Posts Tagged ‘agriculture’

Tractors And Their Use In Recent History

Friday, February 5th, 2010

A specifically designed vehicle called a “tractor” delivers high torque (tractive effort) even at slow speed. The machinery is used in construction or agriculture or for hauling a trailer. Generally, this term describes a distinctive farm vehicle although horticultural use is common too. A tractor may be used for towing agricultural implements or for providing power to an implement if it is mechanized.

When, at slow speed, you want higher tractive effort or as it is commonly known as torque, then there is a specially designed vehicle called the tractor. The purpose may be hauling of machinery or a trailer that is used in agriculture as well as in the construction industry. However, this term is commonly used for describing a distinctive farm vehicle.

The tractor can be used to tow or mount agricultural implements and additionally it may also be a source of power for a mechanized implement - perhaps a plough for example.

The origin of the name tractor is Latin. It is the agent noun for trahere which means “to pull”. Its use was firstly recorded in 1901 as “a vehicle or engine used for pulling ploughs or wagons”. It displaced the term used earlier called “traction engine” (1859). In Australia, Argentina, India, Ireland, Britain, Germany and Spain, the word or name “tractor” is a term that implies “farm tractor”.

Paul Stamets’ Mycelium Running

Saturday, October 31st, 2009

The best-selling book on “popular mycology,” Mycelium Running, would be a useful reference book in every home, especially to anyone involved in farming (or gardening), forest management and environmental cleanup. The second half of the book is an instruction manual on growing delectable mushrooms for food and medicine.

The book is filled to the brim with valuable information on how to improve soils for farming, gardening and forestry; create simple, low-cost biofilters for waste water (mycofiltration); and clean up toxic waste (mycoremediation).

As an example, a method for building a mycofiltration bed to filter waste water is described in exacting detail. Dimensions, depth, layers and recommended materials and mushrooms are listed. This mycofiltration is useful, among other things, for filtering manure enriched farm runoff.

Not only does it solve the problem of farm runoff and E. coli contamination of nearby streams, it can also yield highly palatable food mushrooms, and the bed itself can be dug out every 2-3 years and then used as an excellent fertilizer for the farm.

The Best Uses Of Lawn Aerators

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009

Lawn aerators are great tools to use on your lawn so as to keep it healthy and beautiful. What is involved in aerating a lawn? When you aerate your lawn, you basically produce holes in the ground. This is in order to ensure that the soil does not become so compacted that essential light and water cannot reach the roots of grass and plants.

When employing lawn aerators there’re many factors to take into account so as to make sure that you get the most merits from aerating. The optimal time to employ lawn aerators is any time that the ground isn’t frozen. You may need to aerate your lawn at various times of the year depending upon the sort of grass that you have and the sort of soil that you have. If your soil tends to be sandy then you should utilize lawn aerators about once per year. This is because sandy soil does not become compacted very with no trouble. If you have soil that as a heavy clay composition then you’ll need to aerate the soil more constantly. Lawns with warm season grasses should be aerated in early spring. This is when the grass is coming out of dormancy and when the root systems will be at the peak of their active growing phase. Cool season grasses may benefit the most from lawn aerators during early fall.

Tumbling Wastes into Compost with Compost Tumbler

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

Compost Tumbler is tumbling down all organic wastes and biodegradable materials transforming them into compost which is an organic plant food. The main product of this vessel is healthy plant foods. It is a large vessel that tumbles down these wastes and turns organic plant foods. Organic plant foods are healthy foods having essential nutritional value for all plants.

Compost Tumbler is one of the best replacements to the open compost pit which is dug in some portion of your property. This is a portable container that can be stationed in any part of your garden space where biodegradable products are stuffed to decompose. The open pit is vulnerable to pests and disease-causing bacteria. The compost container has a lid that can prevent unwanted pests from harboring in it.

Human beings and other forms of animals need to eat everyday and derived nourishment primarily on plants. The green leafy things which are produced by the ground are the main sources of food for beings with mouth. The plants, the human beings and other lower form of animals are within the symbiotic circle of life which is basically dependent on the green things.

You Should Know This When Designing Your Compost Bin

Sunday, July 5th, 2009

If you live in an urban setting and you do have neighbors nearby then an enclosed compost bin design would be the better option because it will assist to keep bad smells away.

When choosing a wooden compost bin design, be aware that your selection of materials can be important. Keeping these considerations in mind when choosing a compost bin design will help to ensure that you choose the right design for your needs and one that will last you for many years to come. This is because wood that is not treated or resistant to rot will begin to deteriorate at the same time as the materials in your compost. You should always choose either treated lumber or a type of wood that is naturally resistant to rot. In choosing which compost bin design is best for your needs, it is often wise to consider where you live.

Hydroponics Gardening: More Accessible Now with NFT System

Friday, May 1st, 2009

Hydroponics was coined in the USA in 1930’s to name the scheme plant growing with the roots based in mineral-rich waters. As a matter of information, the Aztec Indians had a similar scheme of producing crops on rafts in lakes with shallow levels of water; these are seen in their floating gardens in Mexico City.

