The flight T bait trap container introduced by PCI is a strong and durable container I have already used this successfully in controlling Daucus dorsalis pest attacking my cucurbit crops.
once the insect gets intoxicated by the pheromone trap and falls into the collecting tray filled with detergent water, it dies due to drowning
hundreds of flies are caught this way and the entire operation is repeated at intervals of 7 to 10 days, denending on the pest incedence.
detergent water is preferred over normal water, as normal water can breed mosquitoes.
if you are interested in purchasing these bait traps you can contact Mr. Ranjan Shagrithaya on his mobile @ 9448485353 and email him at bioranjan@gmail.com
all images and data by Pritham 'metalfarmer' D'Souza
Yellow mosaic disease in Okra is one of the most devastating diseases, resulting in 80 percent of crop loss. and the sad part is , since its a virus, there is no cure. Prevention is the only cure.
Pitting method of Cultivating Bitter Gourd by Pritham Denzil Dsouza aka 'Metal Farmer' i have already discussed how to cultivate Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia) in my previous post in continuous pits . here i would like to show you how one can grow Bitter Gourds in individual pits.
the size of every pit is around 60 cms X 60 cms and height is about 30 cms
in every pit around 6 seeds are sowed
after germination, 3 seeds are retained per pit
this is done to prevent over crowding
support in the form of sticks has to be given during vegetative phase
the vines tend to fall to the ground and care has to be taken to see the vines are trained on top of the support so as to move upwards
during flowering phase, thousands of bright yellow flowers are seen, however only one tenth of them will pollinate and yield fruit
once the vines reach a desired height as shown above, they will need to start growing vertically and a proper trellis needs to be built as seen in the pic below
results can be seen in 21 days as the pic shows above
retaining just 3 seeds per pit has resulted in lush growth of the vines in every pit
watering the pits is easy and there is no wastage
application of manures can also easily be done per pit
there is a tendency for the vines to produce excessive lateral shoots and they too are given support so they move upwards as shown in the pic above
Advantages of growing in pits
plant density and plant population can be maintained
no over crowding
application of manure and fertilizer is much easy
no wastage due to excessive drainage
spraying with neem using back pack sprayer is convenient and can be done from a distance
harvesting is easy
the resultant shade increases pollination by attracting a large number of pollinators
all images and data by Pritham 'Metal Farmer' D'Souza
The Electric Tears featured on Mix Tape India Vol 2 The Electric Tears, an Electric acoustic side project of Pritham Dsouza aka Metalfarmer is featured in Mix Tape India vol 2 with other acts viz Ashu, dhruv, skinny alley and more...
Release Notes:
This compilation is catagorised under ' Easy Listening ' (Pop,Blues,World,Jazz Rock)
Track List :
1. Smoke - You're So Beautiful (2008)Blue Frog Records 2. Saransh Agarwal - Forever (2009)Self Release 3. Avi - Who? (2010)Self Release 4. Odyssey - Ventilator (2010)Self Release 5. Skinny Alley - Escape The Roar (2003)Self Release 6. Ashu - Europa (2008)Blue Frog Records 7. Dhruv - Only If (2009)Blue Frog Records 8. Shaa'ir Func - New Day (2008)Blue Frog Records 9. Esperanto feat. Martin Kinz - Jo Jo Jo Jo (2003)Kreek Records 10. Vivek Rajagopalan - If I Were To Leave You (2008)Blue Frog Records 11. Sanjay Divecha - Full Circle (2008)Blue Frog Records 12. The Electric Tears - Hope and Redemption (2009)Self Release
Credits
Thanks to all the artists for allowing this to happen.
Bitter Gourd Cultivation in Continuous Pits by Pritham D'Souza Metal Farmer
Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia) also known as bitter gourd or Karela (hindi), karathe (konkani) and kanchala (tulu) is cultivated in mainly tropical and sub tropical places throughout the world.
The bitter taste is due to the presence of Momorcidin. The wonder fruit, which is consumed as a vegetable is widely used in traditional medicines and is well known for treatment against diabetes, preventing malaria and constipation. It is also used as an effective bio repellent. however the red arils of the seed (outer red coating) can be toxic to children.
Bitter gourd is an acquired taste, but its medicinal properties make it a commercially viable crop.
the seed coat is very hard and unless conditions are favorable, germination will not take place as usual. for this , soaking the seeds in water for a minimum of 24 hours before sowing is recommended to break the seed dormancy
in some places water is replaced by curds and it also helps in rapid germination as the curds contain bacteria which also break the seed dormancy by softening the hard seed coat
after about 21 days after sowing, the growing tendrils will begin to droop on the ground. this will require support and it being a climber, adequate arrangements need to be made
fruits can be harvested after 60 to 75 days from the first day of sowing
the tender , immature fruits are preferred over ripe fruits
soon after harvesting, they are washed in water and dried before taking to market
Pests of Bitter Gourd and Treatment
the bitter taste of the fruit prevents it from getting attacked as frequent as the other crops belonging to the cucurbit family, however the major pests include the following
red pumpkin beetles which are most notorious as if feeds the young and tender leaves during growth stage. also feeds on the flowers .
