Data on production performance of 200 animals maintained at University Livestock Farm, Kerala Agricultural University, Mannuthy and Cattle Breeding Farm, Thumburmuzhi were used for the study. Among the eight economically important traits [305 day milk yield, fat percentage, protein percentage, SNF(Solids not fat), total solids, peak yield, days to attain peak yield and AFC(Age at first calving)...

With seasonal wetting and drying, and high biological productivity, agricultural wetlands (rice paddies) may enhance the conversion of inorganic mercury (Hg(II)) to methylmercury (MeHg), the more toxic, organic form that biomagnifies through food webs. Yet, the net balance of MeHg sources and sinks in seasonal wetland environments is poorly understood because it requires an annual, integrated a...

Adaptation to varied habitats confers ecological versatility and the capacity for coarse-grained distribution across heterogeneous habitats, whereas ecological specialization implies a restricted pattern. Ecogeography and adaptive trairs help to determine whether farmers are able to adjust their diverse erops to socioeeonomie and environmental changes (a process known as in situ conservation) o...

The welfare implications of intellectual property protection (IPP) for private sector agricultural research are analyzed, focusing on the realistic cases in which countries provide different IPP levels, technology spills over across countries, and the public sector is involved in research. A model is developed to determine who benefits from, and who should pay for, the associated research. The ...

Developments in biotechnology have raised new concerns about animal welfare, as farm animals now have their genomes modified (genetically engineered) or copied (cloned) to propagate certain traits useful to agribusiness, such as meat yield or feed conversion. These animals have been found to suffer from unusually high rates of birth defects, disabilities, and premature death. In the United Stat...

Adaptation to varied habitats confers ecological versatility and the capacity for coarse-grained distribution across heterogeneous habitats, whereas ecological specialization implies a restricted pattern. Ecogeography and adaptive trairs help to determine whether farmers are able to adjust their diverse erops to socioeeonomie and environmental changes (a process known as in situ conservation) o...

Nearly a century has been spent collecting and preserving genetic diversity in plants. Germplasm banks-living seed collections that serve as repositories of genetic variation-have been established as a source of genes for improving agricultural crops. Genetic linkage maps have made it possible to study the chromosomal locations of genes for improving yield and other complex traits important to ...

The commercial seed industry has undergone tremendous consolidation in the last 40 years as transnational corporations entered this agricultural sector, and acquired or merged with competing firms. This trend is associated with impacts that constrain the opportunities for renewable agriculture, such as reductions in seed lines and a declining prevalence of seed saving. To better characterize th...