Trailing butterflies
After studying the avian visitors for six months, members of Madurai Nature Forum (MNF) have now turned towards butterflies following studies conducted in Chennai, Salem, Coimbatore and recently...
View ArticleMadurai district administration to open DPCs for summer paddy crop
MADURAI: For the first time in Madurai district, the authorities have decided to open direct procurement centres (DPCs) in seven villages for the summer paddy crop after farmers complained of low...
View ArticleDistrict administration to open DPCs for summer paddy crop
MADURAI: For the first time in Madurai district, the authorities have decided to open direct procurement centres (DPCs) in seven villages for the summer paddy crop after farmers complained of low...
View ArticleDirect procurement centres for paddy crop to be opened
MADURAI: For the first time in Madurai district, the authorities have decided to open direct procurement centres (DPCs) in seven villages for the summer paddy crop after farmers complained of low...
View ArticlePesticide issue: What about mass breeding of lizards and owls?
MADURAI: "Why don't we go for mass breeding of lizards and owls to control pests and insects, instead of depending on pesticides and insecticides," asked a farmer who participated at a monthly farmers'...
View ArticlePesticides issue takes centre stage at farmers’ meeting
MADURAI: The ongoing issue about use of harmful pesticides on crops dominated the monthly farmers' grievance redressal day meeting on Friday, where an awareness lecture was held to sensitise farmers...
View ArticleFarmers ask for training youth in food processing
MADURAI: Farmers in the region have come out with a proposal asking the district administration to provide proper training to village youth to start food processing ventures whereby they can preserve...
View ArticleTamil Nadu farmers float club to produce organic vegetables
MADURAI: In a unique move, a group of farmers in Madurai district on Monday floated a 'club' to grow vegetables using only organic farming techniques. These 20 farmers in Nariyampatti -- 30 km away...
View ArticleFarmers ‘club’ to grow organic vegetables
MADURAI: In a unique move, a group of farmers in Madurai district on Monday floated a 'club' to grow vegetables using only organic farming techniques. These 20 farmers in Nariyampatti — 30 km away from...
View Article'Our produce at farm gates is free from pesticide residue'
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University vice-chancellor Dr K Ramasamy, who is also a member of the Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission, does not mince words. Considered a doyen in biosciences and...
View Article‘Pesticide is not a panacea but placebo’
With growing awareness of healthy foods and neighbouring Kerala turning cautious over presence of insecticide residues in vegetables transported from Tamil Nadu, the Agricultural College and Research...
View ArticleGood news from Madurai: Pulse cultivation strong
MADURAI: While scarcity of pulses and mounting prices of commodity in the market are causing alarm in the administration, there is good news from districts. At least 5,218 hectares have been covered...
View ArticleCultivation of pulses promising in Madurai
MADURAI: While scarcity of pulses and mounting prices of the commodity in the market are causing consternation in the administration, there is good news from districts. At least 5,218 hectares have...
View ArticleTea mosquito attack takes a toll on trees
Trees, particularly neem, guava, cashew-nut, drumstick and cocoa, are under attack from Heloteltis antonii, an alien species known as tea mosquito, across the State. Thousands of trees have already...
View ArticleDPCs not buying paddy, allege Chellampatti farmers
Allegations by a section of farmers from Chellampatti block that the Direct Procurement Centres in the region are not buying paddy dominated the farmers’ grievance day meeting at the Collectorate here...
View ArticleMadurai jasmine catches a bug due to erratic weather
Madurai: Erratic weather conditions prevailing in the region have reigned havoc on Madurai malli farms which have been extensively damaged by the jasmine bud worm. The extremely hot climate with...
View ArticlePesticide resistance poses new threat to farmers
Reeling under the combined impact of crop diseases, untimely rain and fluctuating prices, farmers in Kerala may soon find themselves up against a new threat posed by pesticide resistance. A recent...
View Article4 new farm pests found in Karnataka
Four new plant-eating insects that may turn out to be a potential threat to agriculture in several states have been found in Karnataka. These pests, reported for the first time in India, could threaten...
View ArticleFungal Pesticides Offer A Growing Alternative To Traditional Chemicals
When it comes to biopesticides, one of the most widely used fungi is Beauveria bassiana. Above, a kudzu bug killed by Beauveria bassiana, seen growing out of the cadaver. Courtesy of Brian...
View ArticleUse of pesticides dips in Punjab, thanks to IPM strategies: PAU VC
LUDHIANA: Vice-Chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) Baldev Singh Dhillon has said the use of pesticides has reduced in the state during 2016-17 due to proper technology, proper nozzles...
View ArticleA success story scripted with the plough
Salai Sandhai would have remained an unknown hamlet near Peraiyur but for this farmer. It is now identified as the place where the ‘Madurai Vivasayee’ has his farm. Gokulam SRI Organic Farm provides...
View ArticleWhitefly takes a toll on coconut groves across south India
An alien invasive crop pest is blighting coconut groves across Kerala and the neighbouring States. Native to Central America, the Rugose Spiralling Whitefly (RSW) (Aleurodicus rugioperculatus) was...
View ArticleOxitec 'Self-limiting Gene' Offers Hope for Controlling Invasive Moth Without...
OXFORD, England, July 16, 2015 /CNW/ - A new pesticide-free and environmentally-friendly way to control insect pests has moved ahead today with the publication of scientific results showing that Oxitec...
View ArticleBiting back: bringing mosquito-borne disease to heel
Advances in microbiology and genetics have allowed epidemiologists to expand mosquito control in ways unimaginable a few decades ago...
View ArticleFood for thought
Healthy living With increasing health awareness leading to a surge in popularity in food cultivation, Bengaluru now houses many urban farmers who have their own kitchen, terrace or plot gardens, which...
