| Livestock and Natural Resource Management in | | | | the fields. Compost is almost free of toxic |
| Sustainable Agriculture. | | | | substances. As when well composting is done most |
| | | | | of the pathogen and weed seeds are being |
| Dr.Kedar Karki. | | | | destroyed. Use of compost improves the soil fertility. |
| Livestock have been associated with humankind since | | | | Application of compost may have reducing effect on |
| time immemorial. Domestic Animals plays different | | | | attack of useful soil pathogens. |
| role in human life due to its complex interaction | | | | |
| among man, animal and surrounding | | | | Vermicomposting: |
| environment.Livestock in developing countries is | | | | |
| considered as the most economically important | | | | Vermicomposting is process of breakdown of organic |
| sub-sector of agriculture which contributes up to | | | | matter by the joint action of earthworms and |
| 25% of agricultural GDP in our own context it | | | | microorganism which does not involve the generation |
| contributes about 31% in national agricultural GDP | | | | of high heat as in case of composting. It is the |
| excluding its contribution of animal drought power. | | | | process of transforming farmyard manure into the |
| Rural livelihood greatly depends on accessibility of | | | | compost with the help of earthworm. In Nepal both |
| natural resources. The livestock sector holds | | | | in rural and urban and peri urban area million of tons |
| promises for significant improvement in rural income | | | | of livestock excreta are produced every year |
| through efficient utilization of natural resources like | | | | causing concern due to odour and pollution problems. |
| land, water, grasslands and women work forces in | | | | Cattle shed manure supplies nearly 10 times as much |
| rural level. Livestock provides nutritious food in the | | | | nitrogen and phosphoric acid to the soil as other |
| form of milk, meat, and eggs where as other | | | | manures and fertilizers. Vermicomposting results in |
| products like hides, skin, wool, feathers, dung and | | | | bioconversion of the waste streams into two useful |
| urine etc for the well being of mankind. Livestock also | | | | products the earthworm biomass and the |
| makes a significant contribution as animal power for | | | | vermicompost.During Vermicomposting important |
| transportation and agricultural operation particularly in | | | | plant nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus ,potassium |
| rural areas. | | | | and calcium present in feed material are converted |
| | | | | into form that are much more soluble and easily |
| Organic farming is a form of agriculture that relies on | | | | available to plants. |
| crop rotation, green manure, compost, biological pest | | | | |
| control and mechanical cultivation. Organic farming | | | | Slurry: |
| maintains organic matter at an optimal level in soil and | | | | |
| it sustains reasonable productivity. Livestock plays an | | | | Slurry is the mixture of faeces and urine it contains |
| important role in relation to the general principle s of | | | | approximately 60% of faeces and 40% of urine. The |
| organic agriculture and supports biological cycles like | | | | main component in urine is urea. Some salts are also |
| carbon cycle, water cycle, oxygen cycle, nitrogen | | | | present with vitamins, hormones and enzymes. |
| cycle, within the farming system and diversifying | | | | Phosphorus is absent in urine and potassium is found |
| production. Sustainable agriculture is considered as a | | | | in mineral form which is easily available to the plants. |
| salubrious relation among soil, plant, livestock man and | | | | Slurry should be stored at least for two month |
| environment. In organic farming farmers uses natural | | | | especially under cold conditions to reduce the parasitic |
| processes to enhance productivity, maintain the | | | | load. |
| nutritive status of the soil to be less dependent on | | | | |
| external resources to keep cost down. Organic | | | | Cow Urine: |
| farming uses natural materials which are by products | | | | |
| of the farm and these include the production of | | | | It is being considered as a natural disinfectant and |
| compost which is key elements of organic farming. | | | | pest repellent. Since very long time universally being |
| Organic matters improves water holding capacity of | | | | used in combination with various plants or dung to |
| light textured soils and enhances supply of nutrients | | | | manufacture plant growth promoting products. Cow |
| particularly nitrogen, phosphorus, sulpher and at the | | | | dung and urine are two bio-matters which can be |
| same times makes theme less susceptible to leaching. | | | | used methodically to get better result in controlling |
| In other hand organic matter makes heavy soils | | | | several plant pathogenic fungi. It can be also |
