[en] A laboratory study was conducted to assess the effect of reclamation treatment on the aerobic degradation rate of organic matter composed of horse faeces, urine, and straw bedding. It was hypothesized that different physical treatments of soil removed during the mining process would alter the rate of organic matter decomposition. The soils were from the B horizon of reclaimed prime farmland. The B horizon was reconstructed using one of two treatments: soil direct hauled from the mining site to the reconstruction site; soil hauled from a 6-month-old stockpile. The soil that was immediately replaced exhibited organic matter degradation rates similar to a control whereas the stockpiled soil organic matter degradation rates were depressed. This implies that stockpiling adversely affects the microbial population. Prescription limiting, typically done during reclamation, did have the desired effect on pH and did not interfere with organic matter degradation. 15 refs., 1 fig., 4 tabs

[en] Semi-solid state fermentation route of hydrogen production from agro-waste sugar cane bagasse was tried using the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas (BHU strain-1) and the non-photosynthetic Enterobacter aerogenes MTCC2822. The process seems an alternative to submerged fermentation that requires high volumes of nutrient broth. Bagasse (10 g) pre-hydrolyzed with NaOH (2%, w/v) was coated with Ca-alginate (1.5%, v/v) containing Rhodopseudomonas and E. aerogenes in the co-immobilized state (300 μg bacterial biomass ml^-1). The fermenting medium was just 150 ml to sustain the moistened bagasse in a 0.5 L fermenter kept in light. A parallel set of free bacterial cells served as control. Hydrogen production by the immobilized sets reached 30 L within 60 h with the average rate of 0.177 L H₂ h^-1. For free cells, the values for hydrogen output (20 L) or the rate 0.1125 L H₂ h^-1 were approximately 1.5-fold low. It is proposed that semi-solid fermentation route of hydrogen production from bagasse will be a cost-effective technology in countries generating this agro-waste. (authors)

[en] At the Cauca Department, manures are using obtained by means of compost of agricultural and cattle waste, with base in a Central American formula (Bocashi). Fifteen days after their preparation, these manures are applied to different crops. It is sought to replace some components to give it use to agro industrial waste that have not been found utility, among them residual fine dust of bagasse cane (marrow) generated during paper production; vinasse and husk of coffee and hen-dung that is expensive and of difficult access for all farmers. The humification process is also evaluated in 60 days period. Three bio-organic fertilizers were prepared by means of compost of materials: coffee husk until 26.7%. Fine dust until 11% and vinasse until 34% the following parameters were evaluated: humification degree by determination of organic matter (MO), humic acid, fulvic acid, humification relationships, cation exchange capacity (CIC) and C/N relationship. Physicochemical parameters like: temperature, pH, and content of nutrients. The presence of fine dust in manure improved the physicochemical properties achieving a better microbial development that is translated in a better humification process and bigger content of nutrients. The results demonstrate that at 15 days it is still incipient the maturation process, and that in the evaluated period it has not finished the humification; that hen-dung can be replaced by cattle manure whenever it is in fine e dust presence and that coffee husk is useful for obtaining bio-organic fertilizers

[en] The neutral red dye is used in textile and leather industries and in environmental research. Therefore, the removal of this dye from the factory wastewaters is environmentally significant. In this research, two very inexpensive, abundant and easily available adsorbents, i.e. sugarcane bagasse and sawdust, were employed to remove the neutral red from water. The effects of various conditions such as pH, electrolyte concentration, adsorbent dose, contact time and agitation rate were studied for the removal of the dye in a concentration of 100 mg L/sup -1/. The obtained conditions were applied for various concentrations of the dye (100 - 400 mg L/sup -1/) and in all the cases, an efficiency of more than 96 % was attained. Adsorption isotherms were studied which were well in line with both Langmuir and Freundlich equations. The possibility of employing columns was studied and good results were achieved. The method was applied for the removal of dye from real samples of different waters. (author)