Formal research on the nutritional requirements of plants and the hydroponics system of growing plants started since 1699 through today. Developments went on and the use of hydroponics commercially opened worldwide.

Hydroponics has come a long way since the Aztec Indians. Since water care and land care is today mandated in numerous countries to promote sustainability, well maintained hydroponics gardening systems will provide yields of high quality crops through the environmentally friendly way of farming.

Hydroponics is already an established and fast growing part of modern commercial agriculture. Hydroponics is in fact a developing field where you can see a large range for experimenting with plants. Hydroponics gardening will also supply you with fresh fruit and vegetables all year round. Even the banana trees are being grown hydroponically now for better and reliable yield.

Hydroponics as a Way to Grow to Plants without Soils

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

The term hydroponics was coined in the USA in the early 1930’s. It was coined to describe the scheme of plant growing with the roots of the plant based in mineral-rich waters. From the words hydro and ponos which are Greek for “water” and “to work” respectively, hydroponics literally is defined as ‘working with water’.

The definition of hydroponics has gradually become broadened to distinguish all forms of gardening without the usual soil as in traditional farming. Let us take a look at the importance of hydroponics in the history of mankind.

Hydroponic gardens in history are evidently a big part of early societies. One of the biggest evidence of the use of hydroponics is with the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

In addition, the Aztec Indians has even pioneered a scheme of producing plant crops on rafts in shallow lakes. You can even witness some of these floating gardens near Mexico City.

In 1930, as the term hydroponics became popular, Gericke produced the first commercial hydroponic unit in America. During the Second World War the American forces in the Pacific produced vegetables hydroponically to survive.

Hydroponics: Gardening without the Soil

Saturday, April 25th, 2009

Hydroponics was first accepted in mainstream America in the 1930’s. Hydroponics is the system of growing plants with the roots suspended in mineral-rich waters. In 1930, the scientist Gericke had grown the first commercial hydroponic unit in the USA. And such acceptance saved the American forces in the Pacific during the World War II. They grew vegetables the hydroponic way to survive and feed the soldiers.

Hydroponics literally means ‘working with water’. The definition has actually become popular and widened to account all types of gardening without the usual use of soil. Hydroponics is actually the soil-less gardening.

A German scientist named Liebig originated the use of nutrient solutions to study the required nutrition of plants in the 1850’s. This method was adopted by Sachs in 1860. It was Knop in 1861 however who made studies of nutrient elements in water solutions. They were able to grow plants in nutrients-rich solutions made up from mineral salts getting rid of the soil.

Research on the nutritional requirements of plants extended through into the 1870’s leading to the practical applications of hydroponics by 1925. By the late 1920’s, hydroponics was already employed with the greenhouse industry.

History of Hydroponics Gardening

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009

History reveals that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon is a big evidence of a hydroponic garden. Moreover, the Aztec Indians in the now Mexico had a system of growing crops on rafts. These rafts are in shallow lakes that you can still see in floating gardens near Mexico City. Therefore, history shows the great significance of hydroponic system of growing plants even in ancient times.

Developments with hydroponics did not however take place in Europe until 1699 when Woodward discovered it. He found out that he can grow plants in a solution of water to which soil had been added.

On the other hand, Liebig, a German scientist, originated using nutrient solutions to study the nutritional requirements of plants in the 1850’s. It was then followed by Sachs in 1860. Knop also did some studies of nutrient elements in water solutions in 1861. They grew plants in nutrients-rich solutions with mineral salts. This does away with the soil as a main requirement for growing crops.

Many researches on the nutritional requirements of plants extended through even until the 1870’s. By 1925, practical applications of hydroponics were being introduced for the vast development in the greenhouse industry.

The Soil-less Hydroponics System of Gardening has Benefits

Saturday, April 18th, 2009

Hydroponics gardening will improve your lifestyle by offering you with fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers all throughout the year. One of the famous systems is the NFT system development by Dr Alan Cooper with covered plastic channels. In this system, the plants are growing through holes in the covers and their roots are suspended in the nutrient solution.

One of the major benefits of a hydroponics system is that it can greatly shorten the necessary amount of time required to produce healthy crops. Whether a vegetable, flower, shrub or even trees, it can be produced without having to cultivate, weed and mulch the garden. Other important maintenance like watering and fertilizing can be taken care of by the automated system.

With the soil-less gardening, the quality of the soil will no longer be a problem with growing your crops. Hydroponics gardens can also be based in any place, irrespective of the soil or climate.

You will eventually notice that vegetables and fruit grown with the hydroponics system have a superb flavor and texture compared to the conventionally-grown counterparts. Because the crops will not be deficient in nutrients you will notice that they develop quicker and are healthier because they have more resistance to plant diseases than crops raised in the soil.