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Newo
~ Abstract Brain ~
Spain
2674 Posts |
 Posted - 12/27/2004 : 13:56:04
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Things grow better with Coke
John Vidal, The Guardian
November 2nd, 2004
Indian farmers have come up with what they think is the real thing to keep crops free of bugs. Instead of paying hefty fees to international chemical companies for patented pesticides, they are reportedly spraying their cotton and chilli fields with Coca-Cola.
In the past month there have been reports of hundreds of farmers turning to Coke in Andhra Pradesh and Chattisgarh states.
But as word gets out that soft drinks may be bad for bugs and a lot cheaper than anything that Messrs Monsanto, Shell and Dow can offer, thousands of others are expected to switch.
Gotu Laxmaiah, a farmer from Ramakrishnapuram in Andra Pradesh, said he was delighted with his new cola spray, which he applied this year to several hectares of cotton. "I observed that the pests began to die after the soft drink was sprayed on my cotton," he told the Deccan Herald newspaper.
Coca-Cola has had a bad year in India.
Other farmers in Andra Pradesh state accused the company of over-extracting underground water for its bottling plants and a government committee upheld findings that drinks made in India by itself and PepsiCo contained unacceptable amounts of pesticide residue.
But Mr Laxmaiah and others say their cola sprays are invaluable because they are safe to handle, do not need to be diluted and, mainly, are cheap.
One litre of highly concentrated Avant, Tracer and Nuvocron, three popular Indian pesticides, costs around 10,000 rupees (£120), but one-and-a-half litres of locally made Coca-Cola is 30 rupees. To spray an acre would be a mere 270 rupees.
It is clearly not Coke's legendary "secret" ingredient that is upsetting the bugs. The farmers also swear by Pepsi, Thums Up, and other local soft drinks.
The main ingredients of all colas are water and sugar but some manufacturers add citric and phosphoric acids to give that extra bite to human taste buds.
Yesterday a leading Indian agriculture analyst, Devinder Sharma, said: "I think Coke has found its right use. Farmers have traditionally used sugary solutions to attract red ants to feed on insect larvae.
"I think the colas are also performing the same role."
The properties of Coke have been discussed for years. It has been reported that it is a fine lavatory cleaner, a good windscreen wipe and an efficient rust spot remover.
Uncorroborated reports from China claimed that the ill-fated New Coke was widely used in China as a spermicide.
Yesterday a spokesman for Coca-Cola in Atlanta said: "We are aware of one isolated case where a farmer may have used a soft drink as part of his crop management routine.
"Soft drinks do not act in a similar way to pesticides when applied to the ground or crops. There is no scientific basis for this and the use of soft drinks for this purpose would be totally ineffective".
© Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004
Article Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/india/story/0,12559,1341454,00.html
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Maze rats dreamed of mazes, according to the latest studies. Maze rat scientists dreamed of rats. I was dreaming of cheese. |
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4894 Posts |
Posted - 12/28/2004 : 05:54:02
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I feed my cheeseplant coke when I can't be arsed to carry the half full can downstairs. It's doing just great!
Frank Black ate my hamster |
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Homers_pet_monkey
= Official forum monkey =
United Kingdom
17125 Posts |
Posted - 12/28/2004 : 06:01:21
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I bet Mr Escobar's riches have soared now.
Help me! He keeps making me post!
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Newo
~ Abstract Brain ~
Spain
2674 Posts |
Posted - 12/28/2004 : 08:07:24
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Ack you drink the stuff yourself Tre? A friend of my mother's boyfriend is a chemist for Coke in Italy, he's signed secrecy clauses and won't divulge what goes in it but will say that he won't ever drink it. And we laugh at people who eat lead paint.
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Maze rats dreamed of mazes, according to the latest studies. Maze rat scientists dreamed of rats. I was dreaming of cheese. |
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4894 Posts |
Posted - 12/28/2004 : 08:11:10
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It's addictive. I'm giving it up in the new year. That and pringles.
Frank Black ate my hamster |
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Homers_pet_monkey
= Official forum monkey =
United Kingdom
17125 Posts |
Posted - 12/28/2004 : 08:15:37
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Yeah, sure you are Tre.
Help me! He keeps making me post!
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Newo
~ Abstract Brain ~
Spain
2674 Posts |
Posted - 12/28/2004 : 08:19:01
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My body gave up Pringles for me, I was watching the Cable Guy a few years ago and ate two large tins of barbecue and turned into a vomit fireworks display in the hall. Almost turned myself insideout.
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Maze rats dreamed of mazes, according to the latest studies. Maze rat scientists dreamed of rats. I was dreaming of cheese. |
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4894 Posts |
Posted - 12/28/2004 : 08:25:57
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Wow, I'd have blamed the cable guy myself. Two tins though Owen, thats hardcore!
I told my housemate I was quitting pringles she said "Fucking hell tre quit smoking it'll be easier"
I'm going to do it though, grr I'm tough me.
Frank Black ate my hamster |
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Homers_pet_monkey
= Official forum monkey =
United Kingdom
17125 Posts |
Posted - 12/28/2004 : 08:26:08
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My god man, that's a lot of Pringles. No wonder you 'nearly turned yourself inside out'.
Help me! He keeps making me post!
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Newo
~ Abstract Brain ~
Spain
2674 Posts |
Posted - 12/28/2004 : 08:38:11
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Well good luck with the Pringlequitting, I would recommend any cure other that my own though, it was the only time I thought I was a goner save for a couple of instances being in the passenger seat with my old drummer at the wheel.
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Maze rats dreamed of mazes, according to the latest studies. Maze rat scientists dreamed of rats. I was dreaming of cheese. |
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4894 Posts |
Posted - 12/28/2004 : 08:46:45
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monosodiumglutamates-a-go-go
no wonder you yakked
I once drank six cans of red stripe, two cans of fosters, three pints of grolsch, three "stubbies", two vodka cocktails, a quart of neat vodka a bottle of red wine and a bottle of pernod in an evening away, I minibus surfed the whole way home. Thats about as near death as I have been.
[note to self, coke, pringles and drink]
Frank Black ate my hamster |
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Newo
~ Abstract Brain ~
Spain
2674 Posts |
Posted - 12/28/2004 : 09:02:09
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Holy Roman Empire, Batman! Even Pernod and water is volatile. The Brain of Tre must have a special alcoholproof part to remember all that tipple.
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Maze rats dreamed of mazes, according to the latest studies. Maze rat scientists dreamed of rats. I was dreaming of cheese. |
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4894 Posts |
Posted - 12/28/2004 : 09:06:32
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Unfortunately I remember the whole horrible evening
Frank Black ate my hamster |
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Newo
~ Abstract Brain ~
Spain
2674 Posts |
Posted - 12/28/2004 : 09:19:29
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Ah the talent of the mind for selecting the things we don't want to remember over the things we do. My first steps? Not a thing. Time I tried to throw a plastic bag of sick out a closed taxi window? Acid clarity.
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Maze rats dreamed of mazes, according to the latest studies. Maze rat scientists dreamed of rats. I was dreaming of cheese. |
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VoVat
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
USA
9168 Posts |
Posted - 01/11/2005 : 16:11:07
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quote:
My first steps? Not a thing. Time I tried to throw a plastic bag of sick out a closed taxi window? Acid clarity.
Well, to be fair, you probably WERE quite a bit older at the time.
"Reunion? Shit union!" |
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Newo
~ Abstract Brain ~
Spain
2674 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2005 : 14:24:52
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Physically, yes.
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Democracy is the unwiped ass of a devilish con game. |
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Things grow better with Coke
