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
“Indigenous vaccine” developed from native “Indian Bison Type” strain (“S5”) of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) of “goat origin” was first time evaluated in a sheep flock of Bharat Merino...“Indigenous vaccine” developed from native “Indian Bison Type” strain (“S5”) of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) of “goat origin” was first time evaluated in a sheep flock of Bharat Merino breed located in Mannavanur town of Tamil Nadu in South India. Therapeutic efficacy of the vaccine was evaluated for 3 years between 2008 and 2010, on the basis of improvements in productivity (body weights, reproductive efficiency and survivability), physical condition, clinical symptoms (weakness, diarrhea, wool quality), immune response (sero-conversion) and infection load in feces (shedding). After immunization of the flock in 2008, the successive progenies of 112 and 53 lambs born in 2009 and 2010, respectively were vaccinated. Whereas, 40 lambs born to control animals were kept as unvaccinated controls. Though gain in body weights in vaccinated versus controls were not significant in 2008, growth rates were distinctly superior in Ist and IInd generations of vaccinated lambs. Reproductive performance (tupping percent) and survivability of lambs and adult sheep improved significantly. There was overall reduction in yearly morbidity (diarrhea) and mortality rates of the flock in post vaccination years. Shedding of MAP in feces was reduced in vaccinated sheep by 6.2%, 14.3% and 27.3% in 2008, 2009 and 2010 respectively, whereas shedding increased in the control sheep. Seromonitoring of the animals by “indigenous ELISA kit” showed enhanced “flock immunity” in successive generations. “Indigenous vaccine” reduced clinical disease and shedding and improved immunity and productivity of Bharat Merino flock, endemic for Johne’s disease.展开更多
Watershed development programmes carried out in different agroclimatic conditions in India resulted in beneficial impact in terms of productivity enhancement and natural resources conservation, but less attention paid...Watershed development programmes carried out in different agroclimatic conditions in India resulted in beneficial impact in terms of productivity enhancement and natural resources conservation, but less attention paid to institutional and participatory aspects. This paper explored the performance of various institutions regarding execution of watershed development programmes in semi-arid region of India. Recorded observations from documents maintained at watershed level and information collected through primary survey as well as focus group discussion with different types of stakeholders were used for analysis. The results indicated lacunae in participatory aspects during programme implementation process like monitoring activities, management of common property resources and equity. Gap in linkages and differential level of performance of various watershed level functionaries indicates the necessity for corrections in the structures and linkages pattern for sustainability of the infrastructure and institutions. The study also showed unequal priorities by the implementing agencies towards in-stitutions, land and water resources development, production enhancement activities and fodder re-sources development as well as rationalities of technical, economic, financial, political and social aspects among the watersheds.展开更多
The Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation(IISWC)and its Research Centres have developed many successful model watershed projects in India in the past and implemented many Soil and Water Conservation(SWC)tech...The Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation(IISWC)and its Research Centres have developed many successful model watershed projects in India in the past and implemented many Soil and Water Conservation(SWC)technologies for sustainable watershed management.While many evaluation studies were conducted on these projects in the past,there has been no assessment of the post-adoption status of the SWC technologies over a longer period.It was imperative to appraise the behaviour of the farmers with regard to the continuance or discontinuance of the technologies adopted,diffusion or infusion that took place and technological gaps that occurred in due course of time in the post watershed programme.Therefore,it was realized that the postadoption behaviour of beneficiary farmers who have adopted different soil and water conservation technologies for watershed management projects should be studied in detail.The research study was initiated in 2012 as a core project at Vasad as the lead Centre along with IISWC headquarter Dehradun,and Centres Agra,Bellary,Chandigarh,Datia,Kota&Ooty,with the specific objectives of the study to measure the extent of post-adoption behaviour(continued-adoption,discontinuance,technological gap,diffusion and infusion)of farmers towards the adopted SWC technologies of watershed management.In the present study various indices regarding continued adoption,dis-adoption(discontinuance),technological gap,diffusion,infusion regarding soil and water conservation technologies for watershed management were developed for measurement of post-adoption behaviour of farmers.It was revealed that a little less than three-fourth(73%)of SWC technologies continued to be adopted and more than onefourth(27%)were discontinued by farmers.Out of the total continue adopted SWC technologies by farmers,a little less than onefifth(19%)of technologies continued to be adopted with a technological gap.More than one-fourth(28%)of SWC technologies were also diffused to other farmers’fields in nearby villages and on an average 1.2 technologies were also infused into the farmers'fields from outside by their own efforts in the watersheds developed by the IISWC and its Centres.展开更多
