Soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration with enhanced stable carbon storage has been widely accepted as a very important ecosystem property. Yet, the link between carbon stability and bio-activity for ecosystem functioning with OC accumulation in field soils has not been characterized. We assessed the changes in microbial activity versus carbon stability along a paddy soil chronosequence shifti...

The purpose of this study was to identify factors which affect rural women's participation in rice cultivation (RWPRC) in Mazandaran Province, Iran. The population of this research consisted of all rural women in Mazandaran Province, Iran. By using a multi-stage random sampling, 300 rural women were selected as statistical sample. The research instrument was a structured questionnaire including...

Cereal Chem. 77(5):551–555 Rice bran contains high amounts of beneficial antioxidants including tocopherols, tocotrienols, and oryzanols. Current rice milling technology produces rice bran from different layers of the kernel caryopsis. Under current practices, these layers are combined and then steam-extruded to form a stabilized rice bran pellet that is storage-safe prior to oil extraction. Ea...

Purple rice is a strain of glutaneous rice rich in anthocyanins and γ-oryzanol. Both types of compounds are involved in antioxidant and lipid metabolism of mammals. Three experimental diet types were used which consisted approximately by half either of purple rice, white rice or corn. Diets were fed to 3×10 pigs growing from about 30 to 100 kg. Meat samples were investigated either as raw or cu...

El Niño events typically lead to delayed rainfall and decreased rice planting in Indonesia's main rice-growing regions, thus prolonging the hungry season and increasing the risk of annual rice deficits. Here we use a risk assessment framework to examine the potential impact of El Niño events and natural variability on rice agriculture in 2050 under conditions of climate change, with a focus on ...

Despite advances in the capacity to predict the evolution of the El Niño–southern oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon and advances in understanding the influence of ENSO on rainfall in tropical regions such as Sri Lanka, there has been limited use of climate predictions for agricultural decision-making. Climatic fluctuations have a profound influence on the cultivation of crops such as rice, which is...