science and technology

‘Outstanding work’: IIT-M team makes mineral nanoparticles with water

Infusing soil with silica nanoparticles made using the technique could transform agriculture




science and technology

Scientists found a bacteria tricked a wasp to get rid of its males

A new study reports Wolbachia may have taken it a bit too far, after scientists found it manipulated the evolution of Encarsia formosa wasps




science and technology

Farmers rush to plant summer crops as monsoon revives

The monsoon brings nearly 70% of the rain India needs to water farms and refill reservoirs and aquifers; nearly half of the farmland depends on the annual rains




science and technology

Shivraj Chouhan asks scientists to visit fields, help farmers to use technology

Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh said that if the country does not pay attention to the livestock and fisheries sectors then the sectors may fall down




science and technology

Budget 2024: Agriculture, Employment, Infrastructure feature in nine priorities of third NDA government

Union Budget 2024 unveils nine priorities for this financial year as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman delivers her seventh budget speech in Lok Sabha




science and technology

Watch: Budget 2024 | What’s in it for agriculture?

A look at how the Union Budget has treated the agriculture, food, public distribution and consumer affairs sectors




science and technology

The trials and tribulations of apples and other imported fruits in the Nilgiris

English fruit trees were imported to the Nilgiris as soon as the first Europeans settled there. But no systematic record survives of the varieties that were tried or the success each achieved. The first person to succeed in cultivating apple was John Davison, a gardener trained at Kew in England. He was also said to have introduced pippin




science and technology

India’s agri transformation a lesson for others: Modi

India has become the second-largest producer of food grains, fruits, vegetables, cotton, sugar, and tea, says PM Modi at the inauguration of the 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists




science and technology

Shivraj Chouhan blames Congress again for problems in agricultural sector; Opposition walks out in Rajya Sabha

Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar asks Mr. Chouhan to look at pending issues of farmers




science and technology

Watch: What is Makhana and why is it in high demand?

The people who harvest the seeds of the high-protein crop say the government offers them little support, and they now want a minimum support price to ensure that the crop is sustainable for cultivation




science and technology

Mangrove restoration in T.N. makes a small but steady progress

The Tamil Nadu Forest Department and non-governmental organisations are working to restore mangroves at various sites of the Ennore-Pulicat wetlands. In the meantime, the National Centre for Coastal Research has identified land available for restoration in Cuddalore, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, Ramanathapuram, and Thoothukudi




science and technology

Cabinet clears new scheme to supply virus-free planting material

It will cover all farmers, regardless of their landholding size or socioeconomic status: Ministry




science and technology

Centre launches new system to understand cropping patterns, impact of weather

Union Agriculture Ministry launches Krishi-DSS, a digital platform providing real-time data insights for stakeholders in Indian agriculture




science and technology

90-year-old farmer convicted, sentenced to one-year imprisonment for encroaching 36 guntas of government land in Karnataka

Small and marginal farmers are worried about being punished for encroachment, demand action against influential people who allegedly encroached on government land




science and technology

ICAR team makes tool small enough to edit plant genomes

In a genome-editing landscape low on options for plants, the new tool has scientists enthused about its applications in agriculture




science and technology

Taking roots in Tirupati, ‘Konark’ set to reach the kitchens of Odisha and Bengal




science and technology

Centre talks to States on new mechanism to gather crop data

The national conference discusses the Digital General Crop Estimation Survey to enhance agricultural statistics accuracy and transparency for policy formulation and planning




science and technology

Why communities should retain their heirloom seeds and knowledge systems

Seed Stories, a documentary recently screened in Bengaluru, is a nuanced exploration of the efforts of barefoot ecologist Dr. Debal Deb and his team and their attempt to conserve over 1,000 endangered heirloom varieties of rice




science and technology

The road to 2047 for Indian agriculture

There are several challenges but also opportunities




science and technology

Fertilizers are source of several diseases; switch to organic farming, says Amit Shah 

Shah said that the movement for organic farming has reached an important stage and cooperatives have an important role in making India the world’s largest organic food producing country




science and technology

Most top scientists at ICAR hired through lateral entry since 2007, bypassing reservation norms

