Connect with:
Wednesday / December 4. 2024

logo
mobile-logo
Home2023 (Page 104)
Agro Universities, Agrotech, Company News, India, R&D

IoTechWorld will be the technical partner in setting up of Remote Pilot Training Organization (RPTO) for agricultural drones with MPKV.

Leading agri-drone manufacturer IoTechWorld Avigation has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth (Agriculture University), Rahuri, Maharashtra to promote the use of drone to boost farm productivity in the country.

The MoU was signed by Dr P N Rasal, Dean(F/A) & Director of Instructions, on behalf of the university, while Anoop Kumar Upadhyay, Co-Founder & Director signed on the behalf of IoTechWorld Avigation.

IoTechWorld will be the technical partner in setting up of Remote Pilot Training Organization (RPTO) for Agricultural Drones with MPKV, which in turn will help reduce drone pilot shortage in the country.Under this partnership, IoTechWorld Avigation and MPKV aim to work collectively in science and technology and promote the use of drones in agriculture.

Anoop Kumar Upadhyay said his company and the university will also work on joint educational and Research and Development projects to build a modern and sustainable smart agricultural system.

IoTechWorld Avigation mentioned that the tie-up with an institution like MPKV will help IoTechWorld Avigation to promote research activities promotion of drone n agriculture. Together we are going to work for the promotion of drone technology for the betterment of Indian agriculture.

IoTechWorld will be the technical partner in

AgroPolicy, India, Seeds

The seed society will promote Seed Replacement Rate (SRR) and Varity Replacement Rate (VRR) and help reduce the yield gaps and enhance productivity

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved a historic decision to set up and promote a national level multi-state seed cooperative society under Multi State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act, 2002 which will act as an apex organization for production, procurement, processing, branding, labelling, packaging, storage, marketing and distribution of quality seeds; strategic research & development; and to develop a system for preservation and promotion of indigenous natural seeds; through various cooperative societies across the country with support from relevant ministries especially Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) and national Seed Corporation (NSC) through their schemes and agencies following the ‘Whole of the Government Approach’.

PACS to APEX: Primary to national level cooperatives societies including primary societies, district, state and national level federations and multi state cooperative societies can become its member.  All these cooperatives will have their elected representatives in the Board of the society as per its bye-laws.

The national level multi state seed cooperative society would act as an apex organization for production, procurement, processing, branding, labelling, packaging, storage, marketing and distribution of quality seeds; strategic research & development; and to develop a system for preservation and promotion of indigenous natural seeds; through various cooperative societies across the country with support from relevant ministries especially Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) and National Seed Corporation (NSC) through their schemes and agencies.

The proposed society will help to increase the seed replacement rate, varietal replacement rate, ensuring the role of farmers in quality seed cultivation and seed variety trials, production and distribution of certified seeds with a single brand name, by utilizing the network of all levels of cooperatives.  The availability of quality seeds will help in increasing agricultural productivity in strengthening food security and also increasing the income of the farmers. The members will benefit both by realization of better prices by production of quality seeds, higher production of crops by use of High Yielding Variety (HYV)seeds and also by dividend distributed out of the surplus generated by the society.

The seed cooperative society will involve all forms of cooperative structures and all other means to increase the SRR, VRR by ensuring the role of farmers in quality seed cultivation and seed variety trials, production and distribution of certified seeds with a single brand name.

The seed society will promote Seed Replacement

Agri Genomics, Agrotech, Company News, R&D

 The new company will facilitate trait development and next-generation plant breeding

Calyxt, Inc.  a plant-based synthetic biology company, and Cibus, a leader in precision gene editing in agriculture, announced that both companies have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Calyxt and Cibus will merge in an all-stock transaction. The merger will create a new industry-leading company that combines the two pioneers in agriculture-based gene editing and establishes one of the world’s most sophisticated facilities for trait development and next-generation plant breeding.

