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Inputs & crop science
Seeds, breeding, crop protection, biologicals, fertilisers and animal health, always with the regulatory status and jurisdiction.
From the archive
Reporting from earlier editions of The Agrotech Daily. Figures, prices and policies may have changed since.
- Inputs & crop science, United StatesWorld’s 5 best poultry-producing countriesThe global poultry market was valued at $267.3 billion in 2018; major US poultry companies including Cargill, Tyson Foods, Pilgrim's and Perdue Farms are profiled.
- Inputs & crop science, KarnatakaRoots of health: how a simple processing method helps turmeric farmers earn moreSlicing turmeric rhizomes and sun-drying them instead of boiling retains more curcumin and saves fuel, and one Karnataka grower says the method doubled his income.
- Inputs & crop science, IndiaFIAPO detects lead, cadmium in aqua farms of 10 statesAnimal rights groups FIAPO and All Creatures Great and Small inspected about 250 fish and shrimp farms in 10 states and reported lead and cadmium in aquatic animals.
- Inputs & crop science, MaharashtraBird flu impact on a declining slope in Maharashtra: chicken consumption back to normalChicken consumption in Maharashtra is back to normal a month after the state's first bird flu case, but farm gate prices remain low at Rs 56 a kg in February.
- Inputs & crop scienceHow to make a profit farming veggiesSets out steps to run a profitable vegetable farm, from choosing crops in demand and preparing soil to irrigation, pest control, harvest timing and marketing.
- Inputs & crop science, GlobalThe role of technology in reducing pesticide useExplains how integrated pest management, precision agriculture, biological control, genetic modification and organic methods can reduce reliance on chemical pesticides.
- Inputs & crop science, GlobalAgrotech for improving animal welfareExplains how precision feeding, remote monitoring, wearables, virtual fencing, environmental controls and genetic selection can improve the welfare of farm animals.
- Inputs & crop science, IndiaWheat breeds: the diversity and excellence of India’s exceptional varietiesIndia's wheat varieties, from Sonalika and HD 2967 to Lok 1 and Raj 3765, have been bred for yield, disease resistance, drought and heat tolerance, and grain quality.
- Inputs & crop science, GlobalCrop protection: how do pesticides kill bugs?Explains the main crop protection methods and how insecticides, fungicides and herbicides work, from attacking pests' nervous systems to stopping fungal cell division.
- Inputs & crop science, RussiaRussian agrochemical market becomes capriciousAn Argus analyst forecast that Russian ammonium nitrate output could reach 10 million tonnes by the end of 2020, while EuroChem reported rising sales of the carbamide-ammoniac compound.
- Inputs & crop science, GujaratFarmers highlighted ‘adulterated’ cabbage seeds; Gujarat government emphasized that the firms should compensateGujarat's agriculture minister told the Assembly that Namdhari Seeds will compensate farmers if its NS-196 cabbage fails to form heads within 90 days, after complaints of adulterated seed.
- Inputs & crop science, GlobalAfrican swine fever shaking the agro worldAfrican swine fever, which has no treatment or vaccine, spread from Georgia into Europe and Asia and had halved China's pig herd by the end of 2019.
- Inputs & crop science, IndiaReduction in NP fertiliser price by Rs 50, now available at Rs 925/bag, by IFFCOIFFCO cut the maximum retail price of NP 20:20:0:13 fertiliser by Rs 50 to Rs 925 per 50 kg bag and reduced the price of sulphur by Rs 1,000 a tonne.
- Inputs & crop science, MaharashtraCropLife India focuses on raising awareness among medical practitioners about pesticide poisoningCropLife India and Maharashtra's agriculture department have released a video to guide doctors on recognising, managing and treating accidental pesticide poisoning.
- Inputs & crop science, Himachal PradeshCSIR-IHBT introduces heeng cultivation in Himalayan regionCSIR-IHBT has begun growing asafoetida (heeng) in Himachal Pradesh's Lahaul valley from seed brought from Iran; India usually spends $100 million on heeng imports.
- Inputs & crop science, GlobalWhat amount of fertiliser is best?Fertilisers supply nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium for higher yields, but overuse causes algae blooms, fertiliser burn, lawn diseases and excess growth that delays flowering.
- Inputs & crop science, IndiaNDDB establishes ‘Pashu Mitra’ helpline for dairy farmersThe National Dairy Development Board has opened Pashu Mitra, a call centre where dairy farmers can get expert answers on animal health, nutrition and breeding.
- Inputs & crop science, GlobalWhat is integrated pest management (IPM), and can it save farmers money?Integrated pest management uses a farm plan, regular scouting, crop rotation, resistant varieties and targeted pesticide use to limit crop damage and input costs.
- Inputs & crop science, GlobalAncient amaranth: the resilient health trend endorsed by historyTraces amaranth's domestication in the Americas and its long history in India, and sets out the grain's nutrient profile, health claims and recipes.