Over 2,700 senior scientists, including HoDs, ADGs, DDGs, are hired through interviews only, sans reservations; those recruited through examinations seek ban on lateral entry, as it creates a “toxic” work culture, blocks advancement




science and technology

The chemical treasury in garlic




science and technology

Cabinet clears 7 schemes with ₹ 14,235.30 crore for agriculture sector

Digital Agriculture Mission, which has an outlay of ₹2.817 crore and aims to create a consolidated database on crop data, among initiatives to get nod; schemes to boost nutritional security and livestock production also approved




science and technology

When Tamil Nadu police opened fire at farmers protesting against power tariff increase in 1970

Tamil Nadu’s history of free power supply for farming led to violent agitations, political backtracking, and eventual implementation in phases




science and technology

Hamlet of vegetable farming turns into vibrant sea of yellow and orange

In Thattayil village near Pandalam, farmers are enthusiastically taking up floriculture. A collective of 35 farmers is cultivating marigolds on eight hectares for this Onam season




science and technology

M.P. Cabinet increases MSP for soya bean; proposal to go for Centre’s nod




science and technology

Onam 2024: Flowers and vegetables from Vattiyoorkavu set an example

MLA VK Prasanth encourages Krishi Bhavan at Vattiyoorkavu to cultivate vegetables and flowers on a vacant plot owned by the government



  • Life & Style

science and technology

Karnataka’s urban farmers champion millets to create cookies, idly mixes, pasta

Meet the farmers retailing value-added products with millets such as cookies, idly mixes, pasta, and more




science and technology

UAS Dharwad to host Krishi Mela from September 21

UAS Vice-Chancellor P. L. Patil said that the main objective of this year’s Krishi Mela is to provide information on various aspects of climate change to farmers




science and technology

Anantapur Collector urges farmers to adopt natural practices

V. Vinod Kumar visits several watershed structures in the district implemented by Accion Fraterna Ecology Centre with funding from NABARD




science and technology

PM Modi expresses condolences over demise of renowned organic farmer Pappammal

In 2021, she was given the Padma Shri award for popularising organic farming in India and was regarded as a pioneer in the agriculture field




science and technology

Floriculture blossoms in one of backward regions of Odisha 

Lucknow-based National Botanical Research Institute pitches in with scientific inputs to make the floriculture sustainable in Jujumara region of Sambalpur.




science and technology

Centre announces 3 AI Centres of Excellence focused on healthcare, agri and sustainable cities

The Centres of Excellence will be led by top educational institutions, in consortium with industry partners and startups, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said




science and technology

Home cooks in Thiruvananthapuram are championing artificial additive-free jams, preserves, juice, ethnic eats and more

Four home cooks in Thiruvananthapuram are turning fruits into value-added products without using artificial flavours or preservatives




science and technology

Climate change impact harsher on poorer farmers in India: FAO report

FAO recommends enhanced social security net for all, Niti Aayog member says India doing its best to deal with climate change.




science and technology

After snails, farmers in Idukki battling spotted locust infestation; experts say change in climate pattern could be a cause

Plantations of over 70 farmers severely affected by the spotted locust infestation at Konnathady and Vathikudy panchayats




science and technology

Why are tomato prices rising in October: Data

The average retail prices shot up to ₹65-70 per kilo in the north and the eastern regions in October




science and technology

After loss of one vision, carpenter overcomes odds to script a success story in farming

After Udayakumar, from Mahadevikadu, near Haripad, lost his vision in one eye 15 years ago, his career as a woodworker came to an abrupt end. He then turned to agriculture to find solace and success through determination and resilience.




science and technology

Annoyed over tardy paddy lifting, farmers block roads in Punjab

The AAP and the BJP sparred over who was to be assigned blame for the delays in procurement 




science and technology

Keep the bran on millets to retain health benefits: study

Removing the brain from millets -- dehusking -- could squander away the benefits of eating them, say the authors who studied five small Indian millets: foxtail, little, kodo, barnyard, and proso  




science and technology

Organic/inorganic heterostructures templated by interfacial instability-driven BCP colloids in deformable emulsion droplets

Soft Matter, 2024, 20,8174-8180
DOI: 10.1039/D4SM00921E, Communication
Yuqing Song, Nan Yan, Lingli Wan, Jingjing Li, Ye Gao
Core–shell colloids are self-assembled in emulsion droplets driven by interfacial instability, which serve as excellent scaffolds for designing organic/inorganic heterostructures.
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science and technology

