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India, Russia mark 70 years of relations in field of agriculture
14 Feb, 2018
New Delhi: India and Russia marked 70 years of bilateral relations in the field of agriculture Wednesday, a government spokesman said. As a part of the country-wide year-long celebration of India-Russia diplomatic relations the Ministry of Agriculture and farmers welfare organized two major events - an India-Russia agriculture business summit held in New Delhi and celebration of 70 years of agricultural relationship being held in Suratgarh, Rajasthan state.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-02/14/c_136975716.htm
New computer game piques interest in farming
12 Feb, 2018
A million copies of the latest version of the computer game 'Farming Simulator' were sold within three weeks of its release. The video game can be played on games consoles, computers, and mobile devices. The aim is to grow and harvest crops and sell them before using the money to buy more seed and better equipment. Up to 16 people can join forces to look after one farm, much like the farmer collaboration seen in the real world. Farmers who play the game have often said “it’s what farming will be like in heaven” with no breakdowns or worries about the weather.
http://1stgamers.com/how-a-computer-game-is-fostering-new-interest-in-farming/
Mobile app uLima promises farmers better yields
15 Feb,
2018
Nairobi: A new mobile application has been launched in Kenya that is expected to help increase farm yields. The mobile platform, known as uLima, is the first of its kind in Africa. It provides farmers across the continent with a toolset, information libraries, databases and access to the latest market information.
https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/article/2001269905/mobile-app-ulima-promises-farmers-better-yields
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CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change speeding up sea level rise, satellites show
13 Feb, 2018
Climate change has accelerated sea level rise and the rate at which it is rising is increasing every year, a study citing satellite data has revealed. Researchers, led by the University of Colorado-Boulder professor of aerospace engineering sciences Steve Nerem, used the data dating back to 1993 to observe the levels of the world’s oceans.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/science-technology/climate-change-speeding-up-sea-level-rise-satellites-show/543243.html
Lightning may strike less as planet warms, say scientists
12 Feb, 2018
Lightning may strike less often in future as the planet warms, a scientific study suggests. Scientists from Edinburgh, Leeds and Lancaster universities used a new method to calculate the likely incidence of lightning flashes from storm clouds. They found there is likely be a 15% drop in the average number of lightning flashes worldwide by the turn of this century.
http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/15988954.lightning-may-strike-less-as-planet-warms-say-scientists/
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DROUGHTS
South Africa declares drought a 'national disaster'
14 Feb, 2018
South Africa has declared a national disaster over the drought afflicting southern and western regions including Cape Town, though the city pushed back its "Day Zero", the day the city's taps will run dry. The flow of running water in the port city of 4 million has been affected by a wider pattern of climate change seen around the country including the Western Cape, where Cape Town is located, the Northern Cape and Eastern Cape provinces.
http://www.theafricareport.com/Southern-Africa/south-africa-declares-drought-a-national-disaster.html
Water use climbs in California enclaves as drought returns
15 Feb, 2017
Overall water use is climbing in Southern California as that part of the state plunges back into drought, driving state and regional water managers as they consider permanently reinstating some watering bans and conservation programs.
http://www.starherald.com/news/nation_world/water-use-climbs-in-california-enclaves-as-drought-returns/article_ad645c08-503f-5cca-9822-b5a9ddb948a7.html
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FLOODS
World Bank to draft 5-year plan to tackle flood, erosion in Assam: India
12 Feb,
2018
Guwahati: The World Bank would draft a five-year plan to tackle the flood and erosion problem of Assam state, its country head Junaid Kamal Ahmed said. Mr. Ahmed said that it would draft the plan based on latest technologies for a holistic approach to tackle the problem, and include initiatives for constructive use of the excess water generated by the river during monsoon, apart from mitigating flood and erosion.
