Taste the bitter!!

I think those who read Agri magazines regularly might be knowing Bengali Venkatesh very well.Bengali Venkatesh is award winning Agri-writer;A farmer who practices organic method of farming in Sirsi Taluk.I read his articles on Adike Patrike and other Agri magazines very often.This is a photo sent to me by Anithakka of CAM.
You can see a lad (Who happens to be Anithakka's son!)enjoying with organic bitter guard grown by Bengali Venkatesh!

Thanks Anithakka

-Jayakishore Bayadi

Hey naughty!!

Who's out there...!!???
(My niece Prarthana)
-Jayakishore Bayadi

'Media should touch grassroots'

By CAM Team

Gadag MLA D.R. Patil urged the Union Government to bring in a bill where in bidding below the support price for a farm produce is a crime. He was addressing the audience at Centre for Agricultural Media’s ( CAM ) seventh anniversary held at K.H. Patil Krishi Vijnana Kendra at Hulkoti on November 25, 2007.

He presented his views on the present agrarian crisis and the role of media in changing the prospects of farmers. He also said that agricultural universities and scientists should help farmers to achieve self-reliance and thus reduce suicidal tendency among them. More emphasis should be given to less-external input, non-chemical farming which is proved to be sustainable. Journalists have to play a significant role in ensuring that such a method is accepted and their write-ups should reflect the situation at the grassroots.

Renowned development journalist ‘Shree’ Padre complimented CAM ’s effort in guiding a generation of writers on need-based development communication. He said that such a work in the last seven years has developed a new team of writers whose write-ups have made an impact on farming and rural development. He added that farming sector is losing hope in the present situation. At this backdrop, people of varied background joining the course with an objective to focus on much-needed but neglected rural issues is a welcome development.

He stressed, “When we say sustainable development we should understand that need-based communiation is also an important input towards achieving it.”

Nineteen candidates who completed the course last year were hounoured as CAM Fellows. ETV Kannada channel’s News Coordinator G.N. Mohan gave away the certificates to the successful candidates. A total number of 37 persons have completed the course successfully in the last four years.

Speaking on the coverage of development issues in media, G.N. Mohan said, more space should be given to development issues in the media. If there is less space we should effectively utilise. At the same time he added, it is also the responsibility of development writers to create space in the mainstream media. He hoped that CAM team would become a pressure group to strengthen farmer-friendly journalism in Karnataka.

Three books titled ‘Savayava Tharasi Tota: Ondu Inuku Nota’,‘Velvet Beans: Nelakke Jeeva Tumbuva Magic Balli’ and ‘Sahaja Samrudha: Beledu Banda Dari’ written by CAM Fellow Anusuya Sharma, journalist Ganadhalu Srikanta and another CAM Fellow Rekha Sampath respectively were also released on the occasion.

D.R.Patil and veteran development writer Nagesh Hegde gave away state-level farm journalism award instituted by CAM to Balachandra Hegde Saimane, Ravishankar Doddamani and Girish H.C.

A three-day contact programme was held to the fifth batch of CAM correspondence course in farm and rural journalism at the KVK from November 23-25, 2007. A two day development communication workshop was also organised by the centre on November 24-25, 2007. During the programme candidates were given orientation on the basics of development journalism, approach towards rural development etc. Practical training was also included in the programme as two sessions of field visits were arranged. Participants wrote articles based on their visits, which was then evaluated by the resource persons.

Nagesh Hegde, H.N. Ananda, ‘Shree’ Padre, G.N. Mohan, Shivananda Kalave, L.G. Hiregoudar, Sathya S., Prakash Bhat, Poornaprajna Belur, Mallikarjuna Hosapalya, Anandatheertha Pyati, Ganadhalu Srikantha, G. Krishnaprasad and Shivaram Pailoor were the resource persons.

K.H. Patil KVK head Dr. L.G. Hiregoudar, environmentalist Mukund Maigur, organic farmer R.S. Patil were also present on the occasion.

CAM Chaiperson Anitha Pailoor welcomed the gathering and compered the programme. Development Journalist Poornaprajna Belur presented vote of thanks.
(Photo:Girish H C receiving state level farm journalism award)

Flow of affection and love...

By Jayakishore Bayadi

She is Nadi. Nadi stands for river in Kannada. She is barely two months younger than my sose (niece), Prarthana. I just cannot explain the eonian bliss I get whenever iam with these little goddesses. For me, kid’s smile, is always bewitching. Their cry, smile, laughter are truly captivating, enchanting and inspiring.

