fbpx
  • Hindi
  • Heritage Edge
  • Sports Edge
  • Wildlife Edge
SHARP. BITTER. NEUTRAL.
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
The Edge Media
Saturday, March 25, 2023
  • Home
  • National Edge
  • State Edge
  • Political Edge
  • World Edge
  • Entertainment Edge
  • Business Edge
  • Sports Edge
  • Home
  • National Edge
  • State Edge
  • Political Edge
  • World Edge
  • Entertainment Edge
  • Business Edge
  • Sports Edge
No Result
View All Result
The Edge Media
No Result
View All Result
Home Environmental Edge

Indian-American scientist gets World Food Prize, considered equivalent to Nobel prize in agriculture

The Edge Media by The Edge Media
3 years ago
in Environmental Edge, Main Story, World Edge
Reading Time: 5 mins read
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare via TelegramSend To WhatsApp

Indian-American soil scientist Dr Rattan Lal has won the prestigious World Food Prize, considered to be equivalent to a Nobel Prize in agriculture, in recognition of his contribution to increase the global food supply by helping small farmers improve their soil’s health.

Dr Lal, 75, in his career spanning more than five decades and four continents, has promoted innovative soil-saving techniques benefiting the livelihoods of more than 500 million small farmers, improving the food and nutritional security of more than two billion people and saving hundreds of millions of hectares of natural tropical ecosystems, the World Food Prize Foundation said in a statement on Thursday.

“Dr. Rattan Lal, a native of India and a citizen of the United States, will receive the 2020 World Food Prize for developing and mainstreaming a soil-centric approach to increasing food production that restores and conserves natural resources and mitigates climate change,” the Iowa-based foundation said.

“Soil science has been recognised by this award. I feel very happy about it,” he told PTI in an interview after the announcement.

The award is especially important because the first recipient of this prestigious award in 1987 was Indian agricultural scientist Dr M S Swaminathan, the father of India’s Green Revolution, Dr Lal said.

In a country like India, he said, soil is prone to degradation because of harsh climate and other factors.

“So this award to a soil scientist highlights the importance of restoring and managing soil health. WE need to give more attention to Dharti Mata (mother earth). Our shastras and puranas also indicated that we must pay respect to Dharti Mata. So this award means a lot to me,” .

Dr Lal said

“Every year we are astounded by the quality of nominations for the prize, but Dr Lal’s stellar work on management and conservation of agriculture’s most cherished natural resource, the soil, set him apart,”

said Gebisa Ejeta, chair of the World Food Prize Selection Committee and 2009 recipient of the award.

Dr Lal is a Distinguished Professor in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) at the Ohio State University.

Over the past five decades, he has reduced hunger by pioneering agricultural methods across the globe that not only restore degraded soil but also reduce global warming, the university said in a statement.

“It is a privilege and honor to be of service to the many small farmers from around the world because I was one of them. They are stewards of the land. They are the ones with the tremendous challenge of feeding the world,”

said Dr Lal, who is the founding director of the Carbon Management and Sequestration Center in CFAES at Ohio State.

He said that he would donate the award money $250,000 for the future soil research and education.

Dr Lal said that his soil organic matter content in the surface layer should be between two and three per cent. But soil in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Central India and Southern parts contain maybe 0.5 per cent or maybe 0.2 per cent.

“They are severely depleted, degraded. Consequently, not only that the productivity is low, yields are low, but also the use efficiency of inputs, like fertilizer irrigation varieties, is also low. When crops are grown on an unhealthy soil, the quality of the food, nutritional quality is also poor.

“When health of soil is degraded, the health of people is also degraded. I think it’s very important for India and other developing countries to really pay attention to restoring the health of the soil,”

Dr Lal said.

The eminent soil scientist called for the immediate stopping of burning of crop residue in states like Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.

“Taking everything away from land is not good for land. There is a law of return. Whatever you take from the earth, you must return it back,”

he said.

Brick-making, which is fast depleting soil, is another major concern for Dr Lal.

“India should have a soil protection policy,” he said, adding that certain part of agricultural land cannot be taken out for brick making.

He also called for rewarding farmers who help in protecting the soil by not burning crops, more use of compost and manure.

“Soil protection policy is important. We should have a regular soil health assessment report every five years at the national level. How is soil changing and we should protect agricultural land against other usage patterns like urbanisation, brick making,”

he said, adding that fertilizer is not a good substitute for crop management.

Stating that the crop yields in India are about half of that in China and even lesser than that of the United States, Dr Lal noted that there appears to be no reason for that.

“We should have crop yield as good as any countries. The health of our soil is poor. We have given a lot of emphasis on varieties. Varieties are important. (But) one cannot do anything if the soil is poor. That is a part which we must recognize.

“I think Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi can do quite a lot on that part, improving soil health and (launch a) soil health movement. Prime Minister Modi can also indicate how our religious books actually preach this. So, we are not doing something strange, it is a part of our culture. We already talked about mother earth,”

he added.

-PTI

Previous Post

Congress goes into huddle to save it’s leaders ahead of Rajya Sabha election in Rajasthan

Next Post

SMS Lucknow made identity in Limca Book Records for the third time

Related News

PM Modi said in Tokyo that Japan has played an essential role in India's growth

PM Modi said in Tokyo that Japan has played an essential role in India’s growth

by The Edge Media
May 23, 2022
0

Prime Minister Modi met with Japanese business leaders in Tokyo on Monday. India will work for an inclusive and flexible...

Ahead to the Quad Summit, the US announces an unconventional trade agreement

Ahead to the Quad Summit, the US announces an unconventional trade agreement

by The Edge Media
May 23, 2022
0

It is not a “traditional trade deal”, but a “new model of economic arrangement that will set the terms and...

Admission to madrassas is a "rights violation," according to Assam's chief minister

Admission to madrassas is a “rights violation,” according to Assam’s chief minister

by The Edge Media
May 23, 2022
0

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has stated that children will not be allowed to consider careers as doctors or...

Oxfam At Davos: It's Time to Tax The Rich | Covid Made A Billionaire Every 30 Hours

Oxfam At Davos: It’s Time to Tax The Rich | Covid Made A Billionaire Every 30 Hours

by The Edge Media
May 23, 2022
0

As the Davos conference resumes, Oxfam warned that the Covid pandemic has created a new billionaire every 30 hours and...

Petrol, Diesel prices: Mumbai’s fuel prices are decreasing

by The Edge Media
May 23, 2022
0

After Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced drop-in excise duty on petrol of 8 rupees per litre and diesel of 6...

BKU split: Senior leader splits with Tikait brothers to launch 'apolitical' farmer outfit

BKU split: Senior leader splits with Tikait brothers to launch ‘apolitical’ farmer outfit

by The Edge Media
May 15, 2022
0

On the death anniversary of its founder president Mahendra Singh Tikait on Sunday, schisms within the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU)...

Discussion about this post

Recommended

A Deal of $ 323 million were closed on unauthorised Covaxin over cheaper Pfizer by Brazilan congressman : officials.

Covishield approved by 7 EU Nations.

2 years ago

Airtel and TCS to collaborate for implementing 5G network

2 years ago

Popular News

    • Hindi
    • Heritage Edge
    • Sports Edge
    • Wildlife Edge
    SHARP. BITTER. NEUTRAL.

    © 2021 The Edge Media All Rights Reserved.

    No Result
    View All Result
    • Home
    • National Edge
    • State Edge
    • Political Edge
    • World Edge
    • Entertainment Edge
    • Business Edge
    • Sports Edge

    © 2021 The Edge Media All Rights Reserved.

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below

    Forgotten Password?

    Retrieve your password

    Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

    Log In