Now, Farmers Can Check Water-Level In Soil

To help farmer reduce consumption of water, a scientist from Sugarcane Breeding Institute in the city has developed a soil moisture indicator to help farmers understand the moisture level of the soil and irrigate accordingly.

K Hari, a senior scientist at the institute, invented the device, which was tested for around a year among sugarcane farmers. "This can be immersed into the soil. By pressing the side button, the water levels can be understood. Different colours will represent the water levels; such as blue for adequate water and red for less water," he added.

According to the scientists, farmers can decide on when to irrigate looking at the indicators. D Puthira Prathap, who was the principal investigator of the project, says that "The indicator can be taken to different areas of the land and the moisture levels can be checked. The soil need not be irrigated, if there is enough water."

Farmers who used the equipment in Erode, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri shared their experiences in the sensitisation workshop organised as part of "Water Day" celebrations in the institute.

EK Subramanian, a farmer from Koothampoondi in Erode said he used the soil moisture indicator in half of his farm and found it beneficial. "I have one hectare of sugarcane cultivation. In half the land, I used this equipment to compare with the normal process of irrigation. I placed the indicator in several locations of the land to understand the availability of water. In the other portion of the land, we irrigated as usual. Using the indicator, I could manage with 20% less water. The land which used this equipment cultivated 8 tonnes more than the other portion," he said.

"I could reduce about 30% to 40% water consumption in the areas where I used the equipment compared to the land where I did not use it. The harvest was ten tonnes more," said P Saravanan, a farmer from Palacode in Dharmapuri district.

N Vijayan Nair, director of the institute said "Indian farmers use more water for agriculture. The usual reason is that we don't know when the soil requires to be irrigated. This leads to over irrigation which damages the soil."

The soil moisture indicator can check water-levels of the soil from around 15cms to 45cms. Hari says that this is enough for farms and plants in pots. "This is simple to use and affordable. We are looking for entrepreneurs interested in manufacturing this on a large scale," he added.

Organic Growth Story Of Organic Farming

NAGPUR: Following in the footsteps of his father, 31-year-old Ashish Shinde from Anjangaon Surji village in Paratwada tehsil of Amravati district is promoting organic farming in all possible ways.

His father Deepak Shinde had shown the way in the 1990s. Today, Ashish has expanded the area of work to almost the entire state. The membership in the firm his father started, Organic Farms, has gone up from around 3,500 in 1999 to over 4,700 now.

Deepak Shinde had pioneered organic farming in Vidarbha and then started propagating it. As farmers joined him, he floated an NGO, Maharashtra Organic Farmers Association, with himself as secretary and Appasaheb Wankhede from village Amla in Daryapur tehsil as president. As the need to get produce certified grew, Shinde launched Organic Farms.

"In 1988, there were no organic certifying agencies in India. So my father researched and tied up with German company 'Agrisco' to certify produce from all 260 farmers in just two villages, Daryapur and Anjangaon," says Ashish.

Being an agriculture graduate like his father, Ashish has an edge over other farmers in understanding the nuances of agriculture. "I wanted to do post graduation, but father said things at ground level would not change much even if I completed doctorate in agriculture. He was right. So I am now expanding on his work," he said.

"The firm is now into export of soyabean and pulses. We are also undertaking organic cultivation and certification of pulses, vegetables and fruits," he said.

The senior Shinde was influenced by the book 'The One Straw Revolution' by Masanobu Fukuoka from Japan. Shinde was a senior grader in Cotton Federation at Daryapur and Pulgaon. After reading the book, he bought 20 acre land and started experiments. Every Sunday, he would go to Mumbai to meet Rohidas Patil after they met at a fair in Dhule. Gradually, he became famous as a organic farming consultant and went around the country training and educating farmers.

He also toured the USA and Poland, and came into contact with foreign buyers. He began promoting organic cotton, since he could buy all the cotton due to the federation's monopoly then and sell it in Kolkata market. "My father maintained extreme transparency. He formed a committee for procuring cotton with representatives from farmers and buyers to decide the rate and the farmers share in the profit. If the profit percentage was 15%, at least 10% would go to farmers and remaining 5% to Organic Farms, the company that gave the organic certification," said Ashish.

