Sustainable Agriculture

The Sustainable Agriculture Division of TERI is committed to addressing the twin challenges of global food security and environmental sustainability in the face of a rapidly growing population. The primary orientation is on enabling a transition toward climate-resilient and resource-efficient agricultural systems by advancing science-led, nature-based solutions. Research focuses on reducing reliance on synthetic chemical inputs while enhancing soil health, carbon sequestration, nutrient use efficiency, and crop productivity along with advanced technological solutions for allied disciplines including feed for livestock, natural products and biomolecules for nutraceuticals, pest management, reclamation of industrial wastelands and amelioration of agriculture waste.

agriculture narrative

NEW IN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

  • Agricultura Coalition

     

    Event

    Ecological Restoration Project: TERI signs MoU with Hindustan Zinc Limited

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  • Mycorrhizal Research

    Event

    Design and Development of Commercial Plant Tissue Culture Lab at Guyana

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  • cooling plants

     

    Press Release

    Chambal Fertilisers and Chemicals Limited and The Energy and Resources Institute partner to establish ‘Centre of Excellence for Advanced and Sustainable Agriculture Solutions’

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  • TERI and CFCL

     

    Article

    Union Budget 2026 Signals a Shift: From Farm Subsidies to Outcome-Driven Agricultural Research

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  • cooling plants

     

    Event

    Launch of Nanofertilizers in Guyana

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Projects

Articles

Treethane in the Caulosphere: Unexplored Mechanisms and Climate Implication

Dr Raghab Ray

Out of over 3 trillion trees globally, more than 40% occur in (sub)tropical settings that contribute to two-thirds of all natural CH4 emissions.

Union Budget 2026 Signals a Shift: From Farm Subsidies to Outcome-Driven Agricultural Research

Dr Pushplata Singh

The Union Budget 2026 for agriculture marks a decisive recalibration of India’s farm policy, signalling a gradual transition from a subsidy-reliant, relief-driven approach to a more technology-enabled, outcome-oriented, and sustainability-focused growth paradigm.

Application of Guar Gum for Oil and Gas Industry: A Green Biopolymer

Dr Banwari Lal
,
Dr K Nanthakumar
,
Mr Shishram Chahar
,
Dr Veeranna Channashettar
,
Mr C Paul Jeyaseelan

Guar gum powder is extracted from the guar seeds after a multistage industrial process. The production technique depends upon the desired product.

Biochar and Microbial Application for Carbon Dioxide Removal

Dr Mandira Kochar
,
Mr Varun Grover

Combining biochar with soil microbial communities can enhance soil health, nutrient cycling, and agricultural productivity. Being a stable carbonaceous material, biochar offers multiple benefits by improving soil’s physical, chemical, and biological properties.

Emerging Technologies and Debates: Nano-agri-inputs and Products

Dr Pushplata Singh

Nano-agri-inputs could be the next big leap in sustainable farming, with the ability to boost yields and cut emissions—but their real-world impact will rest on scientific rigour, careful regulation, and farmer trust.

Grassroots Climate Action in Uttarakhand: Partnerships, Participation, and Progress

Dr Amit Kumar Thakur
,
Dr Dipankar Saharia

Agriculture is the backbone of the hill economy in Uttarakhand. However, most of the farming in the state is rain-fed, with irrigation facilities primarily restricted to the plains and valleys.

Events

TERI, VNV, and KCC Sign a Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding

July 9, 2026
to July 9, 2026

TERI, the Kisan Chamber of Commerce (KCC), and Value Network Advisory (VNV) formally signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Constitution Club of India, New Delhi, on July 9, to collaborate on the development and implementation of a carbon project in Haryana.

TERI, VNV, and KCC Sign a Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding

July 9, 2026
to July 9, 2026

TERI, the Kisan Chamber of Commerce (KCC), and Value Network Advisory (VNV) formally signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Constitution Club of India, New Delhi, on July 9, to collaborate on the development and implementation of a carbon project in Haryana.

TERI and CSIR-IIIM Partner for Advance Fermentation-Based Production of Anthraquinone Pigments from Endophytic Fungi

June 11, 2026
to June 11, 2026

NEW DELHI: TERI and the CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Jammu, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a collaborative research project on the “Upscaling Optimization of Anthraquinone-Based Pigment Production Through Fermentation Technology”. The MoU was signed at TERI's IHC Office, New Delhi on 11th June, 2026.

Ecological Restoration Project: TERI signs MoU with Hindustan Zinc Limited

June 6, 2026
to June 6, 2026

Transforming Industrial Landscapes: TERI and Hindustan Zinc Partner for Historic Ecological Restoration

SASMIRA and TERI Join Hands to Drive Sustainable Innovation for India’s Future

March 23, 2026
to March 23, 2026

The Synthetic & Art Silk Mills’ Research Association (SASMIRA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) on 3rd December 2025 at the SASMIRA Campus in Mumbai to jointly plan and implement research and development initiatives of common interest.

News

Microalgae to Aquafeed: Transforming the Future for India’s Fisheries

August 6, 2026
| Dr Amritpreet Kaur Minhas and Dr Shovon Mandal
| Global Agriculture

Microalgae-based aquafeed offers India a sustainable alternative to fishmeal and soybean, with potential to reduce environmental pressures, improve fish nutrition, and strengthen the country’s aquaculture sector, write Dr Amritpreet Kaur Minhas, Fellow, Dr Shovon Mandal, Fellow, Sustainable Agriculture Division, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).

