Agriculture is egocentric

Norman Uphoff, professor emeritus of government and international agriculture at Cornell University, US, likes to say that the system of rice …

SUBSIDISED KILLING

They may survive the drought. But they cannot survive government policies. When people have to abandon their livestock, they are reduced to misery,…

Is the joyride over ?

There was fear in the 1960s. Would India continue to wait for food imports to feed itself? The scientific community came up with an answer that …

Lost in plantation

Millions of growers and workers are in distress in Kerala, the plantation capital of India, as domestic and international prices of cash crops …

India's city compost policy needs overhauling

Promised financial incentives for sale of city compost did not prove to be a game-changer in promoting its marketing and production 

Plant non-grata

Book>> Weeds, in defense of nature’s most unloved plants • by Richard Mabey • Harper Collins • US $25

Now an app to help farmers practice precision agriculture

By determining health of the crops using hyperspectral imaging of crop leaves, the app could help in rational use of fertilisers

Policies must be aimed at building capacity of soils, not promoting agrochemicals: experts

Scientists and practitioners deliberate on how to reverse soil degradation by taking cognizance of principal causes and policy gaps

Climate change can cause selenium deficiency in soil and humans

Deficiency of the micronutrient has been associated with a deadly heart ailment called Keshan disease

Sustainable soil management key to Africa's food security

The thrust is now on promotion of sustainable soil management as the approach for boosting healthy soils for a food-secure Africa

Manipur landslide: Weak soil, incessant rain, anthropogenic pressure to blame, say experts

Seventy-nine people have been confirmed as victims while 47 bodies have been recovered from the accident site at Marangching village in …

New method developed to measure soil erosion

This method can help monitor the effects of soil erosion and effectiveness of soil conservation strategies

Food for soil

The 'green revolution' has boosted agricultural production and transformed semi-arid land, but its long-term effects on soil quality in India …

Manure magic

Farmers living in the upper reaches of Nepal have developed an ingenious way of maintaining soil fertility

Soil erosion triggers ravine expansion in Gujarat

Ravines have increased by 60-70 per cent in four districts of Gujarat in the last 4-5 decades and this threatens agriculture and livelihood there

Phosphorus is vital for life on Earth – and we’re running low

The fact that more than 70 per cent of the global phosphorus supply comes from a single location is problematic

Earthworms are more important than pandas (if you want to save the planet)

We focus on large, charismatic animals at the expense of these crucial "lowly creatures"

The fire-fighting children of the Khasi Hills and the decline of traditional farming in north-east India

In North-east India, children of the Khasi Hills (Meghalaya) learn slash and burn cultivation, an intergenerational yet controversial indigenous …

Plagued plantations

Farmers in the Peruvian highlands learn that all's not well with their produce, land and health

World Soil Day: Tackle soil pollution and do away with food insecurity, says FAO

The UN agency says that addressing this issue will also help bring down soil degradation, stem rural migration and adapt to climate change

A new programme aims at increasing Africa's soil productivity by 30%

Poor soil fertility is a major constraint to improving farm productivity and farmer livelihoods in Africa

N2O emissions from Arctic soils not as low as previously thought: study

Until recently, scientists assumed that nitrous oxide emissions were negligible in colder climate regions like the Arctic and sub-Arctic

Sustaining terra firma

Scientists in New Zealand have developed a low-cost technology that can clean contaminated soil

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 …

To recharge groundwater, give due attention to soil: conservationist Vijay Borade

India, according to him, witnesses 15 tonnes of soil loss for each hectare every year due to erosion