Shinde got support from Amravati collector Manisha Verma, who allowed a pilot project at Nimkhed Bazar village for residential training for farmers under the Agriculture Technology Management Agency (Atma) and trained 100 farmers daily. Now, the firm exports soyabean powder, guava, pineapple and mango pulp and juices, fresh fruits like grapes, pomegranate, safflower and sunflower oil and sells pulses and oil to Brahmaratan, a Delhi-based company, from many districts of the state.

Shinde also started dal mills, oil mills, ginning mills, pulverizing units and cashew nut processing units under the guidance of Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth in 2003 at Nimkhed Bazar, which is proving handy for organic growers to ensure quality and avoid adulteration. The company also displays products at big fairs like World Organic Trade Fair-Biofach.

"For export, we need third party certification. Organic Farms has tied up with Reliable Analytical Lab and Microchem Silliker Lab at Mumbai. They test the produce for 147 chemicals at the port or airport. So, we have to maintain the same quality," said Ashish.

Ashish did his bit after meeting Kavita Mukhi, who runs 'Conscious Food' outlets in Mumbai. She motivated him to diversify into vegetables, fruits, organic textiles and cosmetics. She also proposed a Sunday farmers market in Mumbai, which will complete three years this September.

Ashish wants to fulfil all the dreams of his father, who died at an early age. "I knew a lot of my father's contacts since I kept their accounts, and they are now helping me climb up the ladder," he says.Box

Future Plans

• Production of organic khaddar or handloom in association with Wardha-based Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Rural Industrialisation (MGIRI)
• Developing organic textiles and organic cosmetics
• Developing organic Paithani silk dress material using organic dyes with support from Asmita Gaikwad, who works among tribals in Yeola village in Nashik
• Developing organic mulberry silk in Mumbai
• Organic milk production unit using Gir cows involving 100 farmers with cows
• Training institute for farmers
• Improving weekly farmers market in Mumbai

10 Terrific Varieties Of Honey

Acacia: Water-white to nearly clear in color, with a delicately light floral flavor. Exceptional for sweetening drinks without altering their taste.

Alfalfa: White to light amber in color, with good body and a multifunctional flavor. This honey is a fine choice as a table honey or for use in baking or cooking.

Blackberry: Usually light to golden amber in color. Fruity, rich and full-flavored honey is slightly reminiscent of blackberries. It’s an excellent all-around honey, especially great for baking.

Buckwheat: Color is dark brown. A very full-bodied honey with a strong, distinct flavor. Typically contains more antioxidant compounds than most light honeys.

Clover: Varies in color from water-white to very light amber with a mild, delicate flavor. Although light in color, research shows clover honey is rich in antioxidants.

Eucalyptus: Ranges in color from dark amber to gray, with an intensely bold flavor and undertones of a slight medicinal aftertaste. Makes a tasty sweetener for herbal tea or a nice accompaniment to cheeses and breads.

Fireweed: Pleasantly light in color and flavor, fireweed is an ideal all-purpose honey for cooking, baking and table use.

Mint: Despite its name, this honey doesn’t taste like mint. A dark, rich, full-flavored honey often referred to as “the stout beer of honeys,” its flavor holds up well in baking and sauces.

Orange blossom: Color is extra-light amber with a delightful citrusy aroma and flavor. (This honey is derived from a combination of citrus floral sources.) Excellent multipurpose honey.

Sage: Light and mellow in color and taste. Its taste is heightened by the subtle flavor of sage.

Empowering Women Vital For World Food Supply

LONDON: Empowering female farmers in developing countries is crucial to solving the world’s food problems as an era of food price spikes looms, the chair of a panel which advises governments and donors on agricultural development in Sub-Saharan Africa told Reuters.

“If we’re going to feed the world and in particular if Africa is going to be fed, we need every tool we can lay our hands on to make that happen and one component of that is to ensure that women fulfil their potential as farmers,” Gordon Conway, Chair of the Montpellier Panel, said as the group launched a report on African agriculture.

