The science of compost

Gardening experts discuss how to rectify a stinky compost bin.
Composting at home is fairly straightforward, but can go wrong quickly, and your nose knows when the compost container isn’t working properly. A functioning compost pile should smell faintly like warm earth. There are several causes of foul-smelling compost, and several practical solutions.
Mark King is a compost expert with the division of solid waste management at the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. He said all stinky compost problems come down to “breakdowns in pile management,” largely due to neglect.

“Many people read how easy it is to compost and tend to think you can just toss stuff into a pile and in six to 12 months you will have compost,” King said. “This popular misconception has led to more than a few unhappy home owners who end up with a stinky offensive mess. However, provided with the proper technical support and educational outreach, they are able to turn things around, and happiness returns.”

The magic of microbes

Though compost may seem like magic, it relies on little critters — either microbes or worms. As King explains, these helpers require food, air and water.

“Microbes rely upon a balance of carbon and nitrogen. Carbon provides the energy source, and nitrogen is used as ‘building blocks’ to produce more microbes,” King said. Specifically, this recipe translates to 30 or 40 parts paper or leaves (carbon) per one part food scraps or grass clippings (nitrogen). The mix must be kept moist and well-aerated.

If the mix is right, the microbes produce compost, carbon dioxide and water vapor. Without enough oxygen or the wrong mix, it could start producing stinky volatile organic acids.

Time and temperature: The keys to compost

King recommends taking the temperature of a compost pile. The goal is temperatures above 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

Richard Stehouwer is an associate professor of environmental soil science at Penn State University. He explains why cooler compost isn’t doing its job.

“Anaerobic decomposition is much slower and generates far less heat than aerobic decomposition,” he said. “So heat dissipates from the pile as quickly as it is being generated and the pile temperature does not increase. In these systems anything that prevents oxygen from reaching zones in the pile where decomposition is ongoing will result in anaerobic conditions and production of malodorous gasses.”

“Optimizing the recipe will create an odor-free, aerobic environment,” King said. “When any of these items are out of balance, odors ensue. The good news is that with proper attention, most problems are easily fixed and odors go away.”

Stehouwer offers the following troubleshooting suggestions for cold, stinky compost bins:

1. Mix the carbon and the food scraps more thoroughly, so the decomposing food can diffuse oxygen faster than it consumes oxygen.

2. Mix more dry leaves or paper into a pile that may be too wet. “The rate of oxygen diffusion through water is 10,000 times slower than through air,” he said.

3. “Add material that will help create porosity,” he said, such as wood chips, straw and dry leaves. Large air gaps in a compost pile improve air flow and help the microbes do their job.

4. Add more carbon. Excess nitrogen, or food scraps, can generate stinky ammonia.

Preventing compost odors in the kitchen

The other major source of compost-related odors is the food scrap pile in the kitchen awaiting the trip to the compost bin. To avoid odors in the kitchen, King recommends storing less than a week’s worth of food in an airtight container, then feeding it to the compost microbes along with the recommended 30 to 40 times as much paper, leaves or other carbon.

The same general rules apply to worm compost, which also can start to smell with the wrong proportions of food, carbon and water. King warns against letting food scraps get too rotten. “Even worms have their standards.”

Stehouwer warns that worm compost bins can get stinky if users add more food or larger particles than worms can handle. He recommends chopping food into smaller pieces, and always adding plenty of paper or cardboard whenever food is added. Some vermicomposters use a small old blender or food processor to grind up the worm food.

Give the worms, or the microbes in a hot compost bin, the right mix of food, air and water, and they will generate valuable, earthy-smelling compost for your garden.

Source: MNN
Published on: 03/21/2011

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Intensive Farming With a Climate-Friendly Touch: Farming/Woodland Mix Increases Yields

In the world of agriculture, climate protection and intensive farming are generally assumed to be a contradiction in terms. At Technische Universität München (TUM), however, scientists have come up with a new land development concept that could change this view. The new model is tailored to medium-sized farms in South America and sees farmers transitioning from large-scale monoculture to more diverse crop mixtures spread over smaller plots interspersed with wooded areas -- a switch that can bring significant financial benefits.

 

Each year, huge carbon stores are lost as a result of deforestation. In South America, around four million hectares of forest are cut down every year. As a result, international climate protection programs are planning to financially compensate farmers who preserve forests or plant new trees. Demand for land is rising, however. And growing need for food and energy crops will inevitably lead to conflicts of interest over fertile land in countries such as Brazil and Ecuador.

Thomas Knoke and Michael Weber at Technische Universität München (TUM) firmly believe that intensive, high-yield agricultural practices can go hand-in-hand with climate and environmental protection. The two scientists and their colleagues have developed a "diversified land-use" concept for medium-sized holdings in South America based on an idea originally developed by retired TUM professor, Wolfgang Haber. The new concept encourages farmers to move away from large-scale monocropping and plant a mix of field crops on smaller plots, while at the same time setting aside part of their land for forests and hedges. Any unused land will be reforested. The smaller plots of farmland will still be large enough for intensive farming practices using fertilizers, planting machines and harvesters. The interspersed wooded areas and hedges will protect the soil from erosion and serve as long-term carbon stores.

Knoke and Weber have evaluated the economic viability of their concept based on a typical medium-sized agricultural holding. This model hacienda comprises an area of over 116 hectares and includes croplands, wooded areas and unused land. There are around five million family-owned farms of this size on the South American continent.

Adopting this sustainable method of intensive farming initially means higher costs for farmers due to reforestation and the division of land into individual plots. However, the combination of woodland management and smaller plots of land pays off in the long term. Working lots of individual plots enables farmers to diversify and spread risk -- in much the same way as smart investors. By growing a broader portfolio of crops such as soya, sugar cane, corn and coffee, they can reduce their dependency on price fluctuations. The wooded areas also provide extra income. Smaller material from forest thinning can be used as firewood, while larger logs can be sold as building material. Depending on the crops harvested, a farm modeled on the diversified land-use method will achieve higher returns than a monocrop farm in eight years at the latest. Farmers working this new model can achieve between 19 and 25 percent more yield than they would with large-scale monoculture.

To ease the transition to diversified land development, Knoke and Weber are lobbying for start-up funding and knowledge sharing. "The associated costs, however, are the same or less than comparable measures aimed at reducing CO2 levels," explains Professor Knoke from the TUM's Institute of Forest Management. "Which makes diversified land development in line with local dynamics an effective approach to ensuring highly productive yet climate-friendly agriculture."

Source: Science Daily

Published on: 11/08/2012

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Mushroom Farming: The Fungal Goldmine

By Muhammad Zeeshan Farid & Dr Amjad Farooq

A global trend in agriculture has been a shift away from simple systems that rely on traditional crops, to those that increasingly seek new varieties of plants that cater to advanced dietary needs. To this end, scientists and growers have recommended several new crops that can augment the spectrum of agricultural produce.

Mushrooms, known locally as “khumbi”, are among this emerging cropping system. Mushrooms are essentially fungi, a group of organisms distinct from plants, animals and bacteria. They convert inedible plant waste into palatable food, which is savoured due to its biting texture and flavour. They form a complete diet as mushrooms contain essential vitamins and minerals, and are the best substitute for protein. They also contain traces of carbohydrates and fat.

