Farmer collective to turn Idukki to fully organic farming district: India
29 Oct, 2018
A
collective of organic farmers has initiated a programme to help and
rebuild the farms and livelihood of the farmers in Idukki, the hub of
spice cultivation in Kerala state, which was one of the worst affected
districts in heavy rains and floods that hit the state in August.
Manarcadu Social Service Society (Mass) a collective of 5000 organic
farmers cultivating spices, coffee and cocoa in 5800 acres is hoping to
help the affected farmers through organic farming.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/farmer-collective-to-turn-idukki-to-fully-organic-farming district/articleshow/66511775.cms
World needs to produce 3 times more fruits, vegetables than current levels
29 Oct, 2018
If
the world continues to produce food crops in a business-as-usual
scenario, then nutritional requirements of each individual are unlikely
to be met. The world currently overproduces grains, fats and sugars, and
not enough fruits, vegetables and protein to meet the nutritional needs
of the current population, finds a recent global study conducted by the
University of Guelph.
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/agriculture/world-needs-to-produce-3-times-more-fruits-vegetables-than-current-levels-61951
[Top] CLIMATE CHANGE
Amazon forests failing to keep up with climate change
8 Nov, 2018
New
research has assessed the impact of global warming on thousands of tree
species across the Amazon to discover the winners and losers from 30
years of climate change. The analysis found the effects of climate
change are altering the rainforest's composition of tree species but not
quickly enough to keep up with the changing environment.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181108091317.htm
Farmer adjustments can offset climate change impacts in corn production
9 Nov, 2018
There
is widespread concern that global warming will have a strong negative
effect on crop yields. Recent research published in Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences on historical maize yields across the U.S.
Corn Belt suggests that a continuation of the historical yield trend
will depend on a stable climate and continued farmer adjustments.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181109185728.htm
Ragweed may expand its range northward with climate change
8 Nov, 2018
A
new predictive model developed by an ecologist at the University of
Massachusetts Amherst and a climate scientist at the University of
Washington suggests that climate change may allow common ragweed to
extend its growing range northward and into major northeast metro areas,
worsening conditions for millions of people with hay fever and asthma.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181108205337.htm
[Top] DROUGHTS Perilous times for Australia wildlife amid severe drought
1 Nov, 2018
From
abandoned baby kangaroos to wallabies being blinded by the sun and
koalas having to go walkabout to look for eucalyptus leaves, Australia’s
exotic wild animals are struggling to adapt to a crippling drought. The
“big dry”, lasting for several years in some areas, is turning vast
swathes of lush green land across the continent’s eastern interior
brown.
https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-life/perilous-times-for-australias-wildlife-amid-drought/article25396777.ece
Cape Town warns world to follow its lead as it prepares for fresh drought
8 Nov, 2018
As
Cape Town prepares for another summer on the brink of an environmental
disaster, with fresh restrictions on water usage already in place, the
head of South African tourism has called on the city to become a
blueprint for water-scarce cities around the world. The popular South
African city narrowly avoided running out of water earlier this year,
thanks to stringent rules governing water consumption and a major
campaign encouraging tourists to “save like a local”.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/africa/south-africa/articles/cape-town-drought-restrictions-water-scarce-cities/
[Top] FLOODS
Jordan flash floods kill 12 and force tourist evacuation of Petra
10 Nov, 2018
Flash
floods in Jordan have killed at least 12 people and wounded several
others, one-day after heavy rain hit several parts of the country,
including the ancient stone-city of Petra. Friday’s heavy downpours came
two weeks after flash floods near the Dead Sea killed 21 people, most
of them children.
https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/jordan-flash-floods-kill-12-and-force-tourist-evacuation-of-petra-1.790025
Heavy rain and gales bring flooding to England and Wales
10 Nov, 2018
Gale-force
winds and heavy rain brought flooding to parts of England and Wales,
closing a train line, submerging homes and cutting off power for
thousands of properties. At Dawlish, Devon, a high tide and strong winds
caused the sea to flood tracks, while Western Power Distribution said
it had 2,500 customers "off supply" on Friday evening.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/11/10/uk-weather-heavy-rain-gales-bring-flooding-england-wales/ [Top] FOOD SECURITY
Central African Republic facing worst food insecurity since 2014, UN warns
8 Nov, 2018
Nearly
two million people urgently need feeding in violence-hit Central
African Republic in the worst food insecurity in four years, the UN's
food agency has warned. Figures on food security compiled by the World
Food Programme in September found "the worst results since 2014, with
1.9 million people in need of urgent food action.
