Conservationist in Your Backyard

Nature has the ability to self-sustain. It fulfills its needs by assigning roles to the specific species existing in the biosphere. One of the most significant needs it has is of conservation and this role has been assigned to the ubiquitous family of grasses (Gramineae) found in all our backyards.  

Setaria

Yes, the ‘Durva’, the ‘Citronella’, the ‘Napier’ and many lesser known ones like ‘Tachila’ are the natural conservationists. These monocots bind the soil tightly, prevent erosion and stabilize the soil on erodible slopes. In addition to this the grasses trap moisture under their dense growth, they provide habitat to countless invertebrates (worms and insects) and sustain micro-climates. They grow rapidly and their cast-offs create humus which helps in soil restoration. The hardy grasses are great agents of bio-remediation and pollution control as well. ‘Vetiver’ famous for its fragrant essential oil is an Indian native which grows in harsh conditions and absorbs the soil contaminants. It has shown its worth in most polluted soils near industrial areas.

Grasses have an important role as a pioneer species in ecological succession as well. They help in colonizing new lands after lichen by modifying the soils. This helps in making the land suitable for germination of other herbs, shrubs and trees. This soil modification service is immensely helpful in restoration of degraded lands too. It has been successfully put into practice on lands where mining has been done.

Grasses provide a win-win scenario for their use in conservation because apart from their characteristic hardiness and conservationist features their easy availability and economical potential make them attractive for multipurpose usage. For example: ‘Vetiver’ for its scented essential oil and raw material for handicrafts. ‘Anjan’, ‘Napier’ etc. for its use in animal fodder. ‘Lemon grass’ for its flavoring. ‘Bermuda’ grass for its use as turf grass and ‘Broom’ grass for making the brooms. ‘Guinea’ grass as a green manure along with other uses. All these grasses make conservation an economically feasible practice. Thus, it’s a win for environment as well as the economy.

So, next time you are walking on that ‘Bermuda’ grass, chilling on your turf don’t forget to acknowledge the important work the conservationist in your backyard is up to.

Bermuda Grass

Trees and Women

Three days into my summer internship with #TataSteel in their Biodiversity division I got the work of creating an identification manual of the biodiversity found in Noamundi area. While doing a research on one of the listed trees I came across this very interesting custom which depicts a strong relationship between nature and women.

In the Newar community of Nepal there is a ceremony called Ihi or Bel Marriage. In this custom the pre-adolescent girls are married to the bael fruit. The speciality about Bael fruit is that it is enclosed in a really hard stony shell which prevents it from rotting for an exceptionally long time! This peculiarity about the fruit has made the locals consider it an incarnation of the divine (Lord Vishnu to be specific). Once married to the divine even if the girl marries a man later on and he dies, she is not considered a widow since she is married to the divine fruit.

This custom protects the women from harsh penalties the society imposes on a widow and also protects the flora as people revering this divine Bael tree never cut it down!

That's a win-win for all!

P.S. Bael is the sacred tree whose tri-pinnate leaves are usually offered to Lord Shiva during Shivratri celebrations.

The Lost Humanity

A bud crushed
So cruely, under the feet
Destroyed irrevocably
By the heinous humanity

The dreams, the hopes
The life, the laughter
Obliterated viciously
By the atrocious humanity

Pleads from the grave
Not to punish
Not for revenge
Neither for justice
From the oblivious humanity

But for protection
Of the buds yet to be born
Of the blooms yet to open
Of the dreams yet to flower
Amid this barbarous humanity

It calls, to restore,
The lost humanity.

Forest Treasures

There is nothing better than a forest walk to cure one from winter blues. So when a friend asked me to accompany her to one of the last surviving forest patches of Delhi for her dissertation work I filled my water bottle, plonked a hat on my head, rubbed some odomos, tied my shoes and reached there in half an hour.

We met at the entrance and walked into the forest hunting for Oxalis(Clover) populations. The would be scientist was busy taking down readings using the scientific paraphernalia she carried with her while I like a kid in a candy shop searching for its favorite candy started looking for a four-leaved Clover in those study populations. After searching for almost an hour at n number of sites I gave up once and for all the search for four-leaved Clover.

Now I believe who ever said a four leaved clover brings luck just meant it as a prank which is gonna play out for generations!!

Anyways even though I couldn't find a four leaved clover I did find something far more interesting and useful!! Lining the forest paths was a wild bush maybe 3-4mtr high with small leaves thin stems and attractive tiny white flowers. The flower somewhat resembled with phalsa flowers but the leaves were another story. And the fruit!! What a fruit it was!! Four juicy little orange globose balls stuck together on a stalk. That was a sight to see!!

 

As much as my mouth watered at the sight of those juicy little berries I was not going to take the gamble when warning signs about eating unknown berries was ringing through my head in the background.

I came back and after scouring through "Trees of Delhi" , "Flora of Delhi" and confirming from some social media forums it turned out to be a wild cousin of the famous phalsa. Vernacularly, Gangeran, Ganger or Gangeruki, botanically, Grewia tenax is a member of Tiliaceae family. It grows wild in India and African countries. Sandy, Rocky plains are it's choice of habitat. It doesn't need much water to survive and give fruit.

