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A study on the physical disturbance of soil shows that it drives changes in soil properties and affects soil microbial activity

Higher levels of potential carbon mineralisation (Cmin) in soil indicate that the soil is healthier. Many reports indicate that Cmin in agricultural soils increases with reductions in soil disturbance through tillage, but the mechanisms driving these increases are not well understood.

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) has established a network of research platforms in Mexico, where collaborating scientists evaluate conservation agriculture and other sustainable technologies to generate data on how to improve local production systems. This network of research trials, many of which have over five years in operation, allowed us to participate with Mexican sites in the North American Project to Evaluate Soil Health Measurements (NAPESHM). This project aimed to identify widely applicable soil health indicators and evaluate the effects of sustainable practices on soil health in 124 long-term experiments across Canada, the United States of America, and Mexico.

Experienced field teams from CIMMYT sampled the soils from 16 experiments in Mexico, which were then analysed by the Soil Health Institute for this study. Potential carbon mineralization, 16S rRNA sequences, and soil characterisation data were collected, with results demonstrating that microbial (archaeal and bacterial) sensitivity to physical disturbance is influenced by cropping system, the intensity of the disturbance, and soil pH.

A subset of 28 percent of amplicon sequence variants were enriched in soils managed with minimal disturbance. These enriched sequences, which were important in modeling Cmin, were connected to organisms that produce extracellular polymeric substances and contain metabolic strategies suited for tolerating environmental stressors.

The unique sampling design of this study – analysing across a variety of agricultural soils and climate – allows to evaluate management impacts on standardised measures of soil microbial activity. Additionally, understanding the microbial drivers of soil health indicators like Cmin can help with the interpretation of those indicators and ultimately the understanding of how to better manage soils.

A study on the physical disturbance of

ICAR has initiated a network project on All India Coordinated Research Project on Biotech crops which has both research and third-party evaluation components for the targeted traits

Dr Himanshu Pathak, Secretary, DARE and DG, ICAR issued a detailed statement on various issues of GM mustard, saying that the recent approval for environmental release of Genetically Modified (GM) mustard DMH 11 and its parental lines by GEAC, has attracted the attention of press and public at large.

There are many myths that are being propagated in relation to DMH 11 approval by the opponents of GM. All the National agencies and public research systems with expertise in the areas of agriculture, health including modern and ayurvedic science, environment & ecology are officially and formally involved in the risk assessment of the product for its being safe to humans, animals and environment.

This Statement is therefore being issued in public interest to clarify that any opinion or article published on the subject by anyone not authorized or former employees of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) different from the stated documentations and decisions made by the regulatory authorities functioning under the EPA (1986) are not endorsed by the Council and are subjectable to any administrative procedures required in public interest.

GM technology is a disruptive technology capable of bringing any targeted change with in the crop variety to overcome a problem that is difficult or impossible to achieve that are also safe to humans, animals and environment. Thus, the GM technology has imminent potential for the much-needed revolution in Indian agriculture. It is important to look at the current scenario particularly in relation to domestic production, requirement and import of edible oils in the country.

Atamnirbharata in edible oil- The need of the hour:

India’s import of edible oils is on continuous rise to meet the domestic demand. During 2021-22, we spent Rs.1,56,800 crore on import of 14.1 million tonnes of edible oils consisting of mainly palm, soybean, sunflower and canola oils, which is equivalent to two-thirds of India’s total edible oil consumption of 21 mt. Therefore, self-sufficiency in edible oil is essentially required to reduce the forex drain on agri-import.

Shortfall in domestic production and challenges:

Productivity of oilseed crops viz., soybean, rapeseed mustard, groundnut, sesame, sunflower, safflower, niger and linseed in India is much lower than the global productivity of these crops. During 2020-21, India had total area of 28.8 million hectares (ha) under oilseed crops with total production of 35.9 million tonnes and productivity of 1254kg/ha, which is way lower than the global average. Edible oil recovery of8 mt from 35.9 mt of total oilseeds hardly meets even 35-40 per cent of the total edible oil requirement pegged at 21 mt per annum (mtpa). The situation will worsen in the future as the demand for cooking oil has been increasing year-on-year, with projected demand at 29.05 mt by 2029-30.

Rapeseed-mustard is an important oilseed crop in India grown on 9.17 million ha with total production of 11.75 million tons (2021-22). However, this crop suffers from low productivity (1281 Kg/ha) compared to global average (2000 kg/ha) Disruptive technological breakthrough is needed for enhancing productivity of oilseed crops in general and Indian mustard in particular in the country.