The combined company will be a leader in two key applications for gene editing in agriculture:

Productivity Traits:

 Productivity traits are a key basis of competition in the “seed and trait” business. The key focus of Cibus’ patented gene editing platform, the Rapid Trait Development System™ (RTDS®), is the development of a new class of productivity traits in seeds addressing the sustainability of farming by increasing crop yields and reducing inputs such as fungicides, herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers.

Renewable Low-Carbon Ingredients:

Gene editing is a key tool in the development of sustainable low-carbon ingredients that can replace fossil fuel-based ingredients and diesel fuel. This is a key pillar of the Net Carbon Zero Climate 2040 goals and the global movement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Cibus has a broad pipeline of productivity traits and collaborations with several leading seed companies. It is currently launching three important productivity traits: one in canola and two in rice with transfers to customers for commercialization beginning in the first half of 2023. In addition, Cibus and Calyxt are both working with leading consumer product companies to develop more sustainable ingredients.

Under the terms of the merger agreement, Calyxt will issue shares of its common stock to Cibus shareholders in an exchange ratio such that upon completion of the merger, Calyxt shareholders will own approximately 5 per cent of the combined company, subject to adjustments permitted by the merger agreement. The Boards of Directors of both companies have unanimously approved the transaction. Concurrent with the execution of the merger agreement, certain officers of Calyxt, all of Calyxt’s directors, and Cellectis, S.A., Calyxt’s largest shareholder, executed support agreements in favor of the merger. These support agreements provide 49.9 per cent approval from Calyxt shareholders. A majority of Cibus’ shareholders have also provided support agreements in favor of the transaction. The merger is expected to close in the second quarter of 2023, subject to customary closing conditions, including approval of the merger by the shareholders of Calyxt.

 The new company will facilitate trait development

Agri Genomics, Animal Health, Dairy, India

Using this technology, superior males and females can be produced which shall be useful in improving the genetic progress of the breed.

Continuing with their success in the field of cloning, scientists of the ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, Hisar, have achieved another milestone today by producing a male buffalo calf (Veer Gaurav) through Ovum Pick Up and In-Vitro Embryo Production (OPU-IVEP) Technology from the semen of cloned bull (Hisar Gaurav) and elite female buffalo. Using this technology, superior males and females can be produced which shall be useful in improving the genetic progress of the breed.

“OPU-IVEP has opened avenues for production and dissemination of superior male and female buffalo germplasm”, said TK Datta, Director, ICAR-CIRB.

Sajjan Singh, Head Animal Physiology and Reproduction Division, ICAR-CIRB said sexed semen technology can be combined to this technology to produce superior female offspring.

The team members comprising Jerome, RK Sharma, PS Yadav, D Kumar, Meeti, Rajesh and Rupali were instrumental for this achievement. The proficiency of NDDB experts Gorani and Layek in this attempt is appreciable. Earlier, ICAR-CIRB had produced the clone (Hisar Gaurav) of progeny tested bull (PT4354).

Using this technology, superior males and females

Agrotech, Company News, North America

This partnership with Bloomfield is aligned with Oeneo’s development strategy to build a complete and innovative offer for winegrowers.

Kubota, a world leader in the design and manufacture of agricultural tractors, is renewing its investment and strengthening its commitment to Bloomfield. The aim of this deepened relationship with Bloomfield is to ensure that each farm vehicle becomes a platform for continuous data collection to assess both the health and performance of each plant in the specialty crop sector.

One of Kubota’s global initiatives is to develop solutions that enhance productivity and food safety. In this, this investment reflects Kubota’s confidence in Bloomfield’s ability to provide plant-level insights to help growers make more informed management decisions.

“Through partnership between Kubota and Bloomfield, we believe that we can provide more precise and efficient farm operations and create new values for farmers by collaborating with some of both companies’ technology, products and services.” remarks Koji Hasegawa, Kubota Corporation, GM of Innovation Center Silicon Valley.