Dr Amjad Farooq works as an assistant professor at the Department of Horticulture of the PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi. He explains that, according to estimates, there are more than 1,500 types of mushrooms found on planet earth – some of them are edible, but others are poisonous. The four most popular types are the button or European mushroom, the Japanese mushroom, the Chinese mushroom and the oyster mushroom. The best quality mushrooms available in Pakistan are the oyster mushroom, the white mushroom, the golden oyster mushroom, the phoenix (grey) oyster mushroom and the pink oyster mushroom. These strains grow all over the country, and are available usually after the monsoon season.

Mushrooms can be cultivated between October and March. Cultivation does not require land and can be grown in small houses and huts as a part-time activity. Mushroom cultivation does not require full time-labour, and all family members can look after different operations easily. There are two modes of propagation for a mushroom crop: open-air field cultivation and controlled cultivation.

After seven days of cultivation, small pin-like heads emerge from the mushroom, which turn into more mushrooms after three to five days. Branches which grow five to seven inches long, called flushes, are removed from the plants and dried. These can be used in cooking, or can be sold in the market. Flushes keep regenerating from the plant after every ten days of the removal of old ones: the cycle is very short, and as a result, highly productive.

“A single flush or branch of mushroom can yield more than half a kilogramme (kg) of edible food after each week for three months,” says Dr Muhammad Nadeem, from the Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF).

Thus, 100 beds of mushroom can yield more than 120kg of mushrooms a week. At the rate of Rs150 per kg, they can generate a lump sum profit of Rs18,000 a week, or Rs72,000 in a month. Dr Nadeem says the “production of mushrooms touches approximately 1.5 million tons in the world, while about 90 tons of mushrooms are exported to Europe from Pakistan every year.”

Oyster mushrooms currently sell for around $6 a pound in the US. A growing area of around 200 square feet can produce 800 pounds per crop; or 5,000 pounds of mushrooms per year. This is worth almost $30,000 at current prices. It’s clear that growing oyster mushrooms for profit is a great way to make some extra cash.

However, it should be kept in mind that, given the large variety of poisonous strains of mushrooms, spawn should be developed only under the supervision of experts. It is available at the UAF, the National Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, the Ayub Agricultural Research Institute and other government research stations.

Farmers who wish to cultivate mushrooms should book spawn well before the cultivation season, because it may not be readily available during the peak demand period. The UAF laboratory has developed some thermo-tolerant strains of the most widely grown button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) and the oyster mushroom (Pleurotus cystidiosus).

As basic training is required for profitable mushroom cultivation, the Continuing Education Department of the UAF offers a short course suited for farmers. Furthermore, the UAF’s Mushroom Lab can be contacted for guidance and information, and it can give proper suggestions and recommendations to those willing to invest in this lucrative business.

Source: The express tribune

Published on: 10/01/2012

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‘Ostrich farming has the power to feed the world’

                                  The global ostrich industry needs 20,000 hides annually.

KARACHI: Ostriches, the most underrated livestock species in Pakistan, have the power to feed the world. The world is witnessing an increasing interest in ostrich breeding and farming because of the wide-ranged of associated benefits attached with it.
“Sindh Board of Investment (SBI) has taken pioneering steps in introducing ostrich farming in Sindh, which later on spread to other parts of the country,” said SBI Chairman Muhammad Zubair Motiwala at a meeting held at SBI’s office.
The demand and prices for ostrich leather and feathers have seldom been better globally and ostrich meat is also increasing sought after internationally for its health qualities.
Motiwala elaborated that ostrich, a flightless bird of African origin, was capable of living in all types of climates and temperatures but was especially at home in dry and hot climates such as those of rural Sindh. It has a long life span, resistance to disease and unparalleled food to weight gain ratio and yields high-quality red meat which is comparable in taste to mutton but is far superior in terms of almost zero fat content and very low cholesterol. “An average ostrich can give 80-100 kilogrammes of meat and its leather is considered of premium quality from which a number of leather products can be manufactured,” Motiwala said adding that feathers of the bird are another derivative which are used in electronics maintenance, fashion industry and other areas.

According to a study conducted by the Pakistan Ostrich Company, Pakistan was ranked in the bottom two among Ostrich producing countries. The study estimates that one hen can generate a revenue of Rs100,000, making it a very profitable opportunity.
Moreover, according to the research, Ostrich’s skin is considered to be the main revenue generator as it can be turned into one of the most luxurious of leathers. One value-added hide of the flightless bird can fetch up to 80% of total revenue earned from the animal as leather obtained of 14 square feet area sells for Rs16,000 in the international market. The global ostrich industry needs 20,000 hides annually.
Riazuddin, director general of the SBI said that despite the fact that Sindh had pioneered ostrich farming, other provinces especially Punjab had taken the lead and currently there were more than 6,000 birds compared to only a few hundred in Sindh.
He said that one main reason that deters livestock farmers from ostrich farming was that ostrich had not been designated as livestock in Pakistan thus depriving ostrich farmers of subsidies and support packages. He further said SBI has taken up the case of legal recognition of ostrich with Fisheries and Livestock Department and positive results were expected.
Tahir Latif, CEO of Pakistan Ostrich Company, the pioneering ostrich farmer, said that concessionary imports of chicks and machinery, access to credit, and dissemination of technical know-how about ostrich rearing to new investors are the dire needs of the hour.
He said that Pakistan Ostrich Company was working to set up a hatchery for indigenous breeding of birds and is also offering consultancy services as well as co-operative investment opportunities to new investors.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2012.

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Textile ministry joins farmers in denouncing trade with India

By Zafar Bhutta

Published: November 22, 2012

The Ministry of Textile Industry now says that the future of local industry seems bleak because of the “hasty” decision to open Pakistani markets for Indian textiles.

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ISLAMABAD: After Pakistani farmers’ recent lobbying to prevent imports of agricultural produce from India, the Ministry of Textile Industry, too, seems to be getting cold feet ahead of the liberalisation of trade between the two estranged neighbours. Its apprehensions over the import of Indian textiles have surfaced hardly a month before the government is expected to phase out its negative list for goods tradable with India.

The Ministry of Textile Industry now says that the future of local industry seems bleak because of the “hasty” decision to open Pakistani markets for Indian textiles. It claims that allowing imports at reduced rates under the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) regime will swallow up the domestic textile sector.

Echoing similar concerns first raised by farmers on imports of India’s agricultural produce, the ministry says that the Indian textile industry enjoys “huge” subsidies and tariff protection, which will lead to imbalances in the market and affect Pakistani farmers. It has argued that India and Bangladesh have realised the importance of the textile sector in their economic development, growth of exports and generation of employment and therefore protect their industry. The ministry says that Pakistan should also protect its textile sector, which it fears will be “destroyed” after the entrance of Indian goods into domestic markets.

“We have still not been able to export more than $272 million worth of goods to India, whereas India has exported around $1.5 billion worth of commodities to Pakistan, being allowed 1,900 tariff lines,” the textile ministry said in its comments on trade with India after the grant of the MFN status. It added that Pakistan exported only $45 million worth of textile products to India in 2010, whereas India exported $566 million worth of textile products to Pakistan while the negative list was still in force.

Under the South Asian Free Trade Area (Safta) agreement, tariff rates are to be held between 0%-5% on all products not on a country’s sensitive list. Initially, Pakistan had 1,183 tariff lines on the sensitive list, out of which 293 pertained to textile products. Recently, the Ministry of Commerce whittled the sensitive list by 20% and the sensitive list now contains only 242 textile tariff lines. The Ministry of Textile Industry is worried that there is no indication that India or Bangladesh have done the same, or intend to do so.