Agrivoltaics: Centre tests farming beneath elevated solar panels

August 3, 2026 |
August 3, 2026
Hindustan Times

In a Lok Sabha reply, the government said studies by institutions including The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) estimate India’s theoretical agrivoltaic potential at 1,192 GW to 2,129 GW.

Warming Worlds, Shifting Microbiomes: Impact on Medicinal Plants and Endophytes

July 6, 2026
| Dr Kanika Chowdhary, Dr Mayurika Goel
| Global Agriculture

Climate change-induced shifts in plant microbiomes, particularly endophytes, may alter the medicinal properties and resilience of medicinal plants, underscoring the need to conserve these microbial communities alongside their host species, write Dr Kanika Chowdhary, Associate Fellow,  Social Transformation and CSR Division and Dr Mayurika Goel, Fellow, Sustainable Agriculture Division, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).

Global Biofuels Alliance names 15 fellows, 2 from India

July 3, 2026 |
July 3, 2026
The Times of India

India-headquartered Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA) has selected 15 early-career researchers from leading universities and research institutions across the world for its Global Biofuel Champion Fellowship. From India, two researchers - Dr Ruchi Agrawal, Fellow, Sustainable Agriculture Division of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Mr Abhisek Sahoo of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi - have been selected for the fellowship.

Healing the "Stifled" Soil: A New Agricultural Blueprint for Cleaner Air and Sturdier Yields

June 17, 2026
| Dr Pushplata Singh
| Global Agriculture

The transition to a sustainable agricultural package is no longer just an environmental ideal; it is an economic and public health necessity. By restoring Soil Organic Carbon, TERI provide farmers with a path out of stagnating yields and rising debts writes Dr Pushplata Singh, Director, Sustainable Agriculture Division, TERI.

SEIA 2026: Vibha Dhawan The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) receives award for Women in Agri‑Energy Leadership

June 13, 2026 |
June 13, 2026
Chinimandi

Dr Vibha Dhawan, Director General, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), was honored with the Women in Agri-Energy Leadership Award at SEIA 2026 in recognition of her outstanding contributions to sustainable agriculture, bioenergy, and clean energy transitions.

Policy

Food and Land Resources: Incorporating Watershed-Based Approaches for Better Sustainability-Productivity Balance

August 4, 2021

The overall purpose of watershed programmes is to enhance incomes, provide food security through sustainable agriculture and prudent management of natural resources. This directly corresponds to SDG 1 and 2, i.e. No poverty and Zero Hunger respectively.

Guidelines for Evaluation of Nano-based Agri-input and Food Products in India

August 6, 2020

Nanobiotechnology applications in food production and agriculture have a lot of potential. However, India did not have adequate guidelines to regulate the same. Until now.

Women in agriculture: Enhancing their role and promoting sustainability and livelihood support

May 26, 2020

The paper looks at enhancing the role of women in agriculture and allied activities and providing institutional support

Discussion Paper : Organic Agriculture: An option for fostering sustainable and inclusive agriculture development in India

June 2, 2015

Land scarcity, degraded ecosystems and climate change are pressures that the agriculture sector confronts in the 21st century whilst needing to meet demands for food, feed and fibre, preserve natural resources as well as ensure profitability, economic and social equity (FAO, 2015). Industrialized agriculture,1 which is capital intensive, substituting animal and human labour with machines and purchased inputs (IAASTD, 2009) has been the favoured model for agriculture development due to its tremendous success in increasing food production.

Strengthening Agricultural Biotechnology Regulation in India

September 22, 2010

The recent decision by the Ministry of Environment and Forests to place an indefinite moratorium on the release of Bt Brinjal for commercial agriculture has brought sharp focus on the stridently polarized views across the scientific community and civil society on the benefits and costs of genetically modified crops.

Services

Technology for reclaming wastelands

We provide expertise in greening and reclamation of wasteland to turn it into green, productive land. We do this using a beneficial group of micro-organisms known as mycorrhizal fungi. Successful examples of sites reclaimed using this technology include fly ash overburdens, alkali chlor-laden sites, distillery effluent discharge sites, phosphogypsum ponds, coal mines, red mud, saline and arid sites.

Next generation technology to produce high-quality mycorrhiza

Mycorrhiza is a biofertiliser that helps promote plant growth in an environment-friendly manner and provides several benefits during the plant cultivation stages. Our in-vitro mass production technology uses a sterile, contamination-free environment, to commerciallly produce this high-quality mycorrhiza, which is viable, healthy, and genetically pure. Our next generation technology for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi is suitable for industries and requires less space for maximum recovery of propagules (up to 1000 billion propagules/annum).

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Team

Director General
Director, Centre for Mycorrhizal Research
Director, Centre for Nano Research Area and Agricultural Biotechnology Area
Fellow and Area Convenor, Agricultural Biotechnology
Area Convener, Micropropagation Technology Park
Fellow and Area Convenor, Centre for Mycorrhizal Research
Fellow and Area Convenor, Centre for Nano Research