BAU scientists develop 4 new climate-resilient rice varieties
Bhagalpur: In a bid to make Bhagalpur and Bihar the rice bowl of India, scientists at Bihar Agricultural University (BAU) have developed four new high-yielding, disease-resistant and climate-friendly rice varieties.
The newly developed varieties – Sabour Katarni Dhan-1, Sabour Samba Dhan, Sabour Vibhuti Dhan and Sabour Shri Sub-1 – were released by BAU and recommended to the State Varietal Release Committee (SVRC) for evaluation. "They will then be referred to the Central Varietal Release Committee (CVRC) and Central Seed Committee (CSC) under The Seeds Act, 1966, for national-level recommendation," said BAU vice-chancellor D R Singh on Sunday.
Praising the efforts of BAU scientists, he said, "Sabour Katarni Dhan-1, developed by Mankesh Kumar and team, is a high-yielding, non-lodging, early-maturing variety with one-and-a-half times more yield than existing types. Its seeds will soon be mass-produced for farmers in Bhagalpur."
On 'Sabour Samba Dhan', developed by Prakash Singh's team, he said, "It has medium-long grains and high productivity. It can serve as an alternative to the Bapatla variety and will be demonstrated across 100 acres of farmland."
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed!
IC Markets
Start Now
Undo
'Sabour Shri Sub-1', an improved flood-tolerant variety by Shweta Sinha's team, "can survive 14 days in waterlogged conditions, yielding 30–35 quintals per hectare in such scenarios and 50–55 quintals normally," the VC added.
The fourth, 'Sabour Vibhuti Dhan', developed by Amarendra Kumar's team, is "tolerant to bacterial leaf blight and offers high yield through gene pyramiding," he said.
The VC added that the BAU research council has approved all four varieties and efforts are being made to ensure large-scale demonstration, packaging and distribution to farmers, including during the current rainy season.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
20 minutes ago
- Time of India
How each planet affects your temperament
I sit in quiet contemplation, connected to the cosmos. Planets and astrological signs swirl behind me, their subtle influence shaping my being. Planets are more than just far-off celestial bodies in astrology; each one carries energy that influences your innate temperament. These planets affect how you respond, communicate, and interact with people, depending on where they are in your birth chart. This is a brief summary of how each planet influences your fundamental nature: Sun Your inner self is symbolized by the sun. It affects your ego, self-expression, and confidence. Whereas a weaker Sun might make you more reserved or insecure, a strong Sun gives you a bold, confident temperament. MoonYour emotional reactions are controlled by the moon. It influences how you treat people, deal with emotions, and react to stress or comfort. Strong Moon energy tends to make people moody, caring, or emotionally invested. Mercury Your mental style is shaped by Mercury. It influences your speech, learning, and decision-making. An analytical, talkative, and inquisitive temperament is the outcome of a strong Mercury. You may experience nervous energy or indecision if Mercury is weak. Venus Venus affects how you relate to people in social settings, friendships, and romantic relationships. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo It conveys a kind, endearing, and serene essence. Venus placements that are strong convey warmth and elegance, while those that are weaker might be awkward when showing affection. Mars Mars controls your courage, temper, and energy levels. It makes you more assertive and motivates you to take action. While a weak Mars can result in passivity or frustration, a strong Mars fosters a bold, action-oriented temperament. Jupiter Jupiter is a sign of optimism, wisdom, and generosity. It gives your personality a more upbeat, expansive, and moral tone. Strong Jupiter placements are frequently associated with happiness, fairness, and open-mindedness. Saturn Saturn has an impact on your self-control and maturity. It imparts a somber, accountable, and occasionally wary disposition. While a challenging Saturn can bring anxiety or self-doubt, a well-placed one can bring calm focus. Every planet gives your personality a distinct emotional and mental tone. Gaining an understanding of them can improve your daily balance and self-awareness. Discover everything about astrology at the Times of India , including daily horoscopes for Aries , Taurus , Gemini , Cancer , Leo , Virgo , Libra , Scorpio , Sagittarius , Capricorn , Aquarius , and Pisces .
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
NASA captures crash site of Japanese moon lander Resilience in detailed lunar photo
NASA 's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has captured a high-resolution image revealing the crash site of Japan's Resilience moon lander, developed by Tokyo-based private firm ispace. The lander was attempting a historic touchdown on June 5, 2025, in the Moon's Mare Frigoris region, a vast ancient lava plain, but communication was lost shortly after its descent. The newly released image shows a dark smudge surrounded by a faint bright halo, a clear sign of the vehicle's high-speed impact and the resulting disruption of lunar soil. This marks the second failed lunar landing attempt by ispace. NASA tracks Japan's failed moon landing attempt in ancient volcanic region The Resilience spacecraft was aiming for a controlled landing in Mare Frigoris, a region shaped by massive basaltic lava flows over 3.5 billion years ago and later deformed by crustal buckling, forming prominent wrinkle ridges. Shortly after initiating its landing sequence, the ispace Mission Control Center lost contact with the lander. Analysis confirmed that the vehicle had likely crashed. The small Tenacious microrover, developed by ispace's European team in Luxembourg, was also lost during the failed landing. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah? IC Markets Mendaftar Undo NASA's image reveals lunar scars NASA's LRO image clearly shows a dark mark at the impact site, where the spacecraft disrupted the Moon's topsoil, known as regolith. A faint bright halo around the crash point resulted from fine particles being scattered across the surface. According to Mark Robinson, the principal investigator for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera, this visual evidence confirms the crash, which occurred about 2.4 km from the originally intended landing spot. Art and ambition lost in the crash The microrover Tenacious carried a unique piece of art, 'Moonhouse' by Swedish artist Mikael Genberg, a miniature model of red and white Swedish-style homes symbolising human presence and creativity on the Moon. This symbolic payload now lies among the wreckage, highlighting the fusion of art, exploration and private space ambitions. A repeated setback for ispace This was ispace's second lunar mission to end in failure. The company's first lander also crashed during its attempted landing in April 2023. Despite the setbacks, ispace remains among a small group of private firms pushing forward in the new era of commercial lunar exploration. The crash underscores the challenges of spaceflight, especially on the Moon, where terrain, timing and technology must align perfectly. While the crash is a disappointment for ispace, the successful imaging by NASA's orbiter provides valuable data and insights into the incident. As private and national space agencies continue their lunar ambitions, such documentation is vital for learning, improving designs and preparing for future missions, including eventual crewed landings and lunar habitation.
