Finally, a decision on agriculture comes through at Bonn climate talks
Parties have been invited to submit adaptation assessment methods for improvement of soil health, soil carbon and soil quality
Carving oases in drought-prone Kutch
The Shree Vivekananda Research and Training Institute has made a name for itself, helping villagers in Kutch district. Among its innumerable …
For a terra firma
Earth, the cradle of all lifeforms, should not be transformed into a graveyard for want of serious monitoring of soil degradation all over India …
The good earth
SOIL CONSERVATION EXTENSION: FROM CONCEPTS TO ADOPTION· Edited by S Sombatpanit, M A Zobisch et al·Oxford and IBH Publishing …
Grazing animals play key role in maintaining soil carbon health: Study
Grazing by mammalian herbivores can be a climate mitigation strategy
Here is a panoramic view of the growing threat to agriculture in India
This map shows the increasing desertification of India’s soil, which is a reason to worry right now with Rabi season fast approaching and …
How Karnataka manages its faeces
Thirty years after banning manual scavenging under the Night Soil Carrying System Abolition Act, Karnataka is still a fair way away from flushing …
What is soil erosion and how to combat it
It's estimated that one billion tons of valuable nutrients in topsoil are lost to erosion every year.
Regaining a paradise
Involvement of locals in the management of natural resources has earned remarkable dividends for the Doon valley
How balanced soil nutrient management can save Indian agriculture
The ill-effects of imbalanced application of fertilisers — which leads to soil sickness, decline in soil health and reduces crop …
World Soil Day: Tackle soil pollution and do away with food insecurity, says FAO
The UN agency says that addressing this issue will also help bring down soil degradation, stem rural migration and adapt to climate change
A new programme aims at increasing Africa's soil productivity by 30%
Poor soil fertility is a major constraint to improving farm productivity and farmer livelihoods in Africa
Year-long tenancies deter soil conservation
The present land tenure laws do not encourage the conservation of agricultural land and lead to fallow patches, as is evident from the condition …
Sustaining terra firma
Scientists in New Zealand have developed a low-cost technology that can clean contaminated soil
Beyond conservation, why our natural ecosystems need restoration
Significant strides have been made in both the science and practice of restoration over the last three decades, with specialisation across …
Askew
As Parliament mulls the Seeds Bill 2004, there is intense opposition to it. It's likely the government will redraft it. sopan joshi and sourav …
Micro-irrigation: The way ahead for sustainable agriculture
In the age of climate change and water scarcity, micro-irrigation can help increase crop yield and decrease water, fertiliser and labour …
Where does the water go during a drought? Germany researchers try to find out
Researchers examined how the process of evaporation and groundwater recharge differed under various kinds of soils and land uses
Black soil in red: Climate change threatens world’s food basket
FAO report finds most black soils moderate to severely eroded due to land-use change, unsustainable practices
Forest fires - a trailblazer
Controlled burning of woodlands can be an effective tool for enriching the land and ecology. Dipanjan Ghosh looks at the possibilities
‘Deficiency in micronutrients in soil linked to health of children and women’
Districts with an increased proportion of soil zinc samples had significantly lower rates of child stunting and underweight
"Serious study has not yet begun"
R Uma Shankar, Department of Crop Physiology, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, speaks to Down To Earth
"We need to be more proactive"
Dr. S. Ramani, senior scientist (Agricultural Entomology), Project Directorate of Biological Control (Indian Council of Agricultural Research), …
"Biological control is the way out"
Dr. R D Gautam, principal scientist and in-charge of the Plant Health Clinic, speaks to Down To Earth
Invasive Alien Species
Think of an invasion, and the picture that comes to mind is usually that of planes and tanks, machines and men, shells and gunshots. But animal …