Mitigating Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Rice-Wheat Cropping Systems in Asia

The rice-wheat belt comprises nearly 24–27 million ha in South and East Asia. Rice is generally grown in flooded fields whereas the ensuing wheat crop requires well-drained soil conditions. Consequently, both crops differ markedly in nature and intensity of greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes, namely emission of (1) methane (CH₄) and (2) nitrous oxide (N_2O) as well as the sequestration of (3) carbon dioxide. Wetland rice emits large quantities of CH₄; strategies to CH₄ emissions include proper management of organic inputs, temporary (mid-season) field drainage and direct seeding. As for the wheat crop, the major GHG is N_2O that is emitted in short-term pulses after fertilization, heavy rainfall and irrigation events. However, N_2O is also emitted in larger quantities during fallow periods and during the rice crop as long as episodic irrigation or rainfall result in aerobic-anaerobic cycles. Wetland rice ensures a relatively high content of soil organic matter in the rice-wheat system as compared to permanent upland conditions. In terms of global warming potential, baseline emissions of the rice-wheat system primarily depend on the management practices during the rice crop while emissions from the wheat crop remain less sensitive to different management practices. The antagonism between CH₄ and N_2O emissions is a major impediment for devising effective mitigation strategies in rice-wheat system - measures to reduce the emission of one GHG often intensify the emission of the other GHG.     

Epidemiological assessment of antibiotic residues in dairy farm milk and farm waste and water in northern India

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Antibiotics are frequently used in the dairy sector for prophylactic uses along with therapeutic purposes. Throughout the globe, antibiotic resistance...     

Thiram: degradation, applications and analytical methods

In this review a brief introduction to thiram (tetramethylthiuram disulfide; TMTD) pesticide has been given along with other applications. All the important methods available are systematically arranged and are listed under various techniques. Some of these methods have been applied for the determination of thiram in commercial formulations, synthetic mixtures in grains, vegetables and fruits. A comparison of different methods is the salient feature of this review.