“Women are constrained by the fact that they don’t have enough access to productive resources and they don’t have enough access to assets and if they did they could increase yields on farms by 20 to 30 per cent, which would have a really big impact,” he said.

If women upped their production by this amount, the agricultural output of developing countries would rise by between 2.5 and four per cent, potentially slashing the number of undernourished people by 12 to 17 per cent, according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

It is therefore crucial that women’s needs and rights are at the heart of all rural development programs instead of merely being added on as an afterthought, Conway said.

“This isn’t an extra – this is fundamental to achieving growth with resilience,” he said.

Women account for around 43 per cent of agricultural laborers in developing countries, according to the FAO.

Cultural issues

But poor access to resources like land, water, fertilizers, seeds and technical knowledge is limiting their productivity, Conway said.

“In many ways it’s a cultural thing. Men tend to have the rights to land in particular and the right to other resources … the woman is doing the work but she hasn’t got real access to what she needs,” he said.

“I think (women) often don’t get good advice, they are dismissed and … everywhere you go in Africa, particularly in rural villages, you can see that women are often regarded as second-class citizens.”

The majority of agriculture development officers, extension workers – government advisors who educate farmers about how to grow and market their crops – and bank employees in Africa are male but a growing number of female plant breeders and agro dealers is evidence of a shift away from male dominance of agriculture, Conway said.

African agro dealers, who run shops selling goods like seed and fertilizer, are being trained by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to advise customers, and are therefore helping to tackle the problem of a lack of access to male extension agents which female farmers face.

“Instead of relying on (extension agents) who are usually male, you start to rely on these little shopkeepers to provide advice and many of those are women and so the women feel more at home going in there to see what can be done,” Conway said.

This is very important in helping to ensure sustainable food security in Africa in an age of food price volatility, especially as global warming, increased meat and wheat consumption in emerging countries, and the use of food crops for bio fuels put pressure on the world’s food supply, he said.

A Bus Conductor Links Bee Security To Food Security

Maintaining the bees and sharing the income from honey is a new venture

Rarely do we come across individuals who apart from their regular work become obsessed with something that becomes their passion, dream and conviction.

Mr. A. Parthiban is one such person who is popularly known as honey bee man in Gobichettypalayam, Tamil Nadu.

WORKING SCHEDULE

The man works as a bus conductor on the Gobi-Madurai route for nearly 12 hours a day, three days a week. During the rest of the week he is busy catching honeybees, installing bee boxes in several fields, orchards and coconut groves.

Hailing from an ordinary farming family Mr. Parthiban seems to realize the importance of the bees in the ecological cycle.

“The insects are essential for our food security. Without them many of our fruits, vegetables or flowers would become extinct. But sadly modern science doesn’t seem to realize this. In the name of advancement we are destroying many things that play an important role. Productive and rapidly declining honeybees are one such,” he says.

Western countries have recognized the effect of honey bee pollination and are doing their best to protect and encourage these insects.

“But here in our place we call them a nuisance. We either smoke them away or drive them using fires.” he adds. Though initially Mr. Parthiban’s interest appeared weird to his friends and neighbors, they started supporting him once they started realizing that he was speaking some sense.

LOT OF CALLS

Today he is flooded with calls from different areas requesting him to set up bee boxes or catch the bees hovering in the orchards and godowns.

“People find the bees scary. They think the insect will sting them. Normally the insects do not sting anyone unless disturbed,” he says.

The main popularity of the man in the region is that apart from setting up bee boxes he also offers to take care of the box and the bees (maintenance).

“Maintaining the insects was one area which did not have many takers,” he says and adds: “I thought if I could step in it would increase the interest among many people to set up bee boxes in their place.”

TWO APPROACHES

He advocates two types of approaches in promoting this enterprise. One is installing the bee-boxes by the farmers’ investment and the sale from honey is given to the owner. Two, Mr. Parthiban himself installs the boxes and maintains them. The income from honey is shared between the owner of the farm and him.