Oeneo’s investment is driven by how this particularly powerful technology is indeed promising for the wine industry. The investment provides Bloomfield with direct access to Oeneo’s 10,000 customers in the wine industry worldwide. Oeneo’s deep relationships with its customers will enhance Bloomfield’s ability to provide specific analysis for each wine region and grape variety.

“This partnership with Bloomfield is aligned with Oeneo’s development strategy to build a complete and innovative offer for winegrowers. It will allow us to accelerate our own initiatives, in particular in response to the impacts of climate change. In the vineyard, we want to offer our clients new indicators, enabling them to make the most relevant decisions possible, to secure the quality and quantity of the wine production. These developments will be carried out jointly with the Vivelys teams. “explains Dominique Tourneix, CEO of the Oeneo Group.

These investments by Kubota and Oeneo will reinforce Bloomfield’s commitment to partner with leading players in its strategic markets.

“Our partnerships with Kubota and Oeneo are examples of how we want to service the entire specialty crop supply chain by serving our primary customer: the grower. We believe that by providing actionable, plant-level information to growers that can be used to make more informed management decisions, then we can create greater connectivity within the supply chain and deliver more value to each partner that is responsible for managing our food system.” – says Mark DeSantis, Bloomfield Robotics, CEO.”

Additional institutional investments from The Yield Lab Asia Pacific Fund Pte. Ltd.; WGD Opportunity Fund, L.P. C/O WGD Capital, LP; Pasudeco & Co. Holdings Pte. Ltd; and M7 Ace NEO, LLC among other investors will allow the company to grow the team, deploy the technology to more customers and continue to develop the technology to serve the entire specialty crop industry.

This partnership with Bloomfield is aligned with

Agro chems – Chemicals, Company News, India, Inputs

BAL to become the first Indian agrochemical company to manufacture Cyhalofop-butyl, a herbicide that controls grass weed growth in rice crops

Best Agrolife Limited (BAL) has informed that it has received the registration for the indigenous manufacturing of Cyhalofop-butyl u/s 9(3) by the Central Insecticides Board & Registration Committee. Cyhalofop Butyl is a post-emergence herbicide that controls grass weeds’ growth in rice crops. Vimal Alawadhi, MD, Best Agrolife Ltd (BAL), said, “India is the second largest producer of rice, and it is cultivated on about 44 million hectares in our country. However, rice grain production in India suffers a yearly loss of more than 15 million tonnes due to weeds competition, mainly grassy weeds.” 

He explained further, “A post-emergence, herbicide Cyhalofop-butyl, is used for controlling weeds in rice plantations. These herbicides stop weed growth immediately, thus minimising crop losses and facilitating high production.” 

With Cyhalofop-butyl, the organisation also announced that they had received the registration for the indigenous manufacturing of Propaquizafop Technical, another crucial post-emergence herbicide. Such indigenous manufacturing of herbicides can help rice production in India to a large extent by minimising losses. The estimated market size of Propaquizafop is Rs 350 Cr in India, and the global Cyhalofop-butyl market is set to reach $132.48 million in the coming years, as per the market research. 

Vimal Alawadhi concluded, “We received many important registrations and patents in the previous year, and the new year has begun on an excellent note as well. Our company achieved exponential growth in the last quarter, and we are scaling up our efforts and strategies to improve our performance further. A key element in this strategy is a continuously evolving product line. It helps us remain competitive and maintain our annual growth rate and EBITDA, which at present is at 30 percent and 20 percent, respectively.” 

BAL, as a company, manufactures technical grade herbicides as well as the formulation of the molecules, which in turn helps in curtailing the surge in imports primarily from China which has made Indian manufacturing non-viable to a greater extent till now. These registrations have immense potential for value addition in Indian agriculture. They also work in line with the government policy of “Atmanirbhar Bharat” and “Make in India” mission.
 

