drought

Researchers design salt-tolerant varieties of Indian rice

Bengaluru | Sep 4, 2019

In a country that predominantly depends on rain for irrigation, loss of crops due to disruptive weather continues to be a source of distress to farmers, and approaches to make crops tolerant to the vagaries of weather are necessary. In a recent study, researchers have shown that, by modifying particular genes, rice plants can be kept alive through periods of acute salinity in their water supply.

General, Science, Technology, Ecology, Deep-dive

The identity crisis of the Indian savannas

Bengaluru | Mar 4, 2019

Researchers from the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru, have shown that grass-fuelled fires and seasonal drought, which are the characteristics of savannas, are also observed in the dry deciduous “forests” in India. These findings add to a growing body of evidence that these systems are, in fact, savannas.

General, Science, Ecology, Deep-dive