Biogeosystem Technique

77-90

Authors: Abhishek Singh, Sapna Rawat, Anil Kumar Singh, Karen Ghazaryan, Omkar Singh, Ragini Sharma, Neha Chakrawarti, Sakshi Singh

The novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) was first reported in China on December 8, 2019, and in India on January 27, 2020, as per the World Health Organization (WHO). Government of India and China implemented rapid and stringent measures to contain the spread of COVID-19, which included lockdowns and restrictions on population’s mobility. This study aims to investigate concentrations of NO2 emission, stratospheric ozone status, and temperature before and during the lockdown in India and China. In India lockdown was implemented from March 22 to May 31 and in China from January 23 to April 8, 2020. NO2 concentration, stratospheric ozone, and temperature of 2019 and 2020 were compared in both countries during the study period (January 1 – May 31). Our results showed a significant reduction in NO2 concentration up to 4-16 % and 4-40 % over India and China respectively, during the lockdown period. We observed a similar percentage change in concentration of stratospheric ozone was 1-12 % in India as well as China. Similarly, the percentage reduction in temperature was 0-5 % and 1-94 % in India and China respectively. Further analysis of satellite data revealed that NO2 emission decreased in April and May 2020 in India and from January to May 2020 in China. The study also showed a positive effect of lockdown on stratospheric ozone concentration, which increased during entire study period from January to May 2020 compared to 2019. While the COVID-19 lockdown had severe social and economic impacts, it positively impacted the natural environment.

15-48

Authors: Anton O. Nigten

In this article some measures are discussed to improve the yields and quality of organic (and conventional) agriculture with sea minerals, ditch dredge and rock flours. Sea minerals restore the health of plants, animals and men. These sea minerals result in healthy urine and dung of the animals. This dung is a good basis for a healthy plant growth. The dung should also be mixed with carbon rich materials (straw; elephant grass; natural hay) and with earth, stone meal or ditch dredge. By binding the nutrients with carbon and earth particles the putrefactive microbes are avoided and in this way the breakdown of organic nutrients in inorganic salts is prevented. The symbiotic microbes hold the upper hand. They transform the nutrients in microbial protein and other organic compounds, and, once in the fields, help the plants to collect the organically bound nutrients from the soil and humic compounds and transport them to the plants. Rock flours are also a good source of fresh macro and trace elements. The preferable type of rock flour depends among others on the type of soil, and the already available elements. Microbes are necessary for freeing the elements from the rock flours. The yields and the quality in organic agriculture rise then for three reasons: more plant available macro and trace elements for the crops. And the presence of the symbiotic microbes which free and supply the nutrients for the plants. To support these farmers in animal husbandry should give less protein and especially less Non Protein Nitrogen and Non Protein Sulfur in the feed of the animals in order to improve the quality of the dung and the compost. For many centuries farmers used salt, sea minerals, earth, ditch dredge and rock flours to improve the quality and quantity of the animal dung and plant residuals. And although some scientists have confirmed their results, the overwhelming majority of modern agricultural science has ignored this and persisted her own ideas about the necessary mineralization of nutrients before plants can take them up as salts for their growth. Farmers who buy artificial fertilizers pay yearly 100-150 billion US dollars solely for the pollution of the environment, because of the huge losses of nitrogen and phosphate. Also a lot of potassium is lost, but the effects of potassium salts on the ecosystems are not investigated. By the use of animal feed with less protein, and with less NPN and NPS, and by adding sea minerals, carbon rich materials, rock flour, earth or ditch dredge to the dung, the farmers can avoid the problems of mineralized nutrients. Especially the problems of ammonia, nitrate, potassium, chloride, sulphate and phosphate: less losses, better yields and quality by rebalancing, and more biodiversity at lower costs. By avoiding ammonia, urea and nitrate plants can again assimilate nitrogen from the air. Considerable amounts of nitrogen can be got for free in this way. The risks of mineral nitrogen are avoided, if not too much of good organic fertilizers is given.