ISRO to fund carbon farming at RPCAU
Patna: In a major scientific leap for agricultural sustainability in Bihar, Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University (RPCAU), Pusa, has entered into a partnership with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to promote carbon farming, an emerging practice seen as vital to mitigating climate change.
The collaboration, announced on Thursday, is a significant shift towards space-assisted agricultural research in the state.
RPCAU vice-chancellor P S Pandey announced the development during the inauguration of the university's 19th general research council (kharif) meeting, saying that official communication from ISRO was received earlier in the day. "The entire funding for this collaborative work will be provided by ISRO," he said.
Under this initiative, ISRO's Space Applications Centre (SAC) will install a high-resolution Eddy Covariance (EC) tower on the university campus. The tower will enhance research capacity by generating high-frequency, accurate data on carbon dioxide and water vapour fluxes. "This will greatly support our agricultural and climate studies by creating high-quality flux datasets for analysing land-atmosphere interactions," Pandey said.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn
IC Markets
Đăng ký
Undo
Explaining the concept, Pandey said carbon farming, also called carbon sequestration, involves agricultural practices that increase the storage of carbon in soil and vegetation while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. "It is a powerful tool for addressing global climate change, and this partnership will place Bihar at the forefront of research in this critical area," he added.
The EC tower will aid in monitoring gross and net primary productivity (GPP and NPP), surface evapotranspiration, and crop water use efficiency. This, in turn, will bolster research into carbon and water flux monitoring, as well as support future space-based agricultural missions led by RPCAU.
The partnership is expected to benefit scientific and agricultural communities by offering precise, real-time environmental data for developing climate-resilient farming strategies.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
A déjà vu moment for Indian space odyssey
Call it providence or pure coincidence but June 25 seems to be a day of destiny as regards India from even before it achieved independence. Many spectacular events have unfolded on this very day over the years. On June 25, 1932, India became the sixth team to be granted Test cricket status when it played its first match at Lord's on that historic day. Close to midnight of June 25, 1975, the then President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed proclaimed national Emergency citing 'internal disturbance'. It was to mark a watershed event as India's political landscape underwent a dramatic transformation and gave a new democratic dimension. On June 25, 1983, India rewrote cricketing history by emerging as world champions, when Kapil's Devils upset all calculations and put an end to the hat-trick quest of West Indies by winning the ODI World Cup in a stunning manner. Now 42 years to the day, June 25, 2025, to be precise, an Indian with the tricolour on his shoulders has put the country's name in a league of extraordinary achievers. A distinguished IAF pilot and astronaut, Lucknow's 39-year-old Shubhanshu Shukla scripted history by embarking on a space odyssey along with three others on Wednesday as part of an ISRO-NASA supported commercial spaceflight by Axiom Space that blasted off for a 14-day sojourn to the International Space Station (ISS) from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. Incidentally, Shukla is one of four astronauts picked for ISRO's historic Gaganyaan mission, which marks India's inaugural human space flight endeavour. The lift-off at 12.01 pm on Wednesday (after several eleventh hour heart-breaking postponements) took the clock back by 41 years when Hyderabad's very own Rakesh Sharma became India's first man in space. He spent eight days in orbit as part of the then Soviet Union's Salyut-7 space station in 1984. A day after the take-off, Shukla went a notch higher than Sharma when he achieved the distinction of being the first Indian astronaut to have travelled to ISS. Along with three other astronauts, he reached the ISS when the Dragon spacecraft, named Grace, docked with the orbital laboratory at 4:01 pm (IST) on Thursday over the North Atlantic Ocean, marking the climax of a 28 hours flight. Incidentally, Axiom 4 mission heralds the return to space not just for India, but Poland and Hungary as well. Also onboard is the mission commander Peggy Whitson, and mission specialists Poland's Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski and Hungary's Tibor Kapu. If Shukla stirred the emotions of the countrymen with 'Sare Jahan se Achhcha…' while speaking to Indira Gandhi, Shukla's first message from space was equally patriotic. 'The Tiranga embossed on my shoulders tells me that I am with all of you. This journey of mine is not a beginning to the ISS but to India's Human Space Programme. I want all of you to be part of this journey. Your chest, too, should swell with pride... Jai Hind! Jai Bharat!' The October 10, 1985-born history-maker was commissioned into the IAF fighter wing in June 2006. He has an excellent track-record as a combat leader and seasoned test pilot having a mindboggling 2,000 hours of flight experience across aircraft like the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier and An-32. It is time Indians took a break from wars and conflicts and celebrated the glorious achievements of Shukla, Sharma and Sunita Williams, who set new benchmarks in spacewalk, which redefined 'resilience' during her nine-month stay aboard the ISS. Bravo, India's torchbearers of the extraordinary kind.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
'Welcome, Earthlings': Axiom-4 crew checks in from Grace; Shubhanshu Shukla says, 'all i wanted was to go'