Bright future Ahead:

ICAR institutions and universities are deeply engaged in development of GM crops for different traits such as biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, yield and quality improvement in 13 crops viz., Cotton, Papaya, Brinjal, Banana, Chickpea, Pigeonpea, Potato, Sorghum, Brassica, Rice, Flax, Wheat and Sugarcane involving 11 Institutions through its “Network Project on Functional Genomics and Genome Modification” since 2006.

Further, to take the leads obtained from earlier project forward, ICAR has initiated a network project on All India Coordinated Research Project on Biotech crops which has both research and third-party evaluation components for the targeted traits as well as biosafety studies of six crops during 2021-26 plan period with a total budget outlay of Rs. 24.75 crores. Therefore, it is high time and purely in public interest for the welfare if farmers and consumers of India that the positivity created in minds of both experienced and young budding scientists about the research in the area of transgenic development by this landmark decision of the Govt, to approve GM mustard is taken to logical conclusion.

ICAR has initiated a network project on

The acquisition will allow Nouryon to expand its services and product offerings for customers in the industry

 Netherlands-based Nouryon, a global specialty chemicals leader, announced that it has completed the acquisition of ADOB, a leading supplier of chelated micronutrients, foliars and other specialty agricultural solutions headquartered in Poland.

“The acquisition of ADOB reflects Nouryon’s continued commitment to the Agriculture & Food end-market and allows Nouryon to expand its services and product offerings for customers in the industry,” said Ignacio Garin, Vice President of Agriculture and Food at Nouryon.

All business operations will transfer to Nouryon as part of the transaction which includes two manufacturing sites located in Poznań and Wrocław in Poland. Additional terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The acquisition will allow Nouryon to expand

Together the formulation of signaling molecules are CODs that help plants mitigate abiotic stress and become climate resilient.

The Government of India (GOI) has granted BioPrime AgriSolutions patent number for the invention of a Novel Bio-Formulation to manage Abiotic Stress in plants and to improve the yield. A unique approach to make crops climate resilient by using extremely small carbon particles called nano dots and molecules that are a part of internal communication systems of plants.

This invention will further demonstrate the use of Carbon Quantum Dots (CQDs) as a way to improve the efficiency of photosynthesis by enhancing the absorption of light by the pigment chlorophyll, which is responsible for capturing light energy in plants. Signaling molecules enhance a plant’s ability to quench reactive oxygen species that wreak havoc when cells are under stress. Signaling molecules like sphingolipids, traumatin also helped halt cell death and boost recovery of affected cells. This helps plants not only in fighting stress but also aiding recovery from it. Together the formulation of signaling molecules are CODs that help plants mitigate abiotic stress and become climate resilient. This is an example of how cutting-edge technology can truly transform agriculture in India and globally.

Speaking on the development, Dr Renuka Diwan, CEO, BioPrime AgriSolutions said, “This technology gives us the means to control photosynthesis in a way that was not possible before. Controlling fate of stressed cells gives us the opportunity to reduce crop losses due to climate change. Our vision is to offer relief to farmers worldwide, struggling with crop loss, temperature fluctuations, drought, resilient insects and diseases by developing innovative technologies that will improve the productivity irrespective of farmland size and enhance the quality and nutritional value of food produced, while not only preserving but enhancing the environment.”

Together the formulation of signaling molecules are

This will help FCV Tobacco farmers overcome the damage caused by Mandous Cyclonic rains in Andhra Pradesh

Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and Textiles has accorded approval for Rs 28.11 crore to extend special interest free loan @ of Rs 10,000 to each member of Tobacco Board’s Growers’ Welfare Schemes under Southern Regions (Southern Light Soil and Southern Black Soil) of Andhra Pradesh from the Tobacco Growers’ Welfare Fund which will directly benefit 28,112 farmers.

This measure will help the FCV Tobacco farmers overcome the damage caused by Mandous Cyclonic rains and would greatly help the growers to take up immediate damage mitigation measures.

The interest-free loan to the eligible FCV Tobacco farmers will be administered by Tobacco Board, a statutory body under Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.

