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
Manure magic
Farmers living in the upper reaches of Nepal have developed an ingenious way of maintaining soil fertility
Natural-born killers
A naturally occuring bacterium in milk can save the losses incurred by mal1scale dairy farmers who do not own refrigeration facilities
Flowery woes
The crisis of pollination assumes greater significance in the face of declining numbers of species which act as useful pollinators
Wood does a lot of good
It was the bane of the rubber tree, as the fungus Phytophthora literally ate into its every part. With the discovery of antifungal wood extracts, …
He search is on
Seed varieties resistant to ozone would help enhance crop yields in areas which are exposed to high ozone levels
Wonder plant
An eco-friendly plant, the Senna can be used to regenerate wastelands with less water and without pesticides
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 …
When ducks get to work
Employing ducks in the paddy field heralds an era of prosperity for farmers in Japan, and in time worldwide
Fruits of science
An Indian research institute is in the process of developing a banana variety with a longer shelf-life
Turning over a tea leaf
Production of organic tea in Darjeeling is increasing as consumers in the West refuse to import tea with pesticide residues
Cotton tangle
Indian Bt cotton varieties show 75 per cent expression of the Bt gene, while elsewhere it is 100 per cent
Orissa faces acute food insecurity
It is well known that farmers of Orissa are not the 'privileged ones'. What is not known, albeit, is the fact that their plight is all set to …
To kill a mocking pest
With pesticides no longer a viable means of controlling pests in most cases, the search for alternatives like bio-pesticides has proved that …
Askew
As Parliament mulls the Seeds Bill 2004, there is intense opposition to it. It's likely the government will redraft it. sopan joshi and sourav …
Coconut capital
Toddy tappers in Kerala fought off social stigma and repression only to fight new demons like the government's excise policy
Science for people
Scientists attending the 101st Science Congress discuss solutions to lift farmers, livestock owners out of poverty
Natural cotton gets brown hue
Indian scientists develop a variety of coloured cotton, characterised by stability of lint colour, spinnable fibre quality and a fairly good yield
Bt brinjal biopiracy case: court vacates stay
Karnataka High Court allows biodiversity boards to go ahead with criminal prosecution of seed company Mahyco and others, accused to using local …
'Organic cotton production and consumption should become a mass movement'
Vivek and Juli Cariappa are Krishi Pandit awardees and dedicated organic farmers based in H D Kote taluk in Mysore. They have been practising …