Suchergebnisse

Not Available ; During recent decades per-eminence of agricultural sector in India has declined despite huge investments on Watershed Development Programs implemented for soil conservation and rainwater harvesting in rain-dependant regions of Peninsular India. Sub-optimal gains from these projects except in a few cases, has induced migration from rural areas to urban region that are ill equipped to take additional pressure. Increased inflow of rural people into urban areas with poor coping skills and deterioration of living condition in urban centres often culminate into social and political flash points forcing the authorities to undertake shortsighted and usually counter-productive measures to keep peace. The paper describes the prevailing socio-economic and environmental scenario in rainfed regions in India that force migration by rural population despite implementation of development projects at massive costs. The study analyses the underlying reasons for the lacunae in the programs and the necessity to urgently revamp them. ; Not Available

Not Available ; The idea of sustainable livelihoods began as an approach to maintain or enhance resource productivity, secure ownership of and access to assets, resources and income-earning activities as well as to ensure adequate stocks and flows of food and cash to meet basic needs. Conceptually, livelihoods connote the activities, entitlements and assets by which people make a living. In particular, the asset dimension is critical to an appreciation of the concept. Assets, in this particular context, are defined as not only natural/biological (i.e., land, water, common-property resources, flora, fauna), but also social (i.e., community, family, social networks), economic (i.e., jobs, savings, credit) political (i.e., participation, empowerment), human (i.e., education, labour, health, nutrition), and physical (i.e., roads, markets, clinics, schools, bridges). The access to, use of, and interaction among these assets serves as the foundation of a livelihood system. One of the ways to understand livelihood systems is to analyze the coping and adaptive strategies pursued by individuals and communities as a response to external shocks and stresses such as drought, civil strife and policy failures. There is, however, an important distinction between coping and adaptive strategies. Coping strategies are often a short-term response to a specific shock such as drought. Actions could include switching to cultivation of drought-resistant crops or reliance on external food aid. Adaptive strategies, on the other hand, entail a long-term change in behaviour patterns as a result of a shock or stress. As such, adaptive strategies move go beyond the immediate impetus for survival, but rather are part of a broader household decision-making process. A common example is that of agro-pastoralists who have adapted to changing conditions of climate, water, land tenure arrangements and vegetation variability by optimizing the mix of cattle, sheep, goats and camels in their herds. An notable corollary to the understanding of adaptive and coping strategies are the relational differences between women and men, whether it be distribution and control of income or access to assets and entitlements. It follows then, that women and men are likely to play different roles in the formulation and implementation of a significant number of coping and adaptive strategies. What is important, therefore, is to explicitly recognize the gendered contributions to overall household well being (however defined) as well as the distinct and heterogeneous adaptive and coping strategies that are pursued at an intrahousehold level. ; Not Available

Not Available ; Concernedbythewideningproductivitygapbetweenirrigatedandrainfedregionsfollowingthegreenrevolution,the IV Five Year Plan(1969-74)emphasizedtheurgentneedtofocusonthehithertoneglectedfarmersoftherainfedregionsto participatemeaningfullyinthedevelopmentprocess.ThedroughtsofmidsixtiescatalyzedtheGovt.toinvestondryland research significantly. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research(ICAR) launched the dryland research projects the All India Coordinated Research Project for Dryland Agriculture(AICRPDA)in 1970 in collaboration with the Government of CanadathroughCanadianInternational Development Agency (CIDA).AICRPDA started with few network centres with coordinating cell at Hyderabad,Andhra Pradesh.In1985,Project Directorate was upgraded to the status of an institute i.e.Centralinstitutei.e.CentralResearchInstituteforDrylandAgriculture(CRIDA)at Hyderabadtocarryoutbasicand strategicresearchwhilenetworkresearchunderAICRPDAumbrellacontinuedin applied and adaptive research mode. Another significant milestone was the start of the Operational Research Project(ORP)in 1974-75 by AICRPDA at few centres with further expansions in 1976,1980 and 1984 to total of eightcenters.TheconceptofOperationalResearch Project(ORP)wasatrustedfeedbacktotheresearchsystemonadoptabilityofdrylandtechnologiesbyfarmersasawing to selected centres with a CID A financial support.ORP was recommended as an integral part of the existing dryland research center with the specific objectives of OR Pstotest,adoptand demonstrate the new agriculturalte chnologieson farmers'fieldsinawholevillageorinaclusteroffewcontiguousvillages!watershedareas,toidentify the constraints both technological nd socio-economic which are barriers to rapid change;and to demonstrate group action as a method of popularizingmodemtechnologiesatafasterrate.ORPwithitsfeedbackstrategycanhaveastronginfluenceonmaintaining a relevantresearchprogram. In future,nearly 45-50%of the total cultivable are a will remain rain dependent,per capital and availability is likely to go down to less than 0.5 haby 2025 resultinginoperationalholdingsinmajorityoftherainfedregionsturninguneconomical. Further,climatevariabilityandnaturalresourcedegradationissues,needfor increasingwater.productivityandsustaining the livelihoods of the rainfed farmers,necessitatea paradigm shift in the approach of ORPs.Considering the yield gaps between research stations,on farm trial sand farmer fields,there is anamples cope for enhancing the yield levels with appropriate policy and institutiona support.It requires well-orchestrated efforts in the research front backed by sound policiesandenabledinstitutions.TheORPprogramshouldbe inclose collaboration with there spective main centers, state line departments, KVKs ,ATMANGOs etc.for programme planning,implementation,capacity building and in convergence with the ongoing Central and StateGovt .schemes likeNREGS,NHM,ISOPOM,NFSMetc.for upscaling andscalingoutthetestedtechnologies.Hence,theapproachshouldbeParticipatoryActionResearch. This publication on Operational Research in Rainfed Agroecosystem- Redefiniga new vision through Action Research, whichisanoutcomeoftheICARadhocproject,hassucessfullybroughtouttheimportanceof capacitybuildingofORPs with approaches on problem identification, developmentandimplementationofactionplaninvolvingthemaincentersand primary and secondary stakeholders.I compliment Dr.G.RavindraChary and all other associates for their best efforts in bringing out this useful publication. ; Not Available

