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Abstract
Navigating the complexity of a transformation is invariably tough for
Governments, even though they may prioritize agricultural investment and
recognize how important it is to get right. This is especially true in an era
where Governments are seeking Agricultural Transformations that meet multiple
goals simultaneously. In addition to traditional economic development and
poverty reduction goals, Governments are also focusing on Agricultural
Transformation plans based on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by
considering, for example, climate-smart strategies, women's economic
empowerment and biodiversity. The drivers of Agricultural Transformation are
multidimensional, interrelated and have changed over time. Still, they can be
organized into categories to provide better opportunities for pragmatic
diagnostics and decision making on national priorities.
Indian
agriculture always provides lot of interwoven challenges to the growing
farming community. Farmers today face a complicated host of environmental,
social and economic pressures: protecting water and air resources, mitigating
greenhouse gases, conserving biodiversity and limiting soil erosion, all
while trying to make a living. These challenges are linked, yet most
agricultural research of the last 80 years has approached them from a
reductionist standpoint. To build truly sustainable farming systems,
agricultural research must embrace through multidimensional approaches.
Multidimensional approaches for Agriculture outlines both the theory and
practice of agricultural systems research, helping agricultural professionals
to study, understand and develop economically, socially and environmentally
sustainable production systems. There is need to enhance the crop
productivity through the changing innovative breeding and crop management
strategies. Environmental impacts on farm food security are largely
determined by various factors. Agricultural natural resources include air,
minerals, plants, soil and water. Conservation is the care and protection of
these resources so that they can persist for future generations. It includes
maintaining diversity of species, genes, and agro ecosystems, as well as
functions of the environment, such as nutrient cycling. Conservation
Agriculture is similar to preservation, but while both relate to the
protection of nature, they strive to accomplish this task in different ways.
Conservation Agriculture seeks the sustainable farm use of nature by humans,
for activities while preservation means protecting nature. Current research efforts
include agricultural water quality and management, engineering for
economically and environmentally sound animal production systems, grain
handling and food processing, agricultural machine design and automated
controls, precision farming systems, agricultural safety, seed conditioning
and processing, and soil tillage and management systems. Research is being
directed increasingly towards bio systems engineering through the use of
biosensors, image analysis, biological systems modeling, and the design and
control of biological systems and processes. Bio renewable and biofuel
products and processes are an important focus of these research efforts.
The
social dimension programmes for food security and nutrition should be guided
by human rights norms and standards and should be complemented as appropriate
by policies, guidelines and legislation. In this context, nutraceuticals play
an important standpoint for improving the rural health. Traditionally, many
health based preparations are being consumed by Indian consumers regularly.
But due to current emerging situation of infectious diseases there is a need
to look for more nutraceutical based diet to strength the immunity in India.
Keeping
in view of all these facts, the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU),
Coimbatore organized the 6th Agricultural Graduate Students' Conference
(AGSC) 2020 during May 28-29, 2020 by online mode for the first time on
"Multi-Dimensional Approaches in Transforming Agriculture", with a
key focus essentially on eight interdisciplinary themes such as Crop
Productivity Enhancement: Integrating Breeding and Crop Management,
Environmental Impacts on Food Security, Preserving and Protecting Natural
Resources, Social Dimensions in Improving Crop Productivity, Innovations in
Agricultural and Biosystem Engineering, Approaches in Agricultural
Biotechnology and Nanotechnology, Protective Cultivation and Vertical Farming
and Nutraceuticals in Rural Health Improvement to offer solutions for
transforming Agriculture.
COVID-19
pandemic did not deter the students and faculties to organize this mega event
in which 258 extended abstracts were accepted for oral and poster
presentations under 8 theme areas and also published as Conference
Proceedings with ISBN. In total, 253 participants registered for the online
session. This conference served as a unique platform and offered a
stimulating venue for student research exchange and provided opportunity to
broaden their social and scientific network. Considering its importance, Dr.
N. Kumar, Vice-Chancellor, TNAU Coimbatore presided over the inaugural
session remotely from Chennai and Dr. R.C. Agrawal, DDG (Education), ICAR
provided his special keynote address. Seventeen invited speakers remotely
participated from different parts of the world like USA, Italy, Canada,
Australia and West Indies.
The
technical committee comprising of subject experts decided to publish the
research articles in a journal with NAAS score of 6.0 or above so as to
encourage the students who have undertaken outstanding research work.
Consequently, a proposal was sent to the Editor-in-chief of Journal of
Environmental Biology (JEB), with NAAS score >6.0 and also indexed in
various databases expressing interest to publish the articles in JEB as
Special/Supplement Issue.
The
R&D Division of J. Environ. Biol. short-listed 20 research papers.
These papers were sent for peer review. On the recommendation reports of the
reviewers and further clearance from the R&D division, 14 papers finally
were accepted for publication in Journal of Environmental Biology.
I
as a Guest Editor of this Special/Supplement Issue, profusely wish to thank
and appreciate our team members Dr. N.O. Gopal, Dr. M. Raveendran, Er. G.
Vanitha, Dr. S.K. Rajkishore and Dr. R. Prabhu for their meticulous efforts
in bringing out this publication. We feel this compendium of student research
articles will enlighten the young farm minds for better tomorrow in Indian
Agriculture.
I
deeply appreciate and acknowledge the Editorial Board, reviewers and
scientists of R&D division of JEB for critical review and editing of the
research papers. The co-operatation and assistance of secretarial and
publication team of JEB in the completion of Special/Supplement issue is
sincerely acknowledged. At last but not the least, I express my sincere
thanks to Dr. R.C. Dalela for accepting the papers and considering the
research papers for publication in Journal of Environmental Biology.
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