[en] The efficiency of biopurification systems to treat pesticide-contaminated water was previously studied in microcosms. To validate the obtained results, macrocosm systems were set-up. Four pesticides (linuron, isoproturon, bentazone, and metalaxyl) were continuously applied to ten different organic substrate mixes. Retention of the pesticides was similar and in some cases slightly lower in the macrocosms compared to the microcosms. Differences in retention between the different mixes were however minimal. Moreover, the classification of the retention strength of the pesticides was identical to that observed in microcosms: linuron > isoproturon > metalaxyl > bentazone. Monod kinetics were used to describe delayed degradation, which occurred for isoproturon, metalaxyl and bentazone. No breakthrough of linuron was observed, thus, this pesticide was appointed as the most retained and/or degraded pesticide, followed by isoproturon, metalaxyl and bentazone. Finally, most of the matrix mixes efficient in degrading or retaining pesticides were mixes containing dried cow manure. - Transport of pesticides in macrocosm containing organic substrates

[en] The importance of farm yard manure and green manuring is well established for better crop production. The availability of farm yard manure is becoming difficult due to mechanized farming. An experiment was conducted with farm yard manure application in less quantity i.e. 5000 kg per hectare through fermenter with irrigation water as concentrated solution of farm yard manure. Four levels of nitrogen i.e. 0, 50, 100 and 150 kg/ha were applied through soil to Cotton crop planted on bed-furrows. Two years average results indicated that application of FYM at the rate of 5 metric ton per hectare through fermenter with 0, 50, 100 and 150 kgN/ha through soil increased seed cotton by 7 percent, on over all average basis of all fertilizer levels, as compared with no farm yard manure application. There was 6 percent increase with first 50 kgN/ha in the presence of FYM where as 100 kgN/ha gave 15% increase in seed cotton yield over no nitrogen application. It indicated that the efficiency of nitrogen at the rate of 100 kg/ha in the presence of farm yard manure was increased. There was 7, 15 and 20 percent increase in seed cotton with 50, 100 and 150 kgN/ha over no nitrogen on over all average basis of farm yard manure variables. Benefit cost ratio was more with FYM application alone.(author)

[en] Production of Lentinula edodes, medicinal and gourmet mushroom commonly known as shiitake, was evaluated in synthetic blocks with the aim of using agroindustrial wastes not jet studied quantitatively and environmentally problematical for many industries. Fifty five different combinations of substrates were analyzed using two agroindustrial wastes (cocoa husk and cotton waste), one wood supplement (oak), one nitrogen source (wheat bran), one pH controller (CaC0₃), and one growth stimulator (CaS0₄). It was found that the substrate formulation has a considerable effect upon the colonization time of the block (P < 0.05), being the oak supplement essential for the time colonization reduction. Furthermore, the cocoa husk Was not a good waste for shiitake production. The treatments that gave the best conditions for shiitake culture contained 75% of oak, and 20 to 25% of wheat bran or 25% of cotton waste. Depending on the treatment evaluated, the biological efficiency achieved were between 5.3 to 21.5%, the pileo size from 4.7 to 9.3 cm for the first flush and the colonization precocity between 69 to 125 days with C/N relationship superior to 110 and with better nutritional value to those reported by other researchers

