Research Area: Food & Ag-Science Innovations
Transitions to Crop Residue Burning Have Multiple Antecedents in Eastern India
Abstract Far removed from the agricultural fire “hotspots” of Northwestern India, rice residue burning is on the rise in Eastern India with implications for regional air quality and agricultural sustainability. The underlying drivers contributing to the increase in burning have been linked to the adoption...
Demand-Side and Supply-Side Factors for Accelerating Varietal Turnover in Smallholder Soybean Farms
Abstract The rapid growth of soybean cultivation in the world augurs well for achieving SDG2 of promoting sustainable agriculture, ending hunger, achieving food security, and improving nutrition. India started promoting soybean cultivation in the 1970s to combat dietary protein deficiencies and augment smallholders’ incomes. However,...
Hybrid Mustard and Biotechnology: Pathways for Doubling Farmers’ Incomes and Nutritional Security
Abstract The government’s decision to move ahead on the much-delayed genetically modified mustard developed by the University of Delhi signifies a turnaround and bodes well for the country’s food system. Numerous tests over the last 20 years prove its safety for food, feed, and the...
In-Mouth, Self-Disintegrating Milk Protein Puffs-I: Process Development
Abstract This study elucidated the reactive role of the supercritical fluid extrusion (SCFX) process along with calcium chelation by added sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) in altering the physicochemical properties of milk protein concentrate (MPC) with added sucrose (MPC-S) to make expanded extrudates of defined microstructure that...
Soils and Human Health: Communication Between Geo-Environmental, Socio-Demographic and Lifestyle of Rural Tribal Women of Jharkhand, India and Their Mineral Nutrition
Abstract A holistic view on possible determinants of human health within a poor subsistence farming community is important to addressing pressing issues surrounding hidden hunger. This survey study assesses the mineral nutrition of women in rural tribal communities of Jharkhand, India, and its possible connection...
Soil Health, a Basis for Human Health: A Study on the Interlinkages between Agronomic Factors and Human Nutritional Wellbeing in Jharkand, India
Abstract The resources that shape our environment, including soils, play an immense role in determining our health. Yet, not much attention has been given to the study of the soil–human health nexus. In this dissertation, we address this research deficiency by conducting a cross sectional...
Developing Microalgae-Based Fortified Wheat Flour to Address Iron Malnutrition in India
Abstract Iron deficiency anemia affects 1.2 billion people worldwide. Current iron fortificants either suffer from poor bioavailability or negatively affect the sensory profile of foods. In this project, we investigated the potential of defatted microalgae Nannochloropsis oceanica (DGM), a by-product of the biofuel industry, as...
Building Evidence for Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture: The Experience of Introducing Orange-Flesh Sweet Potato in India
Abstract Background and Objectives Despite global progress on reducing malnutrition, micronutrient-inadequate diets still contribute to a large public health burden in many underdeveloped regions. These deficiencies are a product of both lack of sufficient affordable diverse foods in local food systems, as well as lack...
Greg Traxler
Greg Traxler is a TCI fellow working on the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Crop Improvement as a member of the institutional capacity research team. He is an economist with expertise in the areas of agricultural science and technology…
Process Optimization and Product Characterization of Milk Protein Concentrate Extrudates Expanded by Supercritical Carbon Dioxide
Abstract The effects of water and supercritical CO2 (SC–CO2) addition rate, and pressure at SC–CO2 injection (PCO2) on physical and rheological properties of milk protein concentrate (MPC81) and MPC81-sucrose (MPC81-S) extrudates were investigated. As PCO2 increased, extrudate expansion decreased and storage modulus and hardness increased. PCO2 for MPC81...