Mr. K.K. Ramaswamy of Vaiyakadu thottam in kolapalur village had approached Mr. Parthiban to obtain a remedy for flower setting in his tamarind tree. Parthiban placed the bee boxes and advised Mr.Ramaswamy to wait for some months.

INCREASE IN YIELD

And as predicted the tamarind farmer harvested 4,350 kgs of tamarind compared to previous yield of 1,000 Kgs from 250 trees.

Apart from his monthly income the bees seem to have provided him with an additional income of nearly Rs. 20,000 a month.

More than the danger involved in climbing trees to catch some bees, because of the painful stings, it is the feeling that he was doing something worthwhile, seems to be his conviction.

Recently the district science forum in the region awarded his son Mr. Jawahar Raja an 8th class student for developing a solar melter for melting the honey combs.

Usually after the honey has been extracted the empty comb is heated in a pot or vessel for making candles. Through this solar melter the comb gets melted and the liquid oozes out through a outlet and collected in moulds.

“A humble earthworm during its lifetime makes the soil fertile, a silkworm before it dies spins some silk threads, aren’t we, endowed with a sixth sense, supposed to do better?” he asks.

Interested readers can contact Mr. A. Parthiban at 11/18 Makali amman, street, Kollapur post, Gobichettypalayam, mobile: 9442171818.

5 Signs To Identify A Dying Plant

Plants can fall ill just like human beings. If their illness is not diagnosed and treated on time, they start dying. But, a plant does not have pulse or breathing that you can check as the vital signs of living. So it is a tough call.

 Most of us who are amateur gardeners are not too good at reading the signs given by a sick plant. To save a plant from dying, you need to identify the signs of illness. There may be many different types of illnesses that plague the plants. But, the basic fact is that there are always symptoms that you can look for.

Here are some of symptoms by which you can identify a dying plant.

Signs To Identify A Dying Plant:

1. Wilting Leaves: There are 2 types of wilting in plants. Usually, the old leaves wilt and new ones grow to replace them. This is a natural process of renewal. However, if you see that the young leaves of your plant are wilting, then your plant might be dying.

2. Yellowing Leaves: Some leaves of the plant do yellow with age. But, leaves turning yellow in a short span of time could only suggest a severe sunburn. May be your plant is getting too much direct sunlight.

3. Shedding Of Leaves: Shedding is a normal way of getting rid of dead leaves. Usually plants shed leaves during Autumn. That is why it is also called the season of Fall. But, if your plant is shedding off season or shedding green leaves, then there is something wrong.

4. A Spot Of Rot: You have see if any of the leaves or parts of the shoot are rotting. Usually, molts and damp conditions make a plant rot. You can save a plant from dying as long as its root do not start rotting. If the roots are rotten, the plant will eventually die out.

5. Fruitful Plant: There are certain non-perennial plants that start dying after producing fruits. First, the flower appears and then the fruit. After this, the plant weakens and dies. The banana plant is an example. The only way to save a plant of this kind is to not allow it produce fruits. Watch out for the fruit bud and prune it every time it appears.

Do you have any other expert gardening tips to identify a sick plant?

Surprising Health Benefits Of Cinnamon

Who doesn’t love a sprinkling of cinnamon on fresh apple pie or atop a chai latte? It’s just one of those spices that tastes fantastic. But taste is not the only reason to love cinnamon.

Here are 10 health reasons (plus an extra reason) to love this super spice:

1. Numerous studies show that cinnamon regulates blood sugar, making it a great choice for diabetics and hypoglycemics alike. That’s also great news for anyone who wants stable energy levels and moods.

2. It reduces LDL cholesterol levels. LDL is also known as the harmful cholesterol. Reducing it may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

3. It has natural anti-infectious compounds. In studies, cinnamon has been effective against ulcer-causing H. pylori bacteria and other pathogens.

4. It reduces pain linked to arthritis. Cinnamon has been shown in studies at the Department of Internal Medicine, Kangnam Korean Hospital, to reduce cytokines linked to arthritic pain.

