#urineluck

In our lecture this week Mark asked us, 'What is style?'. Naively perhaps, I expected him to follow this is with a quip about style without substance but he didn’t, and I’ve been pondering about it ever since.

Without substance, does style even exist?

In the weird way my brain works, I also somehow linked the idea of substance with my dog peeing while out on a walk and how humans and animals feel the need to mark their territory, their work and so on. 

A traditional and completely organic method of pest control using green leaves and cow urine is very cost effective and has no reported adverse effects on human health. The green leaves and urine have insecticidal properties with the adoption of technology taking no extra cost.

- Green leaves: Neem, Pungam Nochi Erukku and Tulsi

- Shown effective on the following crops: paddy, red gram, black gram, brinjal and bhendi as well as many others

- Shown to be effective in repelling the following pests: aphids, hoppers, borers and beetles

Method:

1.      Crush 1 kg of each of the green leaves using an ‘ural’ (granite stone milling tool)

2.      Mix the crushed leaves in with 100 L of cow’s urine

3.      In a vessel, allow to ferment for 10-15 days until it obtains an “obnoxious” odour; using a wooden stick stir solution daily

4.      Once fermentation is completed, filter solution using a cotton cloth

Seed Hardening Technique using Cow’s Urine: Indigenous Indian method of seed hardening used on Ragi seed. Seed hardening is effective in helping seeds withstand adverse soil moisture conditions and water stress. It has been found to be effective against seed borne diseases (eg. Smut) and activating drought resistance. Adopted by 60% of farmers in Thondamuthur village, Tamil Nadu.

Method:

1.      Mix 100 ml of fresh cow’s urine with 1 L cold water (6 L of solution is needed for 6kg of Ragi seeds)

2.      Keeping solution 3-4cm above the seed level, soak the seeds for about 16 hours

Collection Method:

1.      Obtain a 20 L clear jug and a large mouth funnel that fits tightly in the jug

2.      Tightly tie a piece of rubber where the funnel and jug meet in order to ensure ammonia does not escape

3.      Make a seal for the mouth of the funnel using 3 or 4 plastic bags inside one another, the inner most filled partly with water, and place in the hole of the funnel

4.      The mixture should be 1 part urine, 3 parts water so mark a line half way up the jug and a quarter way up the jug

5.      When creating the mixture fill water up to the first line than only urine until the half way mark

6.      Let the jug sit for 2 days in order to kill any schistosomiasis (disease caused by parasitic flatworms)