Books by Ajit Varma

This book covers the basics of animal manure, or animal dung, and highlights its applications in agriculture and biotechnology. The reader is given a comprehensive overview of the different types of animal manure. Although animal manure can cause environmental problems, e.g., when slurry pollutes rivers or burnt dung pollutes air, the book emphasizes the fact that animal dung is by no means a waste product. Animal manure is a valuable organic fertilizer that has a positive impact on soil conditions and helps save on chemical fertilizers. It is also a source of energy and can be either be used as fuel or converted into biogas through methanization. Old-age practices such as the use of dried dung as insulating material, or burnt dung as mosquito repellent are also taken up.With the increasing focus on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this book offers ideas and solutions related to SDG 2 Zero Hunger and SDG 15 Life on Land. The book will not only be an interesting read for students and researchers in the field of agriculture, but will also appeal to scientists working on waste management, organic manure production or in the paper industry.

This book sheds new light on how microbes can be used as effective and sustainable resources to produce green energy in the form of biogas, algal diesel, ethanol, hydrogen and direct electricity.