Mutation, a heritable change in a genetic characteristic of an organism, is a natural process that creates new variants (alleles) of genes. Mutation is the primary source of all genetic variations existing in any organism, including plants. Variation so created by mutation provides the raw material for natural selection and is a driving force in […]
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Flood prone areas of India The tragedy of the monsoons is often floods and landslides — 2017 was no different. The Government of India claims that by July 28, 2017, a period by when the monsoons had made their onset over most of India, about 600 deaths have occurred across the country due to floods […]
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Organic cultivation is a form of farming that does not introduce any synthetic elements into crop habitats. All the inputs utilized in this form of cultivation are organic i.e. elements that form part of biochemical inputs that are utilized by crop plants. As such it can be said to be a form of farming based […]
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Agriculture continues to play an important role in the overall growth of the Indian economy despite a structural shift towards the service sector during recent decades. Despite a decline in the share of agriculture in national income from 55.1 per cent in 1950-51 to 13.9 per cent in 2013-14, agriculture still holds the key to […]
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Dualism and inequality worsen due to relative lack of technological innovations and reduced welfare in agriculture (Barrett et al., 2010). A modernising value chain, viewed in this theoretical perspective, is one of the development agendas for overall growth of the economy with no sectoral disparities in income. Agri-food transformation has been going on in the […]
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Genetic modification: the science behind it A gene is a code that governs our appearance and characteristics. When a scientist genetically modifies (GM) a plant, s/he inserts a foreign gene in the plant’s own genes. What makes it possible to transfer genes from one species to another is the fact that all genes are created […]
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Mutation, a heritable change in a genetic characteristic of an organism, is a natural process that creates new variants (alleles) of genes. Mutation is the primary source of all genetic variations existing in any organism, including plants. Variation so created by mutation provides the raw material for natural selection and is a driving force in […]
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Sugarcane is an industrial crop that has such extensive uses in a variety of industries. It is one such crop that is used completely from top to bottom, from producing sugar to generation of energy. The origin of the earliest variants of sugarcane can be traced back to around 5,000-6,000 years ago. Since then sugarcane […]
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Rice is the staple crop of India, and every day millions of Indians find comfort in it. With a high carbohydrate content, it is known to provide instant energy, and is a staple that is consumed by the majority of India’s population. Hence, the importance of rice crop in the country can’t be negated. Rice crop’s […]
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Wheat crop is India’s prime most staple harvest, placed second only to rice. It is mostly consumed in the north and north-west parts of the country. Being rich in protein, vitamin and carbohydrates, it provides a balanced food to millions of people each day! Wheat crop cultivation in India has a long history, with some early […]
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