-Down to Earth System of crop intensification, specially in rice, has shown sizeable savings in water and seed usage. Yet its adoption has not spread despite incentives SIMPLE TECHNIQUES and manag-ement practices tend to be viewed with suspicion. In the age of input-intensive agriculture which calls for an array of machinery and a host of scientific props, a crop management system whose core basically is protecting the plant's roots to provide better...

-The Hindu 80 per cent subsidy will be granted for farmers: Villupuram Collector Villupuram (Tamil Nadu): Villupuram farmers are being encouraged to put up solar-powered pumping system to maximise farm production and to economise usage of water, according to V. Sampath, District Collector. Those farmers who would opt for such a system, being promoted under the National Agricultural Development Programme (NADP), would be eligible to get 80 per cent subsidy, to the extent...

-Down to Earth Civil society calls for pesticide-free, organic food under government programmes for children while Bihar focuses on building new kitchens in government schools A year after 23 school children in Bihar's Saran district died of insecticide poisoning after consuming food served under Mid Day Meal (MDM) Scheme, government agencies seem to have forgotten the serious concern over handling and banning of hazardous chemicals that the tragedy raised. The children of Dharmasati-Gandaman...

-The Hindustan Times Sangrur: With a drought-like situation looming large in the state following a below-average monsoon so far, farmers in the district are worried that they will not get a bumper paddy crop this year. Now, the farmers are running from pillar to post to protect their Crops from the scorching heat to reduce its impact on the produce. A less rainfall has also increased the input cost...

-The Business Standard The programme would be extended to include all identified villages in 13 districts in the state in a phased manner starting with the Rabi crop season this year Hyderabad: International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat), in partnership with the government of Andhra Pradesh, would cover six million hectares in the state under the dry land farming programme Bhoochetana. The programme would be extended to include all...