FCV tobacco is a major commercial crop grown in 10 districts of Andhra Pradesh with an annual production of 121 m.kg (2021-22) grown in an area of 66,000 ha. FCV tobacco is the major exportable tobacco variety of the total unmanufactured tobacco exports from India. Out of the total unmanufactured tobacco exports (excluding Tobacco Refuse), FCV tobacco exports accounted for 53.62 per cent in terms of quantity and 68.47 per cent in terms of value during FY 2021-22.

 FCV Tobacco growers sell their produce through e-auction platform developed and operated by Tobacco Board, through a transparent process ensuring fair and remunerative prices to farmers.

This will help FCV Tobacco farmers

Various industry reports from Fair Labor Association (FLA) and Arisa indicate that the agriculture sector in India faces several critical and systemic issues related to human and labour rights.

BASF, Syngenta, and Arisa have joined hands in a multistakeholder collaboration called Wage Improvements in Seed Hybrids (WISH). WISH will address child labour issues and strive for minimum wage compliance in the vegetable seed sector in India.

The four-year project, cofounded with a grant from the Dutch Enterprise Agency (RVO), consists of two phases: In the first phase, WISH will research whether and where payments are still below minimum wages and/or child labour and the violation of other labour rights occur. This data will be independently collected by two India-based organisations, Glocal Research and MV Foundation, and used by them suggest modes of action to address these challenges. In the second phase, WISH will implement strategies that address the root causes of gaps in the minimum wages and child labour regulations in the vegetable seeds sector.

Various industry reports from Fair Labor Association (FLA) and Arisa indicate that the agriculture sector in India faces several critical and systemic issues related to human and labour rights. Current wages in the sector are often lower than the region’s statutory minimum wage, and although child labor has been greatly reduced in the past few years, it remains an ongoing challenge within the agricultural sector.

“In this project, Arisa will use its expertise, knowledge, and network to address labor rights violations in the vegetable seed sector. Due to COVID-19, the issues motivating this project have become even more urgent: the number of children working has increased in the last two years, as schools were closed and families lost income,” says Sandra Claassen, the Director of Arisa.

“We achieved this by raising awareness among our seed suppliers to adopt best practices for adhering to a zero tolerance towards child labor, evaluating and monitoring our suppliers as well as promoting school attendance to prevent child labor”, says Rob Huijten, Country Head Netherlands, and board member of BASF’s vegetable seed business. In this next step, BASF will -together with its partners- actively accompany and support this transformation of the entire Indian vegetable seed sector. “We are proud to work together with Syngenta and Arisa to address this complex situation that still affects thousands of families in India,” says Rob Huijten.

Jason Allerding, Head of Health, Safety & Environment, Sustainability and Risk Management, Syngenta Seeds said, “We understand that meaningful outcomes can best be achieved through collective action from various stakeholders. Through this collaboration, we aim to bring partners together to build a roadmap for wage progression across the vegetable seeds sector.”

Various industry reports from Fair Labor Association

IFFCO- Meghmani Crop Nutrition’s NanoUrea manufacturing plant will cater to entire south of India

 Agrochemical major IFFCO signed a Licence Agreement with Meghmani Crop Nutrition Limited (MNCL), a crop nutrition manufacturer to set up a plant for the manufacturing of 1,50,000 bottles per day of 500 ml bottle each of Nano Urea (Liquid) fertilizer in India.

IFFCO- Meghmani Crop Nutrition’s NanoUrea manufacturing plant will cater to entire south of India. The plant’s annual capacity is pegged at 5 crore bottles (around 500 ml) per year. MNCL is expected to commence the commercial production by Q4 FY24.

Nano urea is a revolutionary liquid fertilizer and is effective in enhancing the nutritional quality. India’s urea demand stands at 35 million Metric Tonne (MMT) per annum, of which nearly 29 MMT is produced domestically while the balance is imported. Government of India targets to eliminate India’ dependency on urea imports by 2025 as more farmers adopt the usage of Nano Urea. Additionally, it will help reduce the government’s subsidy burden on the conventional urea.

IFFCO- Meghmani Crop Nutrition’s NanoUrea manufacturing plant

The quarterly periodical consists of education-centric articles, agri- university profiles, Experiential Learning Programmes (ELP) of Agricultural Universities and student success stories

To give further impetus to the popularisation of agricultural education, the Division of Agricultural Education, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has undertaken a new initiative by publishing a magazine ‘AGRI RISE—Agricultural Education Digest’. The quarterly periodical consists of education-centric articles, Agricultural University profiles, Experiential Learning Programmes (ELP) of Agricultural Universities, student success stories, and information on events organised and forthcoming events related to agricultural education.

