When you see the traditional maize of Mexico for the first time you are stunned. It is a cornucopia of unimagined colours and lustre: blue black, purple, translucent beige, pearly white, some deep burgundy, sun-kissed yellow or crushed mulberry, and countless other combinations. Many of the variegated corn varieties appear …
THE Central Potato Research Institute conducted field trial for genetically modified potato at its Jalandhar research station between October 2010 and February 2011. But the Punjab government failed to monitor it. As per the Environment Protection Act (EPA) of 1986, it is the responsibility of the State Biotechnology Coordination Committees …
BIHAR and Kerala have come out strongly against the Seeds Bill 2010 to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha, saying states should get more powers to regulate seed trade. They say the bill in its present form would lead to unrestricted commercialisation of seeds now in public domain. After Andhra …
Regions affected In Europe, there has been a fall in bee colonies since 1965. Unusual weakening and mortality was reported in 1998. France, Switzerland, Germany, the UK, Spain and Italy were worst affected. In the US, loss of bee colonies has aggravated since 2004. During 2006-2007, 29 per cent beekeepers …
In the Union Budget presented by the Finance Minister of India, Pranab Mukherjee on 28 February 2011, the science, technology and environment sector was allocated Rs 16,186 crores, an increase of more than 18% over last year’s allocation of Rs 13,677 crores (http://india-budget.nic.in/ub2011-12/bag/bag41.pdf). The budget which has been largely touted …
Poor access to appropriate technologies due to difficult topographies and tough mountain conditions is one of the major causes of poverty, drudgery and natural resources degradation not only in the Indian Central Himalaya, but also in other parts of the Hindu-Kush Himalaya. Of late, deve- lopment planners have realized the …
A review of the use and value of seasonal climate forecasting for agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), with a view to understanding and exploiting opportunities to realize more of its potential benefits. Interaction between the atmosphere and underlying oceans provides the basis for probabilistic forecasts of climate conditions at a …
Betel leaves were once dubbed green gold. But farmers do not find betel farming lucrative anymore. Besides low demand, it is the rising input cost, primarily for irrigation, that is discouraging betel farmers. Since it is a tropical plant, growing betel in the subtropic climate of India requires extra care …
The way paan is associated with India, a Chaurasia is associated with paan. But both the equations are changing, said Lalta Prasad Chaurasia, spitting blood red betel juice into an elegantly designed brass spittoon. The 58-year-old is among the last generation of Chaurasia farmers in Mahoba district of Uttar Pradesh …
SOIL erosion worldwide is threatening agriculture. A group of scientists has calculated that about 7.5 per cent of the soil in India is extremely vulnerable to erosion. Scientists at the Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute in Dehradun employed a concept to evaluate susceptibility of soil types …
Read this special report by Down To Earth on the iconic Paan losing its appeal. Its trade has dipped 40-50 per cent in the past decade, while consumption of chewing tobacco, especially gutkha, increased during the period. Farmers now prefer other crops. Iconic paan no more appeals to farmers, traders …
A LOOMING food crisis in the world and high food inflation rates at home made Pranab Mukherjee’s proposals to boost agriculture in his 2011 budget more keenly watched than usual. These are factors that clearly weighed with the finance minister who repeatedly said that his principal concern this year has …
In David and Goliath stand-offs public sympathy—and cheering—is always reserved for the heroic small man who takes on the big bad guy. The David usually represents valour in the face of heavy odds. That is how the Indian pharmaceuticals industry projected itself when it began producing generics medicine at a …
INDIA will soon be the first country to commercially cultivate biofortified pearl millet, or bajra. The crop has been biofortified to improve its iron and zinc nutrients, and will be released in 2012 by HarvestPlus, a global alliance of research and implementing agencies. To be distributed in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat …
As I write this piece, the finance minister has dispatched the Union Budget 2011. The press is busy reflecting the views of business and industry lobbies, as they quibble over duty exemptions, insist on financial stimulus and other incentives, and cry for big-ticket reform—foreign direct investment in retail and insurance. …
What is biofortification of crops? Biofortification is a process where plant breeders explore crop genetic diversity in seed banks and create a crop that is rich in specific micronutrients. There are two ways to biofortify crops—conventional plant breeding and transgenic methods.How do you decide the amount of nutrient to be …
Poplar (Populus deltoides) has gained considerable importance in agroforestry plantations of western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir due to its deciduous nature, fast growth, short rotation and high industrial requirement. Poplar based agroforestry systems are prevalent among farmers of Saharanpur (UP) and Yamunanagar (Haryana) districts of …
A NUMBER of farmers lose their crops because of acidic soil. It increases solubility of the naturally occurring aluminium, leading to aluminium toxicity. Aluminium toxicity usually damages the roots first; they tend to be shortened and swollen. Aluminium also inhibits the uptake of calcium, an essential plant nutrient. Use of …
BESIDES meeting domestic requirements, India exports 1 to 1.1 million tonnes of onion worth Rs 1,000 crore. In the past 25 years onion production has increased from 2.5 to 7.5 million tonnes. These figures are displayed prominently in the website under review. There is no mention of the current crisis, …
IN DHINKIA village in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district, residents gathered around fragile bamboo gates, armed with sticks, brooms and lathis. The gates and improvised weapons were meant to keep government officials out. The residents expected a visit from them any day after the Union environment ministry gave environmental clearance to South …
