Blind to danger
The government turns a Nelson's eye while the construction sector makes hay on phosphogypsum, a carcinogenic byproduct of the fertiliser industry
Coffee: here’s the carbon cost of your daily cup – and how to make it climate-friendly
Using less fertiliser, managing water and energy use more efficiently during milling and exporting the beans by cargo ship rather than aeroplane …
India has the highest number of organic farmers globally, but most of them are struggling
Poor policy measures, rising input costs and limited market are affecting growth of organic farming in the country
Why we need to look beyond the farm to achieve sustainability in agri-food systems
Time is ripe to start focusing on the whole agricultural value chain to tackle the three-fold challenges of rural livelihoods, climate adaptation …
Acute urea shortage, black marketing upset farmers during ongoing rabi season in Bihar
Farmers blame powerful nexus of traders and government officials for fertiliser shortage
Ukraine invasion fallout: Food, energy price rise to continue till 2024-end, says World Bank
Shift to more costly trade patterns has begun; transition to cleaner energy could be delayed
42% of India’s districts use 85% of its chemical fertilisers
A parliamentary standing committee blamed Agriculture Ministry’s skewed policy for the inequality in fertiliser usage
Food crisis in Africa: The high cost of imported fertilisers is adding to the problem
If farmers earned better returns, with cheaper input costs, then production could be a multiple of the current levels
No fertilisers, no pesticides, this Karnataka farmer uses only solar energy
Kailash Murthy’s experiment with natural farming stands out as a model for every small and marginal farmer in the country
Himachal plagued by fertiliser scarcity as apple season peaks
If apple trees do not get fertilisers at the right time, it will result in less flowering, less production and low quality apples
Prolonged protests in Bihar over acute fertiliser shortage during rabi sowing season
Protests had also erupted in the state during kharif season earlier this year due to shortage of urea.
Scientists identify genes to improve fertiliser nitrogen use efficiency in rice
Every year, urea worth Rs 50,000 crore is lost from Indian farms, with rice and wheat accounting for about two-thirds of it
Phosphorus is vital for life on Earth – and we’re running low
The fact that more than 70 per cent of the global phosphorus supply comes from a single location is problematic
Nobody's waste
Kerala's capital wants a solid waste treatment plant in a nearby village. This has created a rural-urban conflict
Union budget 2022-23: Big cut in fertilisers subsidy to worry farmers
Urea subsidy cut 17%; allocation for NPK subsidy reduced 35%
Will contract farming law relieve agrarian distress?
Although the proposed law promises to alleviate the suffering of India’s farmers, it needs a research-backed approach
Breaking new ground: World’s longest running farm study adds to organic-inorganic debate
The aim of the Broadbalk experiment is to test the effects of different organic and inorganic fertilisers on soil fertility and study the optimum …
Hazards of using fertilisers in Punjab
Studies have pegged consumption of phosphatic fertilizers in Punjab at ten times higher than the national average
Nano urea in field trials: Farmers disillusioned, say no payoff on crops
Nano urea was touted as a better substitute that could cut urea costs for farmers, import bills for the Centre and increase farm yields
How green is the urea sector?
A comprehensive environmental assessment of India’s urea industry reveals that despite Kafkaesque bureaucratic hurdles from sourcing to …
Vignettes from Sri Lanka's cloud country
In Sri Lanka, organic farmers draw inspiration from endemic practices such as home gardens or analog forestry, and have also adapted ‘…
A rupee's worth
Jyotika Sood reveals how cooperative societies believe in taking an extra rupee from farmers but not sparing 78 paise
Human excreta can make good fertiliser, but prejudice and laws stand in way
There is a need for tests and experiments to validate the efficacy of human excreta derived fertilisers, suggests a research by UK scientists
Smart technique can increase crop yields without harming environment
New method matches crop strains to local soil and climate conditions and makes efficient use of fertilisers
Soil carbon sequestration may help fight climate change
New agriculture modelling study shows atmospheric carbon dioxide can be captured, stored in soil