3.  Development of Resource Conserving Technologies

Recent research has shown that surface seeding or zero-tillage establishment of upland crops after rice give similar yields as when planted under normal conventional tillage over a diverse set of soil conditions. This reduces the costs of production, allows earlier planting and, thus, results in higher yields, less weed growth, reduced use of natural resources such as fuel and steel for tractor parts, and improvements in efficiency of water and fertilizers.[i]

Resource conserving technologies restrict the release of soil carbon, thus mitigating the increase of CO2 in the atmosphere. It is estimated that zero tillage saves at least 30 litres of diesel as compared to the conventional tillage. This leads to 80 kg/ha/year reduction in CO2 production. If these savings could be translated even partially to large arable areas, substantial carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere could be reduced. [ii]

Treating Agricultural waste

Agricultural wastes are a major source of the most serious greenhouse gases: methane and nitrous oxide. The perfect solution is to harvest the methane as "biogas" for energy, while reducing nitrous oxide emission, saving the nitrogen as organic fertilizer nutrient for crops. How? By digesting the agricultural wastes anaerobically (in the absence of air) with bacteria normally present in the wastes, especially cattle dung. No one knows who first invented biogas. Anecdotal evidence suggests that biogas was used for heating bath water in Assyria during the 10th century BC, and the first digestion plant to produce biogas from wastes was built in a leper colony in Bombay, India in 1859. Based on this ancient invention, scientists in the United States and Canada are recently producing hydrogen, the ultimate clean fuel, as well as methane from food and agricultural wastes.

Biogas is becoming popular in many Third World countries, and emerging as a major boon, bringing health, social, environmental and financial benefits. Nepal's successful biogas programme saves 625 000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents from being pumped into the atmosphere each year, earning it US$5 million in carbon trading that can be invested back into clean energy to generate yet more income from carbon trading. [iii]

Crop residue can be fed to live stocks instead of giving them left over in restaurants, hotels, hostels, earthworms, or waste from slaughter house.