Category: Agriculture

Images of smoke belching from the chimneys of factories, oil refineries or cars inching their way in a downtown street are typical images that come to one’s mind when one thinks of greenhouse emissions. On the other hand vast stretches of emerald fields and meadows nearby with flocks of sheep and cattle grazing idly conjure an image of perfect harmony with nature. This makes us believe that agriculture and animal husbandry are perfectly eco friendly occupations that do not threaten the atmosphere in any way.

The perfect picture post card scenario it seems is far from true according to scientists and agriculture experts and recent studies present a grim picture.

Let us take a quick look at the facts

. Agriculture accounts for 10% of all greenhouse emissions globally . Paddy fields in particular release 10 million tonnes of methane which is 20% of all human produced methane emission . Livestock comprising sheep and cattle are responsible for half of the global agricultural emissions with these animals releasing methane directly into the atmosphere. . A vast amount of nitrous oxide is released due to the decaying of manure.

A fast growing world population demanding a higher and higher output of both grains and meat forced more and more wetlands/peat lands to be brought under agriculture. These lands store an estimated 300 billion to 700 billion tonnes of carbon and their degradation results in massive volumes of carbon dioxide emissions averaging 2 to 3 billion tonnes a year which is the equivalent of 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions.

This truly is a catch 22 situation, while bringing more lands under cultivation and increasing the number of animals being reared for meat threatens the eco system, producing less crops and meat threatens to starve the world’s growing population. While we can reduce industrial emission to an extent by driving around lesser, sharing cars to work using public transport and implementing pollution control measures in factories, how can we stop increasing agricultural activity in proportion to need. This is a question that needs to be addressed by agricultural experts and scientists.

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Every farmer likes to increase the output without increasing the input in terms of fertilizers, water, machine use or personal efforts. Today, farming has become a white color business. The advancement in agricultural machines has been the main contributory factor. Today, we have machines and equipments to perform all the farming activities with minimum efforts. Twin diamond is relatively a new term in farming equipment and machinery industry. The farming equipments and machines designed with this new concept are more in to the demand and farmers worldwide have realized the difference.

Modern age agricultural machines are designed to serve multi purposes. Single Twin diamond category machine can perform multiple tasks. These are cost efficient, fuel efficient, low in maintenance cost, easy to operate. These machines come along with multiple fixtures. Hence, farmers have freedom to attach the spares as per need. For strip tilling, they can choose the numbers of wheels according to the decided width of strip. Pressure of tillage can be adjusted according to the required depth of strip. The major advantage of these machines is that farmers do not need to buy different machines for different tasks.

When you go to the stores for buying the agriculture machinery, you come across wide range of models and brands. Though agriculture machinery is known for toughness and environmental friendliness but even then it is must to consider these aspects before placing the order. These machines too need periodic maintenance like any other personal vehicles. Prefer the brand that has social and market reputation. You get after sales service from manufacturers not from the traders. It is the manufacturer who is responsible for designing and quality. Getting references in your community or near to your location is a good buying practice. Try to confirm the references by paying personal visit. It will help you to check the performance of particular machine. Soil nature, crop circle and environmental conditions also affect the performance of machinery.

If you are planning to buy the agriculture machinery with government help, first assess your paying capability in unfavorable conditions. You must be having alternative earning means to pay the installments. Generally, manufacturers too offer the financial help but they charge heavy interest rate. Better, you take financial help from Govt. agency. It is good to increase assets; agriculture machinery too is not less than asset. Buy them as a professional instead of following the trend in your circle.

Farming is the primary occupation of India. This is a diverse field and involves lots of intricacies and intensive production processes. Agriculture has emerged as a lucrative profession for the skilled, competent and aspiring individuals. This field is growing at a rapid pace and is thus offering numerous opportunities for a promising career. Thus learning in Agriculture is aspired by many ambitious individuals. There are several colleges and institutes that offer comprehensive study programs in Agriculture. Education in cultivation is extremely important for one to understand the holistic procedures and production process in order to practice good quality agriculture.

