One of the ways in which farmers can protect their soils is through the use of mulch. When the soil is covered with a
thick layer of organic matter, it is protected from extreme rainfall, winds or drought. Mulch also serves as a home for
insects, helping attract many species which significantly improve soil texture and soil fertility.

Fire plays important role in shaping ecosystem structure and function. Depending upon the complex effects of fire, it can have either beneficial or harmful effects. In this article, we briefly review the potential of satellite remote sensing data for mapping and monitoring vegetation fires.

About half of the global gas and particle emissions to the atmosphere resulting from the burning of biomass originate from sub-Saharan Africa. There are four principal pathways: wildfires, the use of biomass fuels for energy, burning associated with deforestation and the burning of agricultural residues.

The technology for biodegradation of pig manure by using houseflies in a pilot plant capable of processing 500–700 kg of pig manure per week is described. A single adult cage loaded with 25,000 pupae produced 177.7±32.0 ml of eggs in a 15-day egg-collection period. With an inoculation ratio of 0.4–1.0 ml eggs/kg of manure, the amount of eggs produced by a single cage can suffice for the biodegradation of 178–444 kg of manure.

When looking at biomass power, we must keep in mind the alternative uses. The nexus between food, water and energy has to be viewed in detail. A country like India produces nearly 500 million tonnes of agro waste annually.
Such agro wastes are used. (Correspondence)

Biomass resources have significant potential for improving the rural energy access and economic scenarios in a country like India. These are the only sources of renewable energy available across the length and breadth of the country, thereby providing a local resource base for rural energy availability. Practically half of the income generated from the sale of biomass-based power goes back to farmers.

Close to two-thirds of the world's poorest people live in rural areas. Eradication of rural poverty depends on increased access to goods, services, and information, targets detailed in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. However, alleviating poverty is hindered by two interlinked phenomena: lack of access to improved energy services and worsening environmental shocks due to climate change. Mitigating climate change, increasing energy access, and alleviating rural poverty can all be complementary, their overlap defining an energy-poverty-climate nexus.

Coconut leaf vermiwash (CLV) was produced from actively vermicomposting coconut leaf litter + cow dung substrate (10 : 1 w/w basis) by Eudrilus sp. It significantly increased the seedling vigour index of cowpea and paddy at 1 : 10 and 1 : 15 dilutions in laboratory trials.

This study presents reusing of locally available waste fibrous materials as concrete composites. Mechanical strength properties (compressive strength, split tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, modulus of rupture and shear strength) of synthetic fibres (nylon, plastic and tyre) with volume fractions (0.5%, 1% and 1.5%) and aspect ratios (30, 60 and 90) were evaluated.