Background & Objectives: Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are set up as a part of the Post Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Then it becomes essential to review the achievement of the MDGs in India and less...Background & Objectives: Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are set up as a part of the Post Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Then it becomes essential to review the achievement of the MDGs in India and lessons learned to incorporate into the SDGs. The present study reviews and predicts different components of under-five mortality rate beyond 2015 to assess the present situation and to determine the future possibilities of achieving the new targets for SDGs in India. Data and Methods: It uses available time series data on different components of U5MR from the India’s Sample Registration System (SRS). Autoregressive Integrated Moving Averages (ARIMA) model has been taken as the method of time series analysis to forecast the mortality rates beyond 2015. Results: There is a consistent pattern of faster decline in the under-five mortality compared with the neonatal mortality rate across all major states in India although neonatal mortality contributes largest share in under-five mortality. Again, share of neonatal death among under-five death is increasing steadily over the future projected years. This indicates very slow progress of reduction in neonatal mortality. Stimulating efforts with new intervention programmes will be needed to focus more on lowering neonatal mortality particularly in rural India.展开更多
Ploughing and fertilization practices in rice-wheat system have deteriorated the soil carbon (C) pools. Conservation agriculture (CA) based management approaches have proven to enhance C sequestration and reverse the ...Ploughing and fertilization practices in rice-wheat system have deteriorated the soil carbon (C) pools. Conservation agriculture (CA) based management approaches have proven to enhance C sequestration and reverse the loss of soil-organic-carbon (SOC), which further enhances soil fertility. Different fractions of SOC pools react to the alterations in management practices and indicate changes in SOC dynamics as compared to total C in the soil. Higher SOC levels in soil have been observed in case of reduced/no-till (NT) practices than conventional tillage (CT). However, between CT and zero tillage/NT, total SOC stocks diminished with an increase in soil depth, which demonstrated that the benefits of SOC are more pronounced in the topsoil under NT. Soil aggregation provides physical protection to C associated with different-sized particles, thus, the improvement in soil aggregation through CA is an effective way to mitigate soil C loss. Along with less soil disturbance, residual management, suitable crop rotation, rational application of manures and fertilizers, and integrated nutrient management have been found to be effective in not only improving soil C stock but also enhancing the soil health and productivity. Thus, CA can be considered as a potential method in the build-up of SOC of soil in rice-wheat system.展开更多
Scarcity of water and emission of greenhouse gases(GHGs)are the two key environmental issues affecting crop production in India.Reducing the carbon footprint(CF)and water footprint(WF)of crop production can help to mi...Scarcity of water and emission of greenhouse gases(GHGs)are the two key environmental issues affecting crop production in India.Reducing the carbon footprint(CF)and water footprint(WF)of crop production can help to mitigate the environmental hazards that stem from GHG emissions and water scarcity.The CFs and WFs of three major cereal crops,rice,wheat,and maize,were estimated for the year 2014 under the environmental conditions in India,based on national statistics and other data sources.Total CFs(TCFs)of rice,wheat,and maize in India were estimated to be 2.44,1.27,and 0.80 t CO_(2)equivalent ha-1,respectively,and product WFs for rice,wheat,and maize in India were 3.52,1.59,and 2.06 m3 kg^(-1),respectively.Blue WF was found to be the highest in West India for rice and in South India for both wheat and maize,with the highest irrigation water use in these regions.There was a positive correlation between TCF and total WF,and hence mitigation of both was possibly simultaneous in various regions in India.Potential measures for mitigating GHG emissions and optimizing water use for rice,wheat,and maize production in India are recommended in this paper.展开更多
The availability of poor quality fodders for livestock feeding is a major hurdle for the dairy industry in South Asia. Thelow content of Zn in fodders, leads to its malnutrition in animals. In fodders, Zn facilitates ...The availability of poor quality fodders for livestock feeding is a major hurdle for the dairy industry in South Asia. Thelow content of Zn in fodders, leads to its malnutrition in animals. In fodders, Zn facilitates protein synthesis, gene expressions,energy production and involves in various metabolic activities of plants, animals and humans. To achieve these objectives,multi-location field trials were conducted on enrichment of oats fodder with Zn through bio-fortification. The experiment consists ofeight different treatment combinations for enrichment of oats fodder with Zn including control, soil and soil plus foliar application ofZn at different stages of plant growth. The results of the study reported that soil application of Zn at the rate of 25 kg/ha and soil +foliar application of Zn at 0.5% at 60 days after sowing (DAS) (jointing stage), 90 DAS (booting stage) and both 60 DAS and 90DAS showed improvement in plant growth parameters. The results further reported that foliar application of Zn at the rate of 0.5% at60 DAS, 90 DAS, both 60 DAS and 90 DAS reported significant increase in biomass yield and fodder quality. Integrated applicationof Zn at 25 kg/ha in soil along with foliar Zn at the rate of 0.5% at 60 DAS and 90 DAS showed maximum Zn enrichment, greenfodder yield, dry fodder yield, plant height, and Zn accumulation in oats fodder as compared to other treatments of Zn application.These treatments of Zn application through integrated mode also reported significant improvement in fodder quality with maximumcrude protein (CP) and crude protein yield (CPY) while neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), ash content andorganic matter showed a non-significant effect. Thus, the results of experimental study concluded that soil and foliar application ofZn at 25 kg/ha and 0.5% Zn, respectively, at 60 DAS and 90 DAS enhanced the growth, yield and quality of oats fodder which willcertainly improve livestock production through bio-fortification.展开更多
文摘Background & Objectives: Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are set up as a part of the Post Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Then it becomes essential to review the achievement of the MDGs in India and lessons learned to incorporate into the SDGs. The present study reviews and predicts different components of under-five mortality rate beyond 2015 to assess the present situation and to determine the future possibilities of achieving the new targets for SDGs in India. Data and Methods: It uses available time series data on different components of U5MR from the India’s Sample Registration System (SRS). Autoregressive Integrated Moving Averages (ARIMA) model has been taken as the method of time series analysis to forecast the mortality rates beyond 2015. Results: There is a consistent pattern of faster decline in the under-five mortality compared with the neonatal mortality rate across all major states in India although neonatal mortality contributes largest share in under-five mortality. Again, share of neonatal death among under-five death is increasing steadily over the future projected years. This indicates very slow progress of reduction in neonatal mortality. Stimulating efforts with new intervention programmes will be needed to focus more on lowering neonatal mortality particularly in rural India.