Agriculture is the science of cultivating and producing excellent corps using eco-friendly techniques and implementing sustainable production standards. Learning in agriculture covers all important study topics related to benefits of cultivation and also provides practical exposure to the hard working aspirants. B. SC in Agriculture offers advanced level learning in scientific methods of farming and cultivation. These courses are specially designed not only to impart comprehensive knowledge but also develop requisite skills to help students think in a constructive and practical manner.

B SC in agriculture covers array of subjects related to farming, forestry, natural resource management etc. These disciplines branch out to specialized fields that include microbiology, food processing, plant breeding and many such more fields that offer excellent professional growth in future. Besides a variety of study topics B SC in agriculture teaches everything related to environment studies. Thus the focus is to nurture professional agriculture experts with extensive knowledge of the field and hold enough abilities to monitor eco-friendly and good quality food production. These enriching study proms also on the other hand, help the development of specialized skills and entrepreneurial capabilities in students thus helping them accomplish business goals and achieve professional dreams.

Apart from degree courses Diploma in Agriculture is also a very popular study program. These courses offer enhanced understanding of science and impart holistic knowledge of high-end techniques for cultivation. Marketing, engineering and finance are all a part of the wholesome learning in agriculture. A Diploma in Agriculture can open up numerous doors of opportunities for the skilled and competent. A comprehensive course on agriculture would prepare the student to take up a job anywhere in the world as it will offer global exposure to various techniques and fundamentals. A career in farming and cultivation indeed offers excellent prospects for the future of the country.

B. SC in Agriculture offers advanced level learning in scientific methods of farming and cultivation. These courses are specially designed not only to impart comprehensive knowledge but also develop requisite skills to help students think in a constructive and practical manner.

Apart from degree courses Diploma in Agriculture is also a very popular study program. A Diploma in Agriculture can open up numerous doors of opportunities for the skilled and competent.

Developing a path for sustainable agriculture in India: JAY BIOTECH
This is regarding the TV programme telecasted on June 24, 2012 Satyamev Jayate.
First of all I would like to thank Mr. Amir Khan for taking such an initiative for sustainable agriculture.
Jay Biotech and Bafna farm, Pune is working on similar lines for the development of sustainable agriculture for different crops especially grapes. During the programme, one of the grape grower mentioned about the heavy uses of chemicals for commercial grapes and separate, non-chemical grape plot for own consumption. This is alarming. However, only 3-5% of the grapes produced in India are exported, while >95% grape production is used for local market. The uses of chemicals is restricted if the production is for export purpose to avoid pesticide residue problem. Still, every year around 7% of the samples could not be exported due to the pesticide residue problem.
But, the situation is different for grapes production for local purpose. As rightly mentioned in the program, there is no pesticide analysis of grapes (or other produce) which is being sold locally. Due to this, the farmer who produces the grapes for local market does not bother about pesticide(s) residues and uses exceeding doses even to that of the recommended by chemical pesticide company. Also, there was an alarming point during the discussions that chemical pesticide companies give incentives to distributor/dealer to sale their products in huge quantum with more benefits. This has created a mess for today’s situation of Kerala/Punjab. Cancer Train and endosulphan in mother’s milk are the threatening example for a human being.
However, now a day, there are so many farmers adopting the techniques of sustainable agriculture. One of the best examples is of Bafna Farm, Rahu, Pune, Maharashtra.
There are few highlighting points of Jay Biotech and Bafna farm, Pune
1.Uses of Bio / Organic products since 10 years for grape management
2.Application of Bio / Organic products increased while reduced uses of chemicals by 60%
3.Produced 2 crops of grapes in a year
4.Produced pesticide free grapes
5.Uses of reverse osmosis water for spraying in grapes to avoid human pathogens like Salmonella typhii and Escherichia coli
6.Trials of bio/organic products since 10 years for with the recommendations of National or International laboratories
7.Successful trials for mealy bug control are in progress in collaboration with National Chemical Laboratory, Pune using only biological products.
8.Visit of Department of Biotechnology (DBT) taskforce (Bio-agents for agriculture) Chairman, Advisor and members to Jay Biotech and Bafna farm to see bio-control of mealy bug of grapes since 3 years
9.Visit of ASDA (UK, Supermarket) team to discuss the method for production pesticide free grapes
During the show Mr. Amir Khan rightly told that the said situation cannot be changed in a day. One has to reduce the uses of chemical(s) by increasing the uses of bio/organic products for sustainable agriculture. As mentioned by Shree Hukumchandji (farmer from Rajasthan), for the first year farmer may have to bear the loss for the yield, but it cannot go beyond 10%. At Bafna farm similar practice were adopted with slow and steady increase of bio/organic products since 10 years. Due to the uses of bio/organic products the fertility of soil increased, pest(s) and pathogen(s) problem was reduced, able to produce 2 crops of grapes in year with zero pesticides. If ZERO pesticide is possible for such a sensitive grapes, then it can be possible for any agricultural crops.
Integrated pest management can be a best practice to resolve this issue. Slowly and steadily it can take to complete organic agriculture. Please follow the models of Organic Sikkim and Organic Bihar. Every farmer has to take the lesson from this show and should be a part of sustainable agriculture to develop sustainable agriculture all over India.