BAL to become the first Indian agrochemical

Acquaculture, AgroPolicy, India

Planning meeting that aimed to kick-start the event planning along with understanding on-ground challenges and stakeholder expectations

Department of Fisheries under the chairmanship of Parshottam Rupala, Union Minster of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (MoFAH&D), Government of India, organised the planning meeting for ‘Sagar Parikrama’ Phase III in New Delhi. The program was attended by JS (Marine Fisheries), DoF GoI, welcomed all participants and set the agenda for the meeting while Secretary, DoF GoI, summarised the last two programs and highlighted that key activities such as completion and upgradation of harbours, promotion of artificial reefs etc should be promoted amongst fishermen communities.

Shri Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister, MoFAH&D launched the Marathi version of the “Sagar Parikrama Song”. Further, he thanked all participants for joining the meeting, share their thoughts and determine to make the program a success.

Phase III program of ‘Sagar Parikrama’ is being organized in the state of Maharashtra and a tentative plan was proposed by the state officials. The program locations and dates were deliberated upon by the officials as per weather suitability and other influencing factors. Plausible options for locations to hold rallies, site visits, house visits etc were discussed. The state officials also put forth on-ground challenges that they maybe posed with during preparation of the program for discussion and guidance by the leadership.

The meeting is a planning meeting that aimed to kick-start the event planning along with understanding on-ground challenges and stakeholder expectations. The interactions aim to resolve the issues of the fishers and other stakeholders and facilitate their economic upliftment through various fisheries schemes and programs being implemented by the Government of India such as ‘Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana’ (PMMSY), KCC and FIDF.

Planning meeting that aimed to kick-start the

Agrotech, Company News, Finance, India, Machinery - Pre-harvesting

Newly raised funds to be utilised as growth capital in increasing dealership business presence and enhancing technology to organise supply channels. 

MeraTractor, a Pune-based start-up and a ‘Phygital’ marketplace catering to farm mechanisation products, has raised Rs 5 Cr in Pre-Series A funding, bringing total capital raised to Rs 7.25 Cr post this round.

The funding round was led by Vibhor Sahare, CEO & Co-founder of ANS Commerce and Ex-CEO & Co-founder of Gaadi.com, Real Time Angel Fund and Digital Futuristic Angels Network. The newly raised funds will be utilised in increasing dealership network presence and enhancing technology to organise supply channels.

“We liked the holistic ecosystem approach that the MeraTractor team is using to solve structural issues in the used tractor space. It’s a unique niche within the broader agri-tech space that can have a substantial impact in democratising tractor ownership” said the lead investors.

Agritech start-up, MeraTractor is trying to create an entire ecosystem to become a one-stop solution for all stakeholders engaged in the farm mechanisation sector. Despite being asset-light, the company, which is a dealer-owned and company-operated model, controls the entire transaction and creates a sustainable business proposition for farmers, dealers, financiers and new tractor OEMs. Its dealership network is based out of rural locations which are slated to eventually become its gateway for tapping into the entire rural business opportunities related to them.

Commenting on the problem that the start-up is trying to solve, Sajith Abraham Co-founder MeraTractor said “There has been significant work in crop cultivation, in ensuring better yield, farm gate solutions and a push from the government to improve farmer income. However, farm mechanisation for Indian farmers of which over 85 percent are smallholders, has been vastly missed out because of purchase capabilities. This creates challenges starting from discovery, financial facilities, and other key milestones in the process, making it difficult for an unassuming farmer. As a solution, MeraTractor is looking at bridging the gap between a smallholder farmer and access to farm mechanisation/financial products.

Highliting the opportunities that lay ahead, Monak Gohel, Co-founder MeraTractor said, the farm mechanisation sector is on the verge of massive disruption and has created an environment or innovation that will help start-ups like MeraTractor address the inefficiencies in the sector. We believe farm power is an essential input in Agriculture; hence, we are excited about the fundraise as it will help us accelerate our journey in growing the network further by tapping into massive rural business opportunities that lie ahead.

