of the herd.
By the time they got down to the last 2-3 they were practically Einstein's, they knew exactly what was going on, and they wanted absolutely no part of it. In fact, one ranch hand had stated, that it would be better to just shoot the last three considering how much trouble they gave them, stating how dangerous it was to try to complete the job.
Well, why not try a different approach and stay safe from an out of control animal that wants to save its hide from being branded? Okay so, I've got an idea here, a new concept that I'd like to run by you. Why not, simply change up the way you do business.
Why not get miniature, very quiet UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) to go to those persnickety last few cattle and follow them around and then brand them when they were not expecting it? Or on another note, why not just "chip" the cattle and forget the branding methods of days gone by, that's way old technology anyway. It might make PETA happy, but more importantly it makes everyone's job a little easier.
Even better why not use an MAV (micro air vehicle), small version of a UAV to go chip the animals as they sleep at night. You could have the entire herd half-chipped in a single night, follow up the next day. You'd know which cattle were not chipped because they wouldn't register on your herd counting device, thus, they get chipped next, simple strategy, and a better way to keep track of cattle, or sheople - whoops, pretend I didn't add that last part for the NSA.
In the US we are so very concerned with food safety, meat products and FDA standards for beef. If we had more data, on each cow from cradle to grave, we'd certainly have better guarantees in human food chains, thus protecting the value of our exports, the health of our citizenry, and improving the niceness in the way that we treat our animals, and I bet PETA would definitely agree on that last point. Please consider all this and think on it.
Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on Future Concepts. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net
The History Of Farming Implements
Farming and agricultural equipment have radically evolved since man began to harvest crops. The process of cultivating the land stems back over many millennia and is still as important now as it has ever been. With each huge advance in technology, the techniques used to create more efficient farming implements has increased. The landscape may still be much the same as it was in the early days, but the methods of working that land are now unimaginably different.
From scythes to horse driven ploughs, right up to the sleek combines of today, which replaced unreliable threshing machines; the climate of farming is now run by motors. After all, the most important aspect of farming is time - and to get the most land worked in as little time as possible is the key to success.
Arguably, the climax of the industrial revolution in the mid 19th Century saw the largest growth in evolution of agricultural implements. It was a time of mass conversion from old methods to new and people yearned for an easier way of doing things. With the advent of the engine, factories could mass produce inventions and there followed many races to patent the best machine possible.
Before the industrial revolution, the farming community used much the same equipment that had been seen on the land for many hundreds of years prior. The advent of mass industry changed all that, as did the idea of faster worldwide commerce and trading. The world became a smaller place and money fuelled the production of new, exciting products.
Implements such as the corn picker, grain lift and cotton harvester greatly inspired similar types of machinery. These made farming quicker by carrying out multiple jobs at once. This, in turn, increased profits for the farmers and became incredibly popular devices. The cutting of hay and creation of bales was always labour intensive and took many hours to complete. The invention of new cutting machines led to many improvements and the process was soon made significantly easier. The baler became wide spread during the mid 19th century and soon farming was becoming more and more mechanised.
The last great revolution came in the early 20th century, with the birth of the car and the world wars pushing technological boundaries ever further. Agriculture needed to be made faster and on a larger scale than ever before. With the introduction of plough-led tractors the time of the ox and horse on the fields became increasingly rare. Farming implements have gone through much change over the last three hundred years, as industry took over the world. Who knows when the next great revolution will push it even further away from the early predecessors?
Friday, 20 September 2013
Tank Liners - A Cost Effective Risk Management Strategy
Water tanks are used widely to guarantee supplies to fire protection systems, industrial processes and irrigation systems or to provide drinking water. And each application is often critical with high risks of costly downtime in the event of a leak. The retro-fitting of flexible tank liners can minimise the risk of leaks or contamination from corroded or damaged tank walls and often increase the life expectancy of a storage tank by thirty years or more at a fraction of the cost of a new tank.
Leakage
One of the most common applications of retrofitted liners is to older corrugated steel storage tanks originally sealed with mastic. After some years the mastic can degrade and leakage is likely to occur with consequent potential damage to surrounding structures. The cost of downtime caused by unscheduled repair work can be considerable.
