Who will play Cupid?
Pollinators, small insects like bees and butterflies, animals like bats and small birds such as the hummingbird, play a big role in helping …
Scientists develop bio-fortified maize to address ‘hidden hunger’
The new hybrids have 4.5 folds more vitamin A content and similar amounts of lysine and tryptophan as earlier varieties
Sweet ’n’ sour
Moringa and tamarind are popularly known as the trees of life for Indians. Moringa is in fashion as the world eyes India to feed its frenzy for …
Fighting hidden hunger
Dr Howarth E Bouis, director of HarvestPlus, is a doctorate from Stanford University. He is promoting biofortification within the Consultative …
New global standard adopted for making trade in plants and seeds safer
There is an increasing risk that pests carried by seeds could establish themselves and spread after planting
The Himalayan herb grower
Arun Kumar Badoni has taken upon himself the task of conserving medicinal and aromatic plants in the Garhwal Himalaya
Farmer’s pod luck
A Sehore farmer finds a unique pigeon pea variety that bears pods three to four times in a row
Seeds bill doesn't matter in India's horticulture capital
sopan joshi meets farmer-tycoons oblivious of the Seeds Bill 2004, but hooked to a biotech future
WHO OWNS OUR VEGGIES?
The patenting of a broccoli developed through conventional breeding in Europe is a disturbing trend since it violates the law on plant life
In Search of the Forgotten Rice Varieties
If the current trend towards genetic uniformity in rice varities continues, our food security will be severely imperilled
India to confront Monsanto in US
Biodiversity Authority will oppose Monsanto’s patent application involving Indian melon
Birds of a feather
BIRDS AND PLANT REGENERATION·Tara Gandhi· Orient Longman Ltd· New Delhi·2000·pp81
WHOSE SEED IS IT ANYWAY?
The rich world’s mania for patenting seeds and pushing the UPOV agenda do not aid food security or biological diversity
Who is protected?
The Lok Sabha passed Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Bill with complete amendments on August 9, 2001, twenty months after it …
Low Pulse
Spiralling prices of pulses have shown India’s dependence on imports. Pulses are integral to India’s diet but not its food policy. As …
So long, Suvin
The finest and longest staple cotton in the world, and part of India's cotton heritage, is on the verge of disappearing
Orange tumbles
Nagpur orange’s survival hinges precariously on its return to sustainable cultivation. Farmers have woken up to this, but will the government?
'The world's entire gene-pool is open for manipulation'
INDRA VASIL was one of the first scientists to successfully manipulate wheat plants using genetic engineering techniques. Before he came in, …
Solving poverty
Gurdev S Khush is the principal plant breeder in the Plant breeding, genetics and biochemistry division of the International Rice Research …
A plant breeder comes into his own
Awards are finally coming to K Vinod Prabhu, 54, a plant breeder, for his work on building resistance in wheat, mustard and rice through the …
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. …