{"id":115947,"date":"2021-07-10T16:00:59","date_gmt":"2021-07-10T23:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=115947"},"modified":"2021-07-10T16:00:59","modified_gmt":"2021-07-10T23:00:59","slug":"adaptation-to-carbonic-fertiliser","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2021\/07\/10\/adaptation-to-carbonic-fertiliser\/","title":{"rendered":"Adaptation to Carbonic Fertiliser"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Dr Tilak S.Fernando<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

There\nis much controversy over President Gotabaya Rajapaksa\u2019s determination to ban\nthe toxic chemical-based fertiliser and adapt carbonic fertiliser. Critics who\nare analytical comment that the President\u2019s action was untimely when the\npandemic and foreign exchange crises are under the weight of COVID-19. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Farmers\ncontinue to protest, seen today on TV, saying that there is not enough\nfertiliser available  (carbonic or conventional). Meanwhile, many experts\u2019\nadvice is that Carbonic fertiliser needs to be gradually stopped but cannot\nstop like a shot at the back! Experts further advise that a gradual\nimplementation of proportional basis( both carbonic and conventional) is better\nthan stopping the imports at once (of toxic fertiliser). They further advise\nthat it is dangerous to import carbonic fertiliser if  such manure is not\ncorrectly processed. Should that happen, the Government will have to face\nanother battle with the farmers as there is more danger in using imported\nsub-standard carbonic fertiliser produced from foreign sewage and the country\nwill not have adequate stocks of rice  required by the people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\nfavour of Carbonic fertiliser, experts feel that carbonic fertilisers collected\nin heaps develop temperature between 60 -70 degrees Fahrenheit, which will\nautomatically kill the micro-organisms that are harmful to the crop. In\nCarbonic fertiliser, experts also advise that a particular type of bacteria is\nproduced at the roots of each plant, which will kill any intruding and harmful\nbacteria. So, their final advice is to manufacture carbonic fertiliser with the\nexperts advice according to a scientific formula but not to import carbonic\nfertiliser, because these multimillion companies are interested only increasing\ntheir profit margins rather than considering the health aspect of the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Farmers\u2019 attitude<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many\nfarmers in Sri Lanka do not use carbonic fertiliser as they have been quite\naccustomed to use toxic fertiliser for ages. At present, hospitals are full of\npatients affecting government coffers in allocating a significant portion\ntowards the country\u2019s health sector budget. This expenditure is in addition to\nthe heavy expenses incurred with the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government needs to\nfind extra funds to import millions of vaccinations against COVID-19, along\nwith the payment of  Rs.5000 given to the deserving public affected by the\ncountry\u2019s shutdown for nearly a month, and also as a relief to the country\u2019s\nrecent flood victims. There are thousands of CKD (chronic kidney disease)\npatients in rural areas (Anuradhapura district itself records 150,000 CKD\npatients). The Government needs to find extra funds towards the importation of\nmedicines required to treat CKD patients. Due to toxic fertiliser in the soil,\nmixed with water, may seep through to waterways and rivers and get contaminated\nwith drinking water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The prime aim<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nmain idea of the President is to maintain a healthy society by introducing\nCarbonic fertiliser and replacing chemical fertilisers and pesticides.\nNevertheless, the expert advice is that unless it is manufactured locally in a\nscientific manner, it will not bring about the required levels of safety to the\nof peoples\u2019 health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carbonic fertiliser<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\ncarbonic fertilisers are made from peat, animal and plant wastes from\nagriculture and treated sewage sludge. Critics maintain that doing so could\ncause damage to the farmer and the country as a whole. Farmers reiterate that\nexperts\u2019 recommendations are to systematically execute President\u2019s plan rather\nthan on a complete switch over straightway; they maintain that partly mixed\nconventional-toxic with Carbonic fertiliser will increase paddy yields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\nis carbonic fertiliser? It contains peat, animal wastes, plant wastes from\nagriculture, and treated sewage sludge.  It also includes minerals out of\nthe remains of plant preserved in petrified form. Turf consists of plant\nmaterial (partially\ndecomposed) that becomes a source of organic matter.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adding\n carbonic manure to crops makes vegetation healthy with nitrogen,\npotassium, phosphorus, sulphur, magnesium, and calcium. It also increases soil\nstability and water infiltration into the earth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With\norganic fertiliser, chicken litter is considered superior to toxic synthetic\nfertiliser for soil conditioning for the harvest. It contains traces of\nminerals such as copper, zinc, magnesium, boron, and chloride. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Human,\nas well as animal urine, is a fertiliser.  Urea in urine is a nitrogen\ncompound and contains phosphorus and potassium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nslaughtered animal meat content becomes market products. The remaining\nportions, such as blood, bone, feathers, hoofs, and inedible parts are\nclassified as by-products and refined into agricultural fertilisers. Treated\nsewage sludge is blended, composted, and, most of the time, dried until deemed\nbiologically safe. Non-agricultural crops use this type of fertiliser. