Pests destroy around one-quarter of our crops--even more in developing areas 
4 Feb, 2019 
Pests and pathogens are an integral part of agriculture. They’ve been around since mankind has been growing crops, co-evolving with agricultural plants. However, that’s not to say that we can’t do anything to fight them. Different methods have been employed, with varying degrees of success. But before we can talk about large-scale campaigns against pests, we first need to understand the big picture. 
https://www.zmescience.com/science/agriculture-science/pests-agriculture-04022019/ 

Making money while the sun shines: Farmers in a Gujarat village in India are selling solar energy 
5 Feb, 2019 
Until three years ago, farmers in Dhundi, a village in Gujarat’s Kheda district south-east of the state’s capital city Gandhinagar, knew only one way of mechanical irrigation in their farms – using noisy and polluting diesel generators, since their village was not connected to the power grid. Now, they are proud to have found a cheaper, noise-free and pollution-free way of irrigating their farms, using the sun’s energy. And as a bonus, they are also earning by selling the surplus energy. 
https://scroll.in/article/911518/making-money-while-the-sun-shines-farmers-in-a-gujarat-village-are-selling-solar-energy 

World’s first underground farm opens for tours in London 
5 Feb, 2019 
If you’re heading to London and fancy taking in a tour with a difference, you can now visit the world’s first underground farm. The fully-working Growing Underground farm is located 33 metres beneath the busy streets of Clapham, in the abandoned tunnels of a former World War II air raid shelter. Those taking part in the tours can discover the history of the tunnels, how the farm came to be and it’s future role in a sustainable world. 
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/news/2019/02/04/underground-farm-tours-london/ 

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CLIMATE CHANGE 

Climate change may increase frequency of extreme storms: NASA study 
30  Jan , 2019 
Warming of the tropical oceans due to climate change may lead to a substantial increase in the frequency of extreme rain storms by the end of the century, according to a NASA study. The study led by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in the US combed through 15 years of data acquired by the space agency's Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument over the tropical oceans to determine the relationship between the average sea surface temperature and the onset of severe storms. 
https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/environment/climate-change-may-increase-frequency-of-extreme-storms-nasa-study-3454681.html 

Gigantic cavity in Antarctica glacier is a product of rapid melting, study finds 
1 Feb, 2019 
The Thwaites Glacier on Antarctica’s western coast has long been considered one of the most unstable on the continent. Now, scientists are worried about the discovery of an enormous underwater cavity that will probably speed up the glacier’s decay. The cavity is about two-thirds the area of Manhattan and nearly 1,000 feet tall, according to a study released. 
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/01/climate/thwaites-glacier-antarctica-cavity.html 

Much of the surface ocean will shift in colour by end of 21st century: Study 
4 Feb, 2019 
Climate change is causing significant changes to phytoplankton in the world’s oceans, and a new MIT study finds that over the coming decades these changes will affect the ocean’s colour, intensifying its blue regions and its green ones. Satellites should detect these changes in hue, providing early warning of wide-scale changes to marine ecosystems. 
http://news.mit.edu/2019/study-ocean-color-change-phytoplankton-climate-0204 

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DROUGHTS

South Africa farmers seek $220 mln in drought aid 
25 Jan, 2019 
South Africa’s agricultural industry body AgriSA will approach banks, agribusiness and government to raise 3 billion rand ($220 million) to help farmers hit by severe drought. Farmers have faced dry conditions over most of the nation for the last year, even as they are still recovering from a disastrous El Nino-induced drought in 2015. 
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-safrica-drought/south-africa-farmers-seek-220-million-in-drought-aid-idUSKCN1PJ15K 

Australia's west set for hot, dry spell in risk to wheat outlook 
31 Jan, 2018 
Australia’s west coast is facing hot, dry weather over the next three months, the country’s bureau of meteorology said, denting the outlook for wheat production in the world’s fourth-largest exporter. There is only a 20 percent chance that the state of Western Australia will receive average rainfall between Feb 1 and April 30, Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology said in its latest three-month outlook. 
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-australia-weather/australias-west-set-for-hot-dry-spell-in-risk-to-wheat-outlook-idUSKCN1PP060 

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FLOODS 

Australia deploys military to tackle 'once-in-a-century' floods; crocodiles sighted in Townsville area 
4 Feb, 2019 
Australia's military has been deployed to tackle devastating "once-in-a-century" floods that have inundated homes, schools and airports in the country's northeast, forcing hundreds to flee and bringing crocodiles onto the streets. There were several saltwater crocodile sightings in the flood-ravaged Townsville area. Emergency services have struggled to respond to the scale of the disaster, carrying out 18 "swift water rescues" overnight. 
https://www.timesnownews.com/international/article/military-steps-in-as-australia-floods-bring-crocodiles-to-the-streets/359308 