So happened when I visited my good friend, Ganadhalu Shrikanta's house recently. Nadi is his daughter. Ganadhalu wanted her name to be Nadi just because; he wanted his daughter to be associated with nature always. Kudos Gans…

Indeed, nature and kid’s smile are related. Just because, nature as such is pure, green always. And so is the child’s smile. I think that’s why, home with a baby is always filled with repose isn’t it?

But as child grows, when he or she has to face the so-called ‘civilized human world’, they turn into ‘real humans’. Distressing fact is that nobody can exist here as pure as child. Most of the times smile doesn’t come from within….but still we can smile…from the heart at least, when we are with little goddesses….

By the way, Ganadhalu loves nature a lot. He can talk about organic farming, vanishing lakes in Bangalore, velvet beans and so many things at a stretch. Recently, This zealous journalist has released a book on velvet beans, in a function held at Gadag, organized by CAM. My hearty congratulations to Ganadhalu.I think, soon, he is going to launch a new Blog on his love, ‘nature’, it seems. We all eagerly wait for this.

It's Sweet Seven for CAM

By CAM Team

Centre for Agricultural Media ( CAM ) enters into eighth year of its activities with an encouraging note from its associates and well-wishers. Nineteen of the twenty-eight candidates of the farm and rural journalism course have successfully completed the course this year. They will be honoured as ‘CAM Fellows’ on the occasion of the centre’s annual ceremony on November 25, 2007 at K.H. Patil Krishi Vijnana Kendra, Hulkoti near Gadag in Karnataka.

CAM awards for best farm writings in Kannada will also be conferred on the occasion. The programme also includes release of three books. Hulkoti MLA D.R. Patil and G.N. Mohan, News Head, ETv Kannada will be the chief guests on the occasion.

Farm journalism awards: In the practicing farmer category Balachandra Hegde Saimane’s ‘Mane manegalalli tentaa enne’ published in the July 2007 issue of Adike Patrike a farm monthly published from Puttur has bagged the award.

In the general category Girish H.C. and Ravishankara Doddamani have shared the award. The award winning article by Girish titled ‘Cholenahalli kereneerige panne raitare donnenaayakaru’ describes a unique water management system of Cholenahalli tank in Madhugiri of Tumkur district. Ravishankar Doddamani ’s article ‘Tenguraajyadinda bidirige shapamoksha’ is a case study of an organisation which has helped villages in Waynad district of Kerala to earn a livelihood by utilising the much-neglected bamboo.

Farm and rural journalism course: This time a record number of nineteen candidates have completed the course successfully. They will be honoured as ‘CAAM Fellows’ on the occasion. New fellows are: Anusuya Sharma, Ravishankara Doddamani, Akshayarama K., Harshavardhana Sheelavanta, B.T. Poshini, Nitin Muttige, Lalita Rao M.G., Srikanta, H.V. Divya, Dr. Siddhalinga Swami Hiremath, G. Shivanna, Jayaprasad Ballekere, Sudha Rayanagoudar, Hema Moraba, R.B. Hiremath, Shreeprakash, Chandrashekhar Kallimani, B.M. Lavakumar, and Dr. G.V. Muralikrishna. All of them have proven their skills in writing on issues related to farming and rural development. Some of them are already getting assignments from major farm journals and farm supplements.

Anusuya Sharma has been selected as the best candidate of the year. Harshavardhana Sheelavant’s dissertation on the ‘Traditional medicinal practices in Uttara Kannada’ has been chosen for a special prize for the exhaustive study and beautiful presentation.

A three-day contact programme for the fifth batch of farm and rural journalism course will be held from November 23 to 25. Twenty nine candidates have been selected for this year’s award. They include practicing farmers, scientists, agriculture officers, journalists, freelancers and students. Nagesh Hegde, ‘Shree’ Padre, H.N. Ananda, G.N. Mohan, Shivananda Kalave, L.G. Hiregoudar, Sathya S., Prakash Bhat, Poornaprajna Belur, Mallikarjuna Hosapalya, Anandatheertha Pyati, Ganadhalu Srikantha, G. Krishnaprasad and Shivaram Pailoor will be the resource persons. During the course, candidates will be given practical training on farm and rural journalism.

