Question

How are "Gobar gas plants" beneficial to the farmers?

Answer 1

Hint:
i) In rural India, the plants that make use of cattle dung are known as "Gobar Gas Plants" .
ii) Also called as Biogas as it is produced biochemically and acts as an eco-friendly energy source causing negligible pollution.
iii) With this, farmers get a social function of energy provider and waste treatment operator.

Complete answer:
-The residues and remains of the Gobar gas are used as manure and fertilisers by the farmers for agricultural purposes. Basically the digested substrate is a valuable soil fertiliser.
-This soil fertiliser is rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and micronutrients, which can be applied on soils with usual equipment for application of liquid manure.
-Compared to raw animal dander, digested substrate has improved fertiliser efficiency due to higher homogeneity and nutrient availability, better carbon/nitrogen ratio and reduced odour.
-The manures of the Gobar gas have the capacity to increase the strength of the soil and it can improve the productivity in agriculture too.
-Biogas production can be effectively integrated into conventional and organic farming, where they reduce the use of chemical fertilisers and the burning of fossil fuels to produce large amounts of energy.
-One Major advantage of biogas production is the availability of "wet biomass", characterised by very high moisture content (higher than 60-70%).

Note:
i) Bacteria that thrive in marshy areas are called methanogens which are responsible for production of biogas by acting on cow dung. examples of methanogens ; methanococcus .
ii) Animal manure and slurries, crop residues, organic dairy waste production, food industries and agro-industries, organic part of municipal solid waste can be used for production of biogas.
iii) Gobar gas can also be collected with special installations, from landfill sites and can be stored in concrete tanks of 15 feet.