Diseased fields
Dying paddy crops leave Kashmir valley farmers high and dry. The state government chips in late to combat the crisis
Putting out new shoots
Whether it's increasing yields, cutting growth time of plants, increasing their resistance to disease or preserving genetic resources, scientists …
To kill a mocking pest
With pesticides no longer a viable means of controlling pests in most cases, the search for alternatives like bio-pesticides has proved that …
Bitten by the betel
Paan is the delicacy among all communities in India. Its cultivation and propagation will serve to strengthen not just the various rituals …
Seed congress surreptitiously endorses transgenic varieties
did the World Seed Congress-2003 -- held under a cloak of secrecy in Bangalore from June 7 to 11 -- have a hidden agenda? It transpires that the …
Ragi is back - but only as exotica
No body knows for sure how the ragi bandwagon started, but all of a sudden the urban elite became curious about the grain. Today, it is being …
"We have to produce more rice using less water"
Robert Zeigler, director general of the Manila, Phillipines-based, International Rice Research Institution (IRRI) talks to Sourav Mishra about …
Upturned harvest
On a trip on the outskirts of Jaipur RAVLEEN KAUR finds farmers making money by following an unconventional practice
Regulatory battle
Industry and activists have expressed conflicting opinions on GM crops. GEAC has a difficult decision to make
‘Compost too needs subsidy’
Agriculture scientist Preeti Joshi has the recipe for the perfect compost and has been promoting it in Wardha district of Maharashtra for …
Act of omission
Public institutions do not seek permission from the biodiversity authority before genetically manipulating crops
Maybe it’s ALIVE
Keeping plucked vegetables and fruits in daylight helps them stay alert, produce nutrients
Removing toxins makes kesari dal safe food
A new, non-toxic variety of kesari dal is being field-tested in different parts of the country by IARI scientists.
Scientists identify proteins linked with wheat infection
Karnal Bunt, the infection, reduces yield and quality of grains as they start giving off foul fishy odour and taste
Pesticide industry thriving on legal loopholes
The CSE's recent expos has blown the lid off the bottled water industry's tall claims on the purity of its products. Simultaneously, it has …
Harvesting joy or sorrow?
Global warming would decrease crop production in developing countries but increase it in the industrialised world
What the budget holds for the agriculture sector in Kenya
The agriculture sector, which has received a slightly bigger share of the budget, remains vital to the country’s economic recovery strategy
‘Rationalising subsidies, improving infrastructure could revive agri-sector’
For every million rupees spent on agricultural research, 328 people are pulled out of poverty. In contrast, the same amount spent on power …
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
Moily bats for GM trials
After he revives regulatory body for GM crops, industry demands removal of state clearances
‘Largest public collection of unique plant germplasm in the world up for private takeover’
Restructuring of CGIAR ‘represents a threat to democratic and local control of food systems’, warns United Nations Special Rapporteur …
No artificial flavours
British researchers have come up with a programme that tones down the use of artificial chemicals on farms heavily
Organic farming: Reaping mixed benefits
Contradictory state of affairs in two Uttaranchal villages highlights both potential and obstacles of organic farming. The paradox has cropped up …
Value in the weed: Profit potential of green and leafy bathua
Bathua is in demand for its nutrition and taste. Improved varieties of the weed can make it popular among farmers