| more porous, permits better aeration and also | | | | substituted for phenyl. If 10 liters of cow urine mixed |
| reduces crusting. The iron-organic complexes such as | | | | with one kg of neem and 100g of garlic and boiled till |
| Fe-humate make iron more available to plant. Organic | | | | its volume comes to half filter this mixture can be |
| matter protects the boron against leaching which is | | | | used for controlling insect in vegetable, legumes in |
| required for maintaining the structure of plants. It is | | | | cotton at the rate of 50ml liquid in per liter of water. |
| also essential for embryonic development and | | | | |
| organogenesis in plants.Polysaccride, lignin and protein | | | | Biogas: |
| are major constitutes of organic matters. The | | | | Biogas refers to a gas produced by the biological |
| benefits to soil from organic matter is ceaseless | | | | breakdown of organic matter in the absence of |
| decomposition of plant and animal residue into simple | | | | oxygen. Biogas originates from biogenic materials and |
| inorganic compounds like carbon dioxide, water, | | | | is types of biofuel.The biogas plant have become a |
| nitrate, phosphate and sulphate which can be easily | | | | boon to the rural farmers in Nepal. The two main |
| recycled by plants. The organic methods can help | | | | product of it are enriched compost manure and |
| small farm family to survive, increase in farm | | | | methane. Biogas is used for cooking, lighting purpose |
| productivity repair of decades of environmental | | | | and in case of large plants as motive power for |
| damage, knit communities in to smaller more | | | | driving small engines. The wide scale utilization of |
| sustainable distribution networks all leading to improve | | | | biogas and compost making technology offers the |
| food security around the world. | | | | most appropriate answer to solve three national |
| Several waste products of animal origin are used in | | | | interconnected major problems which the countries |
| organic farming can be listed below. | | | | are facing today called three F's food, fertilizer and |
| | | | | fuel. Biogas system have immense potential for |
| Compost: | | | | waste recycling, improves public health and |
| Composting is an aerobic decomposition technique of | | | | hygien,pollution control, environmental management |
| biodegradable organic matter. The decomposition is | | | | which is important for developing countries now a |
| performed primarily by facultative and obligate | | | | days. The biogas is an ideal inexhaustible source of |
| aerobic bacteria; yeast in the cooler initial phase and | | | | energy that could serve the rural area very well. |
| in the end phase decomposition is performed by a | | | | Utilization of biogas reduces the consumption of |
| number of larger organisms like oligochaete worms, | | | | commercial energy sources like coal, kerosene which |
| springtails, ants and nematodes. Composition is a well | | | | results in reduction of family fuel budget. Forest |
| established process in ecological agriculture followed in | | | | wealth of nation is also saved. Valuable organic |
| this part of globe since ancient time. It is | | | | fertilizers can be obtained thus reducing the |
| environmentally safe and it enhances the nutritive | | | | dependences on chemical fertilizers. |
| value of the soil. It nurtures the organism in the soil | | | | Thus livestock by utilizing the natural resources |
| which is generally destroyed by the use of the | | | | produces high value nutritious food to human kind |
| chemical fertilizer and pesticides. Compost significantly | | | | which helps to earn the profit for farming |
| reduces cost of production. The making of compost | | | | communities and also help in food security. As the |
| means that farmer have to raise large number of | | | | livestock byproducts if utilized properly it not only |
| cattle and has grass to feed theme. Cattle not only | | | | provides organic manure for agriculture production |
| supply dung and urine for making of compost. The | | | | but also contributes the fuel energy .Which maintains |
| nutrient content of in compost varies greatly. It | | | | the soil fertility and increases the productivity. Also |
| depends not only on different species but also | | | | by utilizing the livestock byproduct the environmental |
| between manure from different housing system with | | | | protection, safeguarding the public health reduction in |
| different storage system and farm. The quality of | | | | environmental pollution can be achieved for this we |
| fodder strongly influences the amount of nutrient in | | | | only need the awareness activities to be carried out |
| the compost as 70-90% of the ingested nitrogen | | | | in rural farming communities if it is being so we need |
| and phosphorous are excreted in manure. Well | | | | no worried about uncertain shortage of commercial |
| composted farmyard manure is easy to spread on | | | | chemical fertilizer now and then. |