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One question that’s been quietly sitting in the back of my mind, popping up during lectures, field visits, even while eating lunch… Can organic farming really feed the world in a warming future? It’s not just an academic thought. Every time I hear someone say “organic is the future” or see big, bold labels in Read more
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Let me start with a quick scene: Imagine you’re standing on a rooftop in peak May. It’s 46°C. Your phone says “feels like 51.” The sky looks like a blur. You step back inside and think Is this it? Is this our future? We’re all feeling the heat, literally and emotionally. And when things get Read more
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In recent years, farming has landed on the frontlines of climate chaos. Heatwaves scorch fields. Droughts empty wells. And when the skies finally open, it’s often a deluge washing away topsoil, and with it, the hopes of farmers. These aren’t one-off events anymore. They’re patterns. Industrial agriculture once hailed as the path to food security Read more
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One day, I was casually scrolling through my Google feed when I saw a headline: “International Millets Day Celebrated Worldwide” And my first reaction? What? Millets Day? That’s a thing now? Out of curiosity, I tapped the article. It said the UN had declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets, with India playing a Read more
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If you had to name one plant that could survive in a wasteland with blazing sun, cracked soil, and barely a drop of water aloe vera would be it. It doesn’t just survive harsh conditions. It thrives in them. That’s partly because aloe vera belongs to a unique group of plants known as CAM plants Read more
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Imagine if you could harvest wood… without cutting down a single tree. Sounds impossible, right? But here’s the twist it’s not. In fact, it’s a 600-year-old Japanese technique that quietly redefined forestry long before “sustainability” was a buzzword. It’s called Daisugi and once I discovered it, I couldn’t stop thinking about how something so ancient Read more
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A few months ago, I was growing fenugreek in my college field. Every morning, I’d check the plants bright green leaves stretching out, that faint methi aroma in the air, soil still moist from last night’s watering. There’s something oddly satisfying about watching a seed turn into something edible. I’d pluck a few leaves, crush Read more
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It was one of those bus ride back from college the kind where the road feels endless, and my thoughts start drifting like clouds over the fields outside. I had just slipped into my usual window seat, the breeze nudging through the open pane. I wasn’t in the mood for music. My mind was busy Read more
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This week we went on an educational visit to CRIDA – the Central Research Institute for Dry-land Agriculture as a part of our course work from Seed Technology and Crop Production. It was about 2-hours drive from our college and we traveled together in our college bus. As soon as we arrived and stepped off Read more
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Plant-Fungal Communication, VOC Signaling, and Biosensors in Organic Agriculture One day, while flipping through pages in our college library, a strange phrase caught my eye “Wood-Wide Web.” It sounded like a typo. But as I read on, I realized it referred to an underground fungal network that connects plant roots like nature’s own version of Read more
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It started as just another late-night deep dive. I was messing around with AI tools like ChatGPT, exploring one of my all-time favorite topics organic farming. I’ve always been fascinated by how nature can heal itself if we just step back and let it. While skimming through a few articles and research papers, one term Read more
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A few weeks ago, I went to Kanha Shanti Vanam, a retreat on the outskirts of Hyderabad. I expected peace, greenery, maybe a quiet walk through nature. But what I didn’t expect was to see permaculture in action everywhere. As I wandered through the open grounds, something felt… different. The landscape wasn’t just green it Read more
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Until a few months ago, I believed soil was non-negotiable when it came to growing plants. No soil? No farming. Period. Then one day, my maternal uncle sent me a reel. It showed rows of leafy greens lettuce, spinach thriving in a setup with no soil at all. Just water, pipes, and some high-tech looking Read more
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Every summer of my childhood had the same rhythm: long, hot afternoons and the sweet promise of ripe mangoes. Aamras after lunch, sticky fingers from peeling Alphonsos mangoes weren’t just food, they were summer itself. But this year? Something felt off. No overflowing crates in the market. No familiar aroma at home. Just silence like Read more
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A few weeks ago, I attended a hydroponic farming workshop about an hour from home. The setup looked like science fiction: neat rows of lettuce, no soil in sight, roots dangling in nutrient-rich water. Halfway through, I raised my hand and asked the question bugging me: “Is this considered organic?” The trainer paused, smiled awkwardly, Read more