Stink Bugs are huge and have a plate of scaly armour to prevent from natural predators attacking it. also it releases a stink liquid which helps it to escape before getting caught. it feeds on tender fruits and results on rotting of the fruit
aphids and thrips can cause serious damage, while the former can colonise the plant, the latter can feed on the leaves which later curl inside
leaf eating caterpillar destroy the leaves and skeletonise the plant, the silk cucoons can be seen mostly on lower surface of the leaves
fruit fly bores on the growing fruit and lays the eggs which grow inside the fruit. worms can be seen in the rotting fruits
Treatment integrated farm management practises recommend the use of both organic as well as chemical pesticides for effective control of pests . however since i advocate the use of mostly neem based sprays, i advise the following
neem cake applied to the soil at 25 day intervals around the plant
during the growing stage, neem solution is sprayed weekly twice @5 ml per litre water
during flowering stage , Neem solution is sprayed weekly once @10 ml per litre
since neem is all natural and non toxic , it can be sprayed on standing crops and when yield is seen
spray neem preferably in the evenings, when its cooler between 4 to 6 pm
all data and images by Pritham dsouza aka Metalfarmer
If there was a band that got the hardcore fans and metal fans together, in the same room, thrashing and moshing to heavy , fast aggressive, fist pumping and chest thumping music, that band would be, without a doubt Anthrax
One of the most respected names in Thrash Metal, Anthrax was part of the 'Big 4' super heavy weights which included Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer.
while the other 3 bands mentioned here were dead serious on stage, with lyrical content ranging from death, war, suffering and Satan, Anthrax to me always had the image of 'Metal Clowns' and i say that with all respect, coz if one (even now) is lucky enough to be at an Anthrax concert, u can see the band having the time of their lives, laughing on stage, joking about, jumping and going berserk and yet in complete control. crowd favourites any day.
Thrashing, Moshing, stopping for a few minutes to grab a cold beer and starting all over again till you drown in your own adrenaline. That's Anthrax for you.
Scott Ian has to be one of the coolest dudes in metal history and Anthrax is probably the first band to bring the thrash aggression to the East Coast city of New York, which till then had a pretty strong albeit underground hardcore scene.
Anthrax, who always had a massive fan following were mostly a support band and an opening act, but with the release of Among The Living, they started to Headline and had several bands support them.
What makes this album special is the uniqueness in the song writing which is pretty evident with titles like "I am the law" which is a tribute to the comic book hero Judge Dread. "Indians" is about native American Indians, while "Efinkufsin (N.F.L.)" is Nice Fucking Life spelt backwards.
Joey may not be the greatest vocalist in metal , but here he sings in tune, shouts, screams and even sings clean, a concept which was pretty new, especially in a genre like Thrash Metal. Scott Ian keeps the rhythm section tighter than a cork screw while Dan unleashes a flurry of guitar notes during every solo. The bass doesn't get any dirtier than " Caught In A Mosh" and Charlie is an exceptional drummer keeping time for a band that never play anything straight forward.
"Caught in Mosh" is a perfect example of thrash and hardcore getting involved in a head on collision.
In a nut shell, Among the Living has more spunk than most of the so called thrash wannabes that we get to hear on popular social networking sites. How the band manage to juggle Speed, Aggression, catchy hooks, sing a long chorus and just berserk moshing is just beyond me. And this was in 1987!!
recommended tracks for maximum damage " I Am The Law", "Caught In a Mosh", "Indians", "One world" and the title track "Among The Living"
Among The Living is easily the best Anthrax release of all time
My Rating 9/10
watch Anthrax Caught In a Mosh live at Ozzfest 2005
Growing Mint Leaves, Mentha without soil, using Simplified Hydroponics in Mangalore by Pritham 'Metal Farmer' D'Souza
Mint leaves or menthe soppu in kannada is a popular aromatic herb which is extensively used for culinary purposes in various dishes.
Mint leaves extract is used as an insecticide and its most effective against mosquitoes and ants
mint leaves consumed in the form of tea reduces stomach pain and some believe it is a strong diuretic
menthol is added in cigarettes as it blocks the bitter taste of tobacco
common antipruritic used against insect bites
commonly used in aroma therapy
Since mint leaves love cooler climate and is pretty much a shade loving plant, the challenge of growing such a plant in Mangalore's unforgiving heat conditions was something i was looking forward to
