Dear Pandit ji,
What are float farming and roof top farming?

Mini, Via email

Dear Mini Ji,
Float-farming is mainly practiced in regions like muddy riverbanks, flood plains, marshes and lakes, which offer unused platform for farming as the muddy waters always contain richest minerals that are washed away from the topsoils by rains.

A floating mat is woven from bamboo, reeds, agricultural waste by-products, industrial and residential waste products like bottles. This mat is then seeded, floated and secured to the river’s edge. Muddy water soaks through the mat and provides all the needed nutrients. Float-farmers can easily walk over these platforms and harvest. If platforms are not capable of supporting the weight of farmers, they may be pulled on the banks for harvesting and re-seeding. The most popular grain grown by using this method is Rice.

Rooftop Farming or Garden denotes any garden on the roof of a building, especially one found in an urban setting. Available gardening areas in cities are often seriously lacking, which is likely the key impetus for many roof gardens. Besides the decorative benefit, roof plantings may provide food, temperature control, architectural enhancement, and recreational opportunities.

Dear Pandit ji,
I want to know if urine can be used in compost heap.

Shantanu Chakrabarti, Via email

Dear Shantanu Ji,
Urine seems to be a good compost accelerator and apparently provides good nutrients. Urine, from animals or people contains a lot of Nitrogen (primarily urea), and so is useful for speeding the decomposition of “brown” (high-Carbon) waste.

Urine also has fair amounts of salts and potassium. You can add urine (both human and animal) to your compost heap if you dilute it before watering it onto the heap. However, too much will raise the salt levels and inhibit worms. Even human and animal hair can be added to your heap, as hair is also a source of nitrogen (though it takes a long time to decompose). Remember to moisten the hair well when you are adding it to the heap.

Dear Pandit ji,
I am a regular reader of Gobar Times and I would like to know what does radiation mean?

Somajit, Via email

Dear Somajit Ji,
Radiation in physics means a process of emission of energy or particles. Various forms of radiation may be distinguished, depending on the type of the emitted energy or matter, the type of the emission source, properties and purposes of the emission, etc. Radiation can be both extremely beneficial and extremely dangerous. It just depends on how we use it. Electromagnetic radiation, Gamma radiation, Gravitational radiation, Alpha radiation, Beta radiation, Neutron radiation, Thermal radiation and Solar radiation are few examples.

Dear Panditji,
The rivers and backwaters in Kerala, like elsewhere in India, have turned into garbage dumps. They are mainly used for fish breeding. Instead of using them for fish breeding, I would suggest small-scale fish breeding in ponds or oil-drums wherever possible.

Dr Peter Riefenthaler, Via e-mail

Dear Pandit ji,
My younger daughter is very interested in Gobar Times; the supplement with Down to Earth. She reads each issue very keenly.

Deepak Thakur, Via e-mail

Dear Pandit ji,
We would like to know the name of the fruit and flower photograph in the centre spread published along with the article “Going Bio” on page 70 of the March 31st, 2006 Gobar Times issue. Kindly also let us know the address from where we can get it.

Thanking you,

Raipur Institute of Technology, Via email

Raipur Institute of Technology,

The Photo on pages 70 and 71 in the March 31st issue of Gobar Times is titled Hydrangea macrophylla Hydrangeaceae. It can be found at our website, http://www.cseindia.org/programme/eeu/gsp_network.htm, on our latest activity sheet.

Dear Pandit ji,
This is with reference to the article by Laxmi Narain Modi on the Kamdhenu Bullock Drawn Tractor (KBDT) in the March 31st, 2006 issue of Gobar Times. I will be obliged if you will kindly furnish full address of Bharatiya Cattle Resource Development Foundation (BCRDF) to enable me to contact them and seek full details of KBDT.

I am assisting a group of young agriculturists to promote organic farming in the draught prone district of Kutch or Gujrat state. We would very much like to intoduce KBDT in our region, of course, if its price is affordable. I would also like to know how this programme of using KBDT, is progressing in Uttar Pradesh? I eagerly await your response.

Yours faithfully,

Lahiri Shah, Via email

Dear Lahiri,
The address for BCRDF is… BCRDF, Ahimsa Bhawan, F-125 Lado Sarai, New Delhi – 110 030; shakahar@vsnl.net

To find out more about the uses and progress of KBDT you can contact BCRDF for the latest news.

Dear Pandit ji,
Many thanks for your words of concern on disappearing urban birds. This is a serious issue and will have long lasting effect on our ecological system. We must have awareness programmes to promote the issue and to get mass support.

Vijay Joshi, Via email