Development communication workshop: A workshop on development communication has also been arranged on November 24 and 25. Twenty-five participants have been enrolled for this workshop. The two-day workshop aims to orient participants on the concept of development communication, its significance, techniques of writing, and different forms of development journalism and mode of presentation in electronic media.
Book release: Three books will be released on the occasion. Anasuya Sharma’s dissertation on organic terrace gardens titled ‘Savayava Tharasi Tota: Ondu Inuku Nota’ will be published by CAM and released on the occasion. CAM with financial support from well-wishers has been planning to publish one dissertation every year in the form of a book.

Journalist Ganadhalu Srikantha who won the farm journalism award last year, for his article on Velvet Beans, a legume which is of multiple uses for farmers has written a comprehensive book on this topic. This book titled ‘Velvet Beans: Nelakke Jeeva Tumbuva Magic Balli’ will also be released on the occasion.
Another book ready for release on the occasion is CAM Fellow Rekha Sampath’s dissertation on ‘Sahaja Samrudha: Beledu Banda Dari’. This explains the formation and growth of Sahaja Samrudha, an organic farmer’s group in Karnataka.

For more Details: Centre for Agricultural Media,#119, 1st main, 4th cross,Narayanapura, Dharwad- 580 008, E-mail: caam@sancharnet.in ~ Web: www.farmedia.org: Cell: 9900517749

New way to create water discovered!

Scientists at the University of Illinois have discovered a new way to create water, and without the pop. Scientists said that their work could also lead to better catalysts and less expensive fuel cells.

"We found that unconventional metal hydrides can be used for a chemical process called oxygen reduction, which is an essential part of the process of creating water," said Zachariah Heiden, a doctoral student and lead author of a paper accepted for publication in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

A water molecule (formally known as dihydrogen monoxide)consists of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. But you can't simply take two hydrogen atoms and combine them onto an oxygen atom to create water. But the actual reaction to make water is a bit more complicated: 2H2 + O2 = 2H2O + Energy.

In English, the equation says: To produce two molecules of water (H2O), two molecules of diatomic hydrogen (H2) must be combined with one molecule of diatomic oxygen (O2). Energy will be released in the process.

"This reaction (2H2 + O2 = 2H2O + Energy) has been known for two centuries, but until now no one has made it work in a homogeneous solution," said Thomas Rauchfuss, professor of chemistry and the paper's corresponding author.

Interestingly, the well-known reaction also describes what happens inside a hydrogen fuel cell. In a typical fuel cell, the diatomic hydrogen gas enters one side of the cell; diatomic oxygen gas enters the other side. The hydrogen molecules lose their electrons and become positively charged through a process called oxidation. At the same time the oxygen molecules gain four electrons and become negatively charged through a process called reduction. The negatively charged oxygen ions combine with positively charged hydrogen ions to form water and release electrical energy.

The "Difficult side" of the fuel cell is the oxygen reduction reaction, not the hydrogen oxidation reaction, Rauchfuss said. "We found, however, that new catalysts for oxygen reduction could also lead to new chemical means for hydrogen oxidation."
Rauchfuss and Heiden recently investigated a relatively new generation of transfer hydrogenation catalysts for use as unconventional metal hydrides for oxygen reduction.

In their JACS paper, the researchers focus exclusively on the oxidative reactivity of iridium-based transfer hydrogenation catalysts in a homogenous, non-aqueous solution. They found that the iridium complex effect both the oxidation of alcohols, and the reduction of the oxygen.

"Most compounds react with either hydrogen or oxygen, but this catalyst reacts with both," Heiden said. "It reacts with hydrogen to form a hydride, and then reacts with oxygen to make water; and it does this in a homogeneous, non-aqueous solvent."
The new catalysts could lead to eventual development of more efficient hydrogen fuel cells, substantially lowering their cost, Heiden said.

Edited By B Jayakishore

JurnoJK gets pat from CAM!

(CAM News November issue-2007)

CAM News reported: JurnoJK is a blogspot created and maintained by enthusiastic journalist B Jayakishore based in Bangalore. He says that the blog is an 'Open Discussion Forum' to give spark to our thinking process and to be friends irrespective of our geographical boundaries. Most of the articles in JurnoJK give a passionate touch of the grassroots, particularly agriculture.

My sincere thanks to CAM Team

B Jayakishore

CAM Awards announced

Centre for Agricultural Media (CAM) has announced state level farm journalism awards in Kannada for the year 2007.