Not Available ; I ndia has a population of about 7.736 billion people and two-third of households live in rural areas. Even though overall growth in India has recently accelerated, it has largely bypassed rural areas and agriculture. It is agreed that the ratio of rural to urban poverty has increased. As a consequence, some of the marginalized groups in a society that is already characterized by a high level of inequality in opportunities and segregation along lines of gender, caste and social status are widely reckoned to not have benefited from overall growth. Moreover, farmer leaders have alleged that modern agriculture is not remunerative with the high cost for inputs like chemical fertilizers, pesticides, seeds and farm machinery. The policy makers thus face the problem of providing alternative sources of better livelihood options or strengthening the prospect of the existing livelihood options which are at subsistence level. To enable women and backward castes to expand their livelihood opportunities, a vast range of government programmes has been initiated and large amount of resources are being channeled to poor areas. In India women has extensive work loads with dual responsibility for farm, household production, and their work is getting harder and more time consuming due to ecological degradation and changing agricultural technologies and practices. For the upliftment of rural women and to improve their livelihood pattern, the women have to be sensitized and empowered. Keeping these in mind, the present study was undertaken with the following objectives : to study the existing livelihood pattern of rural women, to improve knowledge of women relating to health and nutrition status through training, to provide scientific know-how related to post-harvest operations to achieve food security at household level, to train the women folk to develop a small scale enterprise for better economic development. The study was carried out in 3 blocks of Jorhat district namely, Baghchung block, Dhakorgora block and Sipahikhula block covering around 900 rural women (300 from each block) belonging to different shelf-help groups. The existing livelihood pattern and income generated was studied. Different need based trainings on health, nutrition, post-harvest operations were given. Skilled oriented training on processing, preservation, biscuit making, cake making and preparation of confectionery items were also undertaken, so that the women on her own or as a SHG can develop a small-scale enterprise and improve their livelihood pattern. To make learning more effective, the result-oriented 30 numbers of trainees were included in each training programme. Pre and post knowledge testing was done on different aspects before and after training, using a standardized interview schedule. ; Not Available

Not Available ; Tanks were an integral part of rural life in India traditionally. However, with decreasing collective action by the community inappropriate soil and water management practices adopted by the farmers, encroachments of tanks and waterway by the individuals resulted in neglect of the tanks in villages. Good practices such as desilting and application of silt to agricultural fields were abandoned. Continued mining by crops and reduced application of organic manures have resulted in deficiency of several nutrients particularly that of micronutrients. ICRISAT in association with Modern Architects of Rural India (MARI), an NGO conducted a pilot project and quantified major and micro-nutrients present in the tank silt and also its impact on soil health and crop yields. The depth of silt in 12 tanks de-silted ranged from 1.2 m to 3.0 m. The pH of the tank silt ranged from 6.5 to 8.5, while the organic carbon content was found to be low (0.5% to 0.8%). The available N content of tank silt ranged from 328 mg kg-1 to 748 mg kg-1, available P 5 to 35 mg kg-1 and K 271 to 522 mg kg-1 silt. Similarly, available S ranged from 12 mg kg-1 to 30 mg kg-1 zinc from1.2 mg kg-1 to 5.6 mg kg-1 and boron 0.4 to 0.8 mg kg-1 silt. Microbial population was found to be low and it could be due to excessive use of pesticides for cash crops like cotton and chilli grown in the catchment area. Textural analysis indicated 70 to 80% clay, while the silt ranged from 15 to 25%. Addition of tank silt at 50, 100, 150 and 375 tractor loads per hectare improved the available water content by 0.002, 0.007, 0.012 and 0.032 g g-1 of soil, respectively in the plough layer and enhanced the tolerance of rain-fed crops to moisture stress by three to five days. The farmers could recover the investment made on transport of the silt through increased net profit in cotton and chilli compared to turmeric and maize. Further, the saving on pesticides alone was to the tune of Rs. 2500 ha-1 in cotton and chilli crops, which has indirect beneficial impact on the ecosystem. De-silting was found to be an economically viable activity both in terms of farmers' and project's perspective to create more storage capacity as well as to return the silt back to the fields. De-silting activity needs greater support from the government and non-governmental agencies for achieving multiple outputs like employment generation for landless, rejuvenating of the tanks and for enhanced productivity of dryland crops. ; Not Available