The first issue was released by Himanshu Pathak, Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR) in the presence of Sanjay Garg, Additional Secretary (DARE) & Secretary (ICAR); Alka Nangia Arora, Additional Secretary (DARE) & Financial Advisor (ICAR); R C Agrawal, Deputy Director General (Agricultural Education) and other senior officials of ICAR at ICAR-IARI grounds today.

Each issue of the magazine would have a broad theme. The inaugural issue focused on ‘New Education Policy 2020’ with regard to Agricultural Education. It contains articles starting from the history of agricultural education to making the agriculture education system in India future ready. Profile of the first Agricultural University in the country, viz. Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture & Technology (GBPUA&T), Pantnagar, and the first Deemed University, viz., Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) is presented. Besides the education-centric articles, the details of the ELPs along with some success stories of student entrepreneurs are also included. It is believed that the magazine will be very useful, informative, and beneficial for students, parents, teachers, and other stakeholders.

The journal is published by ICAR-Directorate of Agricultural Management (DKMA), ICAR and articles can be sent to the editor by email. 

The quarterly periodical consists of education-centric articles,

The company plans to launch an interactive technology platform to integrate the entire value chain in the agri-economy

Agrochemicals maker Safex Chemicals Ltd has announced its plans to invest Rs 100 crore in its new agri-tech arm, AgCare Technologies, in the next three to four years for launching an interactive tech platform and for setting up a manufacturing unit.

Safex Chemicals will be leveraging its existing domain expertise for setting up the tech platform. The company has already made some investment in technology and plans to expand the team gradually.

The company’s revenue is expected to increase to Rs 1,220-1,250 crore by end of 2022-23 fiscal with the recent acquisition of UK-based Briar Chemicals, from Rs 783 crore in the previous fiscal. Currently, Safex Chemicals has six manufacturing units in India, one in the UK.

The company mentioned that the plan is to launch an interactive technology platform to integrate the entire value chain in the agri-economy. Key stakeholders, especially farmers, can buy quality crop protection products and get services like weather updates, experts’ help and mandi rates on this platform. A pilot study of this interactive tech platform will be conducted in January-March. We plan to go live in the next fiscal year. A new manufacturing unit will also be set up to meet the demand of existing and new products like cattle feed solutions that will arise from the proposed platform.

The company plans to launch an interactive

The estimated project cost is Rs 24.66 crore, including existing investment of Rs 17.66 crore

AIMCO Pesticides Limited has announced that the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has recommended the grant of environmental clearance of company’s proposal for expansion of Technical Grade Pesticides & Pesticide Intermediates manufacturing plant of production capacity from 14360 TPA to 21451 TPA located at Khed in Ratnagiri district Maharashtra.

The estimated project cost is Rs 24.66 crore, including existing investment of Rs 17.66 crore. The Budget earmarked towards the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) is Rs 2.88 crore (capital) and the Recurring Cost (operation and maintenance) will be about Rs 0.76 crore.

Total employment after expansion will be increased up to 510 people from the current phase, which provide employment to 210 people.

The estimated project cost is Rs 24.66

Measures for the growth of agri export, agri- technology development and adoption, infrastructure for the food and agribusiness supply chain highlighted in the expectations

Deloitte India released Pre-Budget Expectations 2023; measures to boost exports and promote development in agriculture. Anand Ramanathan, Partner, Deloitte India has shared a ‘Pre-Budget Expectations 2023’ with viewpoints across Food and Agriculture in India.

Ease of doing business to accelerate sector growth

The demand for allied sectors, such as food processing, horticulture, livestock production, organic farming, smart proteins, floriculture, dairy, and nutraceuticals, is increasing. Hence, the government must make budgetary allocations and develop monitoring mechanisms to support implementation on the ground. It can refine single-window mechanisms with dedicated application filing, processing, and tracking support across states. The creation of a ‘one-stop-shop’ for approvals and clearances will improve the ease of doing business. Hence, players can quickly avail of scheme benefits and facilitate investors and entrepreneurs to obtain approvals and clearances to expand their business across India.

In addition, to facilitate the growth of agri-exports, the government should ease the documentation process; incentivize international tie-ups; educate stakeholders about the best practices in agriculture and manufacturing, the latest international standards in quality and packaging; implement food safety and traceability systems as required by the importing countries of developing economies. These measures will boost Indian exports and promote the development of agriculture and its allied sectors.

