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India Today
26-05-2025
- Science
- India Today
Stingless bees can increase crop yields by 29%, shows Nagaland University research
In a first-of-its-kind initiative, researchers at Nagaland University have been able to demonstrate how stingless bees can boost crop output and quality through pollination -- without the stinging to the research, fruit set in king chilli increased to 29.46% from 21% with these bees as the the common chilli (Capsicum annuum), fruit development in healthy condition increased by nearly 8%, and seed weight, an indicator of enhanced germination, increased by over 60%.advertisementThe team, led by Dr Avinash Chauhan, All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Honeybees & Pollinators' Principal Investigator, discovered that the two species of stingless bees, namely Tetragonula iridipennis and Lepidotrigona arcifera, not only improved fruit production but also improved seed viability in chilli and king IS THIS RESEARCH IMPORTANT? Dr Chauhan further stated that this technique is meant to fill the gap of pollination in crops, especially where honeybee use is emphasised the need to preserve other pollinators like Apis dorsata, Apis florea, halictid and syrphid bees. Honey being extracted from stingless bees as part of a study conducted by Nagaland University advertisement"The last 7 to 10 years of research gave us strong results. We not only had more crop yields, but the honey from these bees also generated extra income," Dr Chauhan added."We're working on improving beekeeping practices and promoting awareness regarding the conservation of wild pollinators," he crops on which the research was carried out are cucumber, watermelon, citrus, tomato, brinjal, and dragon isolated and duplicated stingless bee colonies from forest areas native to them into scientific hives and then these hives were planted in open fields as well as greenhouses. ABOUT STINGLESS BEESStingless bees are widespread in the North East, South and Eastern parts of India. Scientific domestication of stingless bees has been done in Nagaland and subsequently extended to Meghalaya and Arunachal research is an important step towards sustainable agriculture and conservation of pollinators. Future research will further explore the pharmaceutical value of stingless bee honey and examine other lesser-researched crops like passion fruit and chow chow.
Hindustan Times
21-05-2025
- Science
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana: PAU bags best centre award for seed technology research
Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has been conferred with the best centre award for its outstanding contributions in seed technology research under the All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Seed (Crops). The honour was presented by ML Jat, director general of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), during the inaugural session of the Virtual Annual Group Meet held on May 14 to 15. This national recognition highlights the varsity's role in strengthening the seed sector through research and innovative technologies. Among the key achievements that earned PAU the top honour are the optimisation of grading sieve aperture sizes for new crop varieties, improved crop establishment through advanced seed treatment techniques, development of molecular markers for hybrid purity testing, revalidation of seed certification periods for field crops, and the standardisation of diagnostic methods to detect seed-borne pathogens. Apart from its research breakthroughs, PAU's seed unit has been instrumental in producing and supplying high-quality breeder, foundation, and certified seeds. These seeds meet the demands of farmers and seed agencies across Punjab, contributing to improved crop performance and overall agricultural productivity.
Mint
13-05-2025
- Climate
- Mint
Southwest monsoon rolls into Andaman and Nicobar region, two days in advance
The Southwest monsoon advanced into some parts of south Bay of Bengal, south Andaman Sea, Nicobar Islands and some parts of north Andaman Sea on Tuesday, two days ahead of schedule, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director general of India Meterological Department (), said. The normal date for the advancement of monsoon over the Andaman region is 15 May. The southwest monsoon is progressing as expected and is crucial to India's agrarian economy, as it delivers nearly 70% of the country' annual rainfall. Also, 51% of the country's net sowing area is dependent on monsoon rains. As per the ministry of agriculture & farmers' welfare data, the net sown area was 141 million hectares in 2021-22. Also read: Cyclone 'Shakti': IMD says southwest monsoon advances, 'cyclonic circulation lay over Andaman Sea' According to Mohapatra, with the current development, monsoon rains are expected to hit Kerala on 27 May, five days earlier than usual, as predicted earlier. Last year, the monsoon reached the coast of Kerala on 30 May. Also, according to IMD, conditions are favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon over some parts of south Arabian Sea, Maldives & Comorin area, some more parts of south Bay of Bengal, entire Andaman & Nicobar Islands, remaining parts of Andaman Sea, and some parts of central Bay of Bengal during the next 3-4 days. The expected arrival of monsoon this year on 27 May, the earliest in 6 years, has raised hopes for bumper harvests of Kharif crops such as rice, maize, cotton, soybean and other oilseeds, say agriculture experts. The early rains would ensure adequate soil moisture, which improves seed germination and plant growth, leading to better crop yields. Plentiful rains will boost rural sentiment and increases agricultural income. 'A lot depends on how monsoon progresses and its spread across the country. If it is evenly spread, then it will definitely boost the area under cultivation," said S.S. Johal, agriculture economist. Also read: Early monsoon in India sparks hopes for bumper harvests, easing inflation "If the monsoon is going to strike early, that means farmers will go for sowing early. So, the availability of seeds and fertilizers will have to be ensure accordingly," said Anand Vishwakarma, project coordinator, All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Sesame and Niger, Jabalpur. However, if the monsoon stalls, or there is an uneven distribution of rains, it would hurt kharif crops, he added. Additionally, early rains reduce the dependence on irrigation, helping farmers save on the costs of diesel and electricity. This is especially beneficial for small and marginal farmers who often struggle with access to irrigation. Further, an early monsoon can also replenish water levels in reservoirs, and groundwater sources, supporting not only agriculture but also drinking water supplies and hydroelectric power generation. "A good start to the monsoon boosts area under cultivation, which can further boost the labour market, rental market and input sales such as seed and fertilisers. Also, if monsoon is early, then farmers get enough time to plan and execute things," said Vijay Sardana, a farm commodity expert. Also read: Rains lash parts of Delhi, brings respite from scorching heat; IMD issues yellow alert for north India, national capital Early monsoon in India brings several significant benefits to agriculture, which is a primary livelihood for an around 55% of the population. On 15 April, IMD said that India is expected to receive an above-normal monsoon from June to September this year. The southwest monsoon seasonal rainfall over the country as a whole during 2025 is most likely to be above normal (>104% of the Long Period Average (LPA)). In a separate update, private forecaster Skymet on 9 April said the country will likely receive normal monsoon rain in 2025 at 103% (give or take 5%) of the long-period average (LPA) of 868.6mm for June to September. The spread of normal monsoon is 96-104% of LPA. Buoyed by an above-normal monsoon forecast, the Centre has set a record foodgrain production target of 354.64 million tonnes for the crop year 2025-26. This new record level is 3.8% or 13 million tonnes more than the 341.55 mt foodgrain production recorded in 2024-25.
