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Besides increasing agricultural productivity, well-developed watersheds have immense potential to minimize land degradation, mitigating the adverse impact of climate change and generating several other ecosystem services (ES). Quantifying these services is quintessential in operationalizing the concept of management and decisionmaking relating to watershed management. The present study estimates the value of regulating (soil conservation and carbon sequestration) and supporting ES (groundwater recharge) generated by watersheds in India, and examines the factors that influence the flow of ES from watersheds. The study followed a meta-analysis approach using information from 221 watersheds in 5 major agroclimatic zones of the country. We found that the watershed generates ES to the tune of Rs 34,113 per ha, with water recharging alone accounting for 60% of it. It shows that people's participation in the planning, implementation and management of watersheds significantly enhances ES. Macro-watersheds (≥ 1000 ha) are more effective in generating ES, underscoring the need for investment in watersheds management in the semi-arid tropical regions, where problems of degradation of natural resources are more pronounced. This study suggests policies for land restoration and payment for ES to increase their flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An assessment of agrobiodiversity is critical for making agriculture and food production sustainable, but this work has received less attention of researchers. We have developed an Agroecosystem Diversity Index to show the status, challenges and offer suggestions to conserve and enrich agrobiodiversity. The index captures the diversity of the agroecosystem at landscape, species and genetic levels; and indicates the threats to agrobiodiversity and the response of the society. The index is computed for the Indo-Gangetic Plains of India. Our findings show a moderate degree of agrobiodiversity in the region with an index of 0.39 and a range of 0.32 to 0.45 across the districts. The agroecosystem has become highly specialized with rice and wheat as the major crops. The increasing threat to agrobiodiversity and inadequate policy response to address the problem are the primary concerns. For sustainable management of agroecosystems in the region, it is necessary to introduce legumes to diversify the rice–wheat system, promote agroforestry to enhance landscape diversity and encourage optimum use of agrochemicals to enrich the soil microbiome. Natural resource depletion is a major concern, and conservation technologies and practices shall be useful in arresting the degradation process in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In India, of late, micro-irrigation has received considerable policy focus. However, as of 2017, only about 10% of the potential area is under micro-irrigation. The present study analyzes the pattern and equity issues of distribution of micro-irrigation in India and identifies the potential correlates. The regression analysis reveals that the stage of groundwater development and agro-climatic differences significantly influence the spread of micro-irrigation. The relatively low spread of micro-irrigation in states with over-exploited groundwater needs attention. Overall, the study points to the need to revamp the current micro-irrigation development programmes, which focus excessively on subsidy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study has been undertaken to examine the occurrence of climate change in Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India and its impact on rainfall pattern which is a primary constraint for agricultural production. Among the five sample stations examined across the state, the minimum temperature has increased significantly in Coimbatore while the same has decreased significantly in Vellore whereas both minimum and maximum temperatures have increased significantly in Madurai since 1969 with climate change occurring between late 1980s and early 1990s. As a result, the south-west monsoon has been disturbed with August rainfall increasing with more dispersion while September rainfall decreasing with less dispersion. Thus, September, the peak rainfall month of south-west monsoon before climate change, has become the monsoon receding month after climate change. Though there has been no change in the trend of the north-east monsoon, the quantity of October and November rainfall has considerably increased with increased dispersion after climate change. On the whole, south-west monsoon has decreased with decreased dispersion while north-east monsoon has increased with increased dispersion. Consequently, the season window for south-west monsoon crops has shortened while the north-east monsoon crops are left to fend against flood risk during their initial stages. Further, the incoherence in warming, climate change and rainfall impact seen across the state necessitates devising different indigenous and institutional adaptation strategies for different regions to overcome the adverse impacts of climate change on agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the post independence period, the most important challenge in India has been to produce enough food for the growing population. Hence, high-yielding varieties are being used with infusion of irrigation water, fertilizers, or pesticides. This combination of high-yielding production technology has helped the country develop a food surplus as well as contributing to concerns of soil health, environmental pollution, pesticide toxicity, and sustainability of agricultural production. Scientists and policy planners are, therefore, reassessing agricultural practices which relied more on biological inputs rather than heavy usage of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Organic farming can provide quality food without adversely affecting the soil's health and the environment; however, a concern is whether large-scale organic farming will produce enough food for India's large population. Certified organic products including all varieties of food products including basmati rice, pulses, honey, tea, spices, coffee, oilseeds, fruits, cereals, herbal medicines, and their value-added products are produced in India. Non edible organic products include cotton, garments, cosmetics, functional food products, body care products, and similar products. The production of these organic crops and products is reviewed with regard to sustainable agriculture in northern India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Allocation of research resources between favorable and unfavorable rice-growing environments is analyzed in this paper using the case of India. The resource allocation in rice research for all ecosystems of India is approximated by the full-time equivalent (FTE) of scientist time spent in research. This was estimated through a survey of all major public research organizations involved in rice research. The FTEs were adjusted for any cost differences per scientist time across the rice growing environments. Unadjusted FTEs indicated a high congruence in resource allocation while adjusted FTEs showed slight under investment in rainfed environment. The use of equity weights amplified the extent of under investment in rainfed environments. It is concluded that, in the case of rice research, rainfed environments in India remain under-invested moderately. Options for addressing this imbalance and the overall implications for resource allocation are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Deals with a study on the private delivery of rice in Andhra Pradesh, India, where private enterprise is supplying an increasing proportion of the seed used by farmers. Examination of the institutional conditions for private expansion into rice seed; Discussion on the instances where low transaction costs allow for the emergence of a wide range of seed enterprises; Alternative strategies for seed provision.

The ability of commercial input markets to serve farmers depends on the effective exchange of information between firms and consumers. Insufficient information may leave farmers exposed to inappropriate products and can limit firms' ability to respond to farmers' needs. These issues are examined through a study of seed practices in eastern Rajasthan, where farmers increasingly utilize commercial pearl millet seed. Farmers have an incomplete understanding of the seed options available to them, and companies' efforts to provide information or assess demand are inadequate. Nevertheless, the evidence points to generally positive effects of the expansion of the commercial seed market. Suggestions are made for improving information flow through public sector plant breeding, consumer education, and the development of local capacity to test and assess commercial products. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article aims to identify biotechnology research gap in India by examining institutional profiles and research priorities. It presents data related to scientific personnel associated with plant biotechnology in the country and the research priorities they addressed. It notes that applied research are focused on enhancing tolerance of crops to biotic and abiotic stresses and improving product quality, and the priority crops are cereals, horticultural crops and commercial crops.

Creativity and innovation are important factors for sustainable agricultural growth. Intellectual property rights (IPR) is the key driver of innovation. However, many argue against this view, as it would benefit only a certain section in a country. The present study analyses the perception of stakeholders on Indian IPR system for plant varieties. A perception survey was conducted among various stakeholders of the seed industry across the country during 2011-12. Contrary to the view that IPR plays no role in innovation, this study finds a positive perception of majority of stakeholders on plant variety protection (PVP), while highlighting the hits and misses of Indian PVP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]