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“Indigenous vaccine” developed from native “Indian Bison Type” strain (“S5”) of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) of “goat origin” was first time evaluated in a sheep flock of Bharat Merino breed located in Mannavanur town of Tamil Nadu in South India. Therapeutic efficacy of the vaccine was evaluated for 3 years between 2008 and 2010, on the basis of improvements in productivity (body weights, reproductive efficiency and survivability), physical condition, clinical symptoms (weakness, diarrhea, wool quality), immune response (sero-conversion) and infection load in feces (shedding). After immunization of the flock in 2008, the successive progenies of 112 and 53 lambs born in 2009 and 2010, respectively were vaccinated. Whereas, 40 lambs born to control animals were kept as unvaccinated controls. Though gain in body weights in vaccinated versus controls were not significant in 2008, growth rates were distinctly superior in Ist and IInd generations of vaccinated lambs. Reproductive performance (tupping percent) and survivability of lambs and adult sheep improved significantly. There was overall reduction in yearly morbidity (diarrhea) and mortality rates of the flock in post vaccination years. Shedding of MAP in feces was reduced in vaccinated sheep by 6.2%, 14.3% and 27.3% in 2008, 2009 and 2010 respectively, whereas shedding increased in the control sheep. Seromonitoring of the animals by “indigenous ELISA kit” showed enhanced “flock immunity” in successive generations. “Indigenous vaccine” reduced clinical disease and shedding and improved immunity and productivity of Bharat Merino flock, endemic for Johne’s disease.
文摘Watershed development programmes carried out in different agroclimatic conditions in India resulted in beneficial impact in terms of productivity enhancement and natural resources conservation, but less attention paid to institutional and participatory aspects. This paper explored the performance of various institutions regarding execution of watershed development programmes in semi-arid region of India. Recorded observations from documents maintained at watershed level and information collected through primary survey as well as focus group discussion with different types of stakeholders were used for analysis. The results indicated lacunae in participatory aspects during programme implementation process like monitoring activities, management of common property resources and equity. Gap in linkages and differential level of performance of various watershed level functionaries indicates the necessity for corrections in the structures and linkages pattern for sustainability of the infrastructure and institutions. The study also showed unequal priorities by the implementing agencies towards in-stitutions, land and water resources development, production enhancement activities and fodder re-sources development as well as rationalities of technical, economic, financial, political and social aspects among the watersheds.
文摘The Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation(IISWC)and its Research Centres have developed many successful model watershed projects in India in the past and implemented many Soil and Water Conservation(SWC)technologies for sustainable watershed management.While many evaluation studies were conducted on these projects in the past,there has been no assessment of the post-adoption status of the SWC technologies over a longer period.It was imperative to appraise the behaviour of the farmers with regard to the continuance or discontinuance of the technologies adopted,diffusion or infusion that took place and technological gaps that occurred in due course of time in the post watershed programme.Therefore,it was realized that the postadoption behaviour of beneficiary farmers who have adopted different soil and water conservation technologies for watershed management projects should be studied in detail.The research study was initiated in 2012 as a core project at Vasad as the lead Centre along with IISWC headquarter Dehradun,and Centres Agra,Bellary,Chandigarh,Datia,Kota&Ooty,with the specific objectives of the study to measure the extent of post-adoption behaviour(continued-adoption,discontinuance,technological gap,diffusion and infusion)of farmers towards the adopted SWC technologies of watershed management.In the present study various indices regarding continued adoption,dis-adoption(discontinuance),technological gap,diffusion,infusion regarding soil and water conservation technologies for watershed management were developed for measurement of post-adoption behaviour of farmers.It was revealed that a little less than three-fourth(73%)of SWC technologies continued to be adopted and more than onefourth(27%)were discontinued by farmers.Out of the total continue adopted SWC technologies by farmers,a little less than onefifth(19%)of technologies continued to be adopted with a technological gap.More than one-fourth(28%)of SWC technologies were also diffused to other farmers’fields in nearby villages and on an average 1.2 technologies were also infused into the farmers'fields from outside by their own efforts in the watersheds developed by the IISWC and its Centres.