Keep reading to learn how cinnamon may help with cancer, menstrual pain, infertility, and more

5. Research at the University of Texas, published in the journal Nutrition and Cancer, shows that cinnamon may reduce the proliferation of cancer cells, holding promise for cancer prevention and sufferers of the disease.

6. It is a natural food preservative.

7. It contains fiber, calcium, iron, and manganese—albeit small amounts to the typical dose of ground cinnamon.

8. It’s been proven effective for menstrual pain and 

9. infertility. Cinnamon contains a natural chemical called cinnamaldehyde, which studies show increases the hormone progesterone and decreases testosterone production in women, helping to balance hormones.

Keep reading to learn how cinnamon holds promise for Azheimer’s, Parkinson’s, MS, and more

10. Cinnamon holds promise for various neurodegenerative diseases, including: Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, brain tumor, and meningitis, according to research at the Cytokine Research Laboratory, Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas. Their research shows that cinnamon reduces chronic inflammation linked with these neurological disorders.

11. Not a health benefit, but a great reason to love cinnamon, it’s versatile. It works with sweet and savory dishes alike. Consider that many curries and savory Moroccan dishes include cinnamon. It’s not just for apples anymore

Perfect Companions: Which Plants Grow Well With Tomatoes?

Companion planting is the planting of different crops in proximity (in gardening and agriculture), on the theory that they assist each other in nutrient uptake, pest control, pollination, and other factors necessary to increasing crop productivity.

Companion planting is used by farmers and gardeners in both industrialized and developing countries for many reasons. Many of the modern principles of companion planting were present many centuries ago in cottage gardens in England and home gardens in Asia.

Here is the list of good and bad companion crops for tomatoes

Carrots:

Carrots work well with tomatoes because they share space well. The carrots can be planted when the tomatoes are still quite small, and can be happily growing and ready to harvest by the time the tomato plants start to take over the space.

Chives, Onions, and Garlic:

Members of the onion family are beneficial to plant with many types of crops due to the pungent odor they emit. This helps deter many insect pests.

Borage:

Borage helps deter tomato hornworm.

Asparagus:

Asparagus and tomatoes are good neighbors. Asparagus puts on growth very early in the season, and the tomato plants fill in after asparagus has been harvested. Also, tomatoes help repel asparagus beetle.

Marigold:

Marigolds help deter harmful nematodes from attacking tomatoes. The pungent odor can also help confuse other insect pests. To deter nematodes, the best practice is to grow the marigolds, then chop and till them into the soil at the end of the season.

Nasturtium:

Nasturtiums help deter whitefly and aphids.

Basil:

Growing tomatoes and basil together increases the vigor and flavor of both crops.

Spinach, Lettuce, Arugula:

These are also "good neighbor" crops for tomatoes. They stay fairly small, and will grow better in the heat of summer when shaded by the growing tomato plants.

What Not to Plant with Tomatoes:

The following crops should not be planted with tomatoes:

Brassicas: Tomatoes and all members of the brassicas family repel each other and will exhibit poor growth when planted together.

Corn: Tomato fruit worm and corn ear worm are nearly identical, and planting these two crops together increases the possibility that you will attract one (or both) of these pests.

Fennel: Fennel inhibits the growth of tomatoes.

Kohlrabi: Kohlrabi inhibits the growth of tomatoes.

Potatoes: Planting tomatoes and potatoes together makes potatoes more susceptible to potato blight.

Fruit And Vegetables 'Give A Healthy Glow'

Even a few weeks of eating fruit and vegetables could improve your skin color, it is claimed.

University of St Andrews researchers monitored diet in 35 people, finding more coloration in those eating more greens.

Other research suggests these changes may make you more attractive.

Other scientists said the study, in the PLoS One journal, might not fully reflect the link between consumption and appearance.

It has been known for some time that certain yellow and red pigments called carotenoids found in many types of fruit and vegetables, can have an effect on skin tone.

However it is not clear exactly how much influence a normal healthy diet can have on this effect.

The St Andrews scientists recruited 35 students, mostly white, who were quizzed on their fruit and vegetable intake over a six week period.

The volunteers were told not to use sun beds, fake tan or make-up.