Newly raised funds to be utilised as

Agrotech, Company News, Environment, Europe, Sustainability

With the efforts of XAG’s partner, AutoSpray Systems, drone spraying and spreading on farms become legal in the UK

XAG Agricultural Drones, P40 and V40, have been granted the UK’s first-ever Operational Authorisation from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for agricultural spraying operations. With the efforts of XAG’s partner, AutoSpray Systems, drone spraying and spreading on farms become legal in the UK, which means that agriculture is about to embrace automation and AI for the net-zero goal.

Drone technology has been developed and widely used in various industries, where agriculture is one of the most promising. In the UK, the applications of drone are strictly regulated by the CAA. Drone’s takeoff weight was limited to under 25kg, and dropping materials from drones is also prohibited. Although farmers have a growing demand for intelligent production tools, agricultural drones did not ground on UK farmland.

Change comes with the release of the UK Government’s ambition statement and vision for commercial drones, after which CAA started to consider granting Operational Authorisation to heavier spray drones. XAG’s autonomous drones for agriculture can spray and spread precisely straight to the target. They not only conform to the operational safety standards, but also help farmers boost yields with less input.

According to PwC’s forecast for the future of commercial drones in the UK, by 2030, the country will have 900,000 drones in operation, which would create 650,000 new jobs, contribute £45 billion to the UK economy, save £22 billion in business and reduce carbon emissions by 2.4 million tons. The widespread use of commercial drones will benefit the UK rural economy and reduce environmental footprints.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs shows that the UK’s utilised agricultural area accounts for 71 percent of UK’s land total, which puts larger pressure on the environment. To help farmers produce in a greener, energy-smart way, the government released the Sustainable Farming Incentives. Farmers will be paid up to £40/hectare for the effective improvement of soil health and for mitigating climate change during production.

Drones deliver clear environmental benefits in agriculture. Running on batteries, the electric XAG Agricultural Drone reduces diesel use and lowers greenhouse gas emissions. It is designed for precision, with RTK centimetre-level navigation, to decrease the amount of chemicals used. Also, aerial operations protect the soil from compaction. Typical applications for drones include plant protection spraying, fertiliser spreading, broadcast sowing, and greenhouse shading.

Traditionally, UK farmers use large tractors or self-propelled sprayers. In addition to high costs, the use of heavy ground machinery is limited by the rainy climate and mountainous terrain. The alternative solution is to apply the fully autonomous drone to reach and treat previously inaccessible land with no damage.

Since cooperating with Harper Adams University in research on precision agriculture in 2018, XAG has never stopped exploring the UK drone market. The grantee of Operational Authorisation marks a significant change that agricultural drone officially set foot in the country.

With the efforts of XAG's partner, AutoSpray

AgroPolicy, India

The WSC will open new opportunities to promote international trade of Indian spices with G20 countries

With an aim to open up newer opportunities to promote international trade of Indian spices, the 14th edition of the World Spice Congress (WSC), is to be held in Mumbai from 16-18 February 2023. The theme of the WSC 2023 is VISION 2030: S-P-I-C-E-S (Sustainability, Productivity, Innovation, Collaboration, Excellence and Safety). The WSC is organized by the Spices Board with active participation of Spice Trade Associations in India like the Indian Spice & Foodstuff Exporters’ Association –Mumbai, Indian Pepper and Spice Trade Association –Kochi, Indian Chamber of Commerce-Kolkata and Federation of Indian Spice Stakeholders – Unjha, Gujarat.

D Sathiyan, Secretary, Spices Board, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, stated that this edition of the WSC is special because it coincides with India’s G20 presidency. He was speaking at the curtain-raiser press conference held in Mumbai. He further said that it will provide a platform for the stakeholders to discuss the industry’s current trends after COVID-19 and chart out a way forward. The event, organised to create a platform not only for traders but also policy regulators, will have special business sessions dedicated to promoting spice trade among the G20 countries. Policy makers, regulatory authorities, spice trade associations, government officials as well as technical experts from key G20 countries will participate in the event, informed Sathiyan.

