Split profits
Applying small quantities of fertilisers repeatedly gives a better crop yield than a single large dose
Union Budget 2022-23: Allocation for agricultural education and research reduced
Expenditure on agricultural education, animal science, crop science and management of natural resources reduced in the budget
Tried and tested
Traditional medical and agricultural practices, usually dismissed as unscientific, are regaining favour, with some help from Honeybee -- a …
The discerning eye of the insect
How do pests select which plants to attack in the field? By smelling odours plants emit, believe most entomologists. But now an alternative …
Fighting hidden hunger
Dr Howarth E Bouis, director of HarvestPlus, is a doctorate from Stanford University. He is promoting biofortification within the Consultative …
New rice varieties flourish in deep waters
New varieties of rice that can be grown in flood-hit areas are producing higher yields. Combined with other crops, they can give the farmer a …
Prolific movements
Researchers prove that movements in the Earth's crust are largely responsible for the uneven distribution of global biological diversity
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 …
Genetic engineering
Promising initial tests of new rice strains with high potential for farmers have spurred biotechnologists to press ahead with the search for …
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 …