Valayam: What are the benefits of having bats around? Ask Parambath Prakashan from Thannimukku Peedika, Valayam and he will give you a long list. In his farm they have contributed to both plant diversity and soil manure, that too in the most inexpensive way.
With bats living in the tall old trees in his three acre homestead for over 12 years, Prakashan has proved wrong the superstition that the farm where bats migrate in hordes will soon be lost to the owner. Prakashan provided the bats with a safe home when the other locals were chasing away the endangered species using crackers and cutting down trees.
With a haven created in Prakashan's land they soon started migrating in large numbers and occupied almost every tree in the premise. Soon his plot turned into a medicinal and plant garden with the excreta of the bats bringing in several varieties of seeds which soon sprouted to give both manure and saplings. Prakashan who is an organic farmer also uses the excreta as manure and the variety plant growth adds to the humus content in the soil.
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