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Time of India
They survived ice ages and hunted mammoths; so why did the Neanderthals suddenly disappear? Now a physicist blames something in the sky
Neanderthals have long puzzled scientists. These ancient relatives of modern humans thrived across Europe and parts of Asia for hundreds of thousands of years. But around 40,000 years ago, they disappeared, just as Homo sapiens spread across the same regions. What really caused their extinction remains one of human evolution's biggest mysteries. Now, a new and unusual theory suggests that space weather, not climate, competition, or disease, may have played a decisive role. A recent study by Dr. Agnit Mukhopadhyay, a space physicist from the University of Michigan , proposes that a powerful cosmic event known as the Laschamp excursion might have played a part in the Neanderthals' decline. The findings were published in the journal Science Advances. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If You Eat Ginger Everyday for 1 Month This is What Happens Tips and Tricks Undo The Laschamp event occurred about 41,000 years ago, when the Earth's magnetic poles temporarily flipped. During this brief reversal, the planet's magnetic field, which normally protects us from cosmic radiation, dramatically weakened for several centuries. Mukhopadhyay argues that this weakening may have exposed the Earth's surface to much higher levels of ultraviolet (UV) and cosmic radiation, particularly in some parts of the world. Live Events Radiation as a Hidden Killer? The core of the hypothesis is that Neanderthals, already living in small, isolated populations, may have been more vulnerable to this radiation than Homo sapiens. The study claims that Homo sapiens had tighter clothing, used red ochre as UV protection, and took shelter in caves helping them survive the radiation. Neanderthals, in contrast, might have lacked these protections. Computer simulations in the study even show that auroras, a sign of increased solar activity, might have been visible across much of the world during this time, proof, the author argues, of the heightened radiation environment. While the theory is bold and imaginative, many experts are skeptical. Researchers José-Miguel Tejero and Montserrat Sanz Borràs, writing for The Conversation, point out that the idea rests on shaky archaeological evidence. For example, it assumes that Neanderthals didn't wear fitted clothing. While it's true that no sewing needles have been found at Neanderthal sites, there is clear evidence that they processed animal hides and likely wore functional garments using other techniques, such as tying hides with leather cords or splinters. In fact, genetic studies of lice suggest that humans, possibly including Neanderthals, were already wearing clothes over 200,000 years ago. The absence of needles doesn't prove the absence of clothes. The study also claims that Homo sapiens used red ochre as sunblock. While experiments show that ochre can somewhat block UV rays, this claim is also disputed. Ochre was widely used by both Neanderthals and modern humans, often for symbolic or cosmetic reasons. There is no solid evidence that either group used it primarily for sun protection. Neanderthals are known to have used ochre for over 100,000 years. In one example, a painted scallop shell found in a Neanderthal cave in Spain shows their symbolic use of pigments long before Homo sapiens arrived in Europe. Most scientists believe that multiple factors caused the Neanderthals' disappearance. These include, interbreeding with Homo sapiens (evident in modern DNA), smaller populations that were more vulnerable to decline, limited long-range hunting tools, unlike the projectile weapons used by sapiens, Changing climate, and possibly, competition for resources. In this broader context, Mukhopadhyay's theory appears too narrow. Critics note that there is no archaeological evidence of a sudden, global collapse of Neanderthal populations tied to the Laschamp event. If radiation were such a major factor, it would have also harmed Homo sapiens populations living outside caves in sunny Africa, which doesn't seem to have happened. A Caution Against Oversimplification The Neanderthal story is complex. These early humans were not primitive brutes. They developed tools, built shelters, made symbolic objects, and survived in extreme climates for hundreds of thousands of years. They even lived through earlier magnetic reversals, such as the Blake event 120,000 years ago. Mukhopadhyay's theory adds an intriguing piece to the puzzle, but it's far from conclusive. So, did a shift in Earth's magnetic field doom the Neanderthals? Probably not. While the Laschamp event may have had some environmental impact, there's no strong evidence that it caused Neanderthal extinction . The theory suggests that the disappearance of Neanderthals was likely due to a mix of climate, biology, and human interaction.
