India's rice revolution

Sumant Kumar was overjoyed when he harvested his rice last year. There had been good rains in his village of Darveshpura in north-east India and he knew he could improve on the four or five tonnes per hectare that he usually managed. But every stalk he cut on his paddy field near the bank of the Sakri river seemed to weigh heavier than usual, every grain of rice was bigger and when his crop was weighed on the old village scales, even Kumar was shocked. This was not six or even 10 or 20 tonnes. Kumar, a shy young farmer in Nalanda district of India's poorest state Bihar, had – using only farmyard manure and without any herbicides – grown an astonishing 22.4 tonnes of rice on one hectare of land. This was a world record and with rice the staple food of more than half the world's population of seven billion, big news. The villagers, at the mercy of erratic weather and used to going without food in bad years, celebrated. The rhythm of Nalanda village life was shattered. Not everyone agrees.

Bee-friendly Gardening: flowers, ideas and tips Get your garden BUZZING! In the UK over the past fifty years or so we have lost approximately 98% of our rich wild-flower meadows, as well as many hedgerows, ponds and wildlife habitats. This has meant our bees, bumblebees and pollinating insects have become increasingly dependent on gardens and urban waste-grounds to find the year-round pollen and nectar food sources they need, as well as suitable habitats for nesting and hibernation. Over 2/3rds of our bees and pollinating insects are currently under threat. We can help our honeybees, bumblebees, wild bees and pollinating insects by making our gardens even more ‘Bee-and Pollinator Friendly’ at this time. There are several things we can do if we have a garden – or even if we have only a sunny backyard or window boxes: Growing ‘Bee-Friendly’ flowers: Without a wide range of forage flowers throughout the year, our different types of bees and pollinators cannot survive. Look for bee-friendly labels in garden centres and seed catalogues.