Not Available ; In the changing agricultural scenario in the world as a result of globalization. Agriculture in India has to face new challenges to compete at the global level in many agricultural commodities. Indian agriculture is now facing second generation problems like rising or lowering of water table, nutrient imbalance, soil degradation, salinity, resurgence of pests and diseases, environmental pollution and decline in farm profit. Crop diversification shows lot of promise in alleviating these problems through fulfilling the basic needs and regulating farm income, withstanding weather aberrations, controlling price fluctuation, ensuring balanced food supply, conserving natural resources, reducing the chemical fertilizer and pesticide loads, environmental safety and creating employment opportunity. Diversification is gradually taking place as a consequence of either launching macro-economic reforms in agriculture sector or rising domestic demand due to urbanization and increasing income levels. Crop diversification has been recognized as an effective strategy for achieving the objectives of food security, nutrition security, income growth, poverty alleviation, employment generation, judicious use of land and water resources, sustainable agricultural development and environmental improvement. The ability of the country to diversify the cropping pattern for attaining various goals depends on the opportunities available for diversification, the need for diversification and responsiveness of the farmers to these needs and opportunities. The opportunities for crop diversification emerge from technological breakthroughs, changes in demand pattern, development of irrigation, availability of marketing infrastructure and new trade arrangements. The necessity for crop diversification arise on account of the need for (i) reducing risks associated with yield, market and prices.,(ii) arresting the degradation of natural resources and the environment and (iii) attaining national goals like employment generation, self-reliance in critical crop products and for earning foreign exchange. Diversification is the process to take advantage of emerging opportunities created by technology, new markets, changes in policy etc. to meet certain goals, challenges and threats and to reduce risk (Chand and Chauhan,2002). Crop diversification is one of the major components of diversification in agriculture. Crop diversification may be adopted as a strategy for profit maximization through reaping the gains of complementary and supplementary relationships or in equating substitution and price ratios for competitive products. It also acts as a powerful tool in minimization of risk in farming. These considerations make a strong case for farm/crop diversification in India.( Gupta and Tewari,1985).Crop diversification in India is generally viewed as a shift from traditionally grown less remunerative crops to more remunerative crops. Market infrastructure development and certain other price related supports also induce crop shift. Higher profitability and also the resilience/stability in production also induce crop diversification. Crop diversification and large number of crops are practiced in rainfed areas to reduce the risk factor of crop failures due to drought. Crop substitution and shift are also taking place in the areas with distinct soil problems for example, the growing of rice in high water table areas replacing pulses and cotton., promotion of soybean in place of sorghum in Vertisols (medium and deep black soils).The crop diversification also takes place due to government policies and thrust in some crops over a given time, for example creation of Technology Mission on Oilseeds (TMO) to give thrust on oilseed production as a national need for country's requirement to reduce imports. ; Not Available

Not Available ; The Indian economy is mainly dependent on agriculture, which contributes 21percent of country's capital GDP and 60 percent of employment potential. India made rapid strides in food production during last three decades culminating in self-sufficiency and surplus production. However, feeding the ever-increasing population through the next millennium remains an uphill task. The country will have to feed about 1.3 billion people by the year 2020 requiring 5-6 mt of additional feed grains every year. Besides, the problems of poverty and malnutrition have their own implication to national food security. Over 70 percent of Indian population, which is predominantly rural, does not have proper access to food and non-food commodities due to poor employment and infrastructure facilities. This reminds all those concerned with the country's food security of the daunting task ahead in order to ensure access to food to the growing population. Rainfed agriculture occupies 67 percent of net sown area, contributing 44 percent of food grain production and supporting 40 percent of the population. Even after realization of full irrigation potential of the country, 50 percent of net sown area will continue as rainfed (CRIDA, 1997). At present 95 percent of area under coarse cereals, 91 percent under pulses. 80 percent under oilseeds, 65 percent under cotton and 53 percent under rice is rainfed (Government of India, 1994). Livestock forms an integral part of rainfed ecosystem and two out of every three animals are thriving in these regions. These areas are spread-out throughout the length and breadth of the country with semi-arid to sub-humid environments, shallow textured light soils to deep textured black and alluvial soils with varied effective crop growing periods from 90 to 180 days. ; Not Available

