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Soil, water & climate
Monsoon and weather outlooks, water and irrigation, soil health and agriculture’s emissions and adaptation.
From the archive
Reporting from earlier editions of The Agrotech Daily. Figures, prices and policies may have changed since.
- Soil, water & climate, GlobalPollution’s effects on agricultureWater and air pollution, soil erosion and the overuse of pesticides and fertilisers cut crop yields and quality, harm livestock and reduce farm profits.
- Soil, water & climate, GlobalSustainable agricultural practicesExplains the benefits of sustainable practices such as conservation agriculture, agroforestry, integrated pest management, organic and precision farming, and the barriers to their adoption.
- Soil, water & climate, MaharashtraGovernment launched Atal Bhujal YojanaDistrict officers began three days of capacity-building training at Nashik under the Atal Bhujal Yojana, a water literacy drive due to reach 1,443 villages over four years.
- Soil, water & climate, IndiaNorth India suffers from contaminated air as stubble burning beginsThe Central Pollution Control Board reported worsening air quality over the Indo-Gangetic Plains as paddy stubble burning began in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh.
- Soil, water & climate, Tamil NaduFarmers announce series of protests against concretisation of dam canals in Erode districtFarmers in Erode district plan protests and an assembly election boycott against a Rs 178 crore plan to concrete the base of Bhavanisagar dam canals, saying it will lower groundwater.
- Soil, water & climate, CyprusCyprus’ worst forest fire in decades is under “full control”, says the agriculture ministryCyprus said its worst forest fire in decades was under full control on July 5, 2021, after it burned about 34 square miles of forest and farmland and killed four Egyptian labourers.
- Soil, water & climate, GlobalAgroforestry: a new means to mitigate the climate crisis?A Penn State review of 53 published studies found agroforestry plays an effective role in carbon sequestration, and the UN climate convention sees it as a possible REDD+ strategy.
- Soil, water & climate, GlobalClimate-smart agriculture: reorienting agricultural developmentClimate-smart agriculture aims to raise productivity, build resilience to climate shocks and cut greenhouse gas emissions at once, while managing trade-offs between the three.
- Soil, water & climate, Madhya PradeshA progressive but unheard organic revolution in Madhya Pradesh?Madhya Pradesh has the largest area under organic cultivation in India, with 7.5 lakh hectares or over 27% of the national total, according to a CSE report.
- Soil, water & climate, Tamil NaduSC gives green signal to Nilgiris elephant corridor; assents to right of passageThe Supreme Court dismissed a petition by Mudumalai resort owners against a 2011 Madras High Court ruling, clearing the Nilgiris elephant corridor and the closure of resorts in its path.
- Soil, water & climate, GlobalOrganic farming: how it helps to conserve the environmentOrganic methods such as crop rotation, cover crops, manures and avoiding synthetic inputs can raise biodiversity and soil health and store carbon and nitrogen in the soil.
- Soil, water & climate, GlobalThe impact of urbanization on agriculture and rural communitiesExpanding cities take fertile land and water from farming and draw people away from rural areas, and urban agriculture and sustainable farming are put forward as ways to soften the impact.
- Soil, water & climate, PunjabDSR is the solution to Punjab’s water crisis: Dr Gurdev KhushWorld Food Prize laureate Dr Gurdev Khush told a Punjab Agricultural University webinar that direct seeding of rice can cut water use and solve the state's water crisis.
- Soil, water & climate, IndiaNetafim India launches a portable drip kitNetafim India launched a portable drip kit for fields of 4,500 square metres, aiming to irrigate 10,000 hectares and reach 25,000 farmers in the coming year.
- Soil, water & climate, GlobalSmart irrigation systems: cultivating the future of agricultureSmart irrigation systems combine soil moisture sensors, weather data, automation and drip lines to apply water only when crops need it, though cost, connectivity and skills are barriers.
- Soil, water & climate, GlobalCultivating soil fertility: 10 tried and tested approachesExplains why soil fertility matters, why most crops do best at a pH of 6.5 to 7.5, and ten ways to improve it, from manure and compost tea to kelp meal, lime and gypsum.
- Soil, water & climate, GlobalThe concept of sustainable agricultureSustainable agriculture aims to meet present food and textile needs without compromising future generations, and must be economically viable, socially responsible and ecologically sound.
- Soil, water & climate, IndiaIIT Madras-MIT collaborate to develop technique to utilize agricultural-industrial wasteIIT Madras and MIT researchers are working on ways to use agricultural and industrial waste, such as biomass ash, in lower-impact cement binders for construction.
- Soil, water & climate, United StatesOnline app to secure carbon emission in farmlandsAmerican Farmland Trust's web-based CaRPE Tool estimates how far cropland and grazing practices such as cover crops and no-till could cut greenhouse gases across US states.