An instrument was used to analyze their skin tone before, during and after the test period.

The results suggested that changes in fruit and vegetable consumption might be related to changes in skin tone, with more fruit and vegetables contributing to a deepening of natural red and yellow skin coloration.

Earlier research by the team had found links between the perceived attractiveness of faces and even subtle changes in these skin tones.

"It is possible that even smaller dietary changes are able to produce perceptible benefits to skin coloration," they wrote.

However, they did concede that the effects on older people might be different, and that more research into non-white volunteers would be needed.

Food preparation

Dr Glenys Jones, from the Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Research laboratory at Cambridge University, said that another issue was that food preparation techniques made a big difference to how much of the carotenoids were available from food, and the study did not take this into account.

She added: "With the vast majority of the population not consuming the recommended five-a-day of fruits and vegetables, this could be another way of encouraging people through our own innate vanity to increase fruit and vegetable intake.

"After all fruits and vegetables contain a wide range of nutrients that are good for not just for our complexion, but for our overall health."

Dr Catherine Collins, a dietician at St George's Hospital in London, said that although people heavily exposed to sunlight were excluded from the study, all the areas of skin studied were those exposed to daylight, and the effects of this could not be ruled out.

However, she echoed the point that anything which encouraged people to eat more fruit and vegetables was a good thing.

"For the rest of us post-university people, it's another potential reason to carry on eating your greens - and red/orange/yellow veggies as well.

"The grown-up way of serving them cooked, or as part of an overall meal along with other foods, boosts bio-availability of these useful phytochemicals, which may contribute to overall health - as well as beauty!"

Health Benefits Of Kumquats

A small round to oval citrus fruit, the kumquat resembles a tiny orange. The kumquat grows on trees that originated in China. It can be found in California, Florida, the Mediterranean countries, China, Japan, Indochina, Indonesia, Israel, Peru, and Brazil.

Varieties

Kumquat hybrids, when crossed with other citrus fruits, include the limequat, lemonquat, orangequat, and the calamondin (a cross with the mandarin orange).

Buying and storing tips

Kumquats are occasionally sold with a decorative stem and leaves attached. Avoid fruits with damaged skin and those that feel soft.

Availability

The peak season for kumquats is November through February.

Preparation, Uses, and Tips

In this fruit, the rind is edible, tender, and sweet, while the flesh can be dry and very tart, compared with oranges. Kumquats are usually eaten raw, as whole fruit, excluding the seeds. They make a striking garnish, especially when used with the leaves still attached. As with other citrus fruit, kumquats can be candied, marinated, prepared as marmalade, added to fruit salad, poached, or preserved whole.

Nutritional Highlights

• Kumquat (raw), 1 fruit (19g)
• Calories: 12
• Protein: 0.17g
• Carbohydrate: 3.1g
• Total Fat: 0.02g
• Fiber: 1.25g
• *Good source of: Vitamin C (7.1mg)

*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the Recommended Daily Value.

Health benefits and concerns

Allergies and sensitivities (food and chemical)

A low-allergen diet, also known as an elimination diet, is often recommended to people with suspected food allergies in order to find out if avoiding common allergen foods gives relief from symptoms. This diet eliminates foods and food additives considered to be common allergens, including citrus fruits. Some popular books offer guidance to people who want to attempt this type of diet. Most elimination diets are quite restrictive and increase the likelihood of nutritional deficiencies. A successful elimination diet is usually followed by reintroduction of eliminated foods one at a time, to see which ones are truly allergens for the individual person and therefore need to be eliminated indefinitely. Strict avoidance of allergenic foods for a period of time (usually months or years) sometimes results in the foods no longer causing allergic reactions. Restrictive elimination diets and food reintroduction should be supervised by a qualified healthcare professional.

Hives

Allergy to foods and food additives is a common cause of hives, especially in chronic cases. Citrus fruits are among those foods most commonly reported to trigger hives. Numerous clinical studies demonstrate that diets that are free of foods that commonly trigger allergic reactions typically produce significant reductions in symptoms in 50–75% of people with chronic hives. People with hives should investigate the possibility that food allergies are causing their problem by consulting with a doctor.

