Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

Member profile
Browse all members

Dr. E.V.S. Prakasa Rao

Member since
Organization: Independent Researcher
Country: India
Field(s) of expertise:
I am working on:

Sustainable agricultural systems which include crop diversification, improve processing technologies of aromatic crops, carbon sequestration, economics of production and waste recycling and soil health; climate change adaptation, weather-agriculture modelling; sustainable livelihoods.

This member contributed to:

    • Different countries could have R&D policies of evaluatiing indigenously available materials which could be incorporated with fertilizers to enhance their use efficiency as well as reduce adverse effects on environment. For eg. research has been done in India on using indigenous materials such as neem (Azadirachta indica) cake, pyrites and natural essential oils and derivatives for enhancing N-use efficiency in a variety of cropping systems and soil conditions. Government of India has taken a poilicy decision to coat all the manufactured urea with neem oil in the country ( Prakasa Rao et al., 2017). The paper is attached.

      See the attachments:

    • Essential oil production for involving rural youth for enterpreneurship and livelihoods in India

      More than 60 % of population lives in rural areas in India and nearly 600 million people are youth under the age of 25 in India. Gainful employment and livelihood options combined with skills and enterpreneuship development will help improve the living standards in rural areas. Also, the increasing migration of rural youth to urban areas for employment which are already overpopulated exacerbate the problems of rural economy and gender equity.

      We have started working on the models of incoporating commercially important aromatic plants for essential oil production as diversification crops in rural India (Prakasa Rao, 2009). Recently we have produced a proof of concept of vetiver oil production in south India where technological interventions with sustainable agricultural pracices as a viable rural employment opportunity for small farmers (Prakasa Rao et al., 2015). It has to be noted that in the small farmer families, children are often involved in the agricultural operations. It is at this stage of life (below 18 years of age) that new opportunities for skills and enterpreneurship opportunities are made available to the youth of this age and also young girls could be made a part of such efforts (figures attached).

      Thus our consultations focussing such issues as presented in my note could help evolve diversified strategies to involve rural youth of both genders for gainful employment and improved livelihoods in rural India.

      Ref.

      E.V.S.Prakasa Rao.  2009.  Medicinal and aromatic plants for crop diversification and       their agronomic implications.  Indian J. Agron. 54(2), 215-220.

      E.V.S.Prakasa Rao,  Gopinath, C.T., Ravindra, N.S., Akshata Srinivas., Nagendra Prasad and Aparna Hebbar (2015). Vetiver  production for small farmers in India. In Sustainable Agriculture Reviews.Ed. E. Lichtfouse, Springer International Publishing Switzerland. Vol. 17: 337-355.DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-16742-8_10

       

       

      See the attachments:

    • Hi!

      Agricultural diversification can help. We have developed models where incorporation of aromatic crops can help land scapes, provide agricultural intensification and ecological services.

      As how soil functions with aromatic crops could be improved to provide livelihood support and enhance ecological services formed a part of my presentation in the Dresden Nexus Conference ( March, 2015) organized by United Nations University, Dresden, Germany. The presentation is attached for the benefit of those who wish to know this concept.

      best regards,

      E.V.S.Prakasa Rao,

      Ph.D, FNAAS, FISA, FISS

      See the attachments: