Indian tea growers in tropical Assam state, India’s main tea growing region, say rising temperatures have led not only to a drop in production but to subtle, unwelcome changes in the flavor of their brews.

The area in northeastern India is the source of some of the finest black and British-style teas. Assam teas are notable for their heartiness, strength and body, and are often sold as “breakfast” teas.

“Earlier, we used to get a bright strong cup. Now it’s not so,” said L.P. Chaliha, a professional tea taster.

Rajib Barooah, a tea planter in Jorhat, Assam’s main tea growing district, agreed that the potent taste of Assam tea has weakened.

“We are indeed concerned,” he said. “Assam tea’s strong flavor is its hallmark.”

Tea growers want the Indian government to fund studies to examine the flavor fallout from climate change.

Assam produces nearly 55 percent of the tea crop in India, a nation that accounts for 31 percent of global tea production. But tea production has dipped significantly, and plantation owners fear it will drop further as temperatures rise and rainfall patterns change.

Assam produced 564,000 tons of tea in 2007, but slipped to 487,000 tons in 2009. The 2010 crop is estimated to be about 460,000 tons, said Dhiraj Kakaty, who heads the Assam Branch Indian Tea Association, an umbrella group of some 400 tea plantations.

The drop in production has squeezed consumers. Prices have gone up about 10 percent over the past year.

Mridul Hazarika, director of the Tea Research Association, one of the world’s largest tea research centers, blames climate change for Assam’s shortfall in production. He said the region’s temperatures have risen 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over the last eight decades.

Scientists at the Tea Research Association are analyzing temperature statistics to determine links between temperature rise, consequent fluctuations in rainfall and their effect on tea yields.

“Days with sunshine were far fewer during the (monsoon) rains this year,” Kakaty said, “leading to a shortfall in production and damp weather unfavorable for tea.”

Dampness also aggravates bug attacks on the tea crop. Kakaty said a pest called the tea mosquito bug thrives in such weather and attacks fresh shoots of the tea bush. Restrictions on pesticide use because of environmental concerns have added to the planter’s woes.

The tea industry employs about 3 million people across India. Most live just a few steps above the poverty line.

They are not the only farmers in India suffering because of the weather. Warmer temperatures have cut sharply into wheat farmers’ yield in northern India – their crops are maturing too quickly.

Nor are tea growers alone in their concern about how the climate is changing the taste of their product. French vintners, for instance, have seen the taste and alcohol content change for some wines, and are worried they could see more competition as climate change makes areas of northern Europe friendlier to wine-growing.

The U.N. science network foresees temperatures rising up to 6.4 degrees Celsius (11.5 degrees F) by 2100. NASA reported earlier this month that the January-November 2010 period was the warmest globally in the 131-year record. U.N. experts say countries’ current voluntary pledges on emissions cuts will not suffice to keep the temperature rise in check.

India has proposed a system for sharing technologies between rich and poor countries designed to free up funding and technologies for poor nations that need help coping with a warmer world. These projects include building barriers against rising seas, shifting crops threatened by drought, building water supply and irrigation systems, and improving health care to deal with diseases.

Industrial countries have pledged $30 billion in emergency funds through 2012 to help poor countries prepare for climate change, and promised to raise $100 billion a year starting in 2020. Developing countries say at least half of those funds should go to adaptation measures and the other half toward helping their economies shift to low-carbon growth.

The United States has long refused to join the rest of the industrialized world in the Kyoto Protocol, the 1997 adjunct to the climate treaty that mandated modest emissions reductions by richer nations. The U.S. has said it would hurt their economy and exempt emerging economies such as China and India.

White Mushroom

Edible mushrooms are used extensively in cooking, in many cuisines (notably Chinese, European, and Japanese). Though mushrooms are commonly thought to have little nutritional value, many species are high in fiber and provide vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, cobalamins, ascorbic acid. Though not normally a significant source of vitamin D, some mushrooms can become significant sources after exposure to ultraviolet light, though this also darkens their skin. Mushrooms are also a source of some minerals, including iron, selenium, potassium and phosphorus.

