Guidelines for Developing Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) Variety to Enhance Food Security and Resilience to Climate Change | Chapter 06 | Agricultural Sciences: Techniques and Innovations Vol. 6

 

Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) is an underutilised annual crop mainly valued for its edible calyces, leaves and fibre. It is a tetraploid species belonging to the Malvaceae family with significant economic and medicinal importance. It is a self-pollinated crop which has cleistogamous flowers. It is mainly cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions, including India, China, Thailand and various African and Caribbean countries. In India, it is widely grown in Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Maharashtra and the North-Eastern states. Geo-climatic conditions of Roselle are favourable for the production of Roselle as it requires a warm and humid climate for its growth. The crop is known for its climate resilience and ability to grow in marginal soils, making it ideal for sustainable agriculture. Calyces of Roselle are rich in vitamins, antioxidants and widely used in postharvest processing industries to prepare food products like juices, teas and jams, while its stem provides coarse fibre used for rope and sack production. Calyces of Roselle have huge medicinal importance. Despite having immense potential, Roselle breeding has received very limited attention. Important breeding objectives include improving calyx and fibre yield, quality and resistance to pests, diseases, and abiotic stresses. Methods like pure line selection, hybridisation, and biotechnological tools are being used to develop improved varieties. Promising cultivars like HS-4288, Ujjal and JOR RS lines have shown good performance. Given its diverse applications and adaptability, focused research and development efforts are essential to unlock the full potential of Roselle in the food and fibre industries.

 

Author(s)details:-

 

Homikhya Phukon
Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat -785013, India.

 

G.C. Bora
Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat -785013, India.

 

Jahnabi Devi
Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat -785013, India.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/asti/v6/6680

Enhancing Climate Resilience in Tank Irrigation Systems: Challenges and Adaptive Strategies | Chapter 8 | Current Research Progress in Agricultural Sciences Vol. 9

Disrupting water resources and rainfall patterns, climate change creates a wide range of challenges that are changing hydrological systems around the globe. Tank irrigation systems have historically been critical in semiarid and rural regions for capturing and storing rainwater for agriculture, groundwater recharge and rural livelihoods. Tank irrigation systems, crucial for global food security, face significant threats from climate change, including rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and increased extreme weather events that impact water availability, compromising ecosystem conservation and agricultural productivity. This review article examines key strategies to enhance resilience in tank irrigation systems to address these challenges, ensuring sustainable development. Climate change impacts urban communities and presents unique challenges resembling mountains, where steep slopes and erratic precipitation patterns exacerbate soil erosion and hinder water dilution. Effective strategies to address these issues include employing contour bunds, terracing and check dams to minimize runoff and enhance water retention. Despite these strategies, challenges persist, including insufficient funding, limited institutional capacity, and inadequate climate information. Water quality becomes affected, and climate change becomes a big bane, like when the pH goes down due to acid rain in tank irrigation systems, which impacts soil health and crop productivity. These hazards are countered by lime treatment for acidity neutralisation, buffer zone strategies facilitated with vegetative barriers to act as pollutants filters, and afforestation to reduce sulfur and nitrogen emissions. Several strategies and components are used to improve a tank irrigation system and make it more adaptable and sustainable. Furthermore, developing climate-resilient infrastructure, encouraging water-saving technologies such as precision irrigation, and enhancing climate information services for farmers are also required to address knowledge gaps. Government financial help may go into subsidies, grants, or rebates to motivate investment in resilience–building actions such as infrastructure development, water–saving technologies, and weather–resistant crops.

 

Author (s) Details

 

A. Malaisamy
Department of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural College & Research Institute, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India.

 

S. Rithika
Department of Agricultural Economics, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.

M. Raswanthkrishna
Department of Computer Science and Engineering (AI), Amrita University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/crpas/v9/4697  

 

Organic Farming: Strategies for a Resilient and Sustainable Future | Chapter 5 | Current Research Progress in Agricultural Sciences Vol. 7

Organic farming has emerged as a sustainable alternative to conventional agriculture, emphasizing environmental health, biodiversity, and sustainable resource use. This paper explores the foundational principles of organic farming, its diverse techniques, and the multifaceted benefits it offers. It also highlights the challenges that organic farmers face, especially in scaling and economic viability, and discusses the role of organic practices in enhancing climate resilience. By examining global case studies from different countries like Zimbabwe, Vietnam, Kenya, Himalayan Region, we demonstrate the successful application of organic farming and explore its future potential in fostering food security and ecological harmony.

 

Author (s) Details

 

Ranjita Priyadarshini Biswal
Department of Chemistry, KIIT Polytechnic, Bhubaneswar-751024, Odisha, India.

 

Tanushree Das
Nano Innovation Laboratory, School of IKST, KISS (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar-751024, Odisha, India.

 

Bikram Keshari Das
Nano Innovation Laboratory, School of IKST, KISS (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar-751024, Odisha, India.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/crpas/v7/3917