Wednesday, September 5, 2018
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Modern technology in agriculture
Agriculture is one of the ancient occupations of
man. It provides food for the mankind. During 20th century the
population has been enormously increased. To cope up with increased population,
there was a need of rapid growth in agricultural production. The green
revolution in India initiated as technology mission increased agricultural
productivity during 1960s. Technology has played a big role in developing the
agricultural industry. Hybrid seeds, fertilizers and pesticides were
introduced. Tractors, tillers and other equipments were used. The food grain
production has been increased to comfortable level. Transportation and
marketing facilities have been increased. Cooling facilities have helped to
preserve vegetables for longer periods. Biotechnology is a boon to farmers.
Agricultural productivity is vital but
environmental protection is equally important. Due to the use of tractors, the
farmers stopped to use bullocks to till the land. In turn production and use of
organic manure was decreased. The use of fertilizers and pesticides has caused
soil pollution. Organic farming is once again getting importance. Due to the
over use of technology in agriculture, the cost of production of agricultural
products has been increased. The farmers are committing suicide which is a bad
trend. Now the concept of zero farming is getting importance. Due to irrigation
the nature of soil has been changed. The soil is losing its fertility. Due to
the increase of borewells, groundwater has been depleted in an alarming rate.
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Gulliver's Travels
I read 'Gulliver's Travels' written by Jonathan Swift. It
includes four parts. Part one and Part two include 8 chapters each. Part three
includes 11 chapters and Part four includes 12 chapters. It is a novel in the
form of travelogue. The narrator travels to four islands. In the beginning it
was believed that the narrator (Gulliver) was the author and it was a real
travelogue. The publisher stated that Gulliver was his cousin. A letter from
Gulliver to the publisher is included in the book.
Agripreneur
The concept of an “Agripreneur” is slowly gaining ground in the
agriculture sector in the country. The term entrepreneur is quite
familiar; so is the term agriculturist. The agripreneur is one who plays
the role of an entrepreneur in the field of agriculture.
Wings of Fire
I read Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam's autobiography 'Wings of Fire'. Arun Tiwari,
who worked under Abdul Kalam for over a decade in DRDL, is the
co-author. Arun Tiwari writes in the preface: "I could include in this
book only a few incidents among the many narrated to me by Dr. Kalam. In
fact, this book provides only a thumbnail sketch of Dr. Kalam's life."
Abdul Kalam has dedicated this book to his parents. His poem 'My Mother'
is included in the beginning of the book. The book is divided
into 4 parts: Orientation, Creation, Propitiation and Contemplation. It
also includes an Introduction and an Epilogue. 32 photos and 2 cartoons
are included in the book. Dr. Kalam quotes lines from English poetry.
The language used is simple and lucid. Kalam's achievements and failures
as a scientist are mainly narrated in the book. The book was first
published in 1999. 49th impression of it is published in 2015.
Universities Press has published the book. It has 180 pages.
Things Fall Apart
I read the novel 'Things Fall Apart' written by African writer Chinua
Achebe. It is the story of a tribal warrior Okonkwo who commits suicide
at the end of the novel. It is also the story of the disintegration of
an African tribe after the immigration of Christian missionary. The
novel also depicts the superstitions and beliefs of the tribal
community.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)