Not Available ; Natural resources are depleting at alarming rates because of their irrational use pattern. Although, utilization of resources is an intrinsic component of the process of development yet, overexploitation of natural resources has led to environmental degradation and change in pattern of rural economy. Rural communities, in particular, are greatly affected by the increasing use of natural resources. To many of them, development is about livelihood and survival rather than increasing productivity and accumulation of wealth. Management of natural resources seems to be the only way forward to sustain the livability of rural communities. Management of natural resources requires collaborative works from various stakeholders as the use and un-use of natural resources depend upon a number of factors including historical, political, economic, social and cultural. Through the substantial holistic approach and concrete framework for policy research could be conceptualized, planned and implemented. Department of Geography and Resource Management, Mizoram University, Aizawl, India, hosted an international conference on natural resources management for sustainable development and rural livelihoods which have addressed ways to boost agricultural productivity for food security and sustainable economic development, while conserving and restoring the natural resource base. Topics were covered include: assessment, management of natural resources for sustainable development, rural livelihoods and food security; integrated management of water and land resources; conserving agriculture systems; climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies including carbon sequestration in soils for different land use systems; and policy frameworks for capacity building to mitigate emerging problems in natural resource management. Developing and transition economies will be increasingly concerned with natural resources management, sustainable development and rural livelihood issues; they will have to solve a three-fold challenge: a better environment, good economic performances and poverty reduction as targeted by the Millennium Development Goals. Developing and emerging countries will also have to tackle with increasing scarcities. Major objectives of conducting the conference was to evaluate past research efforts in integrated natural resources management for sustainable development and rural livelihoods, to streamline future scientific efforts in support of sustainable livelihood, to draw recommendations for capacity building in land, forest and water management Invited participants were international scientists, leading farmers and experts from governmental and non-governmental organizations, researchers, representatives of vi Natural Resources Management for Sustainable Development and Rural Livelihoods (Abstract Book) donor organizations and decision-makers who exchanged views on how to use and manage natural resources for sustainable development and rural livelihoods. The Conference focused on various aspects of natural resources management for sustainable development and rural livelihood which were elaborated upon into the 11 thematic sessions ; Not Available

Not Available ; The integrated watershed development and management has today emerged as cornerstone of rural development in the dry and semi-arid region of India. The Indian Council for Agriculture Research, ICAR became institutionalized in the form of The National Watershed Development Programmes for Rainfed Areas 'NWDPRA' in 1990. Based on the recommendation of the technical committee on drought prone area and desert development programme, headed by C.H. Hanumantha Rao, The Ministry of Rural Development (MORD) Government of India in the year, 1994, formulated common guidelines for watershed development programmes. The Ministry of Rural development along with Ministry of Agriculture MOA, Government of India also launched a new initiative in (2000) as National Watershed Development Programme for Rainfed Area under the Ministry of Agriculture. The revised new guidelines knovm as 'Watershed Area for Rainfed Agricultural System Approach, 'WARSA* - 'JANSABHAGITA' revised guidelines (2000).' To make the watershed programme more participated and equitable these guidelines came into effect first time in 2001, which allowed the participation of NGOs as programme implementation agency PIA. These common guidelines issued by the Ministry of Rural Development were radically altered and redefined and reused under the name 'Haryali' in 2003. The period (1995-2001) saw the implementation of first generation project under the Ministry of Rural Development and National Watershed Development for Rural Area (NWDPRA) on a very wide scale. The country has made significant investment in this approach. It is estimated that since mid- 1990's a total of Rs. 2400 Crores has been spent annually on watershed development in the country. In the next 20-25 years, Government of India has a target of treating 63 million heactares with an estimate of Rs. 76,000 crores. Today, the integrated watershed development programmes are being implemented in the rainfed area, drought prone area, desert area, non-forest, watershed area of the country. Almost, all the State government are involved in these programmes. These programmes are being funded and sanctioned by Central Government through various ministries and departments at national, state and regional level. Some foreign agencies like the World Bank and Indo-German-Bilateral Agency also funded the Watershed Project in the country. Therefore, the programme supported by these ministries under two sets of revised guidelines 2001, and Haryali 2003 make the advent of a new era and might be deemed the second generation of watershed development. ; Not Available