JAY BIOTECH
32, Gultekdi Market Yard
Pune, India
Pin: 411 037
Tel:0091 20 41015678
E-mail:

Agriculture and its benefits are various and with the advancement in technology there are many tools and methods that can improve the methods of agriculture. Scientists have been using satellite remote sensing technology or flash maps with the aim to enhance water balance and farming yield appraisal on a huge geographical scale throughout the world. Therefore the current sensing algorithms being utilized have become so reliable and accurate that it provides detailed crop information for precise agriculture management to improve crop health and production with the availability of several high resolution maps and satellite sensors.

According to the data collected by FOA, almost 70 percent of freshwater resources is used for crop production. Therefore it is necessary to optimize the right use of water resources and yet increase agriculture production with the global population continuing to grow at a high rate. The agricultural resources are however the most dynamic and renewable natural resources. Therefore reliable, comprehensive and timely information on the agricultural resources is very necessary for countries who’s main economy lies in agriculture. Sometimes, there are agriculture surveys conducted throughout the nation to gather information and the statistic on livestock, crops and rangeland, also including other agriculture resources with the help of these advanced satellite remote sensing technology and maps.

Satellite images through these maps can show variations in organic m matter sand the drainage patterns. The soil higher in organic matter can easily be differentiated from the lighter soil which has lower organic content. So flash maps and the satellite image date has the potential to provide real time or live analysis for big areas of attributes of growing crops that can really help in making timely management decisions which may affect the outcome of the current crop. The technology is so advanced that the satellite images and maps can even import graphics or fields of the agricultural land to offer better crop management. These maps can even create custom regions which can indicate what crop has been currently planted in the region. If you have your own agricultural land, it lets you add additional details as well to show your farming information such as the target harvest time or the last time or next date to apply insecticide.

Moreover the satellite imagery maps analysis for agriculture management and production also allows for
Quantitative green vegetation assessment
Accurate and fast overview
Tree grading
Underlying soil characteristics

This remote sensing satellite imaging and maps is however an evolving technology with the potential to contribute to studies specific to land cover and change detection just by globally making comprehensive evaluations of several human and environmental actions as possible. These changes would thereby influence policy and management decision making. The maps and satellite image date also enables direct observation of the land surface at repetitive intervals and so lets mapping of the extent and assessment and monitoring of storm water runoff, crop health, air quality, change detection environmental analysis, irrigated landscape mapping, energy savings, yield determination, carbon storage and avoidance and soil an fertility analysis.