Our University has been a playing a important role

A down-to-earth solution to cut input costs

Agriculture based only on chemical fertilizers and other chemical inputs is not desirable because constant use of such inputs causes soil infertility and affects productivity. Compared with 10-15 years back, many farmers are now becoming increasingly aware about the harmful effect of chemical use to grow their crops, and are moving towards alternative sustainable solutions.

 Soils should be alive and home to millions of beneficial bacteria and other micro organisms to make them healthy and for crops to yield well. The soil must be manured in such a way that the activities of beneficial soil organisms necessary for recycling plant nutrients and producing humus are not inhibited, says Dr. G.Rajaraman, Senior Research Fellow, Directorate of Natural Resource Management,Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore.The University also provides training to interested farmers in selecting the right kind of worms and also in erecting compost sheds for manure production.

The first step for vermicomposting is selection of right kinds of earthworms. Four varieties of earthworms are available in India and commonly used for composting.These worms are called  manure worms. They can be grown on animal dung, poultry droppings, vegetable and other kinds of biodegradable wastes. The worm-casts or excretions of these worms make up the much needed organic manure, according to him. One worm weighs about 0.5-0.6 grams and would consume wastes almost equal to its body weight producing casts of about the same weight in a day. If one million worms exist in an acre, the casts they produce in that area would be about 500 kg a day per acre that is approximately 200 tonnes of manure a year.

The worm casts contain all the essential nutrients and good amounts of organic matter and growth regulators which make the soil productive. There is no fixed model or standard procedure for manufacturing vermicompost. Any wooden, plastic, card board or cement container of any size can be used for this. All one requires is the interest and drive to make and use it, says Dr. Rajaraman.

Dried cattle, sheep, horse, pig dungs or poultry droppings vegetable wastes (shredded into small pieces) form ideal food for the worms. Cattle dung mixed with water can be sprinkled if available. Wheat bran, grain bran and vegetable wastes, when added to dung in 1:1 ratio, enhances the quality of the compost production.

The feed must be placed uniformly in a layer on the culture bed and replenished as and when it disappears from the surface.The composting process would be over in 45- 60 days. We can see the change of the compost material into dark brown coffee powder like colour.The compost material will be friable when we press it between our fingers. When the compost is ready, watering must be stopped for 2-3 days, and the entire worms move towards the bottom where some moisture would still be available.

 Our University has been a playing a important role to spread awareness about the importance of using vermicompost for cultivation.Today we have been effectively able to encourage several hundred farmers in Thondamuthur, Udumalapettai, Nagapattinam, Annur and Palani areas in and around Coimbatore to take up vermicompost manufacture and application. Most of the farmers have 8- 10 acres and grow a variety of crops like bhendi, chillies, tomatoes, plantain and flowers.Some years back these farmers used only inorganic fertilizers as inputs and spent more than Rs.2,000-3,5000 as input cost for their crops.

A retired union spackler from Perth Amboy and his wife have filed a lawsuit against Sayreville-based Faith Fellowship Ministries claiming high-level church representatives swindled them out of their $250,000 life savings.

Former members of the church, Manuel and Sonia Arlequin said they were solicited by co-defendant Torleif Brattli, a Faith Fellowship minister and one-time administrator, who since has been terminated. They also were approached by co-defendant Winston Robinson, another church minister and Republican candidate for Sayreville Borough Council. The Arlequins indicated they met with Brattli and Robinson in Brattli s office at Faith Fellowship and that the four of them prayed together before discussing the specifics of the deal.

The couple said that Brattli indicated if they invested $250,000 with his company, Dominion Commodities, the church would be given a $10 million line of credit to build a youth center. Brattli also guaranteed that the entire $250,000 would be returned to them within three weeks, and then they would receive an additional $125,000 three weeks later. The Arlequins said that Brattli and Robinson gave the impression that they were operating at the behest of co-defendant the Rev. David T. Demola, founding pastor of the 33-year-old, 9,200-member congregation.

In response to the original complaint, Brattli stated that he acted of his own accord without Demola s consent or knowledge. Demola and his wife, Diane, responded in court documents that they had no foreknowledge of the deal and denied any association with it. Brattli said he was working in conjunction with California-based co-defendant Daniel Ross and his Quest Investigative Resource Services. Ross has not been able to be located, according to court records.

A retired union spackler from Perth Amboy and his wife have filed a lawsuit against Sayreville-based Faith Fellowship Ministries claiming high-level church representatives swindled them out of their $250,000 life savings.

Former members of the church, Manuel and Sonia Arlequin said they were solicited by co-defendant Torleif Brattli, a Faith Fellowship minister and one-time administrator, who since has been terminated. They also were approached by co-defendant Winston Robinson, another church minister and Republican candidate for Sayreville Borough Council. The Arlequins indicated they met with Brattli and Robinson in Brattli s office at Faith Fellowship and that the four of them prayed together before discussing the specifics of the deal.My experience of your company has been excellent and I would happily oil painting reproduction tiles.

The couple said that Brattli indicated if they invested $250,000 with his company, Dominion Commodities, the church would be given a $10 million line of credit to build a youth center. Brattli also guaranteed that the entire $250,000 would be returned to them within three weeks, and then they would receive an additional $125,000 three weeks later. The Arlequins said that Brattli and Robinson gave the impression that they were operating at the behest of co-defendant the Rev. David T. Demola, founding pastor of the 33-year-old, 9,200-member congregation.

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