A compendium of field stories showcasing experiences from Asian and African countries, including India was launched. The compendium will help in capacity building and scaling up the best practices in the adoption of millets across the world. It also signifies the successful realization of the Mapping and Exchange of the …
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 …
Plant genetic resources (PGR) scientists now recognize the importance of shifting from a singular focus on conservation to a focus on both conservation and utilization of germplasm in order to meet future challenges. This paper analyzes the patterns of distribution of pearl millet, six small millets, chickpea and pigeonpea germplasm …
National conference of agriculture, animal husbandry and food-civil supplies ministers of 12 states would begin in Jaipur on Tuesday. Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar will inaugurate the conference. Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh would be participating in the conference, which …
BY MD MADHUSUDAN & PAVITHRA SANKARAN Got a cup of coffee in hand as you read the paper this morning? Much of the coffee we drink in India is grown in the hilly, southern districts of Coorg, Wayanad and Nilgiris. To the east of these picturesque and popular holiday destinations …
Millets are small grained, annual, warm weather cereals that includes 8000 species within 600 genera, of which only 35 species comprising 20 genera have been domesticated. Finger millet is grown as an important food crop in many developing countries of the tropical region; mainly in Africa and Asia. It is …
Winter reminds me of the innumerable lessons grandpa would give us cousins on the crops growing in our fields in Ambala. We would go there each year, but more than the lessons we were keen on eating delicacies grandma cooked for us. Bajra would intrigue me because it is a …
Dark brown seeds pointed at both ends resemble the kind of wild seeds growing just anywhere that children would collect to play with. Only, this seed is one of the rare and nutritious foods losing out to the rush for market food. To the Mahadeo Koli and Thakar tribals in …
Despite its rich resources like forests and minerals, Bundelkhand is a region of distress and crisis. A study fi nds that the distress of the region simply cannot be explained by the absence or irregularity of rainfall. There are long-term structural problems which have had a cumulative effect over the …
The neglected and underutilized crops chosen for this study included finger millet (Eleusine coracana), Italian or foxtail millet (Setaria italica) and little millet (Panicum sumatrense). Two locations where these crops have been traditionally under cultivation and intrinsically linked with food security, livelihood and cultural identity of local tribal communities, were …
A field experiment was conducted during 2002-03 and 2003-04 at Department of Agronomy, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana to study the possible options for diversification of existing rice-wheat cropping system.
Planning based on agro-ecological zoning aims at scientific management of regional resources to meet the food, fibre, fodder and fuel wood requirements without adversely affecting the status of natural resources and environment. An attempt has been made to map the agro-ecological units for Vellore district of Tamil Nadu and derive …
Cities have forgotten the amazing foods and cuisines they used to once enjoy. To remind them the Millet Network of India (MINI) and Kheti Virasat Mission organised the first ever exhibition of millets at the Press Club in Chandigarh called Bebe di Rasoi (Grandmother
Monsoon this year has failed most of India, causing drought in even well-irrigated and rainfed areas. Read this latest Down To Earth report on how our food preferences are making us vulnerable to drought. To read the full story click here: http://www.downtoearth.org.in/cover.asp?foldername=20090915&filename;=news&sid;=39&sec;_id=9 See Also: Feature: Rain Shocked www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/node/277687 Report: Drought …
Tribal communities of Baran district have been able to regain their food sovereignty by preserving local seeds. The women groups have revived their traditional seed storage techniques to preserve seeds in the seed banks. Seed banks have provided assured access to seeds even during the times of drought.
By gaining critical control over seeds rural women have recovered traditional landraces and biodiversity in agriculture. Initiatives such as Alternative PDS and Food Sovereignty Trust by Deccan Development Society have not only ensured heightened access to food and nutrition but have also empowered women by strengthening their leadership abilities.
Vidarbha village looks for options other than suicide At a time when the traditional cropping pattern of suicide-ravaged Vidarbha has all but disappeared under the lure of quick cash from soybean, a tiny village of 48 farming households in Maharashtra
An attempt was made to investigate the influence of different doses of nitrogen on growth and yield of pearlmillet under irrigated and non-irrigated in semi-arid region of Delhi with an aim to determine the optimum levels of N under two different moisture situations (irrigated and non-irrigated).
M.S.Swaminathan launches Ragi Malt of Kolli Hills Nutrition rich: Member of Parliament M.S.Swaminathan launches the Ragi Malt of Kolli Hills at a function in M.S.Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai on Tuesday. CHENNAI: Agricultural scientist and Member of Parliament M.S.Swaminathan on Tuesday suggested that the government consider including small millets that are …