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/world-bank-to-draft-plan-to-tackle-flood-erosion-in-assam-1811904
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FOOD SECURITY
WUF: Challenge to ensure food security with rapid urbanisation
12 Feb, 2018
Kuala Lumpur: The government is finding ways to balance the necessity of urbanization with its ability to produce and distribute quality and affordable food, said Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Ismail Bakar at the 9th World Urban Forum (WUF9) session on Urban-Rural Linkages: Territorial Development and Food Security.
http://www.thesundaily.my/news/2018/02/12/wuf-challenge-ensure-food-security-rapid-urbanisation
Dry spells, fall armyworm raise concerns about food security in Southern Africa
14 Feb,
2018
The United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says prolonged dry spells, erratic rainfall, high temperatures and the presence of the voracious fall armyworm have significantly dampened Southern Africa's 2018 agricultural season's cereal production prospects.
https://www.voanews.com/a/dry-spells-fall-armyworm-raise-concerns-about-food-security-southern-africa/4254252.html
World Food Programme lauds Pakistan for improving food security
14 Feb,
2018
Islamabad: The United Nation World Food Programme in its recent report has said that Pakistan has made significant progress over the past decades and brought food security and nutrition to a more prominent place since 2010.
https://www.urdupoint.com/en/pakistan/world-food-programme-lauds-pakistan-for-impro-260858.html
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IRRIGATION
Maharashtra gets Rs 12k cr Nabard loan for 26 pending irrigation projects: India
2 Feb,
2018
Maharashtra state expects to give a much-needed boost to the completion of pending irrigation projects and to provide funds through Long Term Irrigation Fund (LTIF) established in National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard). Of the 99 irrigation projects identified under LTIF, Nabard has sanctioned a total loan of Rs 12,773 crore towards Maharashtra's share under the Prime Minister's Krishi Sinchayi Yojana (PMKSY) for the completion of 26 long-pending projects.
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-maharashtra-gets-rs-12k-cr-nabard-loan-for-26-pending-irrigation-projects-2580679
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WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Aerial imagery from drones can help measure water resources
11 Feb, 2018
Aerial imagery gathered from helicopters and drones can be used to measure changes in the water flow of rivers, suggests new research. The study, published in the journal Water Resources Research, found that aerial imaging can be just as accurate as older, more expensive field methods in some cases.
https://in.news.yahoo.com/aerial-imagery-drones-help-measure-water-resources-124404047.html
World's freshwater bodies choked with phosphorus
10 Feb,
2018
Phosphorus levels in our freshwater bodies are escalating and this could pose a serious threat to the ecosystem, warns a new report in Water Resources Research. The study points out that globally, due to human activities, about 1.5 teragrams of phosphorus (one teragram is equal to one billion kilograms) were dumped in a year into the freshwater systems. Calculating the total global anthropogenic (caused by human activity) phosphorus pollution, China contributed the most with 30%, followed by India (8%), the USA (7%) and Spain and Brazil (6% each).
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/worlds-freshwater-bodies-choked-with-phosphorus/article22716024.ece
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FORTHCOMING EVENTS
8th Asian Regional Conference, 2-4 May 2018, Kathmandu, Nepal, on the theme: Irrigation in Support of an Evergreen Revolution.
Website:http://nencid.org.np/
69th IEC & Regional Conference, 12–17 August 2018, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, on the theme: Innovative and Sustainable Agri-water Management: Adapting to a Variable and Changing Climate.
Website: http://www.icid2018.org/
Global Water Security for Agriculture and Natural Resources (GWSAN), 3-6 October 2018, Hyderabad, India: An ASABE Global Initiative Conference.
Website: http://www.asabewater.org/
9th International Micro Irrigation Conference, 16-18 January 2019, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India, on the theme: Micro Irrigation in Modern Agriculture.
Website: http://www.icid.org/conf_microirri.html
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LATEST PUBLICATION(S)
Water Saving in Irrigated Agriculture in Egypt: Case Studies and Lessons Learned, November 2017
The Egyptian National Committee for Irrigation and Drainage (ENCID) has launched a new book titled 'Water Saving in Irrigated Agriculture in Egypt: Case Studies and Lessons Learned.' The publication is a compilation of successful water saving innovation ideas at the farm level and is a rich source of reference work for all the professionals engaged in agricultural water management aspirating for "More and more crop per drop." For more info, kindly write to Encid@link.net
http://www.encid.org
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