Not Available ; Biofuels are being supported by many governments for a range of perceived benefits including improved domestic energy security, reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when compared to fossil-fuel counterparts, and economic development and employment generation, particularly in rural areas. Life-cycle, cost-benefit and systems analyses, however, indicate that the expansion of biofuels can have complex effects on, and interactions with, land-use and food and fuel prices. This paper reviews the economic, environmental and social benefits and costs of biofuels using experiences from developing countries in Asia. The review reveals the following: (1) Biofuels are generally not economically competitive with fossil fuels and government support, though prevailing, is costly and questionable. (2) Although biofuels are generally viewed to be a threat to food security, if properly managed, their development could lead to improved productivity in the agriculture sector over the long-term with benefits for rural livelihoods and food security. (3) Even though reducing GHG emissions is a key driver for the development of biofuels, effects in terms of Gheewala S*, Damen B & Shi X, 2013. Biofuels: economic, environmental and social benefits and costs for developing countries in Asia. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change (Q1), 4(6):497-511. 2 soil quality, biodiversity and water quality must also be assessed; the environmental benefits of biofuels are debatable and depend on a range of fuel-specific factors, management and agricultural practices. Based on this assessment a range of strategies are suggested to further improve the sustainability of biofuels in Asia. Liquid transportation fuels produced from agricultural products, commonly referred to as biofuels (or agrofuels), are being promoted in many countries worldwide due to a number of perceived benefits. These benefits can accrue to the economy from the utilization of local resources leading to reduced imports of crude in oil-importing countries; to the environment due to reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, renewability and biodegradability; and to society from rural development, poverty alleviation and improved energy access 1-3 . Many of the above benefits are particularly attractive to developing nations in Asia as they have a large agriculture base and many are also increasingly net importers of energy to fuel their rapidly growing economies. Thus, many countries in the region have already implemented ambitious targets and/or mandates to promote biofuels 4-8 . To support these commitments, governments have adopted or are considering a range of supplementary policies including price support for biofuels and feedstock production, tax advantages at both production and consumption stages, capital grants and/or loans and funding for research and development. In response, biofuels in Asia have been booming following the global boom that began in 2004-2005 and the associated demand from the US and EU markets. Total production of biofuels in Asia for the transport market has increased three fold from 1.5 billion litres in 2005 to an estimated 6.3 billion litres in 2012 9 . However, the pace of growth has declined since 2008 due to a combination of factors including the global financial crisis, higher commodity and feedstock prices and a plateau of biofuel production in China – the largest producer in the region. The slowing pace of biofuel production for the transport market in Asia has mirrored a global slowdown in biofuel output and comes at a time of increasing scrutiny over the purported sustainability benefits of biofuels. Utilization of local resources has been supplemented by imported fossil fuels and feedstock in the value chain negating some of the domestic security benefits of reductions in energy imports while also increasing GHG emissions. Reduction in GHGs has been further confounded by large emissions of carbon from land use change, especially those with large carbon stocks such as tropical forests or peatlands 10-13. Also, after decades of slow decline in food prices, recent surges on international markets and unprecedented levels of food price volatility, have prompted further investigation into the role that biofuels could have played in these developments 2, 14, 15. Thus, it is imperative to evaluate the experiences of biofuels in developing Asia and their sustainability implications, positive and negative, with the objective to identify the conditions under which positive effects could be maintained or enhanced and negative effects minimized. To this end, we take a look at each of the expected sustainability benefits of biofuels and based on plans as well as reported performance, evaluate the advantages, drawbacks and possibilities of improvement. 3 The paper contributes to the literature by providing a comparative assessment of the rationale behind government policy support for biofuels in Asia with documented evidence of their performance to date and associated economic, socio-economic and environmental costs and benefits. Based on this assessment some suggestions to enhance the benefits of biofuels in the region are made. The review proceeds as follows: following the introduction, the next section briefly summarizes a few key motivations and benefits behind the promotion of biofuels. Sections 2 to 4 review issues of biofuels from economic, social and environmental perspectives, respectively. Section 5 reviews some measures for improving the sustainability of biofuels. The last section offers some concluding remarks. ; Not Available

