Demo-Bobylon
25-10-2003, 19:23
Minister for Agriculture Nikolai Schmidt walks on, and drops his papers immediately. After an embarassed pause as he picks them up, he begins in a voice cracked with nerves.
"Umm...gentlemen, and ladies, I mean comrades. Ahem. With 14% of the population employed in agriculture, it is a vital task for Demo-Bobylon to ensure that our people do not starve. Ahem. Using the latest in biochemistry, the Science, Technology and Industry Commission has created, with the Ministry for Agriculture, Project Genesis.
"At the present stage, we have successfully enhanced Rhizobium trifolii bacteria. These 'fix' nitrogen into nitrate salts that plants can use for growth, and this strain works with a type of clover. Erm...the new species is, of course, Rhizobium trifollii synthesisium, and a genetically modified clover Trifolium synthesisium.
"In Demo-Bobylon, we use a certain agricultural system - rotated crops. For the first 4 years, we grow different crops. For the fifth, the field lies 'fallow', erm, that is left for animals to graze on. Thereofre productivity remains high, and we harvest crops, milk and wheat. Now, in our experiments, we have discovered that a field covered with Trifolium with standard Rhizobium tifolii bacteria can have 350kg more nitrates than a field without, erm, Rhizobium. Umm, furthermore, if Rhizobium trifolii synthesisium is used, that increases to 500kg per hectare. On a high inetensity field in an MEDC, 3000kg of fertiliser is used per hectare. If we use the bacterium to replace nitrates, this can fall to 1500kg needed. This reduces eutrophication, erm, preventing environmental damage, reduces the risk of poisonous fetrtlisers reaching humans and cuts costs by half. What's more, animals can graze.
"With the correct funding, Demo-Bobylon hopes that Rhizobium can produce 800kg of nitrates per ha, further reducing the need for inorganic ammonia fertilisers. This would be a great day for us." For the first time during the speech, Nikolai smiled.
"So, does any country have interest? And how would they like to fund this project? Rotated crops - a brilliant system of agriculture, which has now been shown to be the best form. Although renvironmental standards reduced grain production by 8.1%, we estimate that this initiative will increase it by 15.6% with the bacteria so far. We thank you for your concern for your people and the environment and hope you will support this scheme. Comrades, friends: thank you."
Nikolai walks offsatge to an applause.
Xikuang, Duke Watfordshire, Seocc, Germanicapan, Celdonia and Anhierarch have all shown interest, some have funded this, and Duke Watfordshire and Seocc have agreed to let this take place in their own countries. Interest? Funding? And, please, your thoughts.
"Umm...gentlemen, and ladies, I mean comrades. Ahem. With 14% of the population employed in agriculture, it is a vital task for Demo-Bobylon to ensure that our people do not starve. Ahem. Using the latest in biochemistry, the Science, Technology and Industry Commission has created, with the Ministry for Agriculture, Project Genesis.
"At the present stage, we have successfully enhanced Rhizobium trifolii bacteria. These 'fix' nitrogen into nitrate salts that plants can use for growth, and this strain works with a type of clover. Erm...the new species is, of course, Rhizobium trifollii synthesisium, and a genetically modified clover Trifolium synthesisium.
"In Demo-Bobylon, we use a certain agricultural system - rotated crops. For the first 4 years, we grow different crops. For the fifth, the field lies 'fallow', erm, that is left for animals to graze on. Thereofre productivity remains high, and we harvest crops, milk and wheat. Now, in our experiments, we have discovered that a field covered with Trifolium with standard Rhizobium tifolii bacteria can have 350kg more nitrates than a field without, erm, Rhizobium. Umm, furthermore, if Rhizobium trifolii synthesisium is used, that increases to 500kg per hectare. On a high inetensity field in an MEDC, 3000kg of fertiliser is used per hectare. If we use the bacterium to replace nitrates, this can fall to 1500kg needed. This reduces eutrophication, erm, preventing environmental damage, reduces the risk of poisonous fetrtlisers reaching humans and cuts costs by half. What's more, animals can graze.
"With the correct funding, Demo-Bobylon hopes that Rhizobium can produce 800kg of nitrates per ha, further reducing the need for inorganic ammonia fertilisers. This would be a great day for us." For the first time during the speech, Nikolai smiled.
"So, does any country have interest? And how would they like to fund this project? Rotated crops - a brilliant system of agriculture, which has now been shown to be the best form. Although renvironmental standards reduced grain production by 8.1%, we estimate that this initiative will increase it by 15.6% with the bacteria so far. We thank you for your concern for your people and the environment and hope you will support this scheme. Comrades, friends: thank you."
Nikolai walks offsatge to an applause.
Xikuang, Duke Watfordshire, Seocc, Germanicapan, Celdonia and Anhierarch have all shown interest, some have funded this, and Duke Watfordshire and Seocc have agreed to let this take place in their own countries. Interest? Funding? And, please, your thoughts.