Most mushrooms that are sold in super markets have been commercially grown on mushroom farms. The most popular of these, Agaricus bisporus, is generally considered safe for most people to eat because it is grown in controlled, sterilized environments, though some individuals do not tolerate it well. Several varieties of A. bisporus are grown commercially, including whites, crimini, and portabello. Other cultivated species now available at many grocers include shiitake, maitake or hen-of-the-woods, oyster, and enoki.

There are a number of species of mushroom that are poisonous, and although some resemble certain edible species, eating them could be fatal. Eating mushrooms gathered in the wild is risky and should not be undertaken by individuals not knowledgeable in mushroom identification, unless the individuals limit themselves to a relatively small number of good edible species that are visually distinctive. However even A. bisporus contains ‘agaritine’ which metabolises when eaten into hydrazine, which is carcinogenic, but this chemical is largely or completely removed by cooking.

More generally, and particularly with gilled mushrooms, separating edible from poisonous species requires meticulous attention to detail; there is no single trait by which all toxic mushrooms can be identified, nor one by which all edible mushrooms can be identified. Additionally, even edible mushrooms may produce an allergic reaction, from a mild asthmatic response to severe anaphylaxis shock.

People who collect mushrooms for consumption are known as mycophagists, and the act of collecting them for such is known as mushroom hunting, or simply “Mushrooming”.

R Madhavan IITians who preferred to be different, rather than get into a corporate rat race. One of the most interesting themes at this year’s Pan-IIT event was the session on rural transformation. IITians who have chosen an offbeat career hogged the limelight at the event. The star at the event was R Madhavan, an alumnus of IIT-Madras. This is Madhavan’s success story as a farmer. . .

Passion for agriculture

R Madhavan

I had a passion for agriculture even when I was young. I don’t know how my love for agriculture started. I only know that I have always been a nature lover. I used to have a garden even when I was a teenager. So, from a home garden, a kitchen garden, I gradually became a farmer! My mother used to be very happy with the vegetables I grew.

My family was against my ambition of becoming an agriculturist. So, I had to find a livelihood for myself. I wrote IIT-JEE and got selected to study at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. I enjoyed studying mechanical engineering. My intention was to transform what I study into what I love; mechanisation of farming. I felt the drudgery in farming is much more than in any other industry, and no one had looked into it.

I started my career at the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). My father refused to give me any money to start farming. So I asked the officials to let me work at the offshore sites, on the rigs. The advantage was that I could work on rigs for 14 days and then take 14 days off. I chose to work on the rigs for nine years, uninterrupted.

After 4 years, I saved enough money to buy six acres of land. I bought land at Chengelpet near Chennai. I chose that land because the plot had access to road and water. Back in 1989, a man in a pair of trousers aroused curiosity among the farming community. That was not the image of a farmer!

I became a full fledged farmer in 1993. It was tough in the beginning. Nobody taught me how to farm. There was no guidance from the gram sevaks or the University of Agriculture. I ran from pillar to post but couldn’t find a single scientist who could help me. I burnt my fingers. My first crop was paddy and I produced 2 tonnes from the six acres of land, it was pathetic. When I lost all my money, my father said I was stupid. I told him, it didn’t matter as I was learning. It was trial and error for me for three years. Until 1997, I was only experimenting by mingling various systems.

Learning from Israel

In 1996, I visited Israel because I had heard that they are the best in water technology. Take the case of corn: they harvest 7 tonnes per acre whereas we produce less than a tonne. They harvest up to 200 tonnes of tomatoes, whereas here it is 6 tonnes, in similar area of land. I stayed in one of the kibbutz, which is a co-operative farm for 15 days. I understood what we do is quite primitive. It was an eye opener for me. They treat each plant as an industry. A plant producing one kilo of capsicum is an industry that has 1 kilo output. I learnt from them that we abuse water. Drip irrigation is not only for saving water but it enhances your plant productivity. We commonly practice flood irrigation where they just pump water. As per the 2005 statistics, instead of 1 litre, we use 750 litres of water.