Dynamics of phase-separated microdroplets near the contact line of evaporating all-aqueous drops

Soft Matter, 2024, 20,8260-8266
DOI: 10.1039/D4SM01056F, Paper
Open Access
  This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence.
Rahul Rai, Maheshwar Gopu, Senthan Pugalneelam Parameswaran, Tapan Chandra Adhyapak, Dileep Mampallil
Evaporation of multicomponent drops can induce liquid–liquid phase separation and spatial reconfiguration of phases through complex dynamics near the contact line.
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry




science and technology

Revisiting the density profile of the fuzzy sphere model for microgel colloids

Soft Matter, 2024, 20,8181-8184
DOI: 10.1039/D4SM01045K, Communication
Open Access
  This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence.
Frank Scheffold
Microgel density profiles evaluated with the complementary error function and the popular fuzzy sphere model are not compatible with each other.
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry




science and technology

Chain stretching in brushes favors sequence recognition for nucleobase-functionalized flexible precise oligomers

Soft Matter, 2024, 20,8303-8311
DOI: 10.1039/D4SM00866A, Paper
Kseniia Grafskaia, Qian Qin, Jie Li, Delphine Magnin, David Dellemme, Mathieu Surin, Karine Glinel, Alain M. Jonas
Flexible oligomers having precise sequences of nucleobases do not specifically recognize surface-grafted target chains at low grafting density. Moderately higher grafting densities promote sequence-specific recognition thanks to chain stretching.
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry




science and technology

Ion effects on minimally hydrated polymers: hydrogen bond populations and dynamics

Soft Matter, 2024, 20,8291-8302
DOI: 10.1039/D4SM00830H, Paper
Open Access
Eman Alasadi, Carlos R. Baiz
Compared to bulk water, ions in confined environments or heterogeneous solutions can significantly disrupt hydrogen bond networks.
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry




science and technology

Co-encapsulation of organic polymers and inorganic superparamagnetic iron oxide colloidal crystals requires matched diffusion time scales

Soft Matter, 2024, 20,8312-8325
DOI: 10.1039/D4SM00935E, Paper
Open Access
Brian K. Wilson, Robert K. Prud’homme
Composite nanoparticles co-encapsulate organic materials with inorganic primary colloids. Producing “stoichiometric NPs”, where all NPs contain organic and inorganic species at similar ratios, requires matched diffusion-aggregation time scale.
The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry




science and technology

The impact of cross-linker distribution on magnetic nanogels: encapsulation, transport and controlled release of the tracer

Soft Matter, 2024, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D4SM00797B, Paper
Open Access
Ivan S. Novikau, Ekaterina V. Novak, Sofia S. Kantorovich
Differences in crosslinker concentration between the core and periphery of a magnetic nanogel slow down the release of a non-magnetic cargo.
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science and technology

Geometrical impacts of platonic particles on nematic liquid crystal dynamics

Soft Matter, 2024, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D4SM00870G, Paper
Stiven Villada-Gil, Monirosadat Sadati, Juan D. Ospina-Correa, Daniel A. Olaya-Muñoz, Juan P. Hernández-Ortiz, José A. Martínez-González
In this work, we studied the defect dynamics of platonic-like colloidal particles immersed in a nematic liquid crystal under flow conditions, analyzing the behavior of disclinations for each of these polyhedra.
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science and technology

Stochastic migrations of Marangoni surfers between two lobes of a dumbbell-shaped confinement

Soft Matter, 2024, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D4SM00914B, Paper
Alakesh Upadhyaya, V. S. Akella
We report an experimental investigation on the stochastic migration dynamics of Marangoni surfers (camphor-infused paper disks) between the two lobes of a dumbbell-shaped chamber.
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science and technology

Stress amplification and relaxation imaging around cracks in nanocomposite gels using ultrasound elastography

Soft Matter, 2024, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D4SM00909F, Paper
H. Le Blay, T. Deffieux, L. Laiarinandrasana, M. Tanter, A. Marcellan
Stress visualization around cracks in NC gels was performed using ultrasonic elastography. Temporal and spatial mapping are performed non-invasively. Over time, the stress gradient is erased by large-scale reorganization of the polymer network.
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