Biotech-engineered rice has few takers
Despite advancements, research programmes in rice biotechnology heve drawn lukewarm response because it is felt that there is little money to be …
Neem gains honour as India's wonder tree
Known in ancient India as a tree with many wondrous properties, the neem tree is slowly drawing the attention of the country's scientific and …
How green was the revolution
The Green Revolution Reconsidered: The Impact of High Yielding Rice Varieties in South India Peter B R Hazell and C Ramaswamy Oxford University …
A whiff of death
Researchers are now trying to develop natural weapons to scare off pests by studying the olfactory mechanism of plants that emit odours when …
Never say die
Farmers and agricultural scientists in Australia are having a tough time battling a weed that has suddenly developed resistance to a herbicide
Revolutionary potatoes
Recently developed hybrid true potato seeds are ideally suited to subtropical climates and are highly disease-resistant
Creating a family tree for rice
Scientists at the National Chemical Laboratory are working on rice biotechnology in order to develop more nutritious varieties of the cereal.
Gene transfer yields pest-resisting rice strain
Darshan S Brar, who has been working for years on rice hybrids at the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines, talks about gene …
A lot of gas
An Indian scientists has challenged the estimates of methane -- a greenhouse gas -- produced from paddy fields
Shoot to protect
With the creation of a new variety of rice plant which is resistant to bacterial leaf blight, genetic engineering has once again made one of …
The revival of indigo
A school principal in Bihar revives the cultivation of the crop that symbolised the independence struggle
Will an amended Seeds Act make industry accountable?
The Union ministry of agriculture has moved an amendment to the Seeds Act, 1966, and also proposes to create a National Seeds Grid. While the aim …
Rajasthan ignores seed advice
It distributed Monsanto’s hybrid maize seeds that were not recommended for the state
The world of french fries and potato salad
The potato, native to South America, invaded England in 1588, the year Elizabeth I's devil-may-care sea-dogs vanquished the Spanish Armada. It …
Bacteria that reduces fertilser use
indian scientists have discovered a novel microorganism in salty marshlands, which has the potential to absorb nitrogen -- an essential plant …
Split profits
Applying small quantities of fertilisers repeatedly gives a better crop yield than a single large dose
Union Budget 2022-23: Allocation for agricultural education and research reduced
Expenditure on agricultural education, animal science, crop science and management of natural resources reduced in the budget
Tried and tested
Traditional medical and agricultural practices, usually dismissed as unscientific, are regaining favour, with some help from Honeybee -- a …
The discerning eye of the insect
How do pests select which plants to attack in the field? By smelling odours plants emit, believe most entomologists. But now an alternative …
Fighting hidden hunger
Dr Howarth E Bouis, director of HarvestPlus, is a doctorate from Stanford University. He is promoting biofortification within the Consultative …
New rice varieties flourish in deep waters
New varieties of rice that can be grown in flood-hit areas are producing higher yields. Combined with other crops, they can give the farmer a …
Prolific movements
Researchers prove that movements in the Earth's crust are largely responsible for the uneven distribution of global biological diversity
Neem-coated growth
The Union government's decision to produce neem-coated urea will not only improve soil health and agriculture, but also halt its illegal …
Genetic engineering
Promising initial tests of new rice strains with high potential for farmers have spurred biotechnologists to press ahead with the search for …