Suggestions And Ideas

[RamdomChances]

Just what it says on the title really. I'm going to put a links section together and pin it, when I have time.

[Maizefarmer]

RDC - good move in my opinion.

The subject was taking a life on its own, and the idea of consolidating it under its own heading helps to sort it out from the rest of the threads.

Tim

[RamdomChances]

RDC - good move in my opinion.

The subject was taking a life on its own, and the idea of consolidating it under its own heading helps to sort it out from the rest of the threads.

Tim

Thanks mate, I've been saying that for a while, some of the excelent posts you have made have contributed greatly in getting this froum set up.

[Maizefarmer]

Another idea under "Farming"............. Boreholes.

Lots of guys want boreholes or get roped into getting a borehole sunk by their other half.

Problem is - as is evident on the forum, there is no shortage of cowboys in the borehole sinking business, and a lot of people have problems with their wells - sometimes soon afterwards, sometimes much later. The average guy does not know one borehole from another - untill the problems start i.e. meaning: after the guys' been paid and hes' long gone - try getting him back to fix the problem or do the job properly.

A borehole thread with "What to look out for", and "how to evaluate" what you are been offered would be a good subject.

Tim

[RamdomChances]

^ good idea tim, get writing . I'll probably pin some of the more generic, general info threads later.

[chownah]

RamdomChances,

Now that you are a moderator is it possible that you could change the spelling on your name....or have you grown attached to it by now?

Chownah

[chownah]

Should the "plants" portion of the "plants, pets, and vets" forum get shifted here and this forum's name be changed to "farming and gardening"?.....or maybe not?.....maybe asking the people who post plant questions there what they think about this too.....maybe a post there to discuss the possible change?

[RamdomChances]

Should the "plants" portion of the "plants, pets, and vets" forum get shifted here and this forum's name be changed to "farming and gardening"?.....or maybe not?.....maybe asking the people who post plant questions there what they think about this too.....maybe a post there to discuss the possible change?

Personaly I think not, as really they are two different subjects.

I think plants tends to cover, indoor and garden plants. Where as farming is a different ball game. I'Ve got MOD'd rights in there as well so I can move posts over if needs be.

I've sort of got accustomed to the spelling of it now and it cuts down on the ammount of PM's I get as everyone always spells it random.

[teletiger]

What about a thread for raw material sourcing. I.e. soybean meal, fishmeal, corn gluten, mineral mixes, ect. It could be broken down into sections. Livestock section could be fish fingerlings, chicks for growing out, layers, lambs, calves, piglets ect....I'm sure you get the idea.

Regards

[RamdomChances]

What about a thread for raw material sourcing. I.e. soybean meal, fishmeal, corn gluten, mineral mixes, ect. It could be broken down into sections. Livestock section could be fish fingerlings, chicks for growing out, layers, lambs, calves, piglets ect....I'm sure you get the idea.

Regards

Good idea TT ( sorry I have'nt got back to you...I forgot ) Personaly I have'nt a clue on most of them and I think a lot would come down to local knowlage. Why not open a post for it and if we get some good contacts out of it, I'll sort them out and pin it.

RC

[euca]

RamdomChances,

I'm new here and it's a very interesting forum. May I ask, what does 'pinned' mean in this context?

rgds

Euca

[slapout]

Interesting comment about boreholes. I have read what is posted and noted a couple errors and I am not trying to flame or get into the argument side. As an example, the notes on slurry or what I call mud mention weight being important in bringing cuttings out of the well bore. Weight is only to used to keep downhole zones from contributing fluid or gas to the well bore and keeping the wellbore from falling in but water loss must be considered also. Viscosity of mud is what contributes to bring cuttings to the service along with fluid volume and pressure. The suggestion about what to look for is great and there are a lot of people who can contribute their experience on this. I think this would be a very informative thread.

[ronz28]

Farmers can use the waste of around 20 pigs to regularly power a small-sized electric generator.

Biogas offers solution to limited energy

11:55' 22/06/2008 (GMT+7)

Dr Bui Van Ga instructs mechanics on how to install a filter and regulator to create a stable electric current. Ga has researched applications for biogas for over ten years.

VietNamNet Bridge - As energy prices continue to rise and the world turns its attention to cleaner sources, biogas offers advantages for small business owners across the country. VNS reveals the details.

With his business dependant on a constant supply of electricity, animal breeder Nguyen The Ha is usually pretty worried this time of year.

As the summer approaches along with his busiest season, Ha is unusually calm this year. Although power outages may be inevitable, Ha can relax this summer thanks to a new electric generator fuelled by something Ha has in abundance: animal waste.

"When I learned about the biogas-electric generator created by Da Nang University’s Professor Bui Van Ga on VTV, I quickly realised that I needed it," said Ha, director of the Thanh Hoa-based Nam Khanh Company.

With his farm’s success at stake, Ha quickly made his way to Da Nang and asked the scientist to install the innovative generator. With biogas collected from animal waste already used for cooking, using the gas to fuel his generator made perfect sense.

"The waste produced by around 700 pigs and hundreds of animal breeds (chickens, infant ostriches, fish, porcupines) is so much that we can’t use it all for cooking," Ha explained. "We had to set the rest of the waste on fire to keep the area clean."

Why biogas?

Da Nang University director Bui Van Ga tests a biogas-powered engine in his lab.

In Viet Nam, biogas - an alternative fuel for cooking - has been used widely since the 1980s. In the early 21st century it became more popular thanks to the assistance of developed countries working to alleviate green house effects. Viet Nam was honoured by the United Nations for its effort in environmental protection by developing biogas in 2006.