Dr Lakshmanan

I met Dr Lakshmanan, a California-based NRI, who has been farming for the last 35 years on 50-60,000 acres of land. He taught me farming over the last one decade. Whatever little I have learnt, it is thanks to him. I knew a farm would give me much better returns in terms of money as well as happiness. Working for money and working for happiness are different. I work and get happiness. What more do you need?

No guidance in India

I said at one platform that we have to change the curriculum of the agricultural universities. What they teach the students is not how to farm, but how to draw loans from a bank! What they learn cannot be transformed to reality or to the villages. The problem in the villages is not mentioned in the university. There is a wide gap and it is getting worse.

Making Profits

After burning my fingers for four years, from 1997 onwards, I started making profits. Even though it took me four years, I did not lose hope. I knew this was my path ven though I didn’t have any guidance from anyone. In those days, communication was slow. Today, I can get guidance from Dr Lakshmanan on Skype or Google Talk, or through e-mail. I send him the picture of my problem and ask his guidance. In those days, it took time to communicate. There was no Internet or connectivity. That was why it took me four years to learn farming. Today, I would not have taken more than six months or even less to learn the trick!

The farming cycle

I started crop rotation after 1997. In August, I start with paddy and it is harvested in December. I plant vegetables in December itself and get the crops in February. After that, it is oil seeds like sesame and groundnut, which are drought-resistant, till May. During May, I go on trips to learn more about the craft. I come back in June-July and start preparations on the land to get ready for August. In 1999, I bought another four acres. My target is a net income of Rs 100,000 per annum per acre. I have achieved up to Rs 50,000.

I sell my produce on my own. I have a jeep and bring what I produce to my house and sell from there. People know that I sell at home. I don’t go through any middle man. I take paddy to the mill, hull it and sell it on my own. In the future, I have plans to have a mill too. These days, people tell me in advance that they need rice from me. I have no problem selling my produce.

Engineering helps in farming

More than any other education, engineering helps in farming because toiling in the soil is only 20 per cent of the work. About 80 per cent of farming needs engineering skills. Science is a must for any farming. I have developed a number of simple, farmer-friendly tools for farming areas like seeding, weeding, etc. as we don’t have any tools for small farmers. If I have 200 acres of land, I can go for food processing, etc. My next project is to lease land from the small farmers for agriculture. The village will prosper with food processing industries coming there. My yield will also be more with more land.

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With the advance in technology Robotics are increasingly used to do domestic chores like Lawn Moving, Vacuuming, Pool Cleaning, Gutter cleaning etc.. Automatic Lawn mower is an excellent example. These units are perfect for those with a busy time schedule, cannot cut their lawn due to a physical disability, or are just plain tired of mowing. Automatic lawn mower will allow you to concentrate your time on other areas of your landscape, home repairs, or allow you more time for your favorite activity.

With an automatic lawn mower, you can just press the start button and relax.

Similarly pool cleaners are also available, for easy and convenient cleaning of swimming pools.

To check on the pool cleaners : Aquabot Turbo T4 T2 T SRC Automatic Pool Cleaners & Parts 123 Aquabot is offering automatic swimming pool cleaning solutions. Some of the Aquabot Models we offer are: T4 T2 and T-SRC. The parts section is friendly to use and has an easy order form.

Electric Mower

Not many consumer items other than your car still require gas, but the lawn mower remains, for many, a stubborn holdover. One easy move to cut your gas bill is to switch to one of the electric mowers now offered by practically every manufacturer. Even better, try the Robomower, a self-guided electric mowing robot that sells for around $1,500 and automatically covers a preset path on your lawn before plugging itself back into a charging dock.