Policies to support technology development and adoption

The evolution of digital technologies, such as Artificial intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), remote sensing, big data, blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), Geographic Information System (GIS) technology, and the use of drones and robots, is transforming agricultural value chains and modernizing operations. At present, the adoption of these is still nascent in India due to limited penetration of mechanization tools, lack of awareness, and the presence of segregated small-holder farms.

Build infrastructure to optimize the food and agribusiness supply chain

The government should create policies to provide attractive incentives to build facilities, such as micro cold storage to address supply chain issues (lack of proper storage infrastructure, inadequate logistics, high levels of wastage, etc). It should provide financial incentives, training, infrastructure, and marketing facilities to entrepreneurs to set up businesses, such as food processing and milk processing plants. In addition, the government should increase investments to improve infrastructure, including irrigation facilities, logistics, warehousing, and silo storage facilities across states.

Creating awareness and developing market linkages

The government must provide training and financial assistance as well as create awareness about schemes and best practices (crop diversification, organic farming). In addition, it should develop market linkages through a nationwide portal/app (e-mandis), such as the farm gate app developed by the Madhya Pradesh Government, which will provide market price information, assured buy-back arrangements for farmers, and a platform for companies to buy the produce. These e-mandis will facilitate buying and selling of agricultural produce without visiting mandi premises, and these measures will develop new markets for stakeholders. Setting up marketplaces focused on FPOs will drive demand and result in greater price realizations for farmers.

Measures for the growth of agri export,

ISARC in Varanasi organised and hosted learning and exposure visits for 164 final year Bsc Agriculture students of BHU under the Student Ready Programme of ICAR

The visit, presented the students with a general overview of ISARC, primarily under its three key units: the Center of Excellence in Rice-Value Addition (CERVA), the Center of Excellence in Sustainable Agriculture (CESA), and the Center of Education, Innovation, and Research for Development (CEIRD). Additionally, the students were also exposed to the operations and technologies of ISARC in order to provide them with practical knowledge and experience, given that a major portion of their classes in recent years were done virtually.

Through the important program, the students were able to develop their understanding about ISARC, what kind of science and research work ISARC is involved in, and how these are executed under each unit. Such visits are a way to pique the students’ interests across the field and also to make them aware of future career prospects and scopes of study by providing them with timely information at the right stage.

The program was designed and implemented by IRRI Education, the capacity development and knowledge dissemination unit of ISARC. IRRI Education has been playing a pivotal role in bolstering rice-based agri-food systems in the region by enhancing ecosystem stakeholders through education, capacity development, and knowledge dissemination activities. The unit regularly collaborates with institutes and organisations seeking interventions in the areas of capacity development on climate resilient practices, climate change mitigation, climate adaption, and sustainable agri-practices.

With ISARC’s strategic position in Varanasi, which is in close vicinity of institutes like Banaras Hindu University and the Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, and with resources like world-class IRRI scientists and facilities, these customised programs of IRRI have significantly contributed to the participatory capacity development and the strengthening of rice science knowledge in the region and beyond.

ISARC in Varanasi organised and hosted learning

This is the 2nd commercialisation of OmeB, a phyto – supplement for redesigning cattle milk fat

The ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru licensed the ‘OmeB’ technology to M/s Unique Organic Inputs, Bardoli, Gujarat, on a non-exclusive basis through AgrInnovate India.

Raghavendra Bhatta, Director, ICAR-NIANP, Bengaluru, and Devendra Malik and Sujeet Nirwal, Directors, M/s Unique Organic Inputs, signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) on behalf of their respective organisations.

Jagmohan Sharma, IFS & Director General, Environmental Management and Policy Research Institute, Govt. of Karnataka, and Suresh S. Honnappagol, Former Animal Husbandry Commissioner, Govt. of India, were also present during the signing of MoU.

Devendra Malik stated that the adoption of OmeB through Unique Organic Inputs in the field would be helpful to the dairy farmers by fetching more income via milk fat modulation.

The technology OmeB was developed by the NIANP through comprehensive research and validated for milk fat modulation through field studies in dairy animals. OmeB leads to a significant increase in the mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The product also improves the conjugated linoleic acids and omega fatty acids content of the milk.

The institute filed a patent (No. 202211040737) for the technology and previously commercialised it to M/s Gou Agritech (P) Limited, Bengaluru.