Providing details of the events planned for the Congress, Sathiyan said that, Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry and Anupriya Patel, Minister of the State, Ministry of Commerce and Industry have consented to grace the WSC 2023, to be held at the CIDCO International Convention Centre, Navi Mumbai. Piyush Goyal will also distribute the trophies and Awards for Excellence in Exports of Spices on 17th February 2023.

WSC 2023 Highlights:

This year’s WSC 2023, supported by the Government of India, is expected to be bigger and far more diverse compared to previous editions and will have special state pavilions and commodity pavilions. The event will provide an opportunity for the spice fraternity to meet and promote Indian brands before a bigger global audience.

The business sessions of WSC 2023 will focus on topics such as:

India – The Spice Bowl for Global Market

Perspectives on addressing Food safety & Quality Requirements for Spices (Presentation/Panel Discussion with Regulatory Authorities);

Strengthening Global Spice Trade-Country Perspective & Opportunities

Crops & Markets – Forecasts & Trends

Spice Market outlook by International Spice Trade Associations

The WSC will open new opportunities to

Agro chems – Fertilizers, Agrotech, Biostimulants, Company News, North America

First commercial sales are expected to commence in the second half of 2023, after receipt of the required regulatory approvals.

Plant Health Care plc and Novozymes South Asia Pvt. Ltd. have signed an agreement for the exclusive distribution of Harpinab for use in sugar cane production in India. First commercial sales are expected to commence in the second half of 2023, after receipt of the required regulatory approvals.

This is the first product introduced into India by PHC. India is the world’s second largest producer of sugar cane with about five million hectares under cultivation. Harpinab has been used on more than 180,000 hectares of sugar cane in Brazil since the launch in 2018.

Evaluated by Novozymes in prior growing seasons in India, the application of Harpinab to sugar cane bolstered crop yield by more than 10 per cent on average. Harpinab works by triggering the plant’s own self defence systems, in a manner similar to vaccinations in humans, with crops responding with improved quality, nutrient use efficiency, tolerance to abiotic stress and ultimately, increased yield. Being a biological product, Harpinab has a very favourable human and environmental safety profile.

First commercial sales are expected to commence

AgroPolicy, Foodgrains, India, Trade

  Regulatory standards for Basmati rice will be enforced from 1st August 2023

For the first time in the country, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has specified the identity standards for Basmati Rice (including Brown Basmati Rice, Milled Basmati Rice, Parboiled Brown Basmati Rice and Milled Parboiled Basmati Rice) vide Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) First Amendment Regulations, 2023 notified in the Gazette of India.

The standards are aimed at establishing fair practices in the trade of Basmati rice and protect consumer interest, both domestically and globally. These standards will be enforced w.e.f 1st August 2023.

As per these standards, Basmati rice shall possess natural fragrance characteristic of basmati rice and be free from artificial colouring, polishing agents and artificial fragrances. These standards also specify various identity and quality parameters for basmati rice such as average size of grains and their elongation ratio after cooking; maximum limits of moisture, amylose content, uric acid, defective/damaged grains and incidental presence of other non-basmati rice etc.

Basmati rice is a premium variety of rice cultivated in the Himalayan foothills of the Indian sub-continent and is universally known for its long grain size, fluffy texture and unique inherent aroma and flavour. Agro-climatic conditions of the specific geographical areas where Basmati rice is grown; as well as the method of harvesting, processing and ageing of the rice contributes to the uniqueness of Basmati rice. Due to its unique quality attributes, Basmati is a widely consumed variety of rice both domestically and globally and India accounts for two thirds of its global supply.