[en] Full text: Amongst the problems that African agriculture faces, soil fertility decline is mentioned as a major pressure. The declining state (lower soil fertility) has led to different responses by researchers, landusers and policy makers. All responses directly or indirectly boil down to some form of 'Integrated Nutrient Management' (INM), which is defined as the 'judicious' manipulation of nutrient stocks and flows. As INM is complex and multi-faceted, it is difficult to derive simple indicators for policy makers from it. The concept of stocks (state) and flows (pressure), however, links well with economic sciences. A continental study revealed that Africa is losing nutrients at a rather alarming rate, i.e., 22 kg N, 2.5 kg P and 15 kg K per ha per year (Stoorvogel and Smaling, 1990). These values represent the sum of the outputs minus the sum of the inputs mentioned below. IN 1 mineral fertilizer OUT 1 nutrients in harvested parts, milk, meat, etc. IN 2 organic fertilizer OUT 2 nutrients in removed crop residues IN 3 atmospheric deposition OUT 3 leaching IN 4 biological N fixation OUT 4 gaseous losses IN 5 sedimentation OUT 5 runoff and erosion This study however, commissioned by FAO, had to deal with a lot of higher-scale problems, i.e., using FAO's production yearbooks, using the 1:5,000,000 FAO Soil Map of the World, generalisation, simplification, and the use of proxies (transfer functions). It triggered many studies at lower spatial scales (field, farm, village, watershed), in which inputs and outputs are accompanied by internal flows within the system. In other words, INM can be geared towards: adding nutrients to the system; saving nutrient from being lost from the system; recycling so as to maximize nutrient use efficiency. Measurement of nutrient flows is complex: a simple fertilizer trial implies adding nutrients, and harvesting part of the extra nutrients, but what happens to the nutrients that were not taken up by the crop? More spatially complex is the ring management system in West Africa where animals spend the night and early morning around the village, fertilizing this area, while they eat and deplete the bushlands during daytime. IFPRI has, for its Vision 2020 study, grouped the tropical world into five 'agricultural landscapes', i.e.: Irrigated lands; High quality rainfed lands; Densely populated marginal lands; Extensive agriculture in marginal lands; (Peri)urban agriculture. The complexity of measuring the nutrient balance for these 'landscapes' will be highlighted. Measurement problems seem to be scientific issues, but they do come back at the policy level. In The Netherlands, a mineral book keeping system is in place (MINAS), which works with farmgate balances. However, a surface balance approach would give other figures and would encompass different incentives for the land user. More accurate compartment approaches are liked by the researcher but generally regarded as too cumbersome to build policies on. It is very difficult to scale up point research to higher spatial and temporal scales. Examples are given of agricultural landscapes in Madagascar and Nigeria that may help in deciding where to focus research efforts. It is crucial that scientific development on INM is closely related to policy and landuse, as all these fields are changing simultaneously. Policies are increasingly developed at decentral levels, opening up avenues for INM approaches that were not applied before. Also, landusers become more vocal, and want to be involved in research for development (e.g., participatory technology development). INM therefore should be a joint effort between researchers, policy makers and land users. Research has a key role to play in development of sound methodologies for measurement, modelling and monitoring. (author)

[en] An experiment has been carried out by using organic fertilizer (manure) and anorganic fertilizer (SP-36). Result showed that the highest P-uptake was found by the treatment A3 (application of 50% SP-36 together with 5 t ha^-1 into the soil with 15 t ha-1 residue) for the grain and treatment A7 (application of 100% SP-36 into the soil with 20 t ha^-1 residue) for the the straw. The P-32 technique could determine quantitatively the P-derived from fertilizer and soil. The highest P-derived from fertilizer in grain and straw was found by the treatment A7 and expressed in percentage (%). The highest P-derived from soil in grain and straw as expected was found in treatment A0 (%). While the lowest percentage (%) P-derived from soil in grain and straw was found by treatment A7. Plant growth observed were dry weight of grain and straw, number of tillers, and plant height. The anorganic P-fertilizer (SP-36) has the most influence even without organic fertilizer (manure). (author)

[en] Environmental problem due to land degradation in the developing countries have been a matter of great cocern for the decades. The rehabilitation of problem land has been through many chemical means and engineering approaches, that have resulted in enhancing the gravity and the magnitude of problems. The present studies were undertaken to examine the role of environmental friendly practices to address the salinity issue. the effect of organic manuring (green manure and farmyard manure) or rice was investigated in a field study on a saline-sodic soil of the Saline Agriculture Research Station, Sadhuke, Pakistan. Sesbania was grown as a green manuring crop for two months and then incorporated into soil. farmyard manure (FYM) was applied at the rate of 0, 5, 10 and 20/ha before the sowing of Sesbania. Rice,Cv. Basmati 385 was used as the indicator/test crop. Results revealed that both paddy and straw yields were significantly improved by the application of sesbina and FYM. Green manure with sesbina improved the paddy and straw yields by 15.4% and 14.5% respectively. Productive tillers were also increased by the application of FYM but difference were not significant between 10 and 20ha/ of FYM application. FYM application also improved the paddy and straw yield significantly. The incrase in paddy yield due to application of 5, 10 and 20/ha of FYM were 6.8%, 24.4% and 37.6% over control, respectively. Nitrogen and phosphprus utilizationn by rice were also significantly improved with the application of green manure. Nitrogen uptake by rice was incresed by 17.8% and that of phosphorus by 21.9% with the green manuring. Nitrogen uptake was significantlty increased by the application of different rates of FYM. Also phosphorus uptake was increased significantly with the application of FYM. (author)