Not Available ; The Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) is the result of the new and unified approach of the GOI for treatment and development of the new generation watersheds in a realistic and holistic manner. The Government of India through the National Rainfed Area Authority (NRAA) has evolved the Common Guidelines, 2008 for implementation of the Watershed Development Projects. The major areas in which paradigm shift has been made under the programme are, inter-alia, institutional funding of the State Government through the State Level Nodal Agency (SLNA) at the State Level, constitution of District and Project Level Institutions for implementation of the projects for the Participatory Watershed projects with financial, social and economic empowerment to the watershed communities in close coordination with the local institutions. Another aspect is the equity and participatory resources management with due regards to the economically weaker section within the village community. The Central and State share for the IWMP projects is in the ratio of 90:10. The main aims of this programme are as follows:  To restore the ecological balance by harnessing, conserving and developing degraded natural resources such as soil, vegetative cover and water.  The outcomes are prevention of soil run-off, soil loss.  Regeneration of natural vegetation.  Rain water harvesting and recharging of the ground Water table.  Enabling multi-cropping and the introduction of diverse agro-based activities, which help to provide sustainable livelihoods to the people residing in the watershed area. The main objectives of this programme are as follows:  To dissipate soil and water erosion and surface run-off.  To harvest/recycle surface runoff and rainwater.  To enhance soil moisture regime/water holding capacity.  To promote sub-surface flow, base flow and ground water recharge.  To improve soil health and tilth.  To improve production and productivity.  To promote generation and gainful employment opportunities. The Salient feature of this project duration is from 4 years to 7 years depending upon nature of activities spread over distinct phase viz., preparatory phase, works phase and consolidation phase. Conservation, productivity and livelihoods: Conservation is to be given priority resulting in productivity enhancement and livelihoods. Resource development and usage is to be planned to promote farming and allied activities to create local livelihoods while ensuring resources conservation and regeneration. Size: The new approach envisages a broader vision of geo-hydrological units normally of average size of 1,000 to 5,000 hectares comprising of clusters of micro-watersheds. ; Not Available

Not Available ; Today energy crisis is worldwide because conventional forms of energy supply and consumption are causing serious economical as well as environmental problems. In our country consumption of petroleum products is increasing day-by-day resulting in huge gap of demand and supply. India rank 6 th in the world in terms of energy demand accounting for 3.5 percent of world commercial energy demand in 2001. India currently imports about 70 percent of its petroleum needs by paying Rs.1, 27,000 crores every year. The demand target may be 120.4 m t for 2006-07. Our domestic production of crude oil and natural gas will remain around 33.97 m t during 2006-07.The huge gap between demand and supply of 86.43 m t may be met only by import or by producing biofuels. The current consumption of diesel in India is approximately 40 m t forming about 40% of the total petroleum product consumption. This is expected to reach 52.32 m t by 2006-07 growing at approximately 5.6 % per annum. Government of India has already introduced petrol blended with 5 percent ethanol for use in motor vehicles in 9 states. A committee constituted by Planning Commission for Development of Biofuels recommended replacing about 10 % of diesel with biodiesel by the end of year 2011-2012 (Singh, 2003). Biodiesel production was spread in 21 countries mainly in Europe, Malaysia and USA. The largest biodiesel plant currently in operation was in Rouen, France with a capacity of 120, 000 tonnes. France is currently the world largest producer of biodiesel using it in 50 percent blend with petrol and diesel. During the last few decades, researchers tried all the edible and non-edible vegetable oils in compression ignition and spark ignition engines for different utilities. Since India cannot afford the usage of edible vegetable oils as power source because of short supply, planners suggested the use of non-edible vegetable oils as alternative fuels like Pongamia, Jatropha, and Neem etc. As Indian nation consists of 40 % of wasteland, it is better to develop all these lands by growing non edible oil plants which not only gives the oil but also enriches the environment by adding the green forest cover for ecological balance. In India, rural areas, in general are facing steep power crisis during the last two decades. Farmers are unable to irrigate their lands because of interrupted and short-term power supply. Finally it is effecting the agriculture production very badly. In this context, it is better to use the available plants, which produce the non-edible oil seeds to cater the needs at rural level for self-sustainability. Though there are more than 300 different species of trees, which produce oil-bearing seeds, Pongamia and Jatropha are the drought resistant plants, which grow with limited water. These two plants suit for the Andhra Pradesh ecological zone as it consists of 60 % of dryland, which has enough potential to meet the fossil fuel demand at rural level. Hence these plants can well be utilized to produce the biodiesel at rural and industrial level. 201 All over the world, the trials on biodiesel blending with diesel and other oils are still continued. In Andhra Pradesh, Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) of Adilabad district has started a pilot project at Utnoor with the effort of SuTRA (Sustainable Transformation of Rural Areas). Here, the villagers collect the Pongamia seed from the nearby forest and extract the oil using expellers. The filtered oil is then used to run the generator (50 W) to supply the electricity to the 100 houses in a village. This project created hopes in villages regarding self-sustainability in producing power. ; Not Available