“Almost all textile lines in which Pakistan has export potential are itemised in India’s sensitive list. Other than this, India has kept high non-ad valorem duties on most textile products (around 700 tariff lines) which form barriers to Pakistan’s exports,” the textile ministry cautioned. The textile ministry also alleged that India’s multilayered tariff system damages Pakistan’s export prospects to the country.

“India has huge state-owned textile mills and cotton trade. India has also banned the export of cotton, which results in lowering the cost of cotton for Indian textile industries and losses for Pakistani importers of cotton,” the textile ministry additionally noted.

The textile ministry has said that a tariff level for trade with India should be computed scientifically to ensure optimal rates. The ministry also warned that as far as trade defence mechanisms are concerned, Pakistan may have laws in place, but the country has limited experience in handling anti-dumping measures and limited resources to implement protective policies.

“A highly-skilled, well-budgeted and resourceful organisation, along with an organised domestic sector, may take years to develop. Till such time, there will be no mechanism available for the defence of the domestic sector,” the textile ministry says.

It also claimed that the private sector lacks the capacity to initiate or develop a strong case to invoke trade defence laws on the basis of a decrease in capacity utilisation and or loss in domestic market share, as no reliable data has been maintained as far as local production and sales is concerned. Recourse to such data is an important requisite for any kind of defensive action under the World Trade Organization’s laws.

On the other hand, the Indian textile industry – which is the second largest in the world – is enjoying a large protected domestic market, which ensures economies of scale, said the ministry. It said it fears the opening of borders will just increase the outreach of Indian textiles under the umbrella of SAFTA tax regimes.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 22^nd, 2012.

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What Is Agribusiness?

 

In short, agribusiness is the business of farming. However, the word is a loaded term, especially among critics of corporate farming. For people who view large-scale commercial farming negatively, agribusiness is the antithesis of traditional small-scale family farms. For people involved in it, of course, the word is simply a convenient shorthand for saying that one is in the business of agriculture.

Agribusiness includes the production, processing, and supply of agricultural goods that range from lettuce to corn syrup. Companies may focus on things like cut flowers, fresh vegetables, or byproducts of farming such as fuels derived from farm waste. Agribusiness also encompasses farming equipment, machinery, chemicals, suppliers, and personnel. Several large companies control the bulk of the share of business, especially in the United States; this has been a cause for criticism among people who are concerned about monopolies and price fixing.

Several things characterize agribusiness, differentiating it very distinctively from family farming. The first is the scale, which is typically quite large. The second is considerable vertical and horizontal integration. For example, a company might own a facility that processes frozen vegetables, along with a controlling share in farms which produce these vegetables and companies which provide personnel to harvest and transport them. Agribusiness is also distinguished by being run like a true business, with administrators rather than farmers at the helm of companies in the agriculture business.

This highly efficient and streamlined organization allows agribusiness to keep food costs low. This is an important priority for many consumers and governments, who also appreciate its standardization, which is in theory supposed to limit the possibility of food borne contamination and other issues with the food supply.

The rise of agribusiness began in the 20th century, when citizens of countries in the developed world began flocking to their cities, leaving a shrinking population of farmers struggling to meet the demand for food. Over time, agricultural companies arose, using their size and business experience as leverage to create a highly efficient system of farming and transporting agricultural goods. One major criticism of agribusiness is that it has been too successful, driving down price points and forcing small farms out of business as they cannot compete with big firms.

Critics have also expressed concerns about a heavy focus on chemicals to control problems which arise on farms. Pesticides, herbicides, and a variety of pharmaceuticals are all often a big part of agribusiness, for example. It also distances people from the source of their food, as any glance at the produce section at a major market will confirm; rather than meeting food producers, people can purchase grapes from Chile, peppers from Africa, and rice from China.

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A rich harvest of awards for innovative farmers

The University of Agricultural Sciences-Bangalore presented awards to 205 innovative farmers, including 96 women. A horticultural scientist and an extension official were also honoured for their contribution to the welfare of farmers.

In the past, these annual awards were presented in the presence of thousands at the annual Krishi mela. However, the award presentation was low-key this year as the mela was not held owning to drought in the State.

But this did not deter the spirit of the farmers, who with their families, turned up at the ceremony. Governor H.R. Bhardwaj presented the State and district-level awards.

The Dr. M.H. Mari Gowda National Best Horticultural Scientist Award went to Nazeer Ahmed of Shimoga district, who is at present serving as Director of the Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture in Srinagar.

Their feats

The Dr. M.H. Mari Gowda State-level Best Horticultural Farmer Award was presented to Devendrappa Honnakerappa Goneppanavar of Hosalli village in Gadag district, who has not only reaped rich harvests on four acres of dry land through organic and integrated farming, but has mentored a large number of farmers. He shared the award with Ashok Kumar of Rampura village in Kolar taluk, who is known for his experiments with water conservation while growing vegetables and horticultural crops.

The Corporation Bank-sponsored Corp awards were presented to N.R. Surendra of Nijayappanadoddi in Ramanagaram taluk, who has excelled in integrated farming and K.B. Pratibha of Jyothi Mallapur of Arsikere taluk who found success in dairy farming.

Dr. Dwarakinath Best Extension Worker Award, instituted by the former Vice-Chancellor of UAS-Bangalore, was presented to B. Raghu, Senior Assistant Horticultural Director of Kanakapura. The Dr. Dwarakinath Best Farmer Award went to a farmer couple from Kundapur — Thimmanna Hegde and B.M. Vijaya Hegde — for their success in integrated farming and for inspiring others.

Young get recognition

As many as 33 innovative farmers, including 16 women, were honoured with district-level Best Farmers’ awards. In addition, 166 young farmers, including 78 women, were honoured with taluk-level Best Youth Farmer awards, introduced from last year to inspire and retain youth in farming.

A scientists-farmers’ interaction meet was also held in which farmers spoke of various problems affecting their crops with experts.

Speaking on the occasion, UAS-B Vice-Chancellor K. Narayana Gowda stressed the need for retaining farm youth in agriculture. Dr. Gowda, incidentally, heads a committee constituted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research to suggest ways to retain youth in farming.

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Pre –Brooding Management of chicks

By Mohsin Shabbir
University of Agriculture,Faisalabad,Pakistan
DEFINITION

All the managemental practices before brooding or before receiving the chicks in other sense various measures, which we provide in preparation for new-hatched chicks arriving at our farm.

We will study different factors, which play very important role in the process of pre-brooding management and main purpose of this process is to avoid different diseases, which cause great economical losses due to poor managemental practices, Prevention is most and best economical method of disease control. Prevention is best achieved by the use of sanitation and biosecurity programmes.

Poultry house sanitation begins with a clean sanitized house prepared well in advance of arrival of chicks. Each house should remain empty at least two weeks after, it is disinfected and fumigate .The effectiveness of sanitizing a house is depended upon the extend of the cleaning before the germicide is applied. This cleaning helps to control disease because,

a) It reduces number of pathogenic organisms.

b) Remove material that helps in multiplication of pathogens.

c) Expose surface to the disinfectant and fumigants.

Phases in the Procedure
In the process of pre-brooding management following measures are generally considered for taking good results.

