About forty lakh hectare of land is under cotton cultivation in Maharashtra. Once known as the prosperous cotton-belt; today the irony is that the state tops the list when it comes to suicides by farmers. Further, almost all of them are cotton farmers mostly from Vidarbha. At present, Vidarbha...

Food security is interlinked with agricultural production. Enhancement in farm productivity and providing diversified demand of food due to growth in per capita income, urbanization and changes in food habit is the major challenges. Study is based on secondary data collected from different...

Food crises triggered by high prices had been experienced in agricultural markets in the past. However, the current state of agricultural markets has raised a lot of concerns to policy makers, media, the public and all stakeholders. This is against the background of the fact that only a selected...

The efficacy of “gaseous” ozone in reducing numbers and re-growth of food-borne pathogens, (<i>Escherichia coli </i>and<i> Listeria </i>spp.), on leafy salads was investigated using spinach. A preliminary<i> in vivo</i> study showed 1-log reduction in six strains of <i>E. coli</i> and two species of <i>Listeria</i> spp. on...

<i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> contamination of cantaloupes has become a serious concern as contaminated cantaloupes led to a deadly outbreak in the United States in 2011. To reduce cross-contamination between cantaloupes and to reduce resident populations on contaminated melons, application of...

Food production in 2050 will be sufficient, globally, but many of the poor will remain food insecure. The primary cause of food insecurity will continue to be poverty, rather than inadequate food production. Thus, policies and investments that increase the incomes of the poor will remain the...

Excessive salt rate can adversely influence the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils, mainly in arid and semi-arid world regions. Therefore, salt-affected soils must be reclaimed to maintain satisfactory fertility levels for increasing food production. Different approaches have...

Bulgarian Abstract: Разработката представя резултатите от първи етап на научноизследователски проект „Конкурентоспособност на земеделските стопанства в България“...

In terms of species richness, arthropods may represent as much as 85% of the soil fauna. They comprise a large proportion of the meso- and macrofauna of the soil. Within the litter/soil system, five groups are chiefly represented: Isopoda, Myriapoda, Insecta, Acari, and Collembola, the latter...

The benefits of biochar to soils for agricultural purposes are numerous. Biochar may be added to soils with the intention to improve the soil, displace an amount of conventional fossil fuel based fertilizers, and sequester carbon. However, the variable application rates, uncertain feedstock...