Tuesday 11 June 2019

THE CHANDELIER: TREE WITH A ROAD THROUGH IT



Sequoia sempervirens: pronounced as //sikoia semparvairanz// is the sole living species of the genus Sequoia in the cypress family (Cupressaceae). Common names include coast redwood , coastal redwood and California redwood.
It is an evergreen , long-lived, monoecious tree living, 1,200–1,800 years or more,  growing to 100+ m in height with diameter of 9m.


The name in Latin implies “forever living” or “forever green.”
The Chandelier Tree in Drive-Thru Tree Park  is a 276-foot (84 m) tall coast redwood tree in Leggett, California with a 6-foot (1.8 m) wide by 6-foot-9-inch (2.06 m) high hole cut through its base to allow a car to drive through.


Its base measures 16 ft (4.9 m) diameter at breast height (chest-high). The sign claims 315 ft. high and 21 ft. wide, but a Certified Arborist experienced with tallest redwoods, using a laser rangefinder, measured the tree as 276 ft. high and 16 ft. diameter.
The name "Chandelier Tree" comes from its unique limbs that resemble a chandelier. The limbs, which measure from 4 to 7 ft (1.2 to 2.1 m) in diameter, begin 100 ft (30 m) above the ground. The tree is believed to have been carved in the early 1930s by Charlie Underwood.
This species includes the tallest living trees on Earth , reaching up to 379 feet (115.5 m) in height (without the roots ) and up to 29.2 feet (8.9 m) in diameter at breast height (dbh).



These trees are also among the oldest living things on Earth.
In Africa its equivalent is Entandrophragma excelsum, in Mt Kilimanjaro.
In Kenya its match is Aningeria adolfi-friederici (muna) in Muranga.
#Know_your_trees.

THE SIMPLEST WAY TO BIOLOGICALLY CONTROL FALL ARMY WARM: PEPPER AND WOOD ASH.

WHAT IS FALL ARMY WARM?

 

The fall armyworm is a heavy feeder that quickly destroys the maize crop. It can destroy an entire crop if it is not controlled on time. It can spread fast, and can fly over 30 kilometres in one night assisted by the wind. The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) derives the name from its’ feeding habits whereby they eat everything in an area until it is over and the entire "army" then moves to the next available food source.


DAMAGE:

The pest is very aggressive because while invading a new area, it has few or no natural enemies. The larval stage of the fall armyworm is the most destructive stage. The fall armyworm larval stage burrows into crops, destroys and eventually kills the plants. Their damage appears as tattered edges and holes on leaves, tassels and/or ears.


HOST CROPS:

They prefer to feed on maize but also target wheat, millet, cotton, sorghum, sugarcane, tobacco, potatoes and rice. Larvae feed on maize leaves and may attack the tassels and/or ears of maize.


MULTIPLICATION:

The adult female begins laying eggs after 3 or 4 days and lays about 150 eggs a day for 8 to 10 days and between 1500 and 2000 eggs in a lifetime.
The lack of rains and the increased temperatures provide the right conditions for the rapid multiplication of the fall armyworm and other pests

ATTEMPTED BUT FAILED CHEMICAL CONTROL:


The chemical sprays have however proven futile as the worm is quite resistant to the major synthetics agro-chems. The chemicals further contaminate the environment and cause major health risks to humans, livestock and biodiversity especially the non-targeted organisms.


  • WHAT WORKS: BIOPESTICIDE


Ground chilli(pepper) + Wood ash.

1. Buy ripe chilli powder (pepper) from the market or prepare your own using ripe pepper.
2. Dry the pepper and make powder by either grinding or pounding, remove the big particles and leave the fine powder.
3. Sieve cold wood ash from the fireplace.
4. Get 1 tin gorogoro (2kg tin or plastic) of ash.
5. Mix 1 gorogoro of wood ash with 5 teaspoonfuls of chilli powder.
6. Mix the chilli and woods properly by shaking them in a container.
7. Put the mixture in a used pesticide container that has small holes.
8. Apply the mixture from the container by shaking it once into each plant funnel.