A- Selection of area

B- Cleaning

C- Removal of litter

D- Clean the equipment

E -Dusting/web removal

F - Repairing

G - White Washing

H- Disinfection

I- Fumigation

J- Provision of different materials

K-Equipment testing

L- Arrival of chicks

A-Selection of area
Most important factors, is the selection of area in the shed .The house should be cleaned and disinfected, immediate preparation is necessary so that the building may lie empty for one to two weeks prior to placing new chicks in them.

Disinfection and fumigation will kill most of the disease-producing organisms. An empty house will break the life cycle of pathogens. This process reduces the chances of infection and if shed fenced around property it will save birds from predators. At least 80--100 feet away from other sheds with minimum traffic is suitable. There has been increasing numbers of objections from residence near poultry sites claim that they suffer nuisance to the quality of their lives but also causes ill health. Good ventilation and environmental conditions will greatly help in reducing smell. Good management of environment is best way to reduce complaint smell and manure.

B-Cleaning
There is no hope of overall hygiene process being fully effective if there is any much left in the house. There are basics flaws in the construction allowing penetration of the structure by the pathogens for example previous services, poor protection of joints wear on floors and inaccessibility of certain parts such as ventilators. The cleaning process must involve following.

C- Removal of litters
Old litter should remove from the poultry house if it is piled near the house, rats and vermin may carry the residual disease back into the house.

D- Clean the equipment
All equipment must be washed with Kmno4 and disinfected .The equipment should be moved outside the house in sun an area inside the fenced enclosure to complete the cleaning process. The equipment should be moved back into the house.

a) House ceiling and walls

Remove dusty walls and ceiling with moderate volume of water. Using boiling water is most effective and economical method for disinfection purpose.

b) Clean out old feed

Unused feed should not hold over from one brood of birds to the next feed bins and feeders should be completely cleaned.

E-Dusting/Web removal
Once litter has been removed the next priority should be removal of numerous spider web that bloom here and there on walls, flying birds often enter in the sheds and build nests in ceiling, these should be removed.

F-RepairingDuring this period done all the repairing work like repairing work of gas pipes, brooders, electricall equipments, windows and doors.

Wash House
Wash ceiling walls floor with generous amounts of water. Preferably add some detergent to wash house. Next all cracks crevices in the wall floor or ceiling should be filled up. All leakage in the gas pipes or water pipes should be sealed, electric short circuit should be corrected and fuse etc should be replaced.

G-Disinfection
A basic essential is that disinfection programme must be most carefully planned. The disinfection of a building implies the elimination from the house all microorganism that are capable of causing disease. Follow the manufacture instruction carefully and make sure that the disinfection has proven active against the pathogens.

H-Fumigation
This is the very important procedure to give a final boost to the disinfection programme, at this stage the house is setup ready for the next crop for this purpose formaldehyde gas is most suitable. The shed should be properly sealed before fumigation 17.5 gram Kmno4 and 35 CC formaline can be used for fumigation.

I-Provision of material

i) Litter

Put the litter in the selected area, there should be ample supply of relevant material e.g rice husk, saw dust litter should be economical, comfortable and absorbent, saw dust may be from hard wood or soft wood while using for chicks soft wood saw dust should be used because hard wood contains tannin which will be eaten by chicks and result in high mortality due to vent pasting .Try to cover saw dust by newspaper or paper so that chicks cannot eat it in the beginning.

ii) Feed

For starter you may use ground maize, which is easily digestible and due to its high fiber content reduce pasting problem. It is a good source of energy.

iii) Fuel
In case you are using kerosene oil, wood or coal burning brooders, you should have stocks of relevant fuel.

iv) Equipment testing
Never forget the functional capability of your brooders. The burners should be controlled properly. The gas or electric supply should be proper.

ARRIVAL OF CHICKS
Following precautionary measures may be undertaken at the arrival of chicks.

i) The chicks should be arrive early in the morning so that you have full day to observe them and take care of them.

ii) Place the chick guard (2-3 feet from the edge and increase area weekly this will reduce cannabalism and increase feed utilization.

iii) Do flushing at start for this use 250gm sugar/gallon of water, which is mixed to provide carbohydrate to chick and clear the digestive tract.

iv) Use ground maize for 2-3 days for feeding because it contains more fibers, which is easily digestible.

v) Use certain broad-spectrum antibiotics for 5 to 7 days. If chicks are healthy, then use for 3 days and if there is infection then give about for 7 days to reduce the outbreak.e.g:

· Tribrisin 1 c c/gallon of water.

· Erythro F.Z 4 tea spoon/gallon of water.

· Oxytetracycline 11% 125 gm/gallon of water.

vi) Brooder temperature should be kept at 90-95F each week and don’t go less than 75F.This temperature should be recorded at the height of about two inches above the litter on the outer edge.

vii) Farm manager should be present and ever alert, count the number of the chicks, closely regulates temperature of shed and of the brooder and above all observes closely, all requirements of birds.

Source: http://www.pakissan.com/english/allabout/livestock/poultry/pre.brooding.management.of.chicks.shtml

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New farming techniques produce more food, while protecting land in Nicaragua

New farming techniques produce more food, while protecting land in Nicaragua

Aug 22, 2012

Indigenous people in Nicaragua's Rio Coco region bring their harvest downstream.
Photo: ACT Alliance/CWS/Don Tatlock

Even in the face of the grinding poverty that is a fact of life for indigenous people living in climate-challenged regions of northern Nicaragua, some families are not just using new techniques to grow bigger and better crops, but also working to generate income by selling their surplus produce.
That was the message from a delegation from Nicaraguan organization Christian Medical Action, AMC, in a recent visit to partner Church World Service (CWS), a longtime supporter of AMC's work in the Central American country and a member of ACT Alliance. The delegation was in Washington, D.C. to attend a conference.
Francisco Gutierrez, programme officer and a former executive director of AMC, told of how in 2005, 30 children in the Rio Coco area of northern Nicaragua faced starvation because rats had eaten all the food. AMC intervened with emergency food and also provided seeds, animals and technological assistance to struggling families in the community. As a result, malnourished children at risk for permanent physical and mental developmental defects have regained their health, and nutritionally diverse crops are thriving on farms and in family gardens.
AMC leaders attribute the progress toward food security in a region challenged by climate change and weather disasters – like Hurricane Mitch in 1998 – to the families' embrace of programs aimed at training, teaching and transfer of technology.
"I have learned that there is a lot of capacity and knowledge in this population," says Gutierrez. "The people here only need support so that they can develop their capabilities."
That is precisely what is happening at six CWS-supported demonstration farms, where some 5,000 people already have learned sustainable farming techniques ranging from organic pest control to crop diversification and soil conservation. These model farms include food storage facilities, a water source, seeds and tools, animal spaces, and plots for growing fruit, grains and vegetables.
Program participants then share what they already know from experience and what they have learned at the demonstration farms with other farmers and gardeners in their communities and beyond. AMC also promotes sustainable agriculture techniques in Matagalpa, an impoverished area of central Nicaragua. Already, the expertise gained by people in the Matagalpa communities is being transferred to indigenous people along the Rio Coco river who own land but lack the techniques necessary to get the most from that valuable resource. The Rio Coco program, implemented by AMC, is supported by CWS through the Foods Resource Bank.
"These demonstration farms empower communities to draw upon their own knowledge to help themselves," says Gutierrez. The net result is the kind of broad information and experience sharing that is reaching beyond either Matagalpa or Rio Coco to help AMC and its partners in other areas develop a regional strategy for improving food security.
Some 80 landless participants in the program in Matagalpa are working land owned by AMC, under a program that facilitates their actual purchase of the land over a period of years. The land grant program is also supported by CWS CROP Hunger Walk funds. Gutierrez says that several families actually have completed the purchase of their land over the past seven years.
With the greater crop yields resulting from smarter farming comes a larger amount of surplus produce not needed for family meals that could be sold to earn income to pay for other necessities. To that end, Gutierrez says AMC is lobbying the government to support efforts to help people get their goods to market for sale.
And what would success look like for communities participating in the program? The security of access to nutritionally diverse food throughout the year, the ability to sell surplus food at a fair price, and increased awareness of the need to protect the environment even as the personal and economic needs of families and communities are being met.