Hans India
04-05-2025
- Health
- Hans India
Bapatla PHTC scientists invent GI-reducing smart rice cooker
Bapatla: The scientists at the Post Harvest Technology Centre (PHTC) in Bapatla have designed a rice cooker that reduces the Glycemic Index (GI) while cooking, thus helping diabetic, obese, and health-conscious people without the need to drastically alter their dietary habits. Rice, a staple in India, contains about 75 to 80 per cent starch and has a high Glycemic Index, ranging from 70 to 87, prompting doctors to recommend wheat (which has a GI ranging from 50 to 62) instead for diabetics. For diabetics, who either don't produce enough insulin or have insulin resistance, these spikes can be dangerous, potentially leading to hyperglycemia and long-term complications. However, rice is typically consumed with accompaniments like curries and ghee, which alters its GI, though the recommended 1:1 rice-to-curry ratio is rarely followed. Rice starch consists of amylose and amylopectin, with amylose affecting cooking quality. The starch is categorised as Rapidly Digestible Starch (RDS), which is about 55 to 65 percent in rice and digested within 20 to 30 minutes, and Slowly Digestible Starch (SDS), which is about 20 to 25 percent in rice and digested within 30 to 120 minutes. The Resistant Starch (RS), which is undigested in the small intestine, acts as dietary fiber. High GI foods like white rice cause rapid blood sugar spikes, requiring more insulin to process. The scientists at the PHTC Bapatla have been researching the project, Conversion of RDS to SDS in Rice to lower GI in Rice, over the past seven years. Their research employed Heat Moisture Treatment (HMT) and annealing under various rice-to-water ratios and identified an optimised, narrow range of parameters for achieving the desired nutritional and structural modifications. Based on their findings, they fabricated a smart rice cooker, DiabLite. The All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology (PHET) under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University received the patent number 405194 from Government of India, along with Dr Donepudi Sandeep Raja, Dr Vangapandu Vasudeva Rao, and Dr Bitra Venkata Sambasiva Prasad, the scientists who invented the DiabLite. Sandeep Raja explained that Amylose content significantly influences cooking quality and retrogradation behaviour. He said that they used state-of-the-art components and technologies, including the Internet of Things, in designing the first of its kind smart rice cooker, DiabLite. He said that cooking in the DiabLite involves heating and cooling technologies to remove excess starch, transform about 45 per cent of RDS to SDS, increase RS by 121 percent, and thus decrease the GI by 22 per cent. He said that the rice cooked in the DiabLite Smart Rice Cooker digests slowly, thus reducing the daily intake of the food. The increased RS helps in detoxification, regulation of blood sugar and blood pressure, supports digestive, colon, and heart health, supports gut microbiome and weight management, he added. The scientists at the PHTC Bapatla are in further research to reduce the size of the cooker, so that it may be manufactured on a large scale to be used in the kitchens in every household. They are hopeful that their research serves the purpose and helps in reducing diabetes and obesity in the country, very soon.
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Business Standard
25-04-2025
- Science
- Business Standard
ICAR clears release of improved fodder crop by Ranchi agri university
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has recommended the release of an improved variety of fodder crop, Birsa Lathyrus-1, developed by scientists at the Ranchi-based Birsa Agricultural University (BAU). According to a statement from BAU, the new variety was developed under the All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on fodder crops. The average green fodder yield (GFY) of this variety, released for the country's north east zone and central zone, is 190 quintals per hectare, which is 6.3 per cent more than that obtained from national check variety Mahateora, the statement said. The variety, moderately resistant to leaf blight in the north east zone, is also suitable for timely-sown, normal fertility and under irrigated conditions of Jharkhand, it said. "This variety carries per cent crude protein which is 4-5 per cent higher than the national check. It gives a seed yield of 8.3 quintal per hectare, which is 15 per cent superior to the check variety Mahateora," it added. BAU scientists Dr Yogendra Prasad and Dr Birendra Kumar were working on the development of this variety for the last decade. Both scientists participated in the annual group meeting of AICRP (All India Co-ordinate/Network Projects) on Forage Crops, held at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, Karnataka on April 22-23, where Birsa Lathyrus-1 variety was recommended for release. About 100 scientists from across the country, including Dr DK Yadav, ICAR DDG, Dr SK Pradhan, ADG, Dr Pankaj Kaushal, Director, Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute and Dr Vijay Yadav, Project Co-ordinator participated at the meeting and reviewed the ongoing fodder research programme. "At the national level, there is an 11.24 per cent deficiency of green fodder while in Jharkhand, this deficiency is 46 per cent. The dry fodder deficiency in this tribal-dominated state is about 23 per cent," the statement said. Dr Manigopa Chakraborty, chairperson, Department of Genetics & Plant Breeding, Dr PK Singh, Director Research, and Dr SC Dubey, Vice Chancellor, BAU, congratulated the scientists for their achievement.