Balachandra Hegde Saimane has been selected for the award in practicing farmer category while Ravishankara Doddamani and Girish H.C. have shared the awards in general category. The awards carry a cash prize of Rs.2000 for each category besides a citation and a parisara shilpa.

The awards will be presented on the occasion of CAM’s seventh anniversary at K.H. Patil Krishi Vijnana Kendra at Hulkoti in Gadag district on November 25, 2007.

My congratulations to all awardees!-Jayakishore
(Courtesy:CAM Website)

Little living Goddess!

By B Jayakishore

She is a little living Goddess for me! Look at her lovely and naughty smile! Don't you feel inspired? Don’t you get wish to relive your life again? I do. I feel it strongly. Infact, I relived my innocent life again last week with my dear little baby, Prarthana! Indeed, it was a fantastic journey to her little world!

She took me away to a wonderful and different world of her own, where only peace, fun and love exist. It was such a marvelous experience of bliss I had ever. I’ll never forget it. It will continuously linger in my heart for ever!

Yes. She is my little lovely niece,my sister's Daughter aka Prarthana,who made me happy once again. She Recharged me once again without any medications, but only with her pretty smile!

Amma says that children are living Gods! Obviously, now, even I endorse this saying. Normally, we worship God for prosperity, peace, bliss, empowerment, fulfillment and finally for enlightenment. But, I feel, I got entire these while playing with my dear Prarthana!

Yeah! It’s true. She knows nothing about this world and its cruelty. She knows nothing about the people, pressure, pain, sorrow, failure and whole of these mucky system in which we are living in. She knows only to cry when she is hungry; she falls down while attempting to walk or when some body says loudly Haapppa... (=way of giving warnig about some thing)for her naughty and ‘loot’y (=mischievous in Kannada) acts!

Not only this, I learn’t a lot from her. She literally became my teacher! You know? Prarthana even knows how to learn from failures! While trying to walk, she falls often. But you’ll not notice any signs of loosing hope in her face. Her zeal to learn and adopt doesn’t allow all these. More than that, she doesn’t know about all these. She looks around, of course, if nobody is bothered (if somebody spots her fall, then she will start...aaaaaaaaaa!!),she again attempts to stand up and walk!! She never looses her enthusiasm to learn and try out new things! These are all part of growth!

I often wonder why can’t we also be like her always? Why not we too take every thing we experience as a part of our growth? I think, and then there will be no much pain and sorrow, violence...etc., except some inevitable things of life.

Malathi akka told me once. Whenever you feel dull or depressed, just imagine a child’s smile, her giggle. You can observe that a small smile will appear in your face as well! It fills spirit in you. You’ll experience a total bliss, which will drive away all your worries and recharge your mind.

Certainly, it is very true.

Indeed, Prarthana has made my life beautiful!

Monkeys are in trouble!

Our good old friends, more than that mankind's closest living relatives - the world's apes, monkeys, lemurs and other primates -- are on the verge of extinction due to threat from destruction of tropical forests, illegal wildlife trade and commercial bush meat hunting, says a new report.

The report titled "Primates in Peril: The World's 25 Most Endangered Primates--2006--2008,*" compiled by 60 experts from 21 countries warns that about 29 percent of all species are in the danger of going extinct. Add to this it warns that climate change will now exacerbate the first primate (Primates--an animal order including lemurs and tarsiers and monkeys and apes and human beings) extinctions in more than a century. Overall, 114 of the world's 394 primate species are classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List.

Hunters kill primates for food and to sell the meat; traders capture them for live sale; and loggers, farmers, and land developers destroy their habitat. One species, Miss Waldron's red colobus of Ivory Coast and Ghana, already is feared extinct, while the numbers of golden-headed langur of Vietnam and China's Hainan came down to dozens. The Horton Plains slender loris of Sri Lanka has been sighted just four times since 1937!

"You could fit all the surviving members of these 25 species in a single football stadium; that's how few of them remain on Earth today," said CI President Russell A. Mittermeier, president of he IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group.

"The situation is even worst in Asia, where tropical forest destruction and the hunting and trading of monkeys put many species at terrible risk. Even newly discovered species are also on the verge of extinction.’’

As "Flagship Species" and our closest living relatives, nonhuman primates are important to the health of their surrounding ecosystems. Through the dispersal of seeds and other interactions with their environments, primates help support a wide range of plant and animal life that makes up the Earth's forests.

The World's Twenty five Most Endangered Primates list, compiled at the 21st Congress of the International Primatological Society, Entebbe, Uganda, follows the similar assessments in 2000, 2002 and 2004.