This article originally appeared at Church World Service (CWS). To view the original article

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Starting a Small Flock of Chickens

I have been giving the following article—an overview of our approach to flock management—as the handout for my poultry seminars for several years.

I am now writing a replacement which will address the same issues, but will emphasize five areas: Pasturing the flock (using electronet fencing), “putting the flock to work” in various homestead endeavors, deep litter for best management of manure in the poultry house, using natural mothers for incubating and brooding new stock, and feeding issues. I will eventually post the new version on the site. ~February 2007

Getting Started

Chickens are the easiest of all livestock to raise. Their needs for feed and shelter are easily met. The eggs and meat you can get from a home flock will be superior to anything you can buy. And a flock of chickens is an endless source of fascination for the whole family. Give them a try!

Choosing a Breed

If your main interest in chickens is egg production, you might choose one of the Mediterranean class breeds - Leghorns, Golden or Silver Campines, Buttercups, Hamburgs, Blue Andalusians, Minorcas, etc. These breeds tend to be somewhat smaller and lighter in weight, as they put more of their resources into egg production rather than larger frames and greater muscle mass. They usually lay white eggs. Some of these breeds can a bit high-strung.

Meat breeds are typified by the Cornish Cross, a very fast-growing hybrid with a broad, plump breast, easy to dress out. These birds can be ready for slaughter at seven or eight weeks. (If slaughtered at 12-14 weeks they produce excellent roasters.) Because they grow so fast, they are not as vigorous or resilient as others, and easily expire from episodes of sudden stress. [Some breeders in the "pastured poultry" movement are trying to breed new broiler crosses especially for production on pasture that are considerably more robust than the Cornish Cross. Typically, such birds require a little longer grow-out than the Cornish; but exhibit better vigor, none of the leg and heart problems of the Cornish, yet dress out with the sort of plump, broad breast the market has come to expect.]

Many people prefer a compromise between the meat and the egg "specialists": The dual-purpose breeds, which lay well (usually brown shelled eggs) and grow fast enough to serve well as table fowl (though they are not as broad breasted as the meat-production hybrids). Birds of this type are ready for slaughter at about 12 or 13 weeks of age. They are usually more gentle and easy-going than the Mediterranean group. Among these breeds are New Hampshire and Rhode Island Reds, Barred Rocks, Buff Orpingtons, Brahmas, Cochins, Wyandottes, and Ameraucanas (which lay pastel-tinted eggs).

Usually the discussion of breed choice ends here. However, I urge you to consider also the historic breeds, such as the five-toed Dorkings, which originated in Rome before the time of Julius Caesar. While not as productive as modern breeds, the historic breeds have other virtues to recommend them. For example, Old English Games may not be ready for slaughter until five months old and may lay only 200 eggs a year - but they can virtually feed themselves if given enough space to forage; the hens are devoted and fiercely protective mothers; and their meat was once the standard against which all other table fowl were judged.

Sources for Stock

Just-hatched chicks can be sent through the mail. Many people turn first to one of the mega-hatcheries such as Murray McMurray. They feature large selections and illustrated catalogs. My own preference is to seek out smaller, family owned regional hatcheries, which I have found may provide more personalized service and superior stock.

You can get both chicks and started stock from the local farmers co-op, though the choice of breeds is very limited. You can also connect with local enthusiasts who have stock to sell through classified ads or a publication such as the Valley Trader.

Finally, of course, you can breed your own. This may not be a realistic option if you're just starting out. But at some time in the future, you may find that it is quite a thrill to "hatch your own." You might try your luck with an artificial incubator. Or, if you're lucky enough to have a broody hen, you can just "let mama do it."

Brooding

If you start with day-old stock, you will have to be a surrogate mama to your baby chicks. Set up an enclosed brooder which is free from drafts and protected from rodents, cats, etc.; and which contains an absorbent litter such as wood shavings and a source of heat such as a 250-watt lamp or two. The waterer should be designed so that the chicks cannot wade into it and get wet. Temperature should be maintained so that the chicks are neither huddling under the heat source, nor huddling in a corner as far as possible from the heat. If they are scooting around the brooder like a bunch of little water bugs, all is well. Frequent monitoring of the brooder is the key to success.

Of course, if you have a mother hen who is raising your new chicks, you don't have to worry about any of this. When it comes to raising baby chickens, a mother hen is a lot smarter than you.

Housing

Housing for chickens can be extremely simple. If you already have an existing shed or outbuilding, it can probably be modified to serve quite nicely. The fundamental requirements are that the birds be protected from the wind or heavy drafts; and that they be completely dry. Chickens have a strong instinct to roost; so will be more content if furnished with some structure on which to roost.

It is important not to overcrowd your birds. Allow a minimum of three square feet per bird, up to an ideal five square feet or more. Of course, if the flock has constant access to the outside, they will do fine with less space in their "sleeping quarters" inside.

If you plan to build a new structure in which to house your birds, I strongly recommend that you keep an earth floor in the building, and cover it with a thick layer of high-carbon litter such as oak leaves, wood shavings, etc. (I do not think straw is a good litter material over earth floor, as it can support the growth of molds which can be a respiratory problem for the birds.) The constant scratching of the chickens incorporates the droppings into the litter, preventing the typical "caking" of manure which results in foul odors, flies, and possible buildup of pathogens. The constant mixing of the manure with the high-carbon litter results in a decomposition process similar to that in a compost pile. The billions of microorganisms driving this decomposition actually produce Vitamins K and B12, various natural antibiotics, and other immune-enhancing substances which the chickens ingest while scratching for and eating tiny critters in the litter. A study in the Ohio state university system in the 1920's demonstrated that chickens could obtain 100% of their protein from a mature 12-inch litter. You can periodically (say once a year) remove the litter and use it as compost without further processing.

If you have to use an existing building with a wood floor, that's okay. Here, too, you should lay down a thick layer of dry, high-carbon litter. (In this case, where the litter remains dry, a straw litter is okay.) Your poultry house will be far more pleasant for you and more healthful for the chickens. When you remove a mix of litter and manure from a structure with a wooden floor, you should compost it before adding it to the garden.

Whenever you notice a strong odor of ammonia, especially upon opening the poultry house in the morning, it is time either to clean out the litter, or add another layer of high-carbon material.

Joel Salatin has observed that, if allowed five square feet per bird, the chickens will continually turn in all manure laid down. At four square feet, there will be some "capping" of manure (accumulation of an impervious layer the birds cannot incorporate), especially under the roosts. At three square feet, there can be capping over all or most of the litter. If you find that the manure is building up in this way, simply use a spading fork to turn over the capped areas in clumps. The chickens will then be able to break up the clumps and work them into the litter.

