COW DUNG AND URINE BENEFACTORS

Cattle dung is a resource. Our farmers are aware of its use as manure in agricultural fields but for want of alternate cheap cooking-fuel, they are left with no other option except to burn it in hearths. This age-old practice of burning dung cakes in the most inefficient manner should be dispensed with to conserve cattle dung for sustaining, rather improving soil health and in turn agricultural productivity. We are one of the leading countries in developing and promoting biogas technology. Still we have to travel a long way to make full use of this technology for developing our rural areas.
For better results, concerted efforts are needed in dovetailing the biogas programme with the Cattle Improvement Schemes on the one hand and with the Watershed Programme on the other. Good work done by trained masons, technicians, NGOs, etc., should be recognized by organizing healthy competitions at the block and district level and awarding the best performing persons and organisations. Plant owners, using biogas and manure efficiently should also be awarded on an annual basis. Do-it-yourself manual on the operation and maintenance of biogas plants for plant owners, construction manuals for masons, manuals on laying gas distribution pipe line and fixing burners and lamps and operation of duel-fuel engines for technicians, biogas plant users’ manual, etc. should be brought out in regional languages and widely distributed. The use of digested slurry in conjunction with chemical fertilizers should be encouraged to increase the fertilizer use efficiency. Further research data indicate that the use of biogas-slurry manure reduces the adverse affect of injudicious application of pesticides on soils. Therefore, to generate awareness among farmers, field demonstrations on the use of biogas-slurry manure should be organized. Also greater R&D efforts should be made to focus on diversified value added use of manure, e.g. for hardening of tissue cultured seedlings, abatement of soil-toxicity, as a source of micro-nutrients and root stimulant for fruit and vegetable crops, etc.
Several private dairies and gaushalas possess large number of cattle heads and many-a-time face the problem of disposal or use of cattle dung in towns and cities. To overcome this problem, the biogas technology coupled with electricity generation should be promoted with focus on production and marketing of manure.

1. Fuel - cow dung patties (gootte) for cooking
2. Fertilizer - composting makes it even more powerful
3. Heat source - cow dung is naturally hot -compost makes hotter put in glass house to heat glass house or run pipes thru it to get hot water.
3. Purifier - natural antiseptic qualities
4. Floor coating - used mixed with mud and water on floors in mud houses. Improves water absorption of mud. Prevents muddy puddles resulting from spilt water.
5. Mud brick additive - improves resistance to disintegration
6. Skin tonic - mixed with crushed neem leaves smeared on skin - good for boils and heat rash (SP used it for heat rash in Mayapur.)
7. Smoke producer - smoldering cow patties keep away mosquitoes. Can also make smoked paneer over such smoke. Tastes great in pasta! :)
Ash - from patties used in cooking. -
8. Pot cleaner - used dry absorbs oil and fat wet as a general cleaner
9. Brass polisher - tamarind removes oxidation - wet ashes polishes
10. Fertilizer - alkaline - cow dung ash is basically lime with a few other mineral mixed in
11. Mud additive - dries up slippery mud puddles
12. Mud brick additive - mud and lime (cow dung ashes) becomes like cement
13. Pond PH balancer - thrown into pond neutralizes acid.
14. Tooth polish -
15. Sun-dried organic recreational-aerodynamic-device -cow patty Frisbees ;)
16. Fan for fire - large cow patties can be used as make shift fans.
17. Deity worship - ingredient in panca gavya