Tag: Food & Ag-Science Innovations
The Formal Supports the Informal: Agricultural Technology Sharing in Southern Bihar
Across a village in southern Bihar, cropping calendars collapse into a handful of critical days. Missing the planting window by even a couple of days can reduce yields enough to affect a household’s livelihood. Everyone needs the same machine at…
Improved Crop Management Practices Can Help India’s Rice-Wheat Systems
Rice and wheat comprise the bulk of India’s diet, making them crucial crops for the country’s food system. However, the rice-wheat cropping system that dominates agriculture in states like Bihar damages soil quality. Rising temperatures and decreasing groundwater supplies further…
Organic Inputs and Tillage Differentially Impact Soil Health and Yield in Rice–Wheat Systems in the Eastern Gangetic Plain
Abstract Background The rice (Oryza sativa L.) – wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) rotation is the dominant cropping system of the Indo-Gangetic Plain and is experiencing challenges from a variety of environmental and socio-economic factors. Organic matter cycling and zero-tillage (ZT) have been encouraged in the...
TCI Director Co-Edits New Book on Agricultural Technology
Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition (TCI) Director Prabhu Pingali and Chandra S. Nuthalapati, a former visiting professor at TCI, co-edited a new book, “Innovative Agricultural Technologies and the Private Sector for a Hunger-Free World.” The book was published in…
Call for Abstracts: Delivering for Nutrition in South Asia 2026
The Tata-Cornell Institute is partnering with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), CGIAR, and regional and global cohosts for the 2026 edition of the annual Delivering for Nutrition in South Asia Conference. The conference will be held December 1–3,…
Agricultural hotspots in India: Evidence from paddy, wheat, and millets
Abstract We analyze district‑level data for paddy, wheat, and millets (2010–2019) across India to identify yield hotspots with consistently high or rising productivity and coldspots with persistent declines. Spatial clustering and regression analyses show that weather, irrigation, fertilizer use, and farmers’ mobile-based information access shape...
Soil Health-Human Health Nexus: Mineral Thresholds, Interlinkages and Rice System in Jharkhand, India
Abstract Understanding the role of minerals along biological pathways in the food chain (soil-crop-animal/human) is imperative to solving the global problem of human malnutrition and toxic exposure. This is especially relevant to rice (Oryza sativa L.)—a staple crop in highly populated regions, like India, that are...
Enhancing Soil Health in Rice Cultivation: Optimized Zn Application and Crop Residue Management in Calcareous Soils
Abstract Crop residue, a readily available biomass, is the largest source of organic matter in soil, and zinc (Zn) significantly influences microbial activity. Understanding the optimal Zn rates for enhanced biological activity in crop residue-amended soils is crucial. A study at RPCAU, Pusa, examined the...
A Data-Driven Approach for Devising and Assessing Precision Nitrogen Management Strategies Applied to Wheat Systems in India
Abstract Limiting nitrogen pollution from crop production is essential for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and protecting aquatic ecosystems while maintaining food security. Precision nitrogen management (PNM) provides a conceptual framework for achieving yield goals while maintaining nitrogen pollution within planetary boundaries by matching fertilizer rates...
Agronomic enhancements in the Indo-Gangetic Plain variably improve soil health depending on tillage and residue management
Abstract Changing climates, labor markets, scarcity of water and soil degradation threaten productivity in rice (Oryza sativa L.) – wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) rotations the eastern Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). Diversifying cropping systems, zero tillage, and residue addition can improve soil health and lead to increased system yields....