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More than 30 percent of world’s organic producers are in India
21 Feb, 2018
India has the largest number of organic producers in the world, according to the World of Organic Agriculture Report 2018 published in February. With 835,000 certified organic producers, it is home to more than 30 percent of the total number of organic producers (2.7 million) in the world. Uganda (210,352) and Mexico (210,000) are the second and third largest organic producers.
http://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/30-per-cent-of-world-s-organic-producers-are-in-india-59748
Precision agriculture is changing farming in Montana
21 Feb, 2018
Agriculture is the backbone of Montana’s economy and during the recent MATE Show in Billings, farmers could see some of the latest agricultural equipment and precision agriculture technology. “You don’t need to see anymore," Travis Anderson, Precision Ag consultant with Yellowstone County Implement in Billings, said. "The tractor does the seeing for you with the map and auto steer." The ultimate goal is to make farmers more efficient and profitable.
http://www.krtv.com/story/37561370/montana-ag-precision-agriculture-is-changing-farming
Punjab has a new plan to move farmers away from water-guzzling paddy: India
15 Feb,
2018
The Punjab government has signed a MoU with the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), a research centre affiliated to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for the DBT project. J-PAL — along with experts from the World Bank, Punjab Agricultural University and the state’s agriculture, irrigation and soil conservation departments — will undertake a study of actual power use by farmers and how it might change once they start paying out of a fixed Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) subsidy credited to their bank accounts.
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/sustainable-agriculture-punjab-has-a-new-plan-to-move-farmers-away-from-water-guzzling-paddy-5064481/
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CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change 'will push European cities towards breaking point'
21 Feb, 2018
Major British towns and cities, including Glasgow, Wrexham, Aberdeen and Chester, could be much more severely affected by climate change than previously thought, according to new research. The study, by Newcastle University, analysed changes in flooding, droughts and heatwaves for every European city using all climate models.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/feb/21/climate-change-will-push-european-cities-towards-breaking-point
Climate warming causes local extinction of Rocky Mountain wildflower species
21 Feb, 2018
A creamy jasmine wildflower once common across the Colorado mountains may be vanishing forever as climate change brings warmer and drier conditions. That’s the conclusion unveiled Wednesday by scientists who conducted a 25-year experiment above Crested Butte near Gothic at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory tracking northern rock jasmine, a delicate white-petaled species also known as fairy candelabra.
https://www.denverpost.com/2018/02/21/northern-rock-jasmine-colorado-wildflower-extinction-climate-change/
Global warming could cause key culinary crops to release seeds prematurely
12 February, 2018
Climate change is threatening crop yields worldwide, yet little is known about how global warming will confuse normal plant physiology. Researchers now show that higher temperatures accelerate seed dispersal in crop species belonging to the cabbage and mustard plant family, limiting reproductive success, and this effect is mediated by a gene called INDEHISCENT.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180212121238.htm
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DROUGHTS
Drought-hit Cape Town dreads 'Day Zero' when taps will run dry
21 Feb, 2018
On Tuesday, the city of four million moved its estimate for “Day Zero” to July 9 from June 4 due to a decline in water usage, and after the Groenland farmers association also released 10 billion liters of water from their private reservoirs into the Steenbras storage dam.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-safrica-drought/drought-hit-cape-town-dreads-day-zero-when-taps-will-run-dry-idUSKCN1G51DL
Tropical trees use unique method to resist drought
21 Feb, 2017
Tropical trees in the Amazon Rainforest may be more drought resistant than previously thought, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Riverside. In a study published Monday in the journal New Phytologist, a team led by Louis Santiago, a professor of Botany & Plant Sciences, found that tropical trees in Paracou, French Guiana have developed an unusual way to protect themselves from damage caused by drought.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180221140930.htm
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FLOODS
Britain warned to prepare for more frequent floods as weather pattern changes
16 Feb,
2018
Communities in Britain were warned Friday to be prepared for more frequent flooding as a result of climate change. The government's Environment Agency (EA) launched a Flood Action Plan to better prepare areas of the country likely to be vulnerable to greater flood risks. EA said it follows a pattern of severe flooding over the past 10 years linked to an increase in extreme weather events as Britain's climate changes.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-02/16/c_136979982.htm
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FOOD SECURITY
UAE seeks global efforts for food security
21 Feb, 2018
Speaking at the Food Security Forum 2018, Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Almheiri, Minister of State for Future Food Security, said food security is a global challenge and the reality is that despite all the progress human society has made, hunger, drought and devastating famine remain prevalent threats to humanity.
https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/local/uae-seeks-global-efforts-for-food-security
Farming crops with rocks to reduce CO2 and improve global food security
19 Feb,
2018
Farming crops with crushed rocks could help to improve global food security and capture CO2 from the atmosphere, a new study has found. The pioneering research by scientists at the University of Sheffield together with international colleagues suggests that adding fast-reacting silicate rocks to croplands could capture CO2 and give increased protection from pests and diseases while restoring soil structure and fertility.
https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/nr/farming-crops-with-rocks-global-food-security-1.764697
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IRRIGATION
Smart irrigation scheme cuts water use and boosts crop yields: Scientists
12 Feb,
2018
A “smart” precision irrigation system developed by UK scientists could cut water use and boost crop yields in parts of the world facing water shortages, they said. The micro-irrigation system, which is being trialed on a farm in Tamil Nadu, southern India, has cut water use by up to 80% and doubled the yields of some crops, the scientists from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh said.
https://www.breakingnews.ie/world/smart-irrigation-scheme-cuts-water-use-and-boosts-crop-yields-scientists-827681.html
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WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Involving the public in water policies is key to successful municipal water systems: Study
20 Feb, 2017
Informing residents about local water issues and involving them in local water policies are the keys to building healthy and resilient city water systems, according to a Portland State University study.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180220123036.htm
Low-flying copter will map water resources in Mississippi
18 Feb,
2018
A helicopter will be flying over parts of the Mississippi Delta to gather information for a 3-D map showing water resources. Scientists will use data to create high-resolution maps of aquifers to depths of about 200 feet (61 meters) below ground. The work is for the Mississippi Alluvial Plain Regional Water Availability project, to help water managers.
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/low-flying-copter-will-map-water-resources-in-mississippi/
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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
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