https://www.news24.com/Africa/News/car-facing-worst-food-insecurity-since-2014-un-warns-20181108
Farmers market vendors need training to improve food-safety practices
1 Nov, 2018
Many
vendors at farmers markets take inadequate precautions to prevent the
spread of foodborne illness, and they should be trained to reduce
food-safety risks, according to Penn State researchers who completed the
final phase of an innovative five-year study. Using a comprehensive
three-way approach, the research assessed food safety behaviors at
Pennsylvania farmers markets using direct concealed observations, state
sanitarian observations, and self-reported vendor surveys.
https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/food-safety/farmers-market-vendors-need-training-improve-food-safety-practices
[Top]
IRRIGATION
Drip irrigation uses 58% less water: Study
7 Nov, 2018
A
field experiment by the Command Area Development Authority (CADA) has
shown that drip irrigation through a solar-based micro-irrigation system
uses 58 percent less
water as compared to the conventional form of paddy
cultivation. Sharing the details of the field trials, CADA authorities
said that per acre yield of PR-114 variety of rice in the farms
irrigated under drip irrigation was recorded between 24.27 and 27.83
quintals (1 Quintal = 100 kgs).
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/study-drip-irrigation-uses-58-less-water/679698.html [Top] WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Seismic noise can more accurately track water levels in underground aquifers
29 Oct, 2018
Seismic
noise— the low-level vibrations caused by everything from subway trains
to waves crashing on the beach — is most often something seismologists
work to avoid. They factor it out of models and create algorithms aimed
at eliminating it so they can identify the signals of earthquakes. But
Tim Clements, a graduate student working in the lab of Assistant
Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences Marine Denolle, thinks it
might be a tool to monitor one of the most precious resources in the
world — water.
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/10/study-uses-seismic-noise-to-track-water-levels-in-underground-aquifers/
3,000 villages in Maharashtra may face acute drinking water shortage by year-end: India
7 Nov, 2018
The
shadow of the deficient monsoon continues to haunt rural Maharashtra
state, where as many as 3,000 villages, mostly in central Maharashtra
and Marathwada, have seen severely depleted groundwater levels this
year. Experts have warned that these villages may face a drinking water
crisis by the end of the year unless a contingency plan is put in place
to control the situation.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/3000-villages-in-maharashtra-may-face-acute-drinking-water-shortage-by-year-end-5436651/
[Top]
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
9th International Micro Irrigation Conference (9IMIC), 16-18 January 2019, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India on the theme: Micro Irrigation in Modern Agriculture.
Website: http://micro-irrigation2019.com/
International Dam Safety Conference 2019, 13-14 February 2019, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, India
Website: www.damsafety.in/idsc2019
5th African Regional Conference on Irrigation and Drainage (ARCID), 16-19 March 2020, Rabat, Morocco on the theme: Sustainable Management of Irrigation for Improved Resilience of Agriculture in Africa.
Website: http://www.anafide.net/
Water for Food Global Conference 2019, 29-30 April 2019, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA on the 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 on the theme: Development for water, food and nutrition security in a competitive environment.
Website: http://www.icid2019.org/
[Top] LATEST PUBLICATION(S)
 |
|
The study on ''Water Productivity Mapping of Major Indian Crops'' presents
for the first time, maps on the water productivity of ten major Indian
crops across cultivating districts and states. It builds on the
expectation that if key decisions regarding irrigation, cropping
patterns, input pricing, and incentive structures are predicated on
water productivity of crops, it would ensure that water in agriculture
is distributed more widely, water-use efficiency is enhanced, and Indian
agriculture becomes more sustainable and productive in the long run.
Thus, the study seeks to inform targeted policies and investment
interventions for meeting the twin objectives of "har khet ko pani"
(water to every field) and "more crop per drop." The report will
encourage policy makers to take note of and trigger an effective
response to the looming water crisis faced by the agriculture sector in
India. The book has been released as an Open Access and may be
downloaded @ https://bit.ly/2Q6OU |
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