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Farmer collective to turn Idukki to fully organic farming district: India
29 Oct, 2018
A collective of organic farmers has initiated a programme to help and rebuild the farms and livelihood of the farmers in Idukki, the hub of spice cultivation in Kerala state, which was one of the worst affected districts in heavy rains and floods that hit the state in August. Manarcadu Social Service Society (Mass) a collective of 5000 organic farmers cultivating spices, coffee and cocoa in 5800 acres is hoping to help the affected farmers through organic farming.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/farmer-collective-to-turn-idukki-to-fully-organic-farming district/articleshow/66511775.cms
World needs to produce 3 times more fruits, vegetables than current levels
29 Oct, 2018
If the world continues to produce food crops in a business-as-usual scenario, then nutritional requirements of each individual are unlikely to be met. The world currently overproduces grains, fats and sugars, and not enough fruits, vegetables and protein to meet the nutritional needs of the current population, finds a recent global study conducted by the University of Guelph.
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/agriculture/world-needs-to-produce-3-times-more-fruits-vegetables-than-current-levels-61951
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CLIMATE CHANGE
Amazon forests failing to keep up with climate change
8 Nov, 2018
New research has assessed the impact of global warming on thousands of tree species across the Amazon to discover the winners and losers from 30 years of climate change. The analysis found the effects of climate change are altering the rainforest's composition of tree species but not quickly enough to keep up with the changing environment.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181108091317.htm
Farmer adjustments can offset climate change impacts in corn production
9 Nov, 2018
There is widespread concern that global warming will have a strong negative effect on crop yields. Recent research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on historical maize yields across the U.S. Corn Belt suggests that a continuation of the historical yield trend will depend on a stable climate and continued farmer adjustments.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181109185728.htm
Ragweed may expand its range northward with climate change
8 Nov, 2018
A new predictive model developed by an ecologist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a climate scientist at the University of Washington suggests that climate change may allow common ragweed to extend its growing range northward and into major northeast metro areas, worsening conditions for millions of people with hay fever and asthma.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181108205337.htm
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DROUGHTS
Perilous times for Australia wildlife amid severe drought
1 Nov,
2018
From abandoned baby kangaroos to wallabies being blinded by the sun and koalas having to go walkabout to look for eucalyptus leaves, Australia’s exotic wild animals are struggling to adapt to a crippling drought. The “big dry”, lasting for several years in some areas, is turning vast swathes of lush green land across the continent’s eastern interior brown.
https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-life/perilous-times-for-australias-wildlife-amid-drought/article25396777.ece
Cape Town warns world to follow its lead as it prepares for fresh drought
8 Nov, 2018
As Cape Town prepares for another summer on the brink of an environmental disaster, with fresh restrictions on water usage already in place, the head of South African tourism has called on the city to become a blueprint for water-scarce cities around the world. The popular South African city narrowly avoided running out of water earlier this year, thanks to stringent rules governing water consumption and a major campaign encouraging tourists to “save like a local”.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/africa/south-africa/articles/cape-town-drought-restrictions-water-scarce-cities/
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FLOODS
Jordan flash floods kill 12 and force tourist evacuation of Petra
10 Nov,
2018
Flash floods in Jordan have killed at least 12 people and wounded several others, one-day after heavy rain hit several parts of the country, including the ancient stone-city of Petra. Friday’s heavy downpours came two weeks after flash floods near the Dead Sea killed 21 people, most of them children.
https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/jordan-flash-floods-kill-12-and-force-tourist-evacuation-of-petra-1.790025
Heavy rain and gales bring flooding to England and Wales
10 Nov,
2018
Gale-force winds and heavy rain brought flooding to parts of England and Wales, closing a train line, submerging homes and cutting off power for thousands of properties. At Dawlish, Devon, a high tide and strong winds caused the sea to flood tracks, while Western Power Distribution said it had 2,500 customers "off supply" on Friday evening.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/11/10/uk-weather-heavy-rain-gales-bring-flooding-england-wales/
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FOOD SECURITY
Central African Republic facing worst food insecurity since 2014, UN warns
8 Nov, 2018
Nearly two million people urgently need feeding in violence-hit Central African Republic in the worst food insecurity in four years, the UN's food agency has warned. Figures on food security compiled by the World Food Programme in September found "the worst results since 2014, with 1.9 million people in need of urgent food action.