By region, the list includes 11 species from Asia, seven from Africa, four from Madagascar, and three from South America, showing that non-human primates are threatened wherever they live.

Interestingly, All 25 primates on the 2006-2008 list are found in the world's biodiversity hotspots--34 high priority regions identified by Conservation International that cover just 2.3 percent of the Earth's land surface but harbor well over 50 percent of all terrestrial plant and animal diversity. Eight of the hotspots are considered the highest priorities for the survival of the most endangered primates: Indo-Burma, Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands, Sundaland, Eastern Afromontane, Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa, Guinean Forests of West Africa, the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, and Western Ghats-Sri Lanka.

Habitat loss due to the clearing of tropical forests for agriculture, logging, and the collection of fuel wood continues to be the major factor in the declining number of primates, according to the report. Tropical deforestation also emits 20 percent of total greenhouse gases that cause climate change, which is more than all the world's cars, trucks, trains and airplanes combined. In addition, climate change is altering the habitats of many species, leaving those with small ranges even more vulnerable to extinction.

Hunting is another major threat to primates, especially in Africa and Asia. Live capture for the pet trade also poses a serious threat, particularly to Asian species.

The World's 25 Most Endangered Primates, and the countries where they are found:Greater bamboo lemur (Prolemur simus), Madagascar ;White-collared lemur (Eulemur albocollaris), Madagascar ; Sahamalaza Peninsula sportive lemur (Lepilemur sahamalazensis), Madagascar ; Silky sifaka (Propithecus candidus), Madagascar ;Cross River gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli), Nigeria, Cameroon ll; Roloway monkey (Cercopithecus diana roloway), Ivory Coast, Ghana ;Rondo dwarf galago (Galagoides rondoensis), Tanzania ;Tana River red colobus (Procolobus rufomitratus), Kenya ;Miss Waldron's red colobus (Procolobus badius), Ivory Coast, Ghana ;Kipunji (Rungwecebus kipunji), Tanzania ;Pennant's red colobus (Procolobus pennantii pennantii), Equatorial Guinea (Island of Bioko) ;Variegated spider monkey (Ateles hybridus), Colombia, Venezuela ;Brown-headed spider monkey (Ateles fusciceps), Colombia, Ecuador ;Peruvian yellow-tailed woolly monkey (Oreonax flavicauda), Peru ;Western Hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock), Bangladesh, India, Myanmar ;Horton Plains slender loris (Loris tardigradus nycticeboides), Sri Lanka ;Western purple-faced langur (Semnopithecus vetulus nestor), Sri Lanka ; Pig-tailed langur (Simias concolor), Indonesia (Mentawai Islands) ; Siau Island tarsier (Tarsius sp.), Indonesia ; Delacour's langur (Trachypithecus delacouri), Vietnam ; Golden-headed langur (Trachypithecus poliocephalus poliocephalus), Vietnam ; Grey-shanked douc (Pygathrix cinerea), Vietnam ;Tonkin snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus avunculus), Vietnam ; Hainan black-crested gibbon (Nomascus hainanus), China (Hainan Island) ; Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii), Indonesia (Sumatra).

The report was prepared by the Primate Specialist Group of IUCN's Species Survival Commission (SSC) and the International Primatological Society (IPS), in collaboration with Conservation International (CI).

Edited by B Jayakishore

BEWARE: IPhones are toxic!

Do you use iphone? Then it’s time to wake up. An Environmental activist group in California, Greenpeace has revealed a scientific analysis, which says iPhones contain dangerous levels of chemicals such as bromine, chlorine and “phthalates,” chemical compounds used to increase the flexibility of plastic in its body parts.

After this revelation, now, Environmentalist lawyers are threatening to sue Apple Company, which manufactures iphones, within 60 days, if the iconic US Company fails to make iPhones greener or at least warn buyers of toxins in the devices.

Also, the Center for Environmental Health in Oakland, California, sent a notice to Apple after environmental activist group Greenpeace released a scientific analysis of how Earth-friendly iPhones are.

In a You Tube video posted at the Greenpeace website, scientist David Santillo claims that iPhones contain dangerous levels of bromine, chlorine and “phthalates,” chemical compounds used to increase the flexibility of plastic.

“Electronics companies have traditionally relied on the cool clean image of their devices in order to sell them,” Santillo says in the video, which begins with Apple chief executive Steve Jobs ebulliently announcing the iPhone launch.