You might be surprised to learn that Catteles are number one cause of Global Warming. Infact developed countries are already paying a price for it. Methane and Nitrous oxide has more potential to cause global warming than Carbon Dioxide. Let us examine the role of livestock in global warming.

Methane, which ruminating animals like cattle and sheep emit during their digestive cycle when they belch, and nitrous oxide (N2O) that is emitted from its manure, has 21 times and 310 times respectively greater potential of causing global warming than the carbon dioxide being emitted from your vehicle’s exhaust pipe.

According to a study by IIM-A, India’s livestock releases twice as much greenhouse gas than all vehicles in the country together. Last year, Gujarat had emitted 1.34 million tonnes of methane and 0.025 million tonnes of N2O into the atmosphere.

Sixty percent of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) emissions from Banaskantha, Sabarkantha and nearly half of Mehsana, Anand and Patan districts are in the form of methane primarily emanating from livestock. Methane also dominates emissions from Panchmahals, Dahod and Narmada.

Most of these districts due to predominant agrarian economic activities also have between 10 and 20 per cent emissions in the form of N2O from use of nitrogenous fertilizer. Typically a single cattle, cow or buffalo emits 0.70 ton CO2e methane emissions each year.

Currently, India has no binding emission reduction commitment under the Kyoto protocol. But in the long run GHG emissions will attract penalty everywhere. If that were the case today then going by the price of 25 Euros per ton of CO2 in the European Union Emission Trading System (EUETS), annual emission of each cow would cost Rs 1,100.

As per the life cycle cost, this emission charge would make a litre of cow milk more expensive by Rs 3.64 and buffalo milk by Rs 2.51. The consumers in developed countries who have ratified the Kyoto Protocol are paying this additional cost of emissions in animal products.

Livestock owners may not be penalised at present but they can get credit under the clean development mechanism (CDM) if they reduce these emissions. This can be profitable for the organised dairy sector.

Gujarat, with its 22 million livestock and substantial dairy industry, can take benefit of the emerging carbon finance instruments like CDM. Income from the CDM project can generate additional income for farmers as well and can reduce the price of animal products such as milk.

Globally livestock producers deploy different approaches to reduce emissions from livestock. Methane emissions per animal product are reduced by feeding concentrates instead of forage.

There are a range of dietary additives which reduce ‘methanogenesis’, production of methane in digestion. In the long run, emissions per animal product are reduced by breeding. Such technological and management innovations are feasible to qualify for emission reduction permitted under CDM.

Fencing

Gardening around your house is a good hobby and also enhances the beauty of the house. Typically houses are enclosed in a boundary. There is a new need to enclose properties with high walls that, “ruin the streets cape”. Modern smaller houses have resulted in outdoor courtyards designed as extensions of indoor living spaces, with high walls constructed, perhaps, to protect householders from curious eyes. They are not safe from intrusion, however: there is a warning from insurance companies that high boundaries provide easy access for burglars to help themselves, uninterrupted, to your belongings. Alternatively you can use woven wire fence for protection.

Irrigation

Irrigation is another important aspect to be considered for gardening. Drip irrigation works best in clay and loam soils where water will move horizontally. Micro-sprays work more efficiently in sand but, unfortunately, are not permitted in most parts of Australia. You could double the amount of irrigation line, using closer spacing and reduce the run time, or increase the amount of organic matter in the soil. Irrigation is a sophisticated science that is often best done by professionals to avoid wasted water, effort and cost.

Preparing Soil

A key element to successful agriculture is the right soil.  Soil needs to be kept healthy.  When too many pesticides are mixed into soil, it becomes less productive.  It is highly advised that manure and compost be mixed in with soil because they enrich the soil’s health by putting trace elements such as boron, selenium and manganese back into the soil. If the soil contains more elements then the produce will also have a higher concentration of these elements. Such produce can supply enough Selenium for Hypothyroidism treatment.

Like elsewhere in the world, food models in India are changing to suit health, lifestyle and market needs in a sustainable back-to-basics surge. The refrain is: back to the traditional grower for your daily quota of chemical-free vegetables.