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Advantages of Carbonic Compost <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Farmers\nprefer to use the conventional poisonous chemical-based fertiliser because they\nare not familiar with carbonic material, and it was freely available all this\ntime. Usually, human beings are uneasy about changing to new methods but prefer\nto use the same old procedures rather than willing to move with the times.\n That is what is happening with some farmers who protest about using\ncarbonic fertiliser today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\nBritain, the Imperial System or the traditional system of weights and measures\nused from 1824 until the adoption of the metric system began in 1965. On\nMonday, 15 February 1971, Britain went decimal; after 40 years; it was time for\nrejuvenation. Nevertheless to date, some tradesmen and merchants use the\nimperial system. Nevertheless, people have become familiar with decimal\ncurrency now, which is much easier than dealing with Pounds, Shillings, and old\npence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Akin\nto vitamins required for the human body, plants need various elements such as\nPhosphorous, potassium, urea, wasted foliage, and decayed animal carcases akin\nto vitamins needed for the human body. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carbonic\nfertiliser is suitable for hand seeding and machine seeding, and  used it\nfor Tea, rubber, coconut, vegetables, fruits, and paddy. It contains up to\n 15% of the primary nutrients needed in plants\u2019 early and middle stages,\nwith medium elements such as calcium, magnesium, and sulphur during plants\u2019\nearly and middle stages. Plants also need trace elements such as Zinc,\nTellurium and manganese for the rapid germination and growth of plants to\nimprove plant stress resistance. By using toxic fertiliser, the soil\ndegradation will occur gradually, especially with tea plantations, which are\ncompelled to for leaves to turn yellowish in colour. Theowners of tea\nplantations believe that the plantation needs more and more toxic fertiliser\nforgetting the fact that100%  toxic fertiliser is doing eternal damage to\nthe soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many\nfarmers claim that the Nitrogen content found in carbonic fertiliser is slow\nand limited and does not often keep up with the nitrogen demand during peak\ncrop growth periods. However, the Sri Lankan Government is preparing to import\nliquid nitrogen to distribute among farmers who adapt themselves to Carbonic\nfertilisers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cow\nmanure contains about 3 per cent nitrogen, 2 per cent phosphorus, and 1 per\ncent potassium. Cow dung indeed has high levels of ammonia, which are\npotentially dangerous pathogens. For this reason, it recommends that cow manure\nbe allowed to age before its use as cow fertiliser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carbonic\nfertilisers tend to bring quality and colour to the plant as against the\nchemical-based manure.  Toxic fertiliser tends to bind the soil like gum,\nand as a result, the earth cannot breathe the air or the required oxygen where\nthe roots become inhabited. Carbonic fertiliser also helps towards irrigation\nof water, and the temperature of the soil, especially after rainfall due to\nsoil erosion and under drought conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nonly disadvantage of using carbonic fertiliser is the outbreaks in the absence\nof chemical pesticides. Weed killer in toxic farming does stop weeds from\ncompeting with desired flora and fauna and prevent non-native species from\ncompeting with native species. Therefore, pesticide weed control is vital to\nagriculture because weeding out the pesticide gets rid of unwanted plants. The\nonly disadvantage in organic farming is that having to weed through a manual\noperation, which is extensive and expensive. According to experts on the\nsubject, no country goes 100% on Carbonic fertiliser alone on a mass scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri\nLankans were consuming for decades all contaminated food.  President\nGotabaya Rajapaksa\u2019s choice of banning chemical-based fertiliser and switching\nover to organic farming is a step in the right direction to save the people and\n save the future generation from  becoming a sick society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On\nTV  these days, in many parts in the country are seen how enthusiastically\nsome farmers are using Carbonic fertiliser made out of <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018\nJapanjabara\u2019. Moreover, as much as it is easily said and done, it is vitally\nimportant to listen to the experts advice, who are proficient in the area, and\nto follow their recommendation before banning the  use of carbonic\nfertiliseraltogether. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By\nadopting to the middle path by using carbonic and toxic type (on a gradually\ndecreasing  basis) will be the correct method according to the\nexperts,because at the end of the day,  it is better not making a boo-boo\nby completely banning toxic fertiliser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

tilakfernando@gmail.com<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Dr Tilak S.Fernando There is much controversy over President Gotabaya Rajapaksa\u2019s determination to ban the toxic chemical-based fertiliser and adapt carbonic fertiliser. Critics who are analytical comment that the President\u2019s action was untimely when the pandemic and foreign exchange crises are under the weight of COVID-19.  Farmers continue to protest, seen today on TV, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-115947","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-by-drtilak-s-fernando"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115947","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115947"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115947\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115947"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115947"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115947"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}