文摘Ploughing and fertilization practices in rice-wheat system have deteriorated the soil carbon (C) pools. Conservation agriculture (CA) based management approaches have proven to enhance C sequestration and reverse the loss of soil-organic-carbon (SOC), which further enhances soil fertility. Different fractions of SOC pools react to the alterations in management practices and indicate changes in SOC dynamics as compared to total C in the soil. Higher SOC levels in soil have been observed in case of reduced/no-till (NT) practices than conventional tillage (CT). However, between CT and zero tillage/NT, total SOC stocks diminished with an increase in soil depth, which demonstrated that the benefits of SOC are more pronounced in the topsoil under NT. Soil aggregation provides physical protection to C associated with different-sized particles, thus, the improvement in soil aggregation through CA is an effective way to mitigate soil C loss. Along with less soil disturbance, residual management, suitable crop rotation, rational application of manures and fertilizers, and integrated nutrient management have been found to be effective in not only improving soil C stock but also enhancing the soil health and productivity. Thus, CA can be considered as a potential method in the build-up of SOC of soil in rice-wheat system.
基金financial assistance provided by the Ministry of Earth Sciences,Government of India and Department of Science and Technology,Government of Indiathe Director General,Indian Council of Agricultural Research(ICAR)and Director,ICAR-National Rice Research Institute(NRRI)for providing support in the execution of this workthe Delivering Food Security on Limited Land Project,Belmont Forum,India(No.FACCE-JPI via NERC)。
文摘Scarcity of water and emission of greenhouse gases(GHGs)are the two key environmental issues affecting crop production in India.Reducing the carbon footprint(CF)and water footprint(WF)of crop production can help to mitigate the environmental hazards that stem from GHG emissions and water scarcity.The CFs and WFs of three major cereal crops,rice,wheat,and maize,were estimated for the year 2014 under the environmental conditions in India,based on national statistics and other data sources.Total CFs(TCFs)of rice,wheat,and maize in India were estimated to be 2.44,1.27,and 0.80 t CO_(2)equivalent ha-1,respectively,and product WFs for rice,wheat,and maize in India were 3.52,1.59,and 2.06 m3 kg^(-1),respectively.Blue WF was found to be the highest in West India for rice and in South India for both wheat and maize,with the highest irrigation water use in these regions.There was a positive correlation between TCF and total WF,and hence mitigation of both was possibly simultaneous in various regions in India.Potential measures for mitigating GHG emissions and optimizing water use for rice,wheat,and maize production in India are recommended in this paper.
文摘The availability of poor quality fodders for livestock feeding is a major hurdle for the dairy industry in South Asia. Thelow content of Zn in fodders, leads to its malnutrition in animals. In fodders, Zn facilitates protein synthesis, gene expressions,energy production and involves in various metabolic activities of plants, animals and humans. To achieve these objectives,multi-location field trials were conducted on enrichment of oats fodder with Zn through bio-fortification. The experiment consists ofeight different treatment combinations for enrichment of oats fodder with Zn including control, soil and soil plus foliar application ofZn at different stages of plant growth. The results of the study reported that soil application of Zn at the rate of 25 kg/ha and soil +foliar application of Zn at 0.5% at 60 days after sowing (DAS) (jointing stage), 90 DAS (booting stage) and both 60 DAS and 90DAS showed improvement in plant growth parameters. The results further reported that foliar application of Zn at the rate of 0.5% at60 DAS, 90 DAS, both 60 DAS and 90 DAS reported significant increase in biomass yield and fodder quality. Integrated applicationof Zn at 25 kg/ha in soil along with foliar Zn at the rate of 0.5% at 60 DAS and 90 DAS showed maximum Zn enrichment, greenfodder yield, dry fodder yield, plant height, and Zn accumulation in oats fodder as compared to other treatments of Zn application.These treatments of Zn application through integrated mode also reported significant improvement in fodder quality with maximumcrude protein (CP) and crude protein yield (CPY) while neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), ash content andorganic matter showed a non-significant effect. Thus, the results of experimental study concluded that soil and foliar application ofZn at 25 kg/ha and 0.5% Zn, respectively, at 60 DAS and 90 DAS enhanced the growth, yield and quality of oats fodder which willcertainly improve livestock production through bio-fortification.