Not Available ; Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, it is indeed an honor for us to be here with you in the presence of our honorable host, Dr. Raghava Reddy, the Honorable Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Raghu Veera Reddy, Asian PGPR board members and the many other scientists and entrepreneurs who have come to participate in this Congress. It is our privilege to welcome all of you. To me, this is a very special and a spectacular way of coming to our mother land, particularly Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh to speak to you about PGPR technology. The initial idea of having the First Asian PGPR Congress in Hyderabad was sparked by Dr. Y. R. Sarma, when he visited me in Auburn, Alabama, USA, seven months ago. We wanted to have an outlet where we could have alternative workshops and congresses that could be more accessible to people in this region of the world, given that it is difficult for many people interested in PGPR research to attend every International Conference. From those ideas we arrive at this Congress in Hyderabad. The creation of biotechnologies, bio-businesses, biotechnopreneurs, bio-farmers, bio-students and bio-billionaires is the theme of this "ASIAN PGPR CONGRESS FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE". What is PPGR? Why Asian PGPR? Let's take a moment to discuss PGPR and its importance. Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are root associated bacteria representing many different genera and species that colonize the rhizosphere, rhizoplane and improve plant growth when artificially introduced onto seeds, seedpieces, roots, or into soil. PGPR improve plant growth by one or more mechanisms: direct stimulation of plant growth; enhancement of nutrient uptake; suppression of plant pathogens; and/or induction of resistance in host plants against pathogens. The first PGPR Workshop was held in Canada in 1987 and since then the workshop has been held every three years at various locations around the world: Switzerland (1990), Australia (1994), Japan (1997), Argentina (2000), India (2003) and The Netherlands (2006). The 8th International PGPR Workshop was held very recently in the Portland, Oregon, USA (2009). xviii Plant Growth Promotion by Rhizobacteria for Sustaninable Agriculture In 2003, the PGPR workshop held in India achieved considerable recognition and was attended by more than 300 delegates. Since then, PGPR research has increased exponentially and has resulted in continued boosting of new companies in a growing industry for the production of PGPR related products in India. Asian PGPR Congress for Sustainable Agriculture aims to assemble any professional who want to gain and share their knowledge on PGPR under one roof and to present their views on the following themes: • Status of PGPR research • PGPR applications in crops • Biofertilizers and PGPR in integrated nutrient management • Mechanisms, signaling, plant responses, bioactive metabolites • Plant pathogen - PGPR interactions • Farmers – academia - industry interaction • Biogeography, genomics, bioinformatics • Rhizosphere interactions, climate change and new technologies • Round table discussion on research – industry - policy interfacing • Commercialization, regulatory issues, trade barriers in PGPR • Human resource development and transfer of technology Today, many economically important agricultural, horticultural and ornamental crop plants are attacked by various soil borne and foliar diseases, resulting in billions of dollars in crop losses. Currently, the most widely used disease management strategy is the use of chemical fungicides. However, the use of these fungicides has encountered problems, such as development of resistance by pathogen to fungicides and rapid degradation of the chemicals. Other factors leading to increased interest in alternatives include the increasing cost of soil fumigation, lack of suitable replacements for methyl bromide and public concerns over exposure to fungicides. Both the agriculture and agri-food sector are now expected to move toward environmentally sustainable development, while maintaining productivity. These concerns and expectations have led to renewed interest on the use of "biologically based pest management strategies". One approach to such biologically based strategies is the use of naturally occurring and environmentally safe products such as PGPR. It has long been known that many microorganisms in the soil root ecosystem are attracted by nutrients exuded by plant roots. This soil-root ecozone is called rhizosphere. Many bacteria from the rhizosphere can influence plant growth and plant health positively, and we refer to them as PGPR. The beneficial effect of these bacteria have been variously attributed to their ability to produce various compounds including phytohormones, organic acids and siderophores, fixation of atmospheric Preface xix nitrogen, phosphate solubilization, antibiotics that suppress deleterious rhizobacteria or to some other unidentified mechanisms. Worldwide, PGPR technology is being considered as the latest pursuit for expertise in knowledge intensive sectors. Currently, the global agriculture biotech industry is valued at an estimated US$ 45 billion and is expected to grow at 25% annually. Indian Ag biotechnology industry is currently valued at US$ 2.5 billion. Much of the credit for growth of the Indian Ag biotechnology industry goes to the government that created a separate department for biotechnology under the Ministry of Science and Technology. Our state governments are also equal contributors towards making India an emerging hub of Ag biotechnology. Today, we have the benefit of having both Central and State Governments partnering with us for this congress. I see similar capabilities in all participating Asian countries and we all inherently have the strengths, excellent networks of research laboratories, rich biodiversity, well-developed seed industries and most importantly highly skilled and trained pool of scientific manpower. Today, Asian countries are slowly but steadily preparing themselves for an emerging Ag biotechnology revolution. The success in this sector, however, depends on a number of enabling factors like facilitating venture capital funding, technology absorption and strengthening of links between the industry, academic and government institutions, not only within each country but amongst all Asian countries and our International partners. The green revolution of agriculture brought an enormous increase in food production. It not only made the world self sufficient in food but also gave the world's scientists and farmers an immense amount of selfrespect. Though the green revolution did increase food production, the productivity levels have remained low and increase was achieved at a cost of intensive use of water, fertilizer and other inputs which have caused problems of soil salinity, ground water pollution, nutrient imbalances, emergence of new pest and diseases and environmental degradation. To feed the ever increasing population globally and in Asia more and more food now has to be produced from less and less land, water and other natural resources. It is therefore apparent that we have to do things differently and doing more of what we did yesterday will not take us forward. With the advent of PGPR technology and its use on crops, we can achieve higher productivity, better quality, improved nutrition, improved storage properties, increased pests and disease resistance and achieve higher prices for farmers in the global market place. PGPR technology has the immense potential of eradicating rural poverty and fueling Asia's GDP growth. By exploiting our knowledge of PGPR technology we have the opportunity to make Asia the global center of bioresearch. The PGPR industry is a relatively new venture, just coming out of its infancy. Its potential is being tested, realized and used. The public xx Plant Growth Promotion by Rhizobacteria for Sustaninable Agriculture awareness and acceptance of PGPR will accelerate the process. Currently these are being supplemented by private individual entrepreneurs for developing PGPR products for local needs as well as for the export market. Technologies are flowing into the country due to the changed economic scenario. With continued support we can soon become global players in PGPR technology. I hope I have been able to impart upon you the great enthusiasm I feel about the future through the use of PGPR. We must bring about a massive collective global effort dedicated to funding new research in PGPR's. I encourage all of you here to bolster the spirit in your colleagues and yourselves as you now enable Asia to become a world leader in the application of PGPR technology to the betterment of our agriculture. I am confident that by working together we can overcome the obstacles and seize the opportunities in the PGPR technologies in the new millennium. I am taking this opportunity to call upon all stakeholders from the wide range of Asian countries to join hands and use PGPR to make our world a better place to live. Join me and let us see the future we can create with PGPR through this Congress. ; Not Available