Being a premium quality rice and fetching a price higher than the non-basmati varieties, Basmati rice is prone to various types of adulteration for economic gains which may include, among others, undeclared blending of other non-basmati varieties of rice. Therefore, in order to ensure supply of standardised genuine Basmati rice in domestic and export markets, FSSAI has notified regulatory standards for Basmati rice that have been framed through extensive consultations with the concerned government departments / agencies and other stakeholders as well.

  Regulatory standards for Basmati rice will

Agro chems – Chemicals, Company News, Middle East countries

The long-term agreement will begin in June of 2023 and will initially be focused on supply in North America

Israel based ICL, a leading global specialty minerals company, announced it will be the strategic specialty phosphate solutions supplier to General Mills. The long-term agreement will begin in June of 2023 and will initially be focused on supply in North America, with the potential for international expansion.

“Our focus is always on the customer and on delivering best-in-class product, quality and service. We’re pleased General Mills appreciates our efforts and is also dedicated to providing best-in-class products to their customers,” said Phil Brown, president of ICL Phosphate Specialties and managing director of North America for ICL. “We’re looking forward to working with their R&D team to find new ways to support their product development and are excited to turn to our global innovation team for support.”

“As part of our strategy to develop long-term partnerships with key suppliers, we’re excited to work with ICL and leverage their technical expertise to support our business growth plans,” said Sebastiao Pinho, global sourcing director for General Mills.

The long-term agreement will begin in June

Agro chems – Fertilizers, India

Will allow farmers to get the best crop yields while saving money and reducing harmful nitrous oxide emissions

New research by an international team of scientists, including International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) agricultural systems and climate change scientist Tek Sapkota, has identified the optimum rates of nitrogen fertiliser application for rice and wheat crops in the Indo-Gangetic Plains of India.

By measuring crop yield and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes over two years, Sapkota and his colleagues reported that the optimum rate of N fertiliser for rice is between 120 and 200 kg per hectare, and between 50 and 185 kg per hectare for wheat. The results of the study have the potential to save farmer’s money and minimise dangerous greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining crop productivity.

Nitrous oxide, one of the most important greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere, is responsible for ozone depletion and global climate change, and has a global warming potential 265 times that of carbon dioxide (CO2).

Research has shown that agricultural soils account for around 60% of global nitrous oxide emissions. These emissions are directly related to the application of nitrogen fertilisers to croplands. While these fertilisers help crop yields, studies show that only about one third of the applied nitrogen is actually used by crops. The rest is released as nitrous oxide or seeps into waterways, causing harmful algal blooms.

In India, the total consumption of nitrogen fertiliser is about 17 million tonne — expected to rise to 24 million tonne by 2030 to feed a growing population. Nitrous oxide emissions will rise along with it if farmers do not minimise their fertiliser use and manage application more efficiently. What’s more, farmers receive a higher subsidy for nitrogen fertiliser — a policy that leads farmers to apply more fertiliser than the recommended dose.

Measured methods

The study, led by Sapkota, estimated the rate of nitrogen fertiliser application with the most economically optimum yield and minimum environmental footprint. Applying more fertiliser than this would be a waste of farmer’s money and cause unnecessary harm to the environment.

Researchers measured crop yield and nitrous oxide fluxes for two wheat seasons and one rice season from 2014 to 2016.  The scientists found that nitrogen fertilisation rate clearly influenced daily and cumulative soil nitrous oxide emissions in wheat and rice for both years. Nitrous oxide emissions were higher in both wheat and rice in the nitrogen-fertilised plots than in the control plots.

Using statistical methods, the researchers were able to measure the relationship between crop productivity, nitrogen rate and emissions intensity, in both rice and wheat. This gave them the optimum rate of nitrogen fertiliser application.

This work was carried out by International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) and implemented as part of the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), with support from the CGIAR Trust Fund and through bilateral funding agreements.

Will allow farmers to get the best