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Last week in the college library, I stumbled on a book titled Climate Change and Food Security. One chapter was about nutrient cycles nothing unusual until a single line made me pause: “Thunderstorms help in fixing atmospheric nitrogen into the soil functioning as a natural fertilizer.” Wait. What? I’d studied microbial nitrogen fixation. I’d memorized Read more
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One weekend, I went to Kanha Shanti Vanam the world’s largest meditation center, right outside Hyderabad. It’s just about an hour from my home, and I was there for a 3-day retreat. Simple place, simple program. They teach meditation in such a gentle and foundational way, no frills, just breathing and being. On Saturday morning, Read more
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It started in a café. I had just ordered an iced strawberry matcha latte the kind of drink you get when you’re chasing aesthetics as much as taste. When it arrived, I noticed something unusual: the straw was made of rice. Edible. Biodegradable. No plastic, no greenwashing just a tiny, intentional step toward sustainability. That Read more
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It started with a small act of rebellion. I walked into class 14 minutes late after lunch, and my lecturer let’s call Alexa refused to let me in. For a second I stood there thinking, “Fine. Who needs this class anyway?” Now, truth be told, I wasn’t just sulking. A few days earlier, I had Read more
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One random day, we had a surprise class test. Since our class is split into two batches, Batch A stayed in the usual room, while we from Batch B were sent to the Reader’s Class next door. After finishing, we walked back only to see Batch A still scribbling away. Because of the test, everyone’s Read more
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An ancient idea, modern science, and a spark of curiosity that’s how I discovered biochar, and why I believe it might change farming in India. The Corridor Question That Sparked It All First semester of B.Sc. Agriculture, subject: Agricultural Heritage. Our professor was wrapping up a lecture on plant nutrients when one word made me Read more
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A New Innings for IPL: Dot Balls Now Grow Trees! Before I dive into my coffee-fueled RCB story, here’s something super cool you might not know: This season, BCCI with TATA group have started planting trees for every dot ball bowled. Yep, you read that right. One dot ball = 500 trees planted. Talk about turning Read more
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I’m a full-time coffee addict. Two to three mugs a day, every day. Mornings are cappuccino time espresso shot, steamed milk, a touch of sugar. Afternoons, it’s cold brew or French press, depending on mood. I brew it all at home with my Agaro manual machine. Grinding, tamping, locking in the portafilter I love the Read more
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I was 19 when mum sent me to buy 1 kg of tomatoes. Simple task, nothing big. Back then, I already “knew” organic food was better chemical-free, healthier, kinder to the soil. But honestly? I didn’t really understand what that meant beyond a few textbook lines. At the store, I stood staring at two baskets. Read more
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Let’s talk about something that doesn’t get enough attention acid rain and how it’s quietly weakening the very soil we depend on. As an agriculture student, this isn’t just theory for me. Healthy soil is farming’s backbone, and without it, food security becomes a guessing game. What’s the Deal with Acid Rain? Think of acid Read more
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I was scrolling through my phone one evening when I stumbled upon a short clip: a farmer in Maharashtra explaining how an AI-powered weather advisory had saved his cotton crop from unseasonal rains. It struck me the same technology that drives global industries is now guiding decisions in small village fields. For farmers standing at Read more
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I still remember sitting in class on a hot May afternoon when our professor said, “Farmers are no longer just food growers, they are frontline climate fighters.” That line stuck with me. Because if you talk to farmers in Telangana today, you’ll hear the same worry: the monsoon comes late, paddy fields dry out, and Read more
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I was walking back from college last week, the sun blazing down on Hyderabad, when an uncle at a tea stall said, “Monsoon is late again this year.” His words weren’t just small talk. They carried the weight of worry that farmers, shopkeepers, and families all feel when the rains refuse to arrive on time. Read more
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I was on my college bus, headphones in, listening to Ranveer Allahbadia’s podcast. Others scrolled Instagram reels, but I tuned into a conversation with climate scientist Jagdish Shukla. His words hit differently. They weren’t abstract predictions they were warnings that connect directly to the future of farming, food, and the communities we belong to. The Read more
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Let’s face it manure isn’t the most glamorous topic. But as someone studying agriculture, I’ve come to see it differently. Manure isn’t just waste it’s a powerful resource for soil and climate. If managed right, it can enrich fields, cut fertilizer costs, and even generate clean energy. If managed poorly, it becomes a climate hazard. Read more
