Science & Technology - Briefs

Wheat blast: A fungus that spread to three continents can threaten food security globally

Magnaporthe oryzae fungus was first reported in South America, from where it independently spread to Asia and Africa

African ministers call for accelerating actions towards achieving food security

They advocated mainstreaming cross-cutting issues such as gender, nutrition and climate change post-COVID-19

White gold rush

Despite several government programmes, cotton cultivation is riddled with problems

Deadly concoctions

Farmers are not fully aware of the consequences of using chemical pesticides

Warming temperatures increasing pest attacks, reducing yield, claim Rajasthan farmers

New and wider infestations by pests causing mass destruction of harvest

The hopper bands in Wayanad are not locusts

A member of IUCN’s grasshopper specialist group explains the truth about the infestation in Pulpally, Wayanad

Rajasthan Locust Attack: Pests plus lockdown leave farmers in a soup

Destruction of the cotton crop, unsold rabi crops like wheat and barley and lack of help from the government making things worse for farmers

Agroecology is the only way

Winged wonders: We should not resent bats, because we need them

The pandemic has magnified fear of bats, but their conservation is crucial to prevent such events from arising again