https://www.news24.com/Africa/News/car-facing-worst-food-insecurity-since-2014-un-warns-20181108
Farmers market vendors need training to improve food-safety practices
1 Nov, 2018
Many vendors at farmers markets take inadequate precautions to prevent the spread of foodborne illness, and they should be trained to reduce food-safety risks, according to Penn State researchers who completed the final phase of an innovative five-year study. Using a comprehensive three-way approach, the research assessed food safety behaviors at Pennsylvania farmers markets using direct concealed observations, state sanitarian observations, and self-reported vendor surveys.
https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/food-safety/farmers-market-vendors-need-training-improve-food-safety-practices
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IRRIGATION
Drip irrigation uses 58% less water: Study
7 Nov,
2018
A field experiment by the Command Area Development Authority (CADA) has shown that drip irrigation through a solar-based micro-irrigation system uses 58 percent less water as compared to the conventional form of paddy cultivation. Sharing the details of the field trials, CADA authorities said that per acre yield of PR-114 variety of rice in the farms irrigated under drip irrigation was recorded between 24.27 and 27.83 quintals (1 Quintal = 100 kgs).
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/study-drip-irrigation-uses-58-less-water/679698.html
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WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Seismic noise can more accurately track water levels in underground aquifers
29 Oct, 2018
Seismic noise— the low-level vibrations caused by everything from subway trains to waves crashing on the beach — is most often something seismologists work to avoid. They factor it out of models and create algorithms aimed at eliminating it so they can identify the signals of earthquakes. But Tim Clements, a graduate student working in the lab of Assistant Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences Marine Denolle, thinks it might be a tool to monitor one of the most precious resources in the world — water.
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/10/study-uses-seismic-noise-to-track-water-levels-in-underground-aquifers/
3,000 villages in Maharashtra may face acute drinking water shortage by year-end: India
7 Nov, 2018
The shadow of the deficient monsoon continues to haunt rural Maharashtra state, where as many as 3,000 villages, mostly in central Maharashtra and Marathwada, have seen severely depleted groundwater levels this year. Experts have warned that these villages may face a drinking water crisis by the end of the year unless a contingency plan is put in place to control the situation.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/3000-villages-in-maharashtra-may-face-acute-drinking-water-shortage-by-year-end-5436651/
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FORTHCOMING EVENTS
9th International Micro Irrigation Conference (9IMIC), 16-18 January 2019, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India on the theme: Micro Irrigation in Modern Agriculture.
Website: http://micro-irrigation2019.com/
International Dam Safety Conference 2019, 13-14 February 2019, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, India
Website: www.damsafety.in/idsc2019
5th African Regional Conference on Irrigation and Drainage (ARCID), 16-19 March 2020, Rabat, Morocco on the theme: Sustainable Management of Irrigation for Improved Resilience of Agriculture in Africa.
Website: http://www.anafide.net/
Water for Food Global Conference 2019, 29-30 April 2019, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA on the theme: Water for a Hungry World: Innovation in Water and Food Security.
Website: https://waterforfood.nebraska.edu/news-and-events
3rd World Irrigation Forum (WIF3) and 70th International Executive Council Meeting, 1-7 September 2019, Bali, Indonesia on the theme: Development for water, food and nutrition security in a competitive environment.
Website: http://www.icid2019.org/
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LATEST PUBLICATION(S)
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The study on
''Water Productivity Mapping of Major Indian Crops'' presents for the first time, maps on the water productivity of ten major Indian crops across cultivating districts and states. It builds on the expectation that if key decisions regarding irrigation, cropping patterns, input pricing, and incentive structures are predicated on water productivity of crops, it would ensure that water in agriculture is distributed more widely, water-use efficiency is enhanced, and Indian agriculture becomes more sustainable and productive in the long run. Thus, the study seeks to inform targeted policies and investment interventions for meeting the twin objectives of "har khet ko pani" (water to every field) and "more crop per drop." The report will encourage policy makers to take note of and trigger an effective response to the looming water crisis faced by the agriculture sector in India. The book has been released as an Open Access and may be downloaded @ https://bit.ly/2Q6OU
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