This is the 2nd commercialisation of OmeB,

Ravi Ranjan took to farming after the death of his grandfather and despite his initial apprehension about working in agriculture, has never looked back

In the sultry spring-summer heat of Bihar, India, the landscape is yellow with wheat grains ready for harvest. Here, in Nagma village farmer Ravi Ranjan attends to his fields — mostly wheat, with some pulses in the adjoining plots. The harvest this year will be a little less than anticipated, he explains, as receding monsoon rains left the soil too moist to begin sowing on time.

Ranjan’s grandfather and father were both farmers who owned sizeable land. His father used to say that the land was productive but required a lot of hands, sweat, and time to sustain the yields. Agriculture was all that the family had known and depended on for decades before Ranjan’s father left the sector for the civil service. After the early demise of his grandfather in 2003, and with his father in a secure government job, it fell to Ranjan to shoulder the responsibility of managing the family farm.

As a young man, Ranjan had sometimes helped his grandfather in the fields, but now, as the owner of a hydraulic mechanical service firm working hundreds of kilometres away in Chhattisgarh, he had never imagined becoming a farmer himself. Though reluctant to begin with, Ranjan decided there was no alternative but to take on the challenge and do his best, and while initially he had little success with the new venture, slowly and steadily he began to change the fortune of his inherited land.

Today Ranjan is one of the local area’s success stories, as a progressive and influential farmer with ties to the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) project. Researchers on the CSISA team have been working with farmers like him in the region for over a decade and are proud of the ongoing collaboration. Ranjan’s fields are regularly used as CSISA trial plots to help demonstrate the success of new technologies and conservation agriculture practices that can enhance productivity and sustainability. For example, in the 2021-2022 winter cropping season — locally known as Rabi — he harvested 6.2 tons per hectare – while a separate acre plot as demonstration site was harvested publicly with officials from CSISA and the Krishi Vigyan Kendra Network (KVK), JEEViKA, and farmers from neighbouring villages for improving yield sustainably.

As India celebrates Kisan Diwas (Farmer’s Day) on December 23, we speak to Ranjan about his hopes for the future and the continuity of farming in his family after he hangs his boots.

Farming has seen a sea of change since your grandfather’s time. What do you think has been the most transformative change in the years you have been involved in farming?

I think using mechanised tools and technology to ensure good cropping practices has tremendously reduced manual work. Furthermore, today with innovations and digitisation in agriculture science, farming is not just recognised as a noble profession, but also an enterprising one. I am happy I came into it right when things were changing for good. I have no regrets.

Though not by choice that I came into it, I am now fully invested and devoted to farming. From being an entrepreneur to farming, it has been a transformational journey for me. I am unsure whether my daughters — I have three, the eldest turns 18 next year — will choose to be involved in agricultural farming. But I will encourage and fully support them if they choose to take it up. After all, they will inherit the land after me.

Extreme climate effects are challenging agricultural practices and output. How are you preparing to reduce the impact of these in your fields?

It is worrying to see how extreme climatic effects can be challenging for agriculture, particularly for smallholder farmers in the region. Erratic rains, drought at times, and increasing temperatures have all harmed our cereal and vegetable farms and affected yield in wheat crops significantly. The adoption of new technologies like direct seeded rice (DSR) to avoid puddled rice transplanting, early wheat sowing (EWS) to avoid terminal heat at maturity, zero tillage technology (ZTT), and better-quality seeds, are interventions introduced and supported by CSISA and other agricultural organisations from the state that has helped combat some of these climate-induced problems.

In my own fields, I have also introduced proper irrigation systems to reduce the impact of limited water availability. I hope to stay ahead of the curve and make sure I am aware of all that is possible to keep my farm productive and sustainable.

How did you begin your association with CSISA? What has been your experience of working with them to make your agriculture resilient and productive?

I was initially approached by one of their scientists working in the area. And because of my interest, they slowly began informing me of various technologies I could try. With these technologies implemented in my field, the yield and productivity improved.

Soon after expanding my agriculture output, I got 50 acres of land on lease in the village to grow more crops like pulses, along with rice and wheat. Today, CSISA has started using my fields as their demonstration plots for new technologies and best practices, and to spread awareness and bring in more farmers from neighbouring villages to encourage adoption.

CSISA and others call me a progressive and innovative farmer. I am proud that many farmers and other agricultural agencies in the area have appreciated our efforts to continue making agriculture productive and sustainable.

Ravi Ranjan took to farming after the