NDA government ambivalent about calling off GM trials
Scientists ask Narendra Modi to call off trials of genetically modified food crops, caution against biotech companies being allowed to take away …
GEAC revalidates field trials of GM maize, rice and wheat
Decision on others to be considered on April 25, says regulatory body for genetically modified organisms
The weather mart
Met department is not the only one predicting weather in India. Forecasts are now sold by businesses to businesses
Back to basics: COVID-19 labour crunch brings direct seeding of paddy in focus
States have been trying to promote DSR for some time; it is gaining traction now — Since June, when kharif sowing started, 0.7 million ha …
Enough is enough
For over a week after Diwali, Delhi breathed poison. Air pollution peaked to unprecedented levels. Public anger forced emergency measures. But …
Scientists’ panel calls for 10-year moratorium on GM field trials
Supreme Court-mandated expert committee recommends new tests in thorough overhaul of India’s regulatory regime
Winged wonders: We should not resent bats, because we need them
The pandemic has magnified fear of bats, but their conservation is crucial to prevent such events from arising again
International Day for Biological Diversity 2020: Spotlight on nature-based solutions
The purpose of observing the International Day for Biological Diversity is to highlight importance of conserving biodiversity
Punjab's paddy dilemma
In 2009, Punjab became the first state in the country to enact a law banning the sowing of rice before a stipulated date. The aim was to arrest …
Union Budget 2023: Foundation for sustainable farming is missing in India
Ambitious initiatives for farmers are promising but transition to sustainable agriculture requires healthy soil and inputs
GM crop field trials: anti-GM activists protest outside Moily's office
Moily’s approval will now allow event selection trials of rice, castor, cotton and a few other genetically modified crops ÒÇÇ
Biodiversity governance: A mix of knowledge and forest management for benefit sharing
People’s biodiversity register a roadmap for forest management plans; it documents knowledge of status, history, ongoing changes and …
Biodiversity governance: Access and benefit sharing and its implications on agricultural resources
A special instrument for access to crop genetic resources, access and benefit sharing (ABS) system, is fraught with challenges
Biodiversity governance: The agreements and laws that help enforce it
Major legally binding conventions to protect nature were adopted at the Rio Summit where several countries came together amid rapidly …
Rare takes on the year just passing by
Being a Down To Earth reporter entails merging the personal with the professional. The magazine you so dearly own has a fascinating world hidden …
Research is not magic solutions take a long time
S K SINHA, former director of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), is currently a National Professor at the Water Technology …
Bt-by-Bt assessment
On November 10, 2002, people wearing 'Bollgard' caps visited cotton farmer R Narsimha Reddy at his home in Aleru, a village in Nalgonda, Andhra …
Manipulating Research
Private funding has given a new meaning to scientific research today. With rising corporate research budgets, academic institutions are leaning …
Long yarn
The cotton story is a tangled tale. In many parts of India, farmers are committing suicide. It's been a while Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and now …
Flat in 20 days
Global climatic anomalies allied with local weather conditions produced the most freakish hailstorms in central and north India in February and …
Dealing with crop stresses and scandals
Subbanna Ayyappan has made history in the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (IACR) by becoming the first non-crop scientist to head this …
Saving rice
Rice is at the heart of a fierce strategy debate as the country prepares to launch the second Green Revolution in the eastern states. …