Whatever shelter you give your birds should protect them from wind and sharp drafts; but at the same time should allow for adequate ventilation. I installed solid outer doors and inner frame doors with wire mesh. This configuration allows me to open up the house completely to air flow, while still keeping the birds confined and protected when desired. Also, the birds are able to sun themselves in the direct sunlight coming through the mesh doors and windows at various times during the day.

Please note that, if their shelter is tight and dry, chickens are very cold hardy. It is not necessary to provide artificial heat; and it could be detrimental to do so. [Occasionally single-comb cocks will get some frostbite on combs or wattles. If this becomes a serious problem, you could keep breeds with rose or pea combs instead.]

You will of course design your housing with predator protection (especially at night) in mind. But don't anticipate threats like dogs, raccoons, and foxes only - a least weasel can get through any opening large enough for a rat! (I once lost 19 young chickens to a least weasel!) And speaking of rats: Remember that they can be a serious threat to chicks. Half-inch hardware cloth is a great thing!

Feeding

Commercial poultry feed contains products from rendering plants, reprocessed deep-frying oil, feather meal, and other low quality ingredients which can be quite stale by the time it is fed. For these reasons I prefer to grind my own feed every few days, using certified organic ingredients I buy from Countryside Natural Products near Staunton. Making your own feed may not be a realistic option for you. Countryside also offers premixed versions of the feeds I make, in 50-lb. bags. Fortunately, they are now delivering once a month into the Northern Virginia area. Call them at 888-699-7088 for more information about products and deliveries, or visit Countryside Natural Products.

However, if local commercial feed is the only realistic alternative for you, by all means use it. If your birds have access to pasture, your eggs and dressed poultry will still be superior to any you can buy. If you do use commercial feeds, keep a couple of precautions in mind. Chickens are appropriately fed different mixes at different stages of growth, varying especially with regard to proportions of protein and of minerals, particularly calcium. It is important to feed your birds appropriate to their stage of growth. However, you should strictly avoid feeding chicks a chick formula containing antibiotics. Feeding such medications as a steady part of the diet is completely unnecessary in a small batch of chicks not stressed by crowding such as yours; and excessive use of antibiotics in our food supply has serious long-term implications for both animal and human health. If you cannot get an antibiotic-free starter mix (such as Countryside's), I suggest starting your chicks on the next stage formula ("grower mix" or "pullet developer") instead, perhaps supplementing with a little fish meal to boost the protein.

When using commercial feeds, you can also add a little kelp (dried seaweed) meal, an excellent natural all-round mineral supplement.

Whatever you feed, always make sure your birds have daily access to some green forage. When they are confined to the winter housing, you can dig dandelion and yellow dock up by the roots and throw them to the flock - the tops stay green much longer than other forage plants, and they are very palatable and highly nutritious to poultry. If you have a greenhouse, set aside a little space for greens (assorted grains, mustards, kale, rape, and other cold-hardy greens are good candidates) for the birds. Or sprout some of those same seeds and expose them to sunlight long enough for them to green up, then toss them to the flock. Remember, you don't need to feed a lot of green forage - even small amounts are highly beneficial.

You should also feed the flock grit (small bits of stone and gravel, which they need for grinding their feed in the gizzard) and, in the case of layers, crushed oyster shell as a calcium supplement. These amendments are not so important for birds on pasture, since they are able to pick up what they need on their own. I usually offer them anyway, since it is easy to do so and they are cheap; but they should always be provided (free-choice) to birds confined to the winter housing. Grit and shell are available at any farm co-op or feed supply.

Watering

Chickens must have fresh water available at all times. Waterers come in a number of designs. Choose a type which minimizes the surface area exposed, so the water will remain as clean and litter-free as possible. Placing it above floor level on a stand will also help minimize contamination with litter. Guard against wet spots under or around the waterer. (Pathogens are more likely to grow in wet than in dry litter.) If wet spots do develop, use a spading fork to scatter the wet material so it can dry as the chickens work it into the rest of the litter.

I recommend some form of automated watering, which saves a significant amount of time and effort even in a small flock. There are various designs of vacuum-flow and float-activated waterers. The most sanitary of all watering systems is the nipple waterer.

Of course, watering becomes a greater challenge during freezing winter weather. If electricity is available in the poultry house, there are various heating devices that can be used. Carrying the waterer into the basement at night is also an option.

Eggs

Be sure to provide sufficient nest boxes (maybe one for each seven to nine hens or so) positioned above floor level; keep them lined with plenty of clean straw; and collect eggs frequently. All these measures help keep the eggs clean and unbroken, and reduce the likelihood of egg eating, a bad habit which - once established - is difficult to break.

I prefer not to wash eggs if they come perfectly clean from the nest. (They actually keep better if not washed.) If they have even the slightest trace of litter or - yes, occasionally - poop, I wash them with a half and half solution of water and vinegar, which dissolves the smear and has a sanitizing effect.

Fresh eggs do not need to be refrigerated if eaten within a few days. Just set them out of direct sunlight where it is not too warm. (Remember, in nature the mother bird doesn't refrigerate her eggs. They remain perfectly viable for up to two weeks as she day by day assembles her clutch before starting incubation.)

©Unless otherwise noted, all material on this site, both text and photos, is copyright by Harvey and Ellen Ussery, 2005 to the present. Individuals may copy and circulate it freely under the following conditions: This site www.TheModernHomestead.US must be attributed as the source; any material copied must include this copyright notice; and no charge may be made if you pass copies on to others, other than the actual costs of copying, if any. No material on this site may be published in any print or electronic media, whether or not for profit, without written permission of Harvey or Ellen Ussery.

DISCLAIMER: Information offered on this website is based on decades of research and practical experience. However, we are not trained professionals in any health, environmental, or other field. We therefore do not offer the contents of this website as advice or recommendation for any specific practice; nor will we be responsible for the consequences of the application of any information or ideas presented on this site. ~Harvey and Ellen Ussery

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Raising Sheep and Natural Rhythms

 

Ranching and raising sheep has evolved into a simplified, enjoyable way of life. We do not intensively manage our growing flock. In fact, we do very little with them and prefer it that way.

We take into account that Mother Natures system works. Mother Nature manages to sustain herself day in and day out, with every individual working for the whole and a balanced workload for every individual.

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With raising sheep we respect natural rhythms beginning with the following basics:

• Starting with a flock of sheep suited to the environment and production year
• Building a flock of animals that are prime candidates for a natural grass based system with the goal to develop those genetics
• By selecting ewes and replacement ewe lambs who thrive on grass we will also be selecting for enhanced sheep health and disease resistance
• Lambing on pasture when there is an abundance of fresh grass to feed the ewes. If there is fresh grass it means the climate is warmer and that works in favour of the newborns
• Keeping ewes which are capable of raising lambs with ease and unassisted and who have the smarts to know which lambs are theirs
• Grazing sheep on grass for as long as possible every year. After the grass has become inaccessible finding ways to feed on pasture so animals remain there.
• Learn and utilize the benefits of raising sheep flocks on grass environments to improve upon our main resource, the grass
• Selecting sheep that are capable of finding shelter during poor weather. This is a learned survival trait that is taught to lambs
• Selecting for strong flocking instinct. This is one way sheep are able to protect themselves from predators such as the coyote

In a sense, sheep evolved this way. As a species they survived sufficiently enough without barns or two legged surrogate moms or even guardian animals. If sheep can do all of this then sheep ranching just got a little easier and possibly more profitable.
As our good friends taught us, always on our mind is how to make sheep work for us versus us working for the sheep.
This paradigm shift from working excessively hard to keep a ranch going, to making a ranch work for us, has had a tremendous impact on how we operate.