Kidney stones

Citric acid is found in citrus fruits and may protect against kidney stone formation. Lemons are the best food source commonly available. One preliminary trial found that drinking 2 liters (approximately 2 quarts) of lemonade per day improved the quality of the urine in ways that are associated with stone prevention. Lemonade was far more effective than orange juice. The lemonade was made by mixing 4 oz lemon juice with enough water to make 2 liters. The smallest amount of sweetener possible should be added to make the taste acceptable. Further study is necessary, however, to determine if lemonade can prevent recurrence of kidney stones.

10 Foods That Fight Pain

While many foods taste great, they are also powerful healers in a vibrant multicolor disguise. The best healing remedies also taste fabulous (I can’t say that about any prescription medications). Plus, foods won’t cause the nasty common side effects that most drugs cause.

1. Cherries

Muraleedharan Nair, PhD, professor of natural products and chemistry at Michigan State University, found that tart cherry extract is ten times more effective than aspirin at relieving inflammation. Only two tablespoons of the concentrated juice need to be taken daily for effective results. Sweet cherries have also been found to be effective.

2. Blackberries 3. Raspberries 4. Blueberries and 5. Strawberries

Dr. Nair later found the same anti-pain compound in berries like blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and strawberries

6. Celery and Celery Seeds

James Duke, Ph.D., author of The Green Pharmacy, found more than 20 anti-inflammatory compounds in celery and celery seeds, including a substance called apigenin, which is powerful in its anti-inflammatory action. Add celery seeds to soups, stews or as a salt substitute in many recipes.

7. Ginger

Ginger reduces pain-causing prostaglandin levels in the body and has been widely used in India to treat pain and inflammation. A study by Indian researchers found that when people who were suffering from muscular pain were given ginger, they all experienced improvement. The recommended dosage of ginger is between 500 and 1,000 milligrams per day. If you’re taking medications, check with your health practitioner for possible herb-drug interactions.

8. Turmeric

Turmeric (curcuma longa) is the yellow spice commonly used in Indian curries. In research it has been shown to be a more effective anti-inflammatory than steroid medications when dealing with acute inflammation. Its main therapeutic ingredient is curcumin. Research shows that curcumin suppresses pain through a similar mechanism as drugs like COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitors (without the harmful side effects). Choose a standardized extract with 1500 mg of curcumin content per day.

9. Flax Seeds and Flax Oil

Freshly-ground flax seeds and cold-pressed flax oil contain plentiful amounts of fatty acids known as Omega-3s. Do not cook with flax oil otherwise it will have the opposite effect-irritating the body’s tissues and causing pain.

10. Raw Walnuts and Walnut Oil

Raw walnuts and walnut oil also contain the same powerful Omega-3 fatty acids that fight pain and inflammation in the body.

When it comes to pain, food really is the best medicine.

Health Benefits Of Fruits And Vegetables

Food Combination Of Fruits For Better Digestion

The greatest benefits from foods and the most efficient digestion come from simple meals with minimal food combinations. Thus, the first principle of Food Combining is simplicity and compatibility in meal planning.

Fruits digest best when eaten by themselves as an entire meal. In general, fruits should not be eaten with other foods. If they are, they will be detained in the stomach causing them to begin formation.

Alcohol, coffee, tea, vinegar, condiments retard digestion considerably.

Acid Fruits & nuts - Cheeses are ok because the high fat content of nuts & cheeses acts like a separate meal from the Acid frutis by digesting more slowly.

Acid fruits delay the digestion of sweet fruits.

Tomatoes - May be combined with Low Starch vegetables and either avocados or nuts, and not with starches or proteins.

Sugar & Protein - Fruit & other sugars inhibit gastric juice delaying protein digestion

Melons - Because they decompose even faster than the other fruits. It is advised to eat melons separately from other fuits.

Avocados combine BEST with non starchy vegetables. FAIR with acid fruits & starches. Avocados do not combine well with sweet fruits or proteins.

What Is Sustainable Agriculture?