View ArticleIs America's most common pesticide responsible for killing our bees?
A growing body of studies shows that neonics threaten the health of honey bees, but some argue there’s not enough evidence to justify an outright ban...
View ArticleStudy Shows Slashing Pesticides Won't Hurt Production
"The reduction of pesticide use is one of the critical drivers to preserve the environment and human health," according to recent research published in Nature Plants,1 and I couldn't agree more. Even...
View ArticleRefining pesticides to kill pests, not bees
Pyrethroid pesticides are effective. Sometimes too effective. Researchers at Michigan State University's entomology department have unlocked a key to maintain the insecticide's effectiveness in...
View ArticleAs solar power and cold storage keeps mangoes on optimal shape, farmers'...
NZIU, Kenya It is a hot and cloudless morning, a sign that it will be sunny right through the afternoon. Joseph Mailu moves along rows of fruiting mango trees with a long pole in his hand, harvesting...
View ArticleEntomology Division of Agro-Industry Ministry acquires Gamma irradiator and...
(Source: Government of the Republic of Mauritius) GIS - 13 June 2016: A Gamma irradiator and a digester were inaugurated at the Entomology Division of the Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security,...
View ArticleHoneybees pick up host of agricultural, urban pesticides via non-crop plants...
(Source: Purdue University) WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A Purdue University study shows that honeybees collect the vast majority of their pollen from plants other than crops, even in areas dominated by corn...
View ArticleA New Way to Save the Bees: Have Them Deliver Natural Pesticides to Crops
One of the most persistent and destructive problems in modern agriculture is its heavy reliance on pesticides. The United States alone uses about to protect flowering crops. The indiscriminate spraying...
View ArticleCustom hiring centres to overcome farmhand shortage
MADURAI: With agricultural activities in full swing after three long years of drought in the district, finding farmhands to carry out cultivation work is now a major challenge. After the National Rural...
View ArticleFarmers doubt quantum of insurance relief
When the State government had categorically announced that each farmer, who had lost their crops to drought, would come under three slabs — ₹23,000, ₹20,000 and ₹16,000, the insurance company and...
View ArticleBreakfast scheme awaits chief minister Jayalalithaa's nod
Madurai: With only a few days left to reopen the schools in Tamil Nadu, around 27 lakh students in primary schools run by the government and local bodies are eagerly awaiting chief minister J...
View Article“Forced to Leave”
Summary The Zambian government regards agriculture as a “panacea” for rural poverty, and the country’s leaders have been promoting agribusiness investments on huge swaths of land. However, flaws in the...
View ArticleCould genetic engineering save the Galápagos?
Invasive species have been a problem in the Galápagos Islands since mariners first arrived there. Hundreds of introduced species of plants, insects, reptiles, birds and mammals live in the archipelago,...
View ArticleSparrows yet to return to city areas
Madurai: For centuries, sparrows have co-existed with human beings. This tiny bird even finds mention in the Book of Psalms: 'Even the sparrow has found a home and the swallow a nest for herself where...
View ArticleThere is such a thing as good bugs in the garden. Here’s how to invite them
By Linda Richards Add plant diversity to your gardens and make sure you have flowering plants year round. Those are key recommendations of ecologists for enlisting insect natural predators to combat...
View ArticleHere’s how to attract good garden bugs to fight the bad ones causing citrus...
By Linda Richards Add plant diversity to your gardens and make sure you have flowering plants year round. Those are key recommendations of ecologists for enlisting insect natural predators to combat...
View ArticleAs Beekeepers Lose More Hives, Time For New Rules On Pesticides?
4:06 PM ET Allison Aubrey Twitter YouTube America's beekeepers are having a rough time. They lost an estimated 42 percent of their hives last year. While some colony losses are normal, these numbers...
View ArticleFarmers want support from govt for raising onion crops
MADURAI: Farmers in the district have urged the horticulture department to educate and facilitate them to take up onion farming, as onion prices are ruling the roost.With moderate showers after summer,...
View Article60+ Vayadhinile!
Some films inspire us to go the distance. The Malayalam movie How Old Are You and it’s Tamil remake 36 Vayadhinile were liked by people not only because they were comeback films of Manju Warrier and...
View ArticleGuava trees sprout on drought-hit farms
MADURAI: As water sources in the district shrink fast, faremers are becoming increasingly interested about the guava tree that can be cultivated with a limited supply of water. Besides, guavas fetch...
View ArticleHawaii entomologist suppressed fruit flies worldwide
Ernest J. Harris found his life’s calling when his mother showed him a can of worms. As a youngster on his parents’ 45-acre cotton farm near North Little Rock, Ark., Harris, now 88, became intrigued...
View ArticleDrought-hit farmers show interest in less water-intensive guava
Madurai: With water sources fast shrinking in the district, there is an increased interest among farmers in guava, which can be cultivated with limited supply of water. Besides, guava is fetching very...
View ArticleAIADMK releases list of candidates for 2016 Assembly polls
The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) General Secretary Jayalalithaa announced the list of 227 candidates for the May 16 Assembly elections. Releasing the list here on Monday, Ms....
View ArticleOrganic? No guarantee organic products free from pesticides, says study
Organic food products that you pick from retail outlets may be laced with banned pesticides. Even fresh fruits and vegetables may have residues of hazardous pest killers in them. A report released by...
View ArticleList of candidates belonging to DMK and AIADMK fronts
The following is the list of candidates of the fronts led by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam: Tiruvallur District: A.Manimegalai (DMK) and Pon. Raja...
View ArticleWhat's on the menu
A farmer harvests bottle gourd (loki) at a farm in Peshawar | Shahbaz Butt, White Star Tension is high at a slaughterhouse in Lahore — as high as the temperature at noon on this day in May this year. A...
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