And turns out I was just being paranoid about the berries. These berries are infact highly nutritious!! They are eaten fresh, or dried or made into a beverage. They are also used for medicinal purposes for lactation and other bleeding disorders.

These berries have the superpower of fulfilling an 8 year old child's daily requirement of Iron! Just 40-100g of these berries can prevent diseases like anaemia in the kids. It has 7.4 to 20.8 mg iron per 100g of edible pulp which is more than other fruits like mango, guava, jujube(ber) etc.

In countries and regions afflicted by famine this berry proves a great substitute by providing nourishment to the starving. In Sudan people are actually making ice-creams and juices out of it! Go figure!!

I am definitely going to go out there again and give this berry a taste!! What a discovery on a wild day out!!

For more details refer to the following links

http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/White%20Crossberry.html

https://www.google.co.in/amp/s/easyayurveda.com/2015/06/05/gangeruki-grewia-tenax-uses-research-side-effects/amp/

https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.sustech.edu/staff_publications/20130107101518873.pdf&ved=0ahUKEwipnarYt_rWAhWIro8KHTAyBhAQFggyMAE&usg=AOvVaw1Peif-qEiiuuObgAQ5DdqB

Farm Diaries: Part 3

Soil aggregates and why they are important for the farm?

So I am back on farm after a long time!! Here's what I noticed on my first day back....

Soil aggregates!!! These are groups of soil particles that bind to each other more strongly than to adjacent particles essentially forming clumps. These clumps are held together by moist clay, organic matter, gums(from micro-organisms) and/or fungal hyphae. They vary in size from micrometres to millimetres or more.

They are responsible for soil pores which are the spaces between soil particles and soil aggregates. They can be full of air or they can have water in them. Soils with lots of aggregates are called "well-aggregated" and this condition is thought to be very desirable, for a number of reasons. Most important one is ofcourse the pores of many different sizes they create in the soil and these spaces are essential for storing air, water, microbes, nutrients and organic matter.

For almost all the crops the requirement is that the soil should not get water-logged except for rice. These aggregates have a major role in maintaining the drainage and aeration.

The fact that soil particles do not form a continuous and compact mass, but are arranged such that they create an interconnected pore space, makes possible the development of life in the soil. The volume formed by pores, channels, chambers and cracks allows the movement of air and water in the soil, providing a favorable environment for microbial activity and facilitating root growth of plants.

Granular Soil Aggregates: The Decievers

There are many types of soil aggregates. Granular aggregates are one kind that I came across today. They are spheroids, polyhedrons, curved or with irregular surfaces that are not casts of the faces of surrounding aggregates.

Many times people confuse it with gravel which is actually a rock aggregation and not soil aggregation. This can be simply resolved by pressing the aggregates in between finger tips if it becomes dust it's a soil aggregate and if doesn't then it's gravel.

Significance of Soil Aggregates For Farm Land

1.The surface of well-aggregated soils facilitates seedling emergence and water infiltration. 

2.A good aggregation prevents soil sealing and further formation of surface crusts.

3. In aggregated soils, enhanced water infiltration reduces runoff and water erosion, increasing the water available for plants. 

4.Also, aggregated soils allow a smooth flow of water, air and nutrients, promotes the development and activity of aerobic microorganisms, soil fauna and the penetration of roots. 

5. A well-structured soil is more resistant to erosion than the loose particles of sand, silt and clay and organic matter.

Dismantling of Soil Aggregates

This is the beginning of the end!!

Tillage methods and soil disturbance activities that breakdown plant organic matter, prevent accumulation of soil organic matter, and disrupt existing aggregates,

Cropping, grazing, or other production systems that leave soil bare and expose it to the physical impact of raindrops or wind-blown soil particles,

Removing sources of organic matter and surface roughness by burning, harvesting or otherwise removing crop residues,

Using pesticides harmful to beneficial soil microorganisms.

So make sure you don't till your soil to death!!

Refer to the following links for more information..

http://blogs.egu.eu/divisions/sss/tag/soil-aggregation/

http://soilquality.org/indicators/aggregate_stability.html

http://passel.unl.edu/pages/informationmodule.php?idinformationmodule=1130447039&topicorder=4&maxto=10

Eternal love for an ephemeral blossom

If I were the Sun,
I would rise only so you could bloom.
If I were the first ray,
I would cherish getting trapped in you.

If I were the dew,
I would settle only on your delicate petals.
If I were the water,
I would nourish only your enthralling soul.

If I were the wind,
I would carry only your mesmerizing scent.
If I were the air,
I would permeate through each and every pore of your being.

If I were the butterfly,
I would land only on you,
My flamboyant blossom
I would only ever kiss your sweet lips.....

Wild

I creep slowly and steadily,
I grow silently and readily,
I take over,
Without you knowing until after.

I am untamed,
I am unbound,
I flourish untouched,
And unmarred.

Let me be free,
Let me be me,
I need to bloom,
I have to leave this gloom.

I was made to run,
I was made to fly,
I am meant to see,
Not touch and sully

Don't cage me,
Don't shackle me,
I grow wild,
Come find me!!