Flexible tank liners such as butyl rubber or EPDM are used in the installation to new and existing tanks whether constructed from concrete, aluminium or galvanised steel panels or from fiberglass; below or above ground.
New techniques have been developed for attaching liners to new and existing circular tanks by creating a fixing system tailored for each application that matches fixing points on the liner to the pinch bolts on the top rim of the tank. Not only does this system produce a much more effective lining, but it minimises stress on the lining material.
Protective Membrane
Protecting tanks against corrosion, structural deterioration and leakages has also lead to the development of custom designed one-piece geotextile protective membrane bags which are fitted between the butyl or EPDM tank liner and the metal of the tank. This development ensures that the protective matting lies flat and so can deliver optimum performance. The geotextile membrane will protect the lining material during the installation process, but also from the long-term effect of temperature extremes conducted through the tank sides and also from damage by ice expansion in prolonged cold spells.
While corrugated steel water tanks are the most widely used type of storage tank for water, there are many other shapes and sizes constructed from flat galvanised steel panels, from aluminium, concrete and GRP. The installation of liners for regularly shaped tanks can be speeded up considerably by prefabricating the liner but this is not always possible with tanks of more complicated shapes. In these cases liners can be made to measure on site.
Full Installation Service
Full site tank liner installation services are offered, including the removal of old linings, surface preparation and replacement of all gaskets, nuts and bolts to fixing flanges. On below ground concrete tanks, particularly those used for drinking water, the lining can be extended to cover the roof of the tank, effectively preventing the ingress of impurities or other foreign bodies. In order to comply with the latest Health and Safety regulations, a low-level access hatch can also be installed - a requirement for some tanks of 1000 litres capacity or more.
Russetts Developments Ltd have years of experience in supplying tank liners for a wide range of different types of tanks and the installation thereof.
Thursday, 19 September 2013
Different Types Of Equipment Used In The Agricultural Field
Agriculture always brings to mind crops, vegetables, plants and trees. But agriculture is more than that. It deals with fertilizers, crop enhancers and equipment. There is separate equipment that is specifically used in the field. Almost all the jobs that are done in a field by a human being have been replaced with equipment that helps in yielding more and conserves human energy.Equipment are available for cutting or trimming the grass, for raking the entire field for sowing, equipment for breaking down the waste products in the field are also available these days.
Some of the different equipment used in a field is explained below.
Mower
This equipment is used for cutting grass and plants above the ground level. This equipment should not be confused with reaping equipment. Reaping equipment is used to harvest grains. This mower cuts grass and plants are unwanted and it cuts just above the ground level. It can also be used to trim the grass level so that the grass looks short and sweet. All the mowers have the capability to be powered by tractors. Earlier days mowers were pulled by draft animals which are not much in practice these days.
Among the mowers there are several types for specific purposes.
Finishing Mower
This is similar to a lawn mower and is available in various heights. This equipment can also be used in a home where big gardens are present to trim the grass. This finishing mower is suited for a polo and gold fields. Mostly they come with different blades if there is a need to differentiate the width of the cut.
Flail Mower
These flail mowers have small blades that can be found at the end of the chain, which is attached to a horizontal axis. The cutting process happens when the head, which is similar to ax comes in contact to the grass at a specified speed. Flail mowers are much suited for rough ground and for tougher vegetation. The chain length and the height of the blades can be varied to cut even a very thick bush. Some varieties also include a collection bin to collect the cut grass.
Stick rake
Stick rake equipment is used to scrape together the products such as dry leaves and other unwanted products through on the field or ground. Rake itself means heap up. It is similar to a broom only that it is used in a field and not inside the house. This stick rake equipment can also be used to loosen the soil so that seeds can be sown. It can also be used for leveling the field.
This author has established himself in writing about agriculture. Here in this article, he has given some details about some of the equipment's like Flail Mowers, Stick Rake, used in a field that has made life easier for the farmers.
Tuesday, 17 September 2013
Aquaponics Systems - A Great Way to Obtain Natural Vegetables and Organic Fish
The Aquaponics system is a revolutionary way that totally changes organic gardening. With an Aquaponics system, a person can increase the production up to 5 times, as compared to the results obtained with normal soil. The development rate grows and the harvest is natural and organic.