Biogas has historically been used in internal combustion engines. However, the use has been limited to large-sized engines which use gas extracted from dumping grounds or sewage. Until now, small-sized engines using biogas were uncommon.

"Converting small engines which used to run on diesel and petroleum into ones running on biogas is an important advancement for Viet Nam’s countryside," said Huynh Phuoc, Director of Da Nang’s Science and Technology Department. "Eighty per cent of the population lives in rural areas."

Phuoc explained that the national electricity grid hasn’t reached many remote, mountainous regions, and where it does reach prices are high. As every part of the country sees regular power outages, farmers often face difficulties in production.

To use biogas as an alternative to diesel engines, Bui Van Ga, director of Da Nang University, had to solve two problems: filtering impurities, (particularly H2S) and introducing a regulating kit to ensure stable electric current.

"If one of the two problems is not completely solved, the engine could technically run, but with some serious problems," Ga said. "Worse is that the engine’s life span is shortened. The loss caused by the broken-down machine would be higher than the benefit gained by saving energy."

With the regulator and filter made of popular materials, the technology is an affordable alternative for farmers.

This isn’t Ga’s first breakthrough in applying biogas to everyday use. He and his colleagues started researching gas-run engines in 1997. He was granted exclusive property rights by the National Office of Intellectual Property for the liquid petroleum gas (LPG) conversion kits he invented for motorcycles, which were not only cost effective but also environmentally friendly.

Gas storage tanks fuel Nam Khanh Company. These tanks are capable of running a 15kW generator,enough to ensure energy security for the entire farm.

"Based on this success we continued to research applying biogas for stationary engines," he explained.

Ga worked with four researchers at Da Nang University’s Centre for Environmental Protection Studies. They received support from the Ministry of Education and Training as well as from Da Nang authorities for a total of VND120 million (US$7,500).

After all this work, according to Ga’s calculations, farmers can now use the waste from around 20 pigs to regularly power a small-sized electric generator.

An engine consumes 1m.cu of biogas to generate an average of 1kWh. A 20m.cu bag of biogas can fuel a 5kW-generator for six consecutive hours. It would take 10 litres of diesel to produce the same amount of electricity.

With the average small farm running for six hours, farmers can save VND2 million ($110) a month, amounting to VND24 million ($1,400) a year.

Since biogas also helps cut down on CO2 emissions, engines producing 26.4kg of CO2 a day will cut down on 9.5 tonnes annually.

Biogas-electric generators are already in use at farms in Da Nang City’s Hoa Vang District and rural areas in the central region. Ga’s group has so far received 20 orders from across the country.

Customers in the northern regions have bought the conversion kits and are installing them on their generators themselves. With the centre’s technicians living too far away, they can only provide farmers with remote assistance.

Gas in action

Ga and an assistant experiment with biogas power.

The NSB Company has about 500 pigs in Hoa Phong Commune, Hoa Vang District. They’ve been using the electric generator running on biogas for nearly a year and so far have had no complaints

"Each day 5kW-generators run for around 12-15 hours. The electricity is used for cleaning, warming and fanning the pigsty," said Huynh Ngoc Lanh, NSB director.

"We have used biogas for cooking for years, but the redundant gas was lost," Lanh noted. "Now it is converted to electricity. Many farm owners have come to see what we’re doing."

Ha, director of the Nam Khanh Company, plans to meet up with Ga again to replace his 7.5kW generator with a 15kW one.

"A bigger generator will ensure energy for the whole farm," Ha said.

Thanks to the money saved on fuel, Ha isn’t worried about paying for the VND20 million ($1,100) generator and another VND2 million ($110) for the conversion kit. The new electric generator has cut his energy costs by half. Even more valuable is the assurance that they won’t have to worry about black-outs anymore.

Future plans

Farmers can use the waste of around 20 pigs to regularly power a small-sized electric generator.

The filters and conversion kits are produced at the university’s centre for experimental vehicle engines. The research group plans to establish a production unit so that they can transfer the technology to convert LPG/gas motors and stationary engines.

"It’s still difficult to make research into reality because there are no domestic enterprises working to apply new research to production," Ga complained.

"Scientists are reluctant to commercialise their research. But if we don’t produce them ourselves how can we prove our work’s effectiveness?"

According to Ga, Toyota Corporation recently decided to support his group in their effort to multiply the model at every farm in rural areas throughout the country.

The Ministry of Education and Training also asked them to introduce the breakthrough at ASEAN’s science and technology programme to lend the model to other regional countries.

Ga’s group is co-operating with Japan’s Osaka Prefecture to research the possibility of extracting methane from biogas. Biogas could then be stored in ordinary gas storage containers with five times the capacity than present. Biogas could even one day be used in small-sized automobiles.

The breakthrough would realise Ga’s dream of soon seeing an entire generation of motors running on biogas, bringing a steady supply of electricity to every corner of the countryside.

[tig28]

Great idea..... consider something along the lines of the current thread---Current Rice Price Where You Are

I have no idea of the technical constraints--- but apart from current prices ( in various areas of Thailand) there is interest in: rice type

planting method; harvesting method & costs.

[sionapiorwerth]

What about a thread for raw material sourcing. I.e. soybean meal, fishmeal, corn gluten, mineral mixes, ect. It could be broken down into sections. Livestock section could be fish fingerlings, chicks for growing out, layers, lambs, calves, piglets ect....I'm sure you get the idea.

Regards

Great idea, sometimes hard to find certain livestock

chicks and fish fingerlings.

[kanomk2]

Please add a section for 'seed banks' and sources to get them in Thailand. Thanks

[oldestswinger]

Excellent suggestion from kanomk2