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 …
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 …
In Troubled Waters
In coastal Kerala, rice cultivation is alternated with prawn farming. The method requires no fertilisers or pesticides. But many farmers in the …
Punjab to use ancient broadcasting technique to grow rice this Kharif, save groundwater
DSR can help reduce water consumption by as much as 35% over the traditional process of transplanting rice seedlings from a nursery to …
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 …
Water use is excessive in rice cultivation
Farmers in India are using 25 times the amount of water that agricultural scientists say is needed to produce paddy. Improper irrigation methods …
Insuring against gene erosion
Experiments by the Academy for Development of Science in Karjat have led researchers to conclude that gene banks are best created and controlled …
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 …
Punjab is a bleak example of India’s groundwater crisis. Here is how
In the wake of the UN report showing alarming levels of depletion, DTE analysed the groundwater crisis in the state
First real-time digital platform to monitor rice fields can bolster food security
Researchers are developing the first real-time monitoring platform for rice fields, which will give information about the quantity of rice …
Rice-fish farming system in India is in urgent need of conservation and promotion
Along with reducing the emission of greenhouse gases, co-culture systems have beneficial effects on farm income and improving the livelihood of …
Solution for crop burning? Rice husk biochar found to efficiently remove groundwater fluoride
Ensuring sustainable & ethical sourcing of biomass for biochar production, community awareness vital for successful adoption
When ducks get to work
Employing ducks in the paddy field heralds an era of prosperity for farmers in Japan, and in time worldwide
GMO rice from India withdrawn in EU: Indian coalition asks for action
500 tonnes of genetically modified rice were discovered in a consignment that India exported to the European Union countries in June 2021
Punjab wants farmers to stay away from 9 pesticides. Will it help?
Europe tightened import norms since 2018, has shown reluctance to import basmati rice with pesticide residues earlier
At market's mercy
The government's decision to phase out procurement of rice from millers for its public distribution system may increase small farmers' …
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 …
Why is Telangana asking the Centre to procure its excess stock of parboiled rice?
The Telangana government is asking the Centre to buy more than 90 per cent of its stock of parboiled rice at Minimum Support Price, some of which …
Another problem with China's coal: Mercury in rice
A study finds that coal pollution in China is leading to people getting significant levels of mercury poisoning from …
Tinkering with root hair may help boost crop yields
Researchers are exploring mechanisms adopted by plants to survive in low phosphate soils to figure out if they can enhance survival in poor water …
Arsenic: Lurking in the shadows across Ganga, Brahmaputra basins
As the geography of arsenic contamination spreads, there is an urgent need for governments to reorient mitigation measures. That’s because …
Black beauty
Black rice is drought resistant and has rich medicinal properties. Manipur and Assam are reviving this variety
Genetic engineering
Promising initial tests of new rice strains with high potential for farmers have spurred biotechnologists to press ahead with the search for …