Note: For good results, apply the mixture immediately you see the worms in the maize and repeat the same if you notice any pests in the maize or pest damage to your crop. Note: In the case of severe infestation, farmers can use the ash and pepper mix other biopesticides to control the fall armyworm.

This is a proven workable environment- friendly control measure for this worm with devastating effect on our local farmers!

SHARE.

Thursday 7 March 2019

BIODEGRADABLE' DOESN'T ALWAYS MEAN EARTH-FRIENDLY



The draconian ban on plastics* came in on 28 August 2017, threatening up to four years’ imprisonment or fines of 4M or $40,000 for anyone producing, selling – or even just carrying – a plastic bag.

Plastic carrier, packaging and planting bags were to be replaced with biodegradable bags in the well known Plastic ban in Kenya in a bid to have a cleaner environment as enshrined in the Constitution.

How effective has this bold step been?

First thing first.


What is Biodegradation?

It is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria or fungi.

A process by which microbial organisms transform or alter (through metabolic or enzymatic action) the structure of chemicals introduced into the environment.

The word biodegradable is distinct in meaning from compostable.

1. Biodegradable: An object capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms. Decomposition need good amount of oxygen to occur.

2. Compostable: Capable of undergoing biological decomposition in a compost site such that the material is not visually distinguishable and breaks down into carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds and biomass at a rate consistent with known compostable materials.

3. Plastic: A material consisting of any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic compounds that are malleable (can be molded into solid objects). They decompose over a long period of time; depending on various factors.

4. Biodegradable bags:  Bags or wrappers made of polymers or starch that presumable should degrade by biological means faster than plastics. Are capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms.


And i quote BBC,

"But the bags aren’t always as environmentally friendly as they seem. They’re made from similar petrochemical-based materials to conventional plastic, only with compounds added that cause them to disintegrate gradually in the presence of light or oxygen. They often then degrade into a sludge of toxic chemicals." Here

Plastics and Climate Change

The success and dominance of plastics started in the early 20th century leading to environmental concerns regarding its slow decomposition rate after being discarded as trash due to its composition of large molecules. Most plastics are durable and degrade very slowly, as their chemical structure renders them resistant to many natural processes of degradation.

Polymer degradation takes much longer as a result of saline environments and the cooling effect of the sea.

That is why waterbodies suffer most from plastic disposal.

Plastic Effects On Climate Change

The effect of plastics on global warming is mixed. Plastics are generally made from petroleum. If the plastic is incinerated, it increases carbon emissions; if it is placed in a landfill, it becomes a carbon sink although biodegradable plastics have caused methane emissions, a greenhouse gas.

Magics Of Biodegradables

"Simply calling something biodegradable and not defining in what environment it is going to be biodegradable and in what time period it is going to degrade is very misleading and deceptive." said Ramani Narayan, a chemical engineer at Michigan State University in East Lansing, and science consultant to the Biodegradable Plastics Institute.

QUESTION:

Are the biodegradable planting bags a better alternative?

I do not know.

What i know from experience and experiment is that upon burning the biodegradable bags i realized it burns just like plastics do and take more than 180 days to rot in the soil.

They presumably take 180 days to decompose, do they? According to me, No.

But they are purportedly made of starch, organic materials.

I realized that it doesn't disintegrate any differently faster.

Can you plant seedlings with it, now that it is degrades biologically? 

I learnt that when used in raising seedlings, the seedling at the edges of the potbed seem to lose water faster.

During watering, water seeps or leaks slowly through porous material or small holes without reaching the bottom.

NOTE: Despite the introduction of the biodegradable planting bags, even the government forestry agencies still use polybags much after expiry of the extended grace period into late last year. When they should lead in the front!

SHARE YOU EXPERIENCE ON BIODEGRADABLES:

a) Suitability
b) Cost
c) Durability
d) Water efficiency
e) Degradation/decomposition
f)  Environmental friendliness etc

RAINWATER: THE UNTAPPED GOLD OF DRYLAND

RAINWATER IS THE GOLD WE WASTE IN DRYLANDS. For dryland farmers, harvesting water is as important as harvesting their crop. They need ...