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Sheep Shearing Tips

 

Utilize these sheep shearing tips to help you keep pace on shearing day.
When you're trying to get through shearing a few hundred wool sheep or more, being ready for the day will help everyone stay on task.

• Bring the flock in the day before shearing
  Having the flock under cover will keep them dry. Wet wool does not shear or store well. Most shearers will decline shearing your sheep if the fleece it too wet.
  
• Prevent the flock from feeding and watering the night before
  The shearer needs to handle the animal and hold it in a secure position when clipping the fleece. This is far more comfortable for the ewe if she doesn't have a belly full of feed. Since the rumen can hold quite a bit of food it also makes the shearers job easier if the animal is empty.
  
• Set up in advance
  If your system is a portable one, set up the pens and race ahead of time. If it is a permanent set up make sure any repairs are done and the system is operational. The shearing crew are busy people and having to wait for set up only delays them for the next farm down the line.
  
• Sort your animals prior to shearing
  Keep animals of different wool types separate. This will aid you when it comes to the wool grading process.
  
• Have extra help on hand
  This sheep shearing tip can really make the difference on shearing day. Hire extra hands if needed.
  
  It can be a long day trying to keep up to a crew of shearers without having the assistance you need. You also hold the shearers back when you don't have enough help to keep up to them. As a rule of thumb have one person per shearer plus two to three extra for other jobs like moving sheep and packing wool.
  
• Consider doing other flock treatments at the same time
  You'll have the flock in anyway and if you can manage with an spare person to take on the extra duty, shearing day can also double as opportunity to do an annual flock treatment like vaccination.
  
• Have a head gate at the end of the race
  Catch the first ewe to come down the race in the head gate and leave her there. She'll stand comfortably and will draw the remaining animals up the race. This is one of the simplest sheep shearing tips to put into practice yet it can make a world of difference to how the day progresses.
  
  
• Prepare meals ahead of time
  One of the highlights of shearing day is that it involves a meal with friends. It's often customary to feed the shearing crew and the extra help who have graciously assisted.
  We often plan meals that can be put on to cook while we work. We've also utilized the cooking talents of family members and have had them attend to the cooking for us.
  If the day is long every ones spirits will be kept up with breaks for coffee and snack refreshments for energy. Our shearing crew enjoy healthy snacks that won't make them tired such as fruit and granola bars.
  
  
• Be flexibleSometime the shearers can't get to you on the scheduled day. Delays at previous stops can add up in a hurry. Don't be angry if the shearer phones to say he can't make it. Consider that he's also trying to keep a feasible schedule and route and is relying on a whole lot of other people being ready. A good shearer will be sure to come back and fit you in.

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Promotion olive Cultivation for economic development in poverty alleviation

Promotion olive Cultivation for economic development in poverty alleviation

The plans to plant olive saplings in KP and the rest of Pakistan can bear fruit

By Tahir Ali

With high global demand and rising prices in the international market and Pakistan’s annual edible oil import bill exceeding $2bn, the rationale of recent olive cultivation initiatives in the country cannot be overemphasized. Olive demand globally is on the rise. Germans are using five times more and British ten times more olive than they did in 1990. In America, olive demand is growing by 6pc annually for two decades now. Olive prices in world market have doubled to $3,400 a ton recently. Pakistan has over 0.8mn hectares of wasteland suitable for olive cultivation. An official of the now defunct Pakistan Oil Seeds Development Board (PODB) had told this writer that by covering the area with olive plants, Pakistan can produce around 1.84mn tons of olive oil. This would fetch over $6bn at the current rate of olive in world market. The Pakistan agricultural research council (PARC) has begun implementing the project “Promotion of olive cultivation for economic development and poverty alleviation” whereby olive plants will be cultivated on 300 hectares in Balochistan, 100 hectares in KP, 300 hectares in federally administered tribal areas and 100 hectares in the Pothohar region of Punjab. The Rs382mn project to be completed in three years is being under the Pakistan Italian debt-for-development swap agreement.

The Punjab Agriculture and Meat Company also plans to develop 10 certified nurseries. These nurseries –being opened through private sector in Attock, Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Jehlum and Khushab districts –would have a catchment area of 27000 acres and would have an impact of $78mn. The potential area suitable for olive cultivation is around 8mn acres in Punjab of which 0.4mn is being targeted though this initiative. Total impact of this land, if covered, would be $1.16bn.

Similarly, in KP’s budget for 2012-13, a Rs100mn project –research and development on European olive and maintenance of model olive farm Sangbhatti Mardan –has been started and allocated Rs15mn this year. As the PODB stands dissolved, Sangbhatti olive farm, one of its assets, has been handed over to the directorate of agriculture research in KP. “The department will provide olive plantlets, grafts and buds produced in the Sangbhatti farm to farmers. Though the production of olive nursery is limited at present, it is nevertheless sufficient for the time being,” says an official of KP agriculture ministry wishing anonymity. “Despite our efforts, mass resort to olive plantation is however unlikely in the immediate future,” the official adds.

Pakistan has been unable to increase its olive acreage and yield for indifference by successive governments, lack of private sector’s interest, focus on other cash crops, security situation in KP and tribal belt, too few olive nurseries and marketing worries. It only has 1130 acres of land under productive olive trees and the crop is yet to be inserted into the cropping system. The question arises: will the new initiatives succeed?

While olive farmers usually grow olive haphazardly, the problem is multiplied by non-availability of standard olive plants and restricted mobility of local and foreign experts in the olive-rich but militancy-hit tribal belt, KP and Balochistan. This explains why there has been of late a shift of focus to other parts of the country. Olive acreage and yield could be increased by providing quality seed, polythene rolls for wrapping round the buds/grafts to save them from cold and moisture, modern training and marketing support to olive farmers. Have similar interventions been planned?

Pakistan has over 0.8mn hectares suitable area for olive but as most farmers on fertile lands prefer other crops, the potential area may be around 0.264mh. Even if a third of this area is brought under olive cultivation, around 25mn olive seedlings would be needed (@250 trees per hectare) over the next few years. Has this been considered? Pakistan need to shift to tissue culture technology, standardise its nursery production and open more germplasm units to provide enough olive seeds, buds and grafts. Olive tree usually bears fruit after 4-5 years. However, Sultan Ali Khan, a farmer from Swat, says his community had grafted around 40000 wild olive trees but only 5000 of them have been successful and have started bearing fruit after 7-8 years. Shafeeq Ahmad from Swari, Buner says an olive plant could bear over 40-45kg of fruit if sufficient care, protection, pesticides and fertilisers are provided to the plants.

“We planted 600 olive plants on a mountain ridge around ten years ago but it is yet to bear plentiful fruit. Bearing of fruit was late and paltry because the orchards could not be looked after well nor were provided sufficient and timely doses of fertiliser and pesticides as the farmers were not given guidance and help,” he tells TNS. Another problem is that very ambitious projects are launched but are later forgotten. For example, there is no mention of the projects of establishment of olive orchards in KP and that of research, development and promotion of olive in KP which were allocated funds in the last two budgets but not in this fiscal and have been left out incomplete. A report on the Malakand olive development prepared by ISCOS, an international organisation, had urged induction of more olive technicians, modern training for them and increase in their salaries, introduction of a system of reward for successful olive farmers, subsidized provision of olive plants, and interaction between all the stakeholders in the olive production chain. The PODB had converted quite a few wild olive plants into fruit bearing trees. That process needs to be continued.

