-TheWire.in * Debal Deb began conserving indigenous varieties of rice in the 1990s after realizing that they were losing cultivation ground to other varieties preferred by the Green Revolution. * In an extended interview with The Wire Science, he explained what makes a crop resilient, why farmers should be considered scientists, and the perils of technological solutionism. * Deb also spoke at length about the problems with the Green Revolution and its troubled...
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Folk rice: Researchers spot dozen Indian paddy varieties that can boost nourishment -Susan Chacko
-Down to Earth These traditional varieties of rice are on the verge of extinction from farm fields As many as 12 folk varieties of Indian rice examined by researchers can supplement the nutritional demand of important fatty acids in undernourished mothers, a recent study has claimed. These can further supplement the arachidonic acid (ARA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in neonates through breast-feeding. DHA and ARA are fatty acids found in breast milk, as...
More »Western Odisha farmers strike gold with black rice -Mayank Bhusan Pani
-The New Indian Express Sudam Sahu, a progressive farmer from Bargarh who has been growing Kalabati Dhana from 2014, collected two varieties of black rice seeds from Nayagarh which he has preserved till now. SAMBALPUR: A group of farmers in Western Odisha is not just reaping the benefit of cultivating black rice but also popularising the crop among paddy growers in the region. Black rice has a niche market for its nutritional and...
More »The government needs to midwife Indian agriculture to an organic revolution -Abhik Roy and Nikhil Kumar
-Down to Earth Instead of making it difficult for the organic farmers, government should devise methods to reduce the complexity of the certification process Organic farming is native to India. However, since 1966, with the inception of the Green Revolution in India, it has taken a backseat. The transition from traditional agriculture to modern agriculture shifted the objective of farming. The need to change the methods of farming to meet the demands of...
More »Sowing the seeds of climate crisis in Odisha -Chitrangada Choudhury and Aniket Aga
-RuralIndiaOnline.org In Rayagada, Bt cotton acreage has risen by 5,200 per cent in 16 years. The result: this biodiversity hotspot, rich in indigenous millets, rice varieties and forest foods, is seeing an alarming ecological shift “Everybody is doing it. So we are too,” said Rupa Pirikaka, somewhat uncertainly. ‘It’ is genetically modified (GM) Bt cotton seeds, now easily bought at the local market, or even in one’s own village. ‘Everybody’ is countless other...
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