Fertiliser industry to make $57 billion in profits this year as farmers, govts grapple with the bill
Analysis finds 189 per cent increase in costs for the key imported fertilisers in 2021
Traces of banned bisphenol A found in baby bottles
The toxic chemical is known to mimic a hormone that activates progression of cancer and interferes with development of the reproductive system
Nano fertilisers: Parliamentary report suggests close audit of field trials to see long-term effects
An audit by Department of Fertilisers found 25-50% variation in saving nitrogen use after applying nano urea
Bhopal gas tragedy: SC dismisses Centre’s plea for additional compensation from Union Carbide
Government should use the Rs 50 crore lying with the Reserve Bank of India to settle further claims, SC ordered
Victims of Bhopal gas tragedy continue to suffer damage in their DNA: new study
An increase in chromosomal aberrations was seen even in those who were not exposed or moderately exposed to the gas, shows the study
Pesticides, food additives and scientific lies
Calculated Risks: The toxicity and human health risks of chemicals in our environment Joseph V Rodricks . Publisher: Cambridge University Press, …
Indian research can help cut nitrogen fertiliser waste
Indian scientists manage to identify phenotypes, visibly identifiable features that determine the efficiency with which cultivars use nitrogen
We still have to reach the interiors
W Selvamurthy, senior scientist at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), shrugs off the body’s responsibility towards …
AVRA Technology Award–2021 presented to Bharat Biotech chairman
Need to create an ecosystem where India innovates and not copies, says awardee Krishna M Ella
How to replace chemical fertilisers with organic & bio-fertilisers
Organic and bio-fertilisers should also be made suitable for application through micro-irrigation methods
Trio win Nobel Prize for computer modelling of chemical reactions
Models evolved by Martin Karplus, Michael Levitt and Arieh Warshel could help optimise solar cells, catalysts in vehicles and even drugs
The gas game
Fluorocarbons, which created a hole in the ozone layer, have generated intense global debates. But these have been more about business than …
Winners of India’s top science award announced, no women on the list
Since its inception in 1958, only 19 women scientists have been the recipients of the SSB award.
‘No scientifically proven effects of nano liquid urea on crops’: Research pokes holes in IFFCO’s claims
IFFCO claims may lead to large-scale yield losses with serious consequences for food security and livelihood of farmers, says opinion paper
Court postpones hearing against Dow Chemical for the 37th time
Court yet to initiate criminal liability case against the multinational company in the Bhopal gas leak case; charge-sheet was filed in 1987
Orange tumbles
Nagpur orange’s survival hinges precariously on its return to sustainable cultivation. Farmers have woken up to this, but will the government?
Alphonso’s last call?
The world’s best mango is perishing in coastal Maharashtra, which grows most of the crop. The culprits are climate change and unsustainable …
Modified and making trouble
Since its inception, the agro-biotech industry has had a unique selling proposition -- transgenic crops need lesser herbicides/pesticides than …
New drug formulations to fight respiratory illnesses, superbugs
The drugs are much more effective than presently available drugs because of which patients can be prescribed smaller doses; used interchangeably, …
COVID-19 lockdown was a breather for Rajasthan’s lakes, rivers: Report
Low human intervention, stalled tourism helped improve quality of water bodies in the state
Natural source of fire retarding chemical identified
Presence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers, used in insulation among other things, in the environment was till now attributed to human activity
The magician farmer
How a farmer from Bihar used magic tricks to convert others in his village to organic farming
Industrial units in Vapi continue to flout pollution norms
Union environment ministry had lifted moratorium in the area after state pollution control board promised to improve the situation
Beyond the hoopla: Millets must be promoted. But health and economic concerns need priority
Nutritional advantages of millets are offset by presence of phytic acid; cultivation yield also poor compared to wheat and rice
Win against waste colonialism: US group pledges restorative action after taking back ‘harmful’ report
A 2015 report by US-based Ocean Conservancy blamed 5 Asian countries for plastic waste