Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) has launched a number of projects aimed at cultivating bio-fuel crops for the production of fuel products to enable the country save huge amounts spent on fuel imports.

As the world gets warmer with climate change, the dryland tracts will become even drier making it more difficult for the farmers to grow crops in the region.

Improved varieties

Monsanto and Germany-based BASF have discovered a naturally-occurring gene that can help corn plants combat drought and confer yield stability during periods of inadequate water supplies. The scientists of both companies announced the discovery in Germany on Tuesday.

With the global temperature gradually on the rise, Bangladesh being a tropical delta has also been experiencing comparatively higher humidity and temperature through the past couple of decades, threatening agriculture, climatologists have observed.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A hundred village councils (Naattukkoottam) will be formed this year to raise awareness on proper farming methods and the threats posed by genetically modified (GM) crops, Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran said on Friday.

K P Prabhakaran Nair

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Noted agriculture scientist Dr K P Prabhakaran Nair said on Friday said it was essential that India put in place a fool-proof scientific protocol to test genetically modified crops.

Assumes office: P. Murugesa Boopathy, Vice-Chancellor of TNAU.

COIMBATORE: Though the focus of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) will be on education, research and extension activities, impetus will be given to research that will reach the farmers through extension activities, P. Murugesa Boopathy, Vice-Chancellor of TNAU, told a press conference here on Thursday.

That a water-intensive crop like rice cannot endure even four days of submergence spells a cruel irony for the world