International Biochar Initiative | International Biochar Initiative
rainwater harvesting
printable version of this factsheet (pdf) the simplest way to collect rainwater is in a water butt, with a diverter in the downpipe table 1: above are the average annual rainfall figures for the last 30 years; use these figures in conjunction with table 2 below to find the volume of water you can expect to collect source: Met Office table 2: expected volumes of water collected in cubic metres can be found by checking your average rainfall (see table 1 above) against your roof area source: Environment Agency rainsava: can be insterted into your downpipe (round or square) to divert rainwater into a water butt; available online or from garden centres
Soil Structure & Composition
Sunday, 06 June 2010 07:35 The Plant Lady Living Matter Mostly in the top 4" of the soil. Good guys & bad guys...but large volume & diversity control the trouble makers by making it a competive environment for resources. 1 teaspoon of soil: 1 billion bacteria several yards of fungal hyphae several thousand protozoa few dozen nematodes Bacteria attracted by the root exudate (carbohydrates and proteins secreted from the plant roots). the numbers and kinds of bacteria that are attracted are controlled by the plant, depending on season and conditions most bacteria need carbon sources to live. bacteria use slime to stick to substrates and move around. this slime traps pathogens. this slime is also responsible for sticking soil particles together, giving soil its structure. vitmamins and antiobiotics are produced by some bacteria & fungi that help the plants bacteria also work in th ephyllosphere (leaf surface) Fungi fungal hyphae kill nematodes, which are after the plant roots Protozoa Nematodes earthworms
BBC News | SCI/TECH | Soil loss threatens food prospects
By environment correspondent Alex Kirby Scientists say impoverishment of the soil is a major threat to the Earth's ability to feed itself. They have found that nearly 40% of the world's agricultural land is seriously degraded. The damage has already had "a significant impact" on the productivity of about 16% of the planet's farmland. And its economic and social effects have been much more significant in developing countries than in rich ones. The scientists, from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), analysed the world's agro-ecosystem using data from satellites, maps and tabular data sets. Multiple causes Working with colleagues from the World Resources Institute (WRI), they formed part of a larger international initiative, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. They say the seriously degraded areas include 75% of central America's cropland, 20% of Africa's, and 11% of Asia's. erosion, two-thirds of it caused by water and the rest by wind. Remedies possible
Video: DIY Rainwater Collection System
Here’s a great video from MrNativeTexan that will show you how put together a simple-to-construct rainwater collection system for your garden! There are a couple of neat ideas going on here – connecting the barrels with a manifold not only makes them fill at the same rate, but there’s also only one tap needed. Four barrels leads to an increased pressure at the tap and the barrels drain from below so they can be fully emptied. Water is synonymous with life, it’s a precious resource and we need to reduce our demand wherever possible to save trouble for future generations. If we don’t act with this in mind it’s easy to see that people could be fighting over clean water in years to come. A project like this is one easy step in the right direction! Collecting your rainwater is one way to avoid having to use mains drinking water for watering your plants – in fact it’s better for them without the added chlorine, which is toxic. Please Share This Page:
Soil
Soil is the mixture of minerals, organic matter, gases, liquids and a myriad of micro- and macro- organisms that can support plant life. It is a natural body that exists as part of the pedosphere and it performs four important functions: it is a medium for plant growth; it is a means of water storage, supply and purification; it is a modifier of the atmosphere; and it is a habitat for organisms that take part in decomposition and creation of a habitat for other organisms. Soil is considered the "skin of the earth" with interfaces between the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere.[1] Soil consists of a solid phase (minerals & organic matter) as well as a porous phase that holds gases and water.[2][3][4] Accordingly, soils are often treated as a three-state system.[5] Overview[edit] Soil is a major component of the Earth's ecosystem. Soils can effectively remove impurities, kill disease agents, and degrade contaminants. History of the study of soil[edit] In 1856 J. Curtis F.
Land degradation causes $10 billion loss to South Asia annually
Land degradation causes $10 billion loss to South Asia annually The environmental impact on the countries of the South by soil erosion and other forms of land degradation is all too familiar. A recent United Nations study shows the high economic cost of such land degradations to the South Asian countries. By Maritin Khor SOIL is one of the most vital of our natural resources. Together with water and air, it forms the very basis of life. Indeed, there is a thesis, quite difficult to refute, that the rise and fall of civilisations in history can be linked to the quality and management of their soil and land. For from the soil comes food and other crops and plants that provide medicine, clothing and so many other things we need for daily life. And the retention of soil in its natural state and habitat prevents erosion, river silting and flooding. When land is disturbed or degraded, the ecology is damaged. Environmentalists are familiar with the above cause-and-effect scenario. Widespread
The heifer rearing system | RuralNI
The RuralNI website is no longer a website in its own right. It has become part of the DARD website. We have moved most of the content from RuralNI across to the new DARD website and you should be able to find what you are looking for by clicking on the link below: www.dardni.gov.uk For access to DARD Online Services go to the new DARD website and click on the green Online Services link at the top of the page. Services like APHIS Online and Online Maps are unaffected by this change. Most of the content of RuralNI has been moved to the “Farming & Countryside” section which you can access by clicking on the link in the Explore DARD section on the right hand side of the DARD homepage.
The secret to richer, carbon-capturing soil? Treat your microbes well
Imagine if someone invented machines to suck carbon out of the atmosphere — machines that were absurdly cheap, autonomous, and solar powered, too. Wouldn’t that be great? But we already have these gadgets! The problem is, plants die. This has left people scratching their heads. Clive Kirkby was one of those government agents urging farmers to leave dead plant residues in their fields. As he was proselytizing, Kirkby began to bump heads with an agronomist named John Kirkegaard. This made Kirkby crazy. “I’ve been returning the stubble to the ground now for six years, and it’s just not going into the soil,” Kirkegaard told him. The way that soil locks up greenhouse gas has been frustratingly mysterious, but the basics are clear: After plants suck up the carbon, the critters (microbes and fungi and insects) swarming in the topsoil chew up plant molecules, subjecting them to one chemical reaction after another as they pass through a fantastically complex food web. “Humus!” This stopped me.
