Impact of organic sugercane farming on economics and water use efficiency in Maharashtra

SugercaneEconomic aspectsWater use efficiencyOrganic agricultureFarmersSurveysCultivationYields

Momentum space properties from coordinate space electron density

Electron density and electron momentum density, while independently tractable experimentally, bear no direct connection without going through the many-electron wave function. However, invoking a variant of the constrained-search formulation of density functional theory, we develop a general scheme (valid for arbitrary external potentials) yielding decent momentum space properties, starting exclusively from the coordinate space electron density. Numerical illustration of the scheme is provided for the closed-shell atomic systems He, Be and Ne and for $1s^1~2s^1$ singlet electronic excited state for Helium by calculating the Compton profiles and the $$ expectation values derived from given coordinate space electron densities.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur

Towards a path integral for the pure-spin connection formulation of gravity

A proposal for the path-integral of pure-spin-connection formulation of gravity is described, based on the two-form formulation of Capovilla et. al. It is shown that the resulting effective-action for the spin-connection, upon functional integration of the two-form field $\Sigma$ and the auxiliary matrix field $\psi$ is {\it non-polynomial}, even for the case of vanishing cosmological constant and absence of any matter couplings. Further, a diagramatic evaluation is proposed for the contribution of the matrix-field to the pure spin connection action.Comment: 8 pages in plain-TeX.-----IUCAA_TH/9

Programmable Electronic Delay Device for Detonator

Delay devices are used to perform various roles like aiding in sequential release of payload, providing safety in flight/ trajectory, enabling self-destruction of ammunitions, allowing blast of the warhead after penetration in runway/bunker, etc. The delay time is introduced to cause a series of detonation events from the explosive charge, in order to achieve desired efficiency. Inspite of many improvements performed along the years, in search of precise delay compositions, it is noticed that the obtained accuracy in chemical delay compositions is of ±4%.The present work using microcontroller gives possible accuracy of upto ±1%.This paper discusses about programmable electronic delay device, timing accuracy of electronic delay device and its merits over chemical delay devices.Defence Science Journal, 2013, 63(3), pp.305-307, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/dsj.63.288

The village impact of machine threshing and implications for technology development in the semi‐arid tropics of peninsular India

This study evaluates the dynamic consequences of machine threshing in the Semi‐Arid Tropics (SAT) of Peninsular India. We rely on a panel of 30 cultivator and 10 landless labour households to monitor, over five cropping years from 1975/76 to 1979/80, the impact of mechanical threshing on the village economy. Machine threshing did not significantly reduce costs, increase cropping intensity, or greatly harm labour. These results are strongly conditioned by the ecological features of the SAT. Their implications for public‐sector investment in research on selective threshing mechanisation are drawn

Efficient utilization of energy with an improved farming system for selected semi-arid tropics

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), India, has developed an improved technology for the management of Vertisols. The results of testing of this technology in farmers' fields in India have shown that substantially higher yields can be achieved by an efficient application of available energy resources along with other high-value inputs. The technology does not depend upon a tractorized form of energy and improves the productivity of farm labo

Watershed Based Technology: Experiences and Lessons

This paper delineates the micro-watershed based technology conceived, designed and developed by ICRISAT and reviews its performance at ICRISAT Centre and in farmers' fields. The earlier results are viewed retrospectively and lessons drawn for solving the difficult problem of spread of this technology in dryland regions of India. ICRISAT has assembled a watershed based technology for dependable rainfall areas of the semi-arid tropics regions of India. The long-term experiments at ICRISAT Centre confirmed that the application of improved technology results in considerable improvements in yields and profitability. The on-farm watershed trials in a few agro-climates of the Indian semi-arid tropics with moderate but dependable rainfall showed that gross profits from improved technology were 1.5-2 times higher than those from the traditional technology as long as management support and adequate inputs were made available. The experience shows that the continuing need for management support for watershed development, credit supply, wheeled tool carriers, infrastructure facilities for supply of seeds, fertilizers and the need of farmer's participation and their training are some of the constraints which seem to impose narrower limits on the technology spread than had earlier been anticipated. The lessons learned from these experiences suggest that these barriers can be removed by close cooperation of researchers, administrators, extension workers and bankers with active participation of the farmers in order to realize the full potential of the watershed based technology