Through this system, the fish supplies the plants with the proper amount of nutrients needed in order to grow. Between the plants and the fish a certain relationship is developed, and they both take care of each other and assure their growth.
The advantages
1. Eco - this is a green method that does not require soil, nasty weeds, pets, fertilizer or additives. Your plants will grow magnificently and in safety!
2. Productivity - the results obtained with Aquaponics are far more beneficial compared to the plants grown in normal soil. In the end, the production of fish is healthier, more natural, saves more energy and time (this system requires only 15 minutes per day for maintenance). Think about the hard work that is done every single day. For a small piece of land, you have to work for planting, fertilizing, watering and weeding (this has to be done daily). This is a truly demanding job that cannot be performed by everyone.
3. Organic nutrients - they are very important for the entire culture. The fish residue is a great example in this direction. With its help, the plants found in the Aquaponics system can grow faster than ever. There are some cases where the growing takes place in half of the usual time.
4. Organic system - this is a fantastic way to grow plants with organic nutrients every single minute of every single day for an entire year.
5. Quantity - for three square foot/month you can get around 4 pounds of organic food (this represents about 10 times the usual rate).
6. Marketing - after establishing the needs of your family in terms of organic fish and vegetables, the next normal step would be to market your products and start a small business. In case you did not know, the organic food is quite expensive because the offer available nowadays does not meet the buyer's needs.
7. Automatic- the necessary time to sustain an Aquaponics system is one hour every day. This way you will get almost 4000 pounds of plants every single month. However, you need about three or four hours of labor every day for a farm which produces a similar quantity of products. The best part is that this system needs only a simple effort during which you can program your system and shortly after, plant your fruit and vegetable seeds. Then, just leave it on autopilot and you are done!
Before you go fly fishing, you should definitely check out more aquaponics system information that you can find on the Aquaponics Systems website.
Chicken Vaccine for Salmonella
In an article published in last month's Washington Post, it was reported that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is now reviewing research that shows that bacteria-killing chemicals used in the chicken industry slaughterhouses may mask the presence of Salmonella. These chemicals may cause the Salmonella disease to remain on the chickens that consumers buy. This could then cause food illness.
A new patented vaccine has just been released that can reduce Salmonella in chicken farming. The vaccine is called Salmogenics. Salmogenics is a safe vaccine that could have significant global impact against this infectious disease, without dangerous side effects. Right now Salmogenics is in the final stage of obtaining USDA approval.
Salmogenics is revolutionary in its approach. It is the only patented Salmonella vaccine that is injected into the egg before the chick is hatched. Salmonella is an anaerobic bacteria that can enter the human digestive tract or other mammals in contaminated food and cause abdominal cramps and pain, vomiting and diarrhea or severe dehydration. Salmonella can also enter the bloodstream, leading to death.
An agreement has been signed with a major pharmaceutical company. The pharmaceutical will be evaluating the Salmogenics vaccine technology. At the end of the evaluation period, the pharmaceutical has the first right to enter into a license agreement to manufacture, distribute, and sell the vaccine to the chicken industry to enhance poultry farming.
The chemical issue that reportedly now exists in chicken industry slaughterhouses came to the USDA department's attention last spring after chemical companies pointed to academic research showing there could be a problem with chicken farming and told the USDA that additional study was needed.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that Salmonella is one of the most common and widely distributed food borne infectious diseases, affecting the healthcare of tens of millions of people worldwide every year. This is a global health issue.
Experts are saying the chemicals used in the chicken industry may be causing unanticipated side effects and endanger food safety. Some USDA inspectors believe such chemicals contribute to a host of healthcare and medical problems, including skin rashes and respiratory ailments.
Salmogenics contains an antigen, a substance that, when introduced into a body, triggers antibodies that kill or neutralize the antigen that is recognized as a foreign and potentially harmful invader. The antigen in Salmogenics pertains to a particular composition of multiple germs mainly of the Genus Salmonella that control intestinal pathogenic organisms in chickens.
Barbara Cohen is part of a team committed to identifying technology platforms and commercializing vaccines that contain natural organisms that are not genetically modified, utilizing pharmaceutical standards without the use of mercury to reduce food illness and infectious diseases in chicken farming. The team specializes in global health products that promote food safety, healthcare, and animal health. For more information, visit Global Green
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)