Nano urea in field trials: Fertiliser may have received nod for production too soon
ICAR states that data for at least 3 seasons must be supplied for a fertiliser to be certified
Digitising agriculture in face of climate change
Extreme weather and changing geography threatened food security and livelihood in Africa and Asia this year. Digitising agriculture has become a …
'We are in a much better position than in the past'
With the Zika virus spreading across the Americas, the international community has panicked. Kundan Pandey spoke to Soumya Swaminathan, Director …
As a heatwave spectre hangs again over India’s wheat harvest, its home-grown crop simulation model can help
InfoCrop, available for free on IARI’s website, can forecast climate impact on farm yield in real time
Study points to quality issues in Bt cotton seeds
The study has found seed companies violating norms on the mixture of refuge seeds and Bt cotton seeds provided to farmers
Indian scientists convert wild legume into edible dal
A recent research shows it is possible to knock off genes that are responsible for the production of a class of anti-nutrients that make the …
Getting more with less
System of crop intensification, specially in rice, has shown sizeable savings in water and seed usage. Yet its adoption has not spread despite …
Back in f(l)avour
Entry of high yielding hybrid rice has spelt doom for traditional diversity in the Konkan belt. Thanks to a science academy, the ancient legacy …
CSE’s organic experiment: Challenge starts with procuring right seeds
Local shops and India’s premier research institute failed to provide organic seeds of vegetable
You will soon be able to buy India’s first high oleic groundnut varieties
The commercialised of these varieties and it is set to benefit all stakeholders, including small famers, food industry as well as the …
Hidden hunger?
There is a rush to cash in on micronutrient deficiency in India through fortification of food
Costly largesse
US unveils safety net for its farmers, shackling global free trade and posing a threat to environment
Lumpy skin disease: Indian vaccine awaiting approval for 10 months even as more cattle fall prey
From January 2022 to May 2023, 165,000 cattle died
Cotton conundrum
The powers that be are hanging fire on Bt cotton despite long and intensive research. Indira Khurana delves into the baffling issue
Assam to revist Kharif crop calendar to counter effects of erratic monsoon
Yield of rice, the state's major crop, has been affected by unpredictable rainfall patterns
Africa's big little anti-GM revolution
Burkina Faso's farmers have thrown out Monsanto's Bt cotton and returned to conventional seeds, with a little help from India.
Biotech industry has a new patron
Department of Biotechnology is playing venture capitalist to private companies to push biotech research in agriculture
India Organics Inc
The Indian farmer is 'naturally' organic. But without support and premium for 'green' crops, there is no alternative but to take the chemical route
"Subsidy culture has killed local agriculture"
Thupstan Chhewang, Chief Executive Councillor and chairperson of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) speaks to Down To Earth.
Ladakh on the move
Ladakh is the one region in India where sustainable development is the only way ahead. Dry toilets, water efficient crops, cooperative farming, a …
Rejoinder: ‘One CGIAR won’t alter international germplasm collections’
The One CGIAR transition process was born of a recognition that the evolving, interconnected global challenges facing our food systems require a …
Human excreta can make good fertiliser, but prejudice and laws stand in way
There is a need for tests and experiments to validate the efficacy of human excreta derived fertilisers, suggests a research by UK scientists
How scientists contained a deadly tomato pest that travelled across the world
Though tomato is the primary host, Tuta absoluta attacks other vegetable crops as well. If not properly managed, the leaf-miner can cause 100 per …
Agricultural biotechnolgies a boon for family farmers, say experts
A range of biotechnologies can help bring about high yields, improve nutrition quality and add value to the productivity of crops, livestock,…
Bt brinjal controversy hots up in Bangladesh
Bt Brinjal farmers divided between green activists opposing GM crops and government which claims the crop experiment was fairly suiccessful