Sustainable community farming of organic food and neighborhood marketing models will help farmers survive and at the same time improve the quality of raw food in the Indian retail market.

A crucial report concluding that US wheat is not fit to be imported is being kept under wraps by a government that doesn’t want to annoy the Americans at a time of blossoming bilateral ties despite the stalemated nuclear deal.

The report, prepared by a team of Indian officials visiting the US in May 2007, has recorded the presence of 19 invasive weeds that Indian regulations consider dangerous and require quarantine. Another two that India still has not verified for their ability to cause harm have also been found to be associated with US wheat. It has also recorded leakages in the processing of wheat that allows the weeds to escape in the consignments.

The report, which TOI got access to from government records, makes it clear why the US administration is putting up such a shrill campaign for lowering the conditions that currently disqualify US wheat from import.

The finding marks a setback to US efforts to find a market for its farmers that grow wheat on 60 million hectares and export almost half of the produce. With India showing interest in importing 3-5 million tonnes of wheat this year, US looks upon it as a loss of a big business opportunity. Last year too, the US was unable to export its wheat to India because of the tight safety regulations. This year, however, the US was expecting the tide to change in its favor with a concerted level of lobbying. But so far India has denied any possibility of lowering the safety measures in order to allow import from US.

The report noted that Indian regulations demand that there be less than 100 quarantine weed seeds in a 200-kg sample whereas US is demanding that India allow 12,000 quarantined weed seeds per 200 kg of wheat. The visiting team also found on inspection at the Columbia Grain Export Facility, US, that “a lot of weed seeds, including those of quarantine, still remain in the final processed product…”

Usually, India has a zero tolerance policy against any weed that is on the quarantine list but the government modified the rules last year in order to import wheat and allowed 100 weed seeds per 200 kg as an exception, keeping national food security in mind.

But food-security issues are raked up by the history of contaminated imports as well that earlier hit Indian economy and agriculture quite hard. Phalaris minor or canary grass, which is known to cause 15-50% yield losses in Indian wheat, was introduced in 1961 from Mexico through contaminated food grain. Back-of-the-envelope estimates suggest that in Punjab and Haryana alone, the economic losses because of the weed run into Rs 3,700 crore annually.

Another weed, Parthenium Hysteophorus, also introduced to India with import of contaminated wheat import, is today spread over 7-8 million hectares of non-cropped area and estimates show could take up to Rs 1,600 crore to control.

India has also suggested to US to undertake adequate cleaning as a mitigation measure by which it can comply with Indian standards. The expert team noted that there was considerable potential to reduce weed content in the US wheat but the Americans have shown reluctance at the moment.

Normal productive life of Rubber tree is about 20 to 29 years. The latex production becomes uneconomic and the trees cut and replaced. Rubber plantation is a sustainable source of rubber as well as timber, contributing positively to the environment.

Rubber wood is a light hardwood. The wood is whitish yellow or pale cream when freshly cut and seasons to light straw or light brown. It is a moderately hard and ‘light to moderately heavy’ timber with density ranging from 435 to 626 kg/m3 at 12% moisture content. It is a diffuse porous wood with medium texture and straight grain. Sapwood and heartwood are not distinct. Occurrence of tension wood seen as white lustrous zones when freshly cut is a characteristic feature of rubber wood.

The wood is susceptible to the attack of fungi and insects. Hence to improve the durability of the wood chemical preservation is carried out. The structure of the vessels in rubber wood permits easy and effective preservative treatment. Processing of rubber wood essentially include sawing, preservative treatment, seasoning and wood working operations. As received from field the logs are about 270 cm long with girth ranging from 80 to 100cm. Rubber wood belongs to the treatability class ‘b’ and durability class III.

Processed Rubber wood – Attributes

• Light colour
• Attractive grain structure
• Good strength properties
• Good working, machining and finishing properties
• Good staining properties
• Good glaring properties

These make the rubber wood a versatile wood.