News

• Insects in a warming world

  

  Climate change, propelled by human activities, presents a substantial threat to insect populations worldwide, impacting their behavior, fitness, and distribution. Subhash Rajpurohit and his research group at Ahmedabad University, Gujarat, emphasises the vulnerability of ectothermic insects to fluctuating temperatures and humidity levels. His lab's work offers insights into the intricate relationship between environmental stress, dehydration, and insect reproductive success within the context of climate change.

  Posted on Feb 16, 2024 in Agriculture, Plant Biology, Ecology, Research & Young Investigators

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• The Pink Solution: “N-riching” rice plants

  

  A new collaborative study by researchers at University of Calcutta and University of Kalyani has found that a close symbiotic relationship between three species - a plant, a fungus, and bacteria - can be harnessed to promote the growth of rice plants by allowing them to take up more nitrogen from the environment.

  Posted on Mar 17, 2020 in Agriculture, Plant Biology, Microbiology & Research

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• The insect-eating bats of Chikmagalur

  

  The coffee plantations of Chikmagalur in Karnataka have a healthy mix of crops and trees, a practice known as agroforestry. These plantations are inhabited by several species of insectivorous bats, which act as a natural pest-control system. A new study investigates the present diversity of such bat species under changing habitat conditions.

  Posted on May 03, 2019 in Agriculture, Ecology, Conservation Biology & Research

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• The looming crisis in India’s bread basket

  

  Scientists say India will be a hotspot of decline in wheat productivity as global temperatures soar.

  Posted on Jun 02, 2017 in Agriculture & Research

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• Litchis and malnourishment: a deadly combination

  

  In the peak litchi season, every year in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, a crisis unfolds with unflinching regularity. Hundreds of kids, after having gorged on litchis, die of encephalopathy. Several scientific teams have been working to find the reason behind this debacle. Finally, we have an answer.

  Posted on Feb 28, 2017 in Agriculture, Biochemistry, Health & Medicine & Research

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• Shifting to settled cultivation: Changing practices among the Adis of Arunachal Pradesh

  

  Researchers investigate: What factors affect the choice of agricultural practices among the Adis of Arunachal Pradesh?

  Posted on Apr 12, 2016 in Agriculture, Other & Policy

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