As the Dragon capsule Grace soared into the cosmos with the Axiom-4 crew aboard, the warmth inside the spacecraft matched the awe of space outside. 'Welcome, Earthlings,' said veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson , her voice laced with joy and mischief, as she beamed in from orbit in what was the crew's first in-flight broadcast. Grace was flying over Europe when the crew began their broadcast, they had just passed over Italy, Sicily, the Greek islands, and the Balkans and by the time of the transmission, it had moved slightly north, flying over Hungary and Poland. 'We're in the newest capsule, and we're loving her a bunch.' Three rookie astronauts joined Whitson — Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla , Hungary's Tibor Kapu, and Poland's Sławosz Uznański — for a mission not just of science, but of spirit. And floating among them, light as a whisper, was 'Joy' — a soft, white swan chosen as their zero-gravity indicator , and as a symbol of something deeper. 'Joy started to float just as we injected into orbit,' said Whitson. 'Sometimes we have to go find her—she drifts all over the capsule.' But Joy is more than a plush toy. 'In Indian culture,' explained Shukla, 'the swan symbolises wisdom—the ability to discern what matters from what doesn't. That means a lot in this golden age of distraction.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Live Comfortably: 60 m² Prefab Bungalow for Seniors in Davao City Pre Fabricated Homes | Search Ads Search Now Undo For Shukla, the moment of launch was powerful and humbling. 'After 30 days of quarantine, all I wanted was to go,' he recalled. 'The ride was amazing — like being pushed back into your seat. And then suddenly — silence. You unbuckle, and you're just floating.' Even the discomfort of space adaptation didn't dim his wonder. 'Since yesterday, I've apparently been sleeping a lot — which is a good sign!' he laughed. 'I'm learning everything anew — how to walk, how to read, how to be.' He reiterated how this was not his mission alone but that of the entire nation and thanked everybody who supported the mission, including his family and wife. Kapu, too, was reflective. 'We were seconds away from being sent back to quarantine, so those last minutes before liftoff were charged with energy,' he said. No amount of training—centrifuge spins or fighter jet dives—prepared them for the real thing. 'But when we launched — it was pure exhilaration.' Kapur reiterated that Joy is also a tribute to Sid, Shukla's six-year-old son who loves animals. 'Every time I look at her, I think about him—and about the hopeful future this mission represents,' he said. 'A team that has joy is a team that is healthy. That's true not just for us, but for everyone who helped us get here.' The crew has already held a small ceremony aboard Grace, placing their mission patch — featuring Earth at its centre — inside the capsule. 'That's how we see the world from up here,' said Kapu. 'We represent India, the US, Poland, Hungary — together, nearly a third of the world's population. This mission is for all of you.' Whitson returned near the end of the broadcast with her signature wit: 'Everyone knows how much I like to talk!' she grinned. 'We've got a lot of science coming up — and it's really special to be bringing three nations back to space together.' As the crew continued its journey to rendezvous with the International Space Station , one thing is clear: this mission isn't just about where they were going, but who they were becoming — astronauts, teammates, and a family in orbit, carried forward by Grace, and buoyed by Joy.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
All about ISS, where Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will spend 2 weeks
As India's Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla embarks on his historic journey to the International Space Station , it's worth understanding the orbital laboratory where he and his Axiom-4 crewmates will live and work for the next two weeks. Hovering silently above us at an altitude of approx 408km, ISS is a symbol of global scientific cooperation, engineering excellence, and humanity's quest to thrive beyond Earth. Orbiting Home ISS orbits Earth at a breakneck speed of 28,000kmph, completing one full revolution every 90 minutes, about 16 orbits per day. This means Shukla and his crew will witness multiple sunrises and sunsets daily, suspended in a delicate balance of speed and gravity that keeps them perpetually falling around the planet. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Serbia: New Container Houses (Prices May Surprise You) Container House Search Now Undo Monumental Structure Constructed over a decade with parts launched via 42 separate missions, ISS has grown into a sprawling space complex. It stretches 73 metres long and, with its solar arrays extended, spans 109metres across - larger than a football field. Weighing in at around 4.2-lakh-kg, the ISS contains over 15 pressurised modules, contributed by five core partner agencies: Nasa (US), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), Jaxa (Japan), and CSA (Canada). The main truss, which supports solar panels and radiators, acts as the station's structural backbone. Powered by The Sun Eight vast solar arrays generate up to 120 kilowatts of power, stored in rechargeable batteries to ensure round-the-clock operation. These panels power everything from scientific instruments to daily crew needs, including the all-important oxygen generation systems and environmental controls. Living in Orbit The station supports a core crew of six, although it can accommodate up to ten astronauts during short-term missions like Ax-4. Life aboard is carefully regulated: astronauts follow a schedule, including two hours of exercise to counteract muscle and bone loss due to weightlessness. The station's facilities include private sleeping quarters, a galley, toilets, an observation cupola and even exercise equipment. Communication delays are minimal, about 1-2 seconds, enabling near real-time chats with mission control and loved ones. Research Powerhouse The ISS is not just a home. It's the most advanced research laboratory in low-Earth orbit (LEO). Experiments conducted aboard span microgravity physics, life sciences, biotechnology, Earth observation, and even space agriculture. Notable investigations include the Cupola Module. With its seven windows, the Module offers astronauts stunning panoramic views of Earth. It is used for photography, spacecraft docking oversight, and occasional quiet reflection - a favourite spot for many ISS inhabitants. Getting There & Back Transport to the International Space Station is now shared among multiple spacecraft: Soyuz (Russia), Crew Dragon (SpaceX), and soon, Boeing's Starliner. Cargo missions - vital for resupplying food, water, scientific gear, and spare parts - are conducted by spacecraft such as Dragon, Cygnus, HTV, and very soon, Dream Chaser. What Comes Next? With an expected operational life through at least 2030, the ISS will eventually give way to commercial space stations like Axiom Station, Starlab, and others. A controlled deorbit, managed by Nasa and Roscosmos, is planned to ensure a safe end to this decades-long orbiting laboratory's mission. As Shukla begins his space-based scientific duties, he enters a facility that not only showcases India's growing role in human spaceflight, but also serves as one of humanity's greatest international achievements. The ISS is not just a station - it's a shared frontier, where science, diplomacy, and exploration converge 400km above Earth.
