Dharamsala: With pulses going off the menu of poor people in the country, scientists from across the country gathered at Palampur Agriculture University (PAU) to mull over the issue.

About 250 scientists deliberated on the steps that could be taken to increase the yield of major kharif pulse crops in the country in a three-day conference held in the university.

Planted in the early 20th century to help control erosion, kudzu is a fast-growing invasive legume that fixes atmospheric nitrogen at a high rate. The Asian native is not just swallowing landscapes and altering ecosystems in the southeastern United States, the plant may also increase ozone pollution. Jonathan Hickman et al.

The Garo, Khasi and Jaintia Hills region, with its unique landscape, climatic phenomenon of heavy cloud cover and torrential rainfall, and agricultural richness involving the majority of the population, has been proposed as another National Agricultural Biodiversity Heritage Site based on six indices.

Traditional farming knowledge on agroecosystem management promoted the low cost sustainable development in ecosystems through optimal use of natural resources. It protects and conserves ecological systems, and improving economic efficiency of the farming community. The coastal agroecosystem of Parangipettai (Portonovo) in Northeastern coastal Tamil

Agrobiodiversity focuses on that part of bio

Food prices in the immediate future can be controlled only through large imports. Wheat stocks are adequate but rice stocks are not. There will be a fiscal cost because global prices are above domestic prices, but this will not be above 1 per cent of central government expenditure. This may be the best option since food inflation is now threatening to become generalised.

Spiralling prices of pulses have shown India's dependence on imports. Pulses are integral to India's diet but not its food policy. As a result, supply cannot meet demand. To understand the causes, its consequences and the solutions, read this DTE report.

Since farm productivity is not showing growth, there is urgent need to focus on research and better agricultural practices.

The Economic Survey is concerned over the consistent decline in production and productivity of pulses. It said a lot needs to be done in this regard, to cater to the rising population.

Antagoistic bacteria were isolated from soil samples collected from different forest areas of Jabalpur, Mandla, Umaria and Bilaspur. One antagonistic bacteria Bacillus firmus was isolated from the soil of Belkund teak forest nursery, Kundam Project, Forest Development Corporation, Jabalpur.

Despite its rich resources like forests and minerals, Bundelkhand is a region of distress and crisis. A study fi nds that the distress of the region simply cannot be explained by the absence or irregularity of rainfall. There are long-term structural problems which have had a cumulative effect over the years.

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