Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of In Re: News Item Titled "Neglected Katora Houz in Hyderabad’s Golconda Fort Cries for attention appearing in ‘The Siasat Daily’ dated 25 May 2025". The application was registered suo-motu based on the news item titled “Neglected Katora Houz in Hyderabad’s …
there is some good news for farmers. Delhi-based National Fertilisers Limited (nfl) has started manufacturing urea coated with neem oil. Fifty field trials conducted in three states show positive results, with an average increase of 16 per cent in crop production. "On an average, 20 per cent less neem-coated urea …
cabbage could well become the latest focus of the never-ending debate on the viability of genetic modification (gm), with a group of Indian scientists successfully developing a gm cabbage. The development might create a furore in the future, as the vegetable has been modified by inserting the gene of Bacillus …
Many new pest varieties are sneaking into India. To prevent this, a quarantine bill draft is under consideration of the Union ministry for agriculture. Even though the quarantine stations have checked the entry of some diseases, many pests are believed to have made their way into the country due to …
ANDHRA Pradesh, the state where more than 500 farmers committed suicide after a failed crop in 1998, is now set to officially explore the commercial viability of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton. Earlier this year, in March, the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) cleared the commercial use of Bt cotton. Mahyco-Monsanto …
the recent study conducted by China's Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences and global environmental group Greenpeace, which claimed that Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) cotton causes damage to the environment, has no takers in the country. While Chinese biotechnology researchers have unanimously rejected most of the views expressed in the report, some …
there is a looming threat from foreign fruits flooding Indian markets as they bring pests with them, say agriculture experts who are urging the government to conduct a risk analysis before allowing free imports. These experts have flayed the double standards of the exporting countries who, while banning the import …
KISHAN PAL collects wasps for a living. He feeds them beefliver and chicken to ensure they retain their sting. Farmers make a beeline at Pal's house to buy these tiny cannibals. They are more than willing to pay Rs 500 for each carton of wasps. When let loose on fieldsthese …
The plight of biopesticides can be gauged from the fact that no systematic study has been conducted to evaluate their market. Rough estimates by the New Delhi-based Biotech Association of India indicate that they constitute less than 1 per cent of the crop protection market. The biopesticide market accounts for …
MICROBIAL BIOPESTICIDES Product: Biolep Manufacturer: Biotech International Limited, New Delhi Applied on: groundnut, blackgram, greengram and chickpea Pests targeted: helicoverpa, plutella, bollworms, spodoptera, fruit and shoot borers Price: Rs 140 per 100 grammes Product: Biovirus-s Manufacturer: Biotech International Limited, New Delhi Applied on: cotton, gram, pulses, soyabean and vegetables like …
The dismal domestic market of biopesticides indicates that these products still have a long way to go. They are not popular because they have a slow action - they take time to show results. According to Anil Kakkaran official with Mumbai-based Excel Industriesfarmers are used to quick resultsthereforethey do not …
Excessive dependence of farmers on chemical fertilisers has resulted in numerous environmental problems. Experts recommend using biofertilisers to overcome this crisis. Biofertilisers are biologically active products, including bacteria, algae or fungi that can provide plants with nutrition. Most biofertilisers are either nitrogen fixing or phosphate stabilising. Nitrogen fixing biofertilisers fix …
probing the cotton crop failure in north Tamil Nadu during the last crop season, the central team has laid the blame on intensified production technologies that multiplied the pest problems in cotton. The team, which submitted its report to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (icar) , says that at …
A Rs 2-million project to develop an environment-friendly sprayer to combat insecticides in cotton crops has been launched by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST). Under the project, an adjustable height boom sprayer for cotton crop will be manufactured by the Pakistan Science Foundation. The execution, operation and maintenance …
Despite the absence of commercial approval for genetically engineered Bt cotton in any Asian country outside China, it is spreading fast. Weak or non-existent biosafety legislation and a lack of government concern mean that Bt cotton is finding its way into farmers' fields by deception and default. This article summarises …
biocontrol may not be as ecofriendly as agriculturists think, scientists have found out recently. They were studying the behaviour of a parasitic insect imported by farmers to combat invasive weeds and pests
World trade in organic products for 2000 were estimated at US $17.5 billion (see table: Growing organically). Trends indicate that the organic food market would grow substantially in most of the European countries, the US and Japan. Currently, the demand outpaces supply. In the uk, demand for organic food increased …
Organic agriculture costs. So does conventional agriculture. The difference lies in the former internalising its costs and the latter externalising it. Conventional agricultural products do not always carry their full costs and hence appear more cost-effective. The hidden subsidies and the impact on the environment is borne by the consumers …