The planners also need to ensure olive production is developed on commercial lines and its enterprises facilitated. Olives are grown by the methods of budding and grafting of wild olive trees or planting of new trees. However, farmers have found the method of grafting most successful. A research showed that around 80-90pc olive trees grown through T-Grafting technique from August to September were successful. The areas with an altitude between 400 and 1,700 meters, slope of 20°, rainfall between 250 mm and 1,000 mm and having a warm, semi arid, winter rain climate are mostly suitable for olive plants. Olive trees can endure low temperature of even -9° C but these can hardly tolerate it at vegetative stage. It however needs a bit low temperatures in winter to be able to produce good amount of inflorescences and flowers in spring. The common diseases in olive plants are trunk decay, sooty mould and peacock spot, which decay and dry up the tree. The olive trees need more nitrogenous fertilizer than phosphorous and potash. The latter two fertilizers should be mixed in the soil before planting of trees at the rate of 200 kg and 300 kg per hectare respectively. Best time of nitrogen fertilizer is pre-flowering and stone-hardening stage.

Reference by: "THE NEWS" (Dated: 07th Sept. 2012)

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Green Agriculture—The Next Hot Investment Sector?

Judging by the turnout and interest, green agriculture just might be the next hot investment sector.

Eric Wesoff: March 25, 2010

A surprising number of Silicon Valley investors and bankers gathered in the bucolic confines of the Four Seasons Hotel off of Highway 101 in Palo Alto, California to attend the Agriculture 2.0 Silicon Valley Event. I would hazard to say that the closest many of these folks have gotten to agriculture and soil is the Whole Foods produce aisle or perhaps a vineyard. (I actually had a brief but wildly successful stint as a commercial organic farmer, but that's another story.)

It's a testament to the power of the greentech meme that more than 250 Silicon Valley types came out to learn about sustainable farming, water, GMOs, seeds and biodiversity. In the audience were investors from Mohr Davidow, Greylock, Kleiner Perkins, USVP, Redpoint, Rockport, Khosla Ventures, DFJ, Foundation Capital and many more.

It's possible that VCs can do for agriculture what they've done for online dog food delivery, grocery delivery, and gyroscopic scooters. That is, invest in a field they know nothing about, and totally jam it up.

That being said, and now that I've gotten that last bit of snarkiness out of my system -- there are more than a few venture firms with experience in these specialized fields and a few investment professionals with applicable domain experience. And certainly, many of the investors speaking today have their heart in the right place. It was the first time I heard pro-vegetarian views and tales of yoga practices on a VC panel.

Panelist and Kleiner Perkins partner Amol Deshpande has worked for agriculture giant Cargill, at an indoor tilapia aquaculture firm and co-founded a company exploring germplasm in garlic. He believes that there is an investment opportunity in the agriculture space, but it is "painful and difficult to scale." Since coming to Kleiner Perkins he's been involved in two deals that are "notionally affiliated" with sustainable agriculture -- next generation organic waste management by Harvest Power and APT which is focused on water issues that are largely caused by agriculture. Deshpande describes himself as "very interested in this space."

Certainly the markets are huge. Agriculture accounts for 4 percent of the California economy according to Tom Tomich of UC Davis' Agricultural Sustainability Institute (agriculture also accounts for 8 percent of California energy use, 20 percent of California's land area and more than 40 percent of the state's fresh water use). Tomich also said, "The idea of the dumb farmer is truly a myth -- don't make that mistake," and, "Agricultural innovation responds to market forces."

Despite the size of the market, the big question for investors is: Are VC growth expectations and scaling requirements even feasible in the admittedly huge agricultural markets? Limited partners in VC firms aren't going to lower their expectations in order to invest in farms simply because it's the right thing to do. The hope is just as greentech became mainstream, so can green ag.

According to KP's Deshpande, "At KP we try to be creative, asking how can we change that industry." Along those lines, he mentioned in vitro meat production. (See this article in Beef Magazine and check out the work of Jason Metheny.)

Other investors with a green agriculture focus include Stu Rudick of Mindful Investors. Mindful invests exclusively in the natural, organic and sustainable consumer products and services marketplace. One of their portfolio firms, Organic Girl, sells organic greens and vegetables and had $150 million in sales in their second year of business.

And Jim Schultz of Illinois-based Open Prairie Ventures is also focused on agriculture with offices actually located in the middle of farmlands. One of their portfolio firms, Vestaron, is developing green pesticides based on spider venom.

Issues that can be addressed by green ag investors include water, nitrogen, phosphorous, synthetic fertilizer, local foods, aquaculture, pests, and the move towards organics.

Here is a small crop of examples of green ag companies that presented or exhibited at Agriculture 2.0:

AeroFarm Systems: Calling themselves "The Future of Urban Agriculture," AeroFarm is developing aeroponic technology for growers of "leafy greens" in the $4 billion bag salad market. The design of their farming systems uses no soil, a minimum of fertilizers and water, and can be stacked to maximize space. The company envisions using buildings in NYC to grows salad greens with enormous yields using LED-based lighting. The firm is pre-revenue, has raised $500,000 from The Quercus Trust and 21Ventures and is seeking a $5 million Round A.

Inka Biospheric Systems: Vertical food growing systems and "micro-farms" that support hydroponics -- suitable for urban gardens.

Local Dirt: An early-stage firm that matches producers of locally grown food with buyers.

Marrone Bio Innovations: Environmentally responsible products for weed, plant disease and invasive pest management. Marrone uses naturally occurring microorganisms for Integrated Pest Management -- insecticides, herbicides and products for controlling invasive mussels in waterways.

Open Blue Sea Farms: Open ocean, caged "free-range" fish farmers. Open Blue’s initial species is Cobia, a sashimi-grade, marine white fish, targeted for the gourmet seafood market, the upper 20% of the seafood industry in the U.S.

Pasteuria Bioscience: Nematodes, also known as roundworms, are the most numerous multicellular animals on earth and many of them are parasitic on human agricultural products such as turfgrass and strawberries. Chemical control of nematodes is a multi-billion dollar business and Pasteuria Bioscience has developed a cultivation method for naturally occurring soil bacteria that specifically attack plant-parasitic nematodes.

PurFresh: 20 percent to 40 percent of fresh food is lost to over-ripening or decay. PurFresh has a family of products that spans the food supply chain in pre-harvest, post-harvest, transportation and retail to address this issue. Their transport product "snaps" into marine containers and kills mold, bacteria, viruses as well as eliminates ethylene, which accelerates ripening. The unit also measures atmospheric and physical conditions of the food environment, such as door breach, CO2, and O2, and communicates this information via satellite. The firm has 500 customers and 41 direct employees. They just closed a $10 million Round D. Earlier this month, they made our Top 50 Startups list.

Solum: Solum makes a field-deployable measurement tool that gives immediate answers on soil nutrient needs. Fertilizer amounts to 40 to 50 percent of the operating expense for corn but it is currently applied in an inefficient manner based on average values rather than per-acre needs. Solum allows farmers to apply fertilizer in the right amount, at the right place, at the right time.

Verdant Earth Technologies: Developed at the University of Arizona, Verdant’s system is a controlled-environment high-yield agriculture process that will allow crops to be grown anywhere, with no soil and little water, in shipping-type containers that provide a growing environment for a variety of foods. The system can produce up to many times more food per square foot than conventional farming methods.



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