Not Available ; The Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) is the result of the new and unified approach of the GOI for treatment and development of the new generation watersheds in a realistic and holistic manner. The Government of India through the National Rainfed Area Authority (NRAA) has evolved the Common Guidelines, 2008 for implementation of the Watershed Development Projects. The major areas in which paradigm shift has been made under the programme are, inter-alia, institutional funding of the State Government through the State Level Nodal Agency (SLNA) at the State Level, constitution of District and Project Level Institutions for implementation of the projects for the Participatory Watershed projects with financial, social and economic empowerment to the watershed communities in close coordination with the local institutions. Another aspect is the equity and participatory resources management with due regards to the economically weaker section within the village community. The Central and State share for the IWMP projects is in the ratio of 90:10. The main aims of this programme are as follows:  To restore the ecological balance by harnessing, conserving and developing degraded natural resources such as soil, vegetative cover and water.  The outcomes are prevention of soil run-off, soil loss.  Regeneration of natural vegetation.  Rain water harvesting and recharging of the ground Water table.  Enabling multi-cropping and the introduction of diverse agro-based activities, which help to provide sustainable livelihoods to the people residing in the watershed area. The main objectives of this programme are as follows:  To dissipate soil and water erosion and surface run-off.  To harvest/recycle surface runoff and rainwater.  To enhance soil moisture regime/water holding capacity.  To promote sub-surface flow, base flow and ground water recharge.  To improve soil health and tilth.  To improve production and productivity.  To promote generation and gainful employment opportunities. The Salient feature of this project duration is from 4 years to 7 years depending upon nature of activities spread over distinct phase viz., preparatory phase, works phase and consolidation phase. Conservation, productivity and livelihoods: Conservation is to be given priority resulting in productivity enhancement and livelihoods. Resource development and usage is to be planned to promote farming and allied activities to create local livelihoods while ensuring resources conservation and regeneration. Size: The new approach envisages a broader vision of geo-hydrological units normally of average size of 1,000 to 5,000 hectares comprising of clusters of micro-watersheds. ; Not Available

Not Available ; Improving the productivity and profitability of rainfed agriculture is imperative from the perspective of growth, equity and sustainability of Indian agriculture and hence it continues to receive high priority by the Government of India. With increasing cost of production, degradation of natural resources and increased climatic risks, the livelihood security of rainfed farmers is continuously under threat. Generation of new technologies is one of the key elements in the strategy for improving rainfed agriculture, though one should take due cognizance of the importance of technology transfer and policy environments. It is important to deal with the short term objectives as well as to pursue the long term goals and challenges. The on-going efforts at CRIDA reflect such a mix of short and long term perspective. CRIDA has been actively involved in undertaking basic and applied research in the area of rainfed agriculture and climate change through its network research stations across the country ; Not Available