More snow cover means less rain
A recent study reveals how the snow cover in Asia and Europe controls the intensity of the Indian monsoon.
Biotech-engineered rice has few takers
Despite advancements, research programmes in rice biotechnology heve drawn lukewarm response because it is felt that there is little money to be …
Trees can't offset global warming
New studies show large forest areas alone may not be able to counter the effects of increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Subabul biscuits boost milk yield
Cattle fed with subabul biscuits can produce up to 20 per cent more milk. The fast-growing tree also produces useful timber.
Dal hybrid beneficial but costly
The hybridisation of tur dal has made it higher-yielding and less vulnerable to disease. But only rich farmers will be able to buy the seeds.
No takers for clean technology
Developers of a new, clean and efficient process for coal-based power generation say it will not become popular unless the government enforces …
New hope for Himalayan wastelands
The seabuckthorn plant can change the lives of marginal farmers by enriching soil with nitrogen, preventing its erosion and providing …
Sound sense
Fishes seem to be developing ways to detect and avoid high-frequency sonars that trawlers use to locate them
Sexual distinction
A new technique enables the determination of the sex of cattle and goats at the embryonic stage
Plastic prowess
There is immense promise in it. It is rechargeable, non-toxic and flexible. It is the new plastic battery
Encounter with the future
The newly-discovered method of lasing in conjugated polymer microcavities may herald bright possibilities for the electronics industry
A whiff of death
Researchers are now trying to develop natural weapons to scare off pests by studying the olfactory mechanism of plants that emit odours when …
Treasure down under
The discovery of mineral deposits on the sea bed off the Andamans could signal a treasure hunt for precious metals
Never say die
Farmers and agricultural scientists in Australia are having a tough time battling a weed that has suddenly developed resistance to a herbicide
Manure magic
Farmers living in the upper reaches of Nepal have developed an ingenious way of maintaining soil fertility
Fumes and wrinkles
Smoking not only affects your mouth and lung but it also plays a vicious part in expediting ageing and is responsible for premature wrinkles
Natural-born killers
A naturally occuring bacterium in milk can save the losses incurred by mal1scale dairy farmers who do not own refrigeration facilities
Goodbye, freon
Russian researchers have come up with a power-saving and ozone-friendly refrigerator which operates without a motor and uses a semiconductor as …
Flowery woes
The crisis of pollination assumes greater significance in the face of declining numbers of species which act as useful pollinators
Feeding in asthma
Food that one finds allergic can cause problems in the respiratory tract according to a group of scientists inspecting children with breathing …
Leaders in agony
A recent theory which says that the dominant animal in a pack bears the proverbial cross might lead to more systematic studies of relationships …
Wood does a lot of good
It was the bane of the rubber tree, as the fungus Phytophthora literally ate into its every part. With the discovery of antifungal wood extracts, …
He search is on
Seed varieties resistant to ozone would help enhance crop yields in areas which are exposed to high ozone levels
Roach trouble
Researchers establish that exposure to cockroach allergen is a major cause of asthma in children
Calcium calls
The mystery of nerve cell behaviour could be solved with a recent study of how calcium affects cellular responses