Powerful new technology maps Townsville floods in near real-time 
5 Feb, 2019 
Record-breaking floods threatening North Queensland are being mapped by UNSW Sydney researchers within an hour to provide snapshots of rising floodwaters where previously such images were slow to produce and hampered by poor visibility. This new type of flood intelligence could allow authorities to make decisions about critical infrastructure – such as switching off power stations – before flood waters can reach them. 
https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/science-tech/powerful-new-technology-maps-townsville-floods-near-real-time 

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FOOD SECURITY 
 CABI win grant to boost food security in India and Ethiopia through opening access to data 
30 Jan, 2019 
CABI has been awarded a $1.49 million grant from the Gates Foundation to work with them to help increase food security in India and Ethiopia through better access to data on soil health, agronomy and fertilizers.  The funding, to be spent over the course of the two-year project, will focus on ensuring available data on agricultural development. 
https://eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-01/c-cwg012919.php 

World’s biggest spice company is using AI to find new flavors 
4 Feb, 2019 
After 130 years, it can be hard to come up with new flavors, so the world’s largest spice company is becoming the latest food producer to turn to artificial intelligence (AI) for help. McCormick — the maker of Old Bay and other seasonings, spices and condiments — hopes the technology can help it tantalize taste buds. It worked with IBM Research to build an AI system trained on decades worth of data about spices and flavors to come up with new flavor combinations. 
https://wtvr.com/2019/02/04/the-worlds-biggest-spice-company-is-using-ai-to-find-new-flavors/

    [Top]     

IRRIGATION 

DIY solar drip irrigation system conserves water by responding to weather 
1 Feb, 2019 
Australia-based Dr. Bernie Omodei have created a DIY solar-powered irrigation system to facilitate the automatic watering of plants. Measured irrigation allows the user to know how much water is going to be consumed during the watering process. Using solar power obviously is greener because it is a clean, renewable source of electricity. 
https://cleantechnica.com/2019/02/01/diy-solar-drip-irrigation-system-conserves-water-by-responding-to-weather/ 

[Top]    

WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 

A game-changer for water use efficiency in irrigation management 
28 Jan, 2019 
With a changing climate and a growing population creating a ‘perfect storm’ for world food supplies, there is currently intense focus on how to feed more people with less resources. The key to this is improving not only access to water, but doing much more with existing water through better Water Use Efficiency. Water supply is just one half of the problem – just as imperative is ensuring this moisture stays in the soil long enough for plants to take advantage of it. 
https://www.floraldaily.com/article/9066494/a-game-changer-for-water-use-efficiency-in-irrigation-management/ 

Ramsar tag makes Indian Sunderbans largest protected wetland in country 
3 Feb, 2019 
The Indian side of the Sunderbans has received the prestigious ‘Wetlands of International Importance’ tag under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, making it the largest protected wetland in the country. Home to the royal Bengal tiger, this is the second Ramsar site in Bengal after the East Kolkata Wetlands, which got the tag in 2002. The decision was recently taken at a Ramsar convention in Geneva. 
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/ramsar-tag-makes-indian-sunderbans-largest-protected-wetland-in-country/articleshow/67813084.cms 

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FORTHCOMING EVENTS   

International Dam Safety Conference 2019, 13-14 February 2019, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, India  
Website:  www.damsafety.in/idsc2019 

Water for Food Global Conference 2019,  29-30 April 2019, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA  
Theme: Water for a Hungry World: Innovation in Water and Food Security 
Website:  https://waterforfood.nebraska.edu/news-and-events 

3rd World Irrigation Forum (WIF3) and 70th International Executive Council Meeting, 1-7 September 2019, Bali, Indonesia   
Theme: Development for water, food and nutrition security in a competitive environment 
Website:  https://icid2019.com/ 

5th African Regional Conference on Irrigation and Drainage (ARCID), 16-19 March 2020, Marrakech, Morocco   
Theme: Sustainable Management of Irrigation for Improved Resilience of Agriculture in Africa 
Website: http://www.anafide.net/ 

24th ICID International Congress & 71st IEC Meeting, 22-24 September 2020, Sydney, Australia 
Website: http://www.icid2020.com.au 

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       LATEST PUBLICATION(S) 
                               

Beyond Crop per Drop: Assessing Agricultural Water Productivity and Efficiency in a Maturing Water Economy 
Published: 2018-06-26; Author(s) Scheierling, Susanne M. and Tréguer, David O. 

With growing water scarcity in many parts of the world and projections that indicate the need to increase agricultural production and, concurrently, agricultural water use, it is increasingly advocated to focus efforts on improving agricultural water productivity and efficiency—and thus achieve more crop per drop. Many international organizations concerned with water management are also promoting these efforts, and significant public and private investments are being made in both developed and developing countries. Yet some serious problems are associated with this approach. The report aims to shed further light on these issues: first, by clarifying some of the underlying concepts in the discussion of agricultural water productivity and efficiency; second, by reviewing and analyzing the available methods for assessing water productivity and efficiency, including single-factor productivity measures, total factor productivity indices, frontier methods, and deductive methods; and, third, by discussing their application a relevance in different contexts. The book has been released as an Open Access and can be downloaded @  https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/29922