Sustainable agriculture takes many forms, but at its core is a rejection of the industrial approach to food production developed during the 20th century.

This system, with its reliance on monoculture, mechanization, chemical pesticides and fertilizers, biotechnology, and government subsidies, has made food abundant and affordable. However, the ecological and social price has been steep: erosion; depleted and contaminated soil and water resources; loss of biodiversity; deforestation; labor abuses; and the decline of the family farm.

The concept of sustainable agriculture embraces a wide range of techniques, including organic, free-range, low-input, holistic, and biodynamic.

The common thread among these methods is an embrace of farming practices that mimic natural ecological processes. Farmers minimize tilling and water use; encourage healthy soil by planting fields with different crops year after year and integrating croplands with livestock grazing; and avoid pesticide use by nurturing the presence of organisms that control crop-destroying pests.

Beyond growing food, the philosophy of sustainability also espouses broader principles that support the just treatment of farm workers and food pricing that provides the farmer with a livable income.

Critics of sustainable agriculture claim, among other things, that its methods result in lower crop yields and higher land use. They add that a wholesale commitment to its practices will mean inevitable food shortages for a world population expected to exceed 8 billion by the year 2030. There's recent evidence, though, suggesting that over time, sustainably farmed lands can be as productive as conventional industrial farms.

The Female Face Of Farming: Infographic

Water - Every Drop Counts

After air, the next most vital thing for our survival is water. While at the moment we have enough water for our needs, a time is likely to come when our water supply runs out and we have to buy water at a price similar to fuel. The solution, which some people have implemented, is to save and store rainwater

More Efficient Renewable Resource.

New biofuel process generates energy 20 times higher than existing methods, and uses agricultural waste:

A new biofuel production process created by Michigan State University researchers produces energy more than 20 times higher than existing methods. The results, published in the current issue of Environmental Science and Technology, showcase a novel way to use microbes to produce bio fuel and hydrogen, all while consuming agricultural wastes.

Gemma Reguera, MSU microbiologist, has developed bioelectrochemical systems known as microbial electrolysis cells, or MECs, using bacteria to breakdown and ferment agricultural waste into ethanol. Reguera's platform is unique because it employs a second bacterium, which, when added to the mix, removes all the waste fermentation byproducts or non-ethanol materials while generating electricity.

Similar microbial fuel cells have been investigated before. However, maximum energy recoveries from corn stover, a common feedstock for biofuels, hover around 3.5 percent. Reguera's platform, despite the energy invested in chemical pretreatment of the corn stover, averaged 35 to 40 percent energy recovery just from the fermentation process, said Reguera, who co-authored the paper with Allison Spears.

"This is because the fermentative bacterium was carefully selected to degrade and ferment agricultural wastes into ethanol efficiently and to produce byproducts that could be metabolized by the electricity-producing bacterium," Reguera said. "By removing the waste products of fermentation, the growth and metabolism of the fermentative bacterium also was stimulated. Basically, each step we take is custom-designed to be optimal."

The second bacterium, Geobacter sulfurreducens, generates electricity. The electricity, however, isn't harvested as an output. It is used to generate hydrogen in the MEC to increase the energy recovery process even more, Reguera said.

"When the MEC generates hydrogen, it actually doubles the energy recoveries," she said. "We increased energy recovery to 73 percent. So the potential is definitely there to make this platform attractive for processing agricultural wastes."

Reguera's fuel cells use corn stover treated by the ammonia fiber expansion process, an advanced pretreatment technology pioneered at MSU. AFEX is an already proven method that was developed by Bruce Dale, MSU professor of chemical engineering and materials science. Dale is currently working to make AFEX viable on a commercial scale.

In a similar vein, Reguera is continuing to optimise her MECs so they, too, can be scaled up on a commercial basis. Her goal is to develop decentralised systems that can help process agricultural wastes. Decentralised systems could be customised at small to medium scales (such as compost bins and small silages, for example) to provide an attractive method to recycle the wastes while generating fuel for farms.

Worldwide, the market for biofuel production is expected to reach $100 billion by 2018, compared to $35 billion just a decade earlier.