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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, IndiaNGT passes verdict on the environmental issues of Chenab and Rajmahal HillsThe National Green Tribunal passed orders on environmental violations by stone mines and crushers in Jharkhand's Rajmahal Hills and on highway debris dumped into the Chenab river.
- Soil, water & climate, GlobalThe benefits and challenges of sustainable agriculture, and how farmers can adopt more eco-friendly practicesExplains how crop rotation, cover crops, conservation tillage and integrated pest management benefit farms, the hurdles to switching, and how farmers can make a start.
- Soil, water & climate, United StatesMcDonald’s in favour of environment-friendly grazing habits to reduce emissionsMcDonald's has joined Cargill, the Walmart Foundation and WWF in a five-year plan to move ranchers in the Northern Great Plains towards regenerative grazing across almost a million acres.
- Soil, water & climate, GlobalSustainable agriculture and the circular economyExplains the circular economy and how sustainable farming practices such as conservation tillage, cover cropping and integrated pest management apply its principles.
- Soil, water & climate, GlobalIs there harmful metal in your food?Heavy metals from industry, fertilisers, manure and polluted irrigation water build up in soil and enter food crops, and biological and chemical methods can be used to clean contaminated soil.
- Soil, water & climate, GlobalPermaculture: is it actually beneficial for the planet?Permaculture is a design system that copies natural ecosystems, built on co-dependence, natural limits and diversity, to create sustainable farms and habitats.
- Soil, water & climate, GlobalThis new amazing technique can replace the slash-and-burn method and transform agriculture for the betterThe Inga Foundation's alley farming, which plants rows of nitrogen-fixing Inga trees around crops, has been trialled in Honduras, Congo and Madagascar as an alternative to slash and burn.
- Soil, water & climate, GlobalSustainable farming with millets: nurturing a greener tomorrowExplains why millets, which tolerate drought and need less water, fertiliser and pesticide than many staples, suit sustainable farming, and what holds back wider adoption.
- Soil, water & climate, GlobalThe main challenges of permacultureSets out the main challenges facing permaculture, from its lack of a unified global movement and of design thinking to the difficulty of living by it without relying on money.
- Soil, water & climate, IndiaStudy finds soil health card can increase farm income by up to Rs 30,000 per acreA National Productivity Council study of 1,700 farmers found soil health cards cut fertiliser use and costs, raising income by up to Rs 30,000 an acre depending on the crop.
- Soil, water & climate, GlobalAgricultural resilience and risk managementClimate change, price swings, pests and disasters threaten farms, and diversification, sustainable practices, crop insurance, infrastructure, planning and agritech can build resilience.
- Soil, water & climate, United KingdomSoil health revolution: how UK farmers are using biological testing to increase organic matter and reduce inputsUK arable farms are adding biological soil tests, covering microbial biomass, fungal to bacterial ratios and enzyme activity, to chemical analysis to guide cover cropping, reduced tillage and organic amendments.
- Soil, water & climate, Madhya PradeshMadhya Pradesh faces crop damage from frost this seasonFrost and a cold wave have damaged rabi crops in Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur area, where farmers are asking for prompt surveys and relief.
- Soil, water & climate, IndiaIndia losing its agricultural land in the name of urbanisationUrban expansion is converting fertile farmland in India, with losses concentrated near smaller cities and in fast-growing states with active SEZs, and conversion rising since 2006.
- Soil, water & climate, IndiaIrrigation methods that will help Indian farmersExplains surface, furrow, drip, sprinkler and basin irrigation, and the crops each suits, for Indian farmers facing groundwater depletion.
- Soil, water & climate, GlobalThe amazing benefits of micro farmingMicro farming grows high-value crops intensively in small spaces and is presented as a way to diversify farm income, create jobs and use less land and water.
- Soil, water & climate, IndiaThe Green Revolution, a blessing that became a baneThe Green Revolution raised output with HYV seeds, irrigation and chemicals, but left soil degradation, water pollution, farmer debt and regional inequality, especially in Punjab.
- Soil, water & climate, GlobalNavigating the transition to organic farming: challenges, benefits, and successful strategiesSwitching to organic farming can improve soil health and earn premium prices, but brings costs, lower early yields, certification demands and market access hurdles.
- Soil, water & climate, AssamDry weather worries tea estate owners in Assam and West BengalAssam and West Bengal had about half the rain first flush tea needs in January and February, and producers warn output and exports could suffer.