The level of phthalate esters, a chemical which can cause birth defects, in plastic coating of iPhone earphone’s wires is greater than the permissive level that allowed in toys or childcare items sold in Europe, according to Greenpeace.

“If a pregnant woman uses iphone regularly, then chances of she is getting exposed to this chemicals are high. That is a big piece of our concern.” center chief executive Michael Green said.

Now, the notice sent to Apple and the California state attorney general by Center for Environmental Health gives the nonprofit environmental law group a moral and legal support to sue Apple in 60 days.

It is said that lawsuit could compel Apple to put warnings on iPhone packaging but doesn't require the renowned maker of iPods and Macintosh computers to recall devices or alter the composition of models yet to be sold.

“There are chemicals in some of the parts that come with the iPhone that are well known in California to cause birth defects. We want those chemicals out.” Green said

The center's experience in “hundreds of different cases” is that companies prefer to get rid of offending chemicals rather than taint images of brands with health warnings, according to Green.

“It makes No sense in warning people when they can just use different chemicals to make it free from toxic chemicals.’’ Green said.

Edited by B jayakishore

Cows can boost Methane production in SOIL!

This has been the hot issue of debate for a year or more. It is already a known fact that the ‘holy cow’, or ‘goddess’ as we worship it, contributes considerable amount of Methane to atmosphere, which is produced at the time of digestion, is expelled continuously to the atmosphere.

Now, interestingly, a recently published science report says that cows can also boost the production of this climate gas in SOIL as well. A team of German scientists from the Institute of Soil Ecology of the GSF – National Research Center for Environment and Health and Czech colleagues at the Budweis Academy of Science, have been able to show that these bovine animals can also boost the production of this climate gas in SOIL.

Researchers say, this happens in the soil in the pastures, where these animals graze intensively. During this point of time, the soil becomes more compact and the microscopic plants of the soil get compressed. In addition, this area gets very high amount of organic matter from the excrement of the animals, thus stimulating the production of methane.

Thus the study, carried out on a Czech farm, proved that two factors are vital for this process to take place: The amount and quality of organic material from the excrement and secondly, the strong compaction of the soil due to the weight of the cattle.

Grass lands that are not used intensively for agriculture generally act as sink for the greenhouse gases, methane, carbon dioxide and laughing gas (NO2). However, this situation can change if intensive management of the pastures with cattle occurs.
Indeed, it is known also that well-aired soils have the potential for producing methane. Hence, the scope of the study should also include examination of the extent to which the ‘over-wintering’ of cattle on pastures stimulates the production of methane, and grassland soils really become a methane spring.

The investigation was carried out on a farm in south Bohemia. In the process approximately four hectares has been used since 1995 for the over-wintering of about 90 cows from October till the beginning of May.

According to Researchers, “At the end of this season, we could clearly see the consequences of the over-wintering, on the soil.” Unlike typical summer grazing, where the animals spread out evenly, the animals on the winter pastures prefer to stay near the feed house. As a result, no vegetation was visible more in the wide area. But at the places where animals grazed intensively, it was found that the ground was strongly compressed. In addition, this area was marked by a very high incidence of organic matter from the excrement of the animals.

The intensive grazing in the areas close to the cowshed led to a clear increase of methane emissions throughout the whole winter. These showed 1,000 times more production of methane than in the area where no bovine animals were kept.
But the classical process of methane oxidation, which is related to aerobic conditions, was restrained in the intensely grazed areas. According to Schloter, however, this is explained by the high quantities of urea in the ground.

The scientists were able to show further that methane producing micro-organisms from the gastro-intestinal tract of the cattle could survive in the soil and suppress parts of the microscopic plants in the compressed soil. The micro-organisms profited from the new environmental conditions in these soil, namely the extensive organic material.

Although in summer and autumn the animals were kept on other pastures, the composition of the micro flora barely changed in the strongly over-grazed areas. Indeed, the methane production rates clearly decreased during these months, because the continuous supply of organic material was absent, researchers said.

“We shall continue the project, because we also suspect consequences for the nitrogen cycle,” adds Schloter, a key researcher in the team. “In addition, we have possibly proved a very rare process in the strongly compounded areas, namely the anaerobic oxidation of methane.

All in all, it can be said that just about every agricultural measure has its positive and negative consequences. What weighs more in each case, however, is a social, rather than a scientific question.”

Edited by B Jayakishore