Researchers at the Rajendra Agricultural University have developed a new method of mixed cropping in the banana orchard to keep pests away.Vice-chancellor of the university V P Gupta has said that cultivation of jowar and moong crops could eradicate a disease which is rampant in the banana orchard. He said researchers in his institution had found that a gas which emanates from the roots of jowar naturally cures the disease seen in banana crops caused by the fusarium fungus.

Dr Gupta said mixed cropping and intercropping were successfully tested in Vaishali district of North Bihar.

Cloning used to save Australia's rarest mammal

An Australian scientist, Dr Monique Wolvekamp, is using cloning to save endangered species the Northern Hairy-nosed wombat of Australia from extinction. This wombat, Australia's rarest mammal species, is extremely endangered with only 80 animals left in the wild and none in captivity.

Dr. Wolvekamp works at the Institute ofReproduction and Development, a medical research institution that is part of the Faculty of Medicine at Monash University. The institute promotes the application of its research to benefit the preservation of the world's endangered species as well as the reproductive health of women and men, the growth and development of babies and children, and the development of Australia's agricultural industry.

She sees cloning as, "a novel assisted reproductive technology to save an endangered species from extinction."

As to the cons of cloning, in the view of Dr. Wolvekamp they are technical rather than ethical. She says: "You will have to clone several animals in able to increase the genetic variety enough. So you shouldn't use a series of cloned animals in a breeding program because you would like to maintain/increase the genetic variety of a species. However, one cloned animal can be used for one population and "the same" cloned animal for a second population."

Poll finds renewable energy popular withAmericans

Most Americans favor strong government support for renewable energies, according to a public opinion survey conducted recently. The survey was commissioned by the Sustainable Energy Environment Coalition, a group of 35 national business and consumer organizations that promotes renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Thirty-seven percent of respondents said the US Department of Energy (DOE) should fund research into renewable energy, while 25 per cent want more support for programs to develop energy efficiency and conservation.The first integration of photovoltaic (PV) solar cells into a federal building is the sky-lighted entryway of the Thoreau Center for Sustainability at Presidio National Park, San Francisco, California.

Laminated to the skylight glass are PV cells that produce electricity.By comparison, eight per cent want funding for oil and coal technologies, an equal number want help for nuclear energy, and seven per cent support more research on natural gas.

Scientists seekways to avoid turbulence

Research in Colorado employing airborne Doppler radar could soon provide commercial airlines with a way to avoid turbulent weather while in flight. Sponsored by NASA's Aviation Safety Program, the National Center for Atmospheric Research is guiding the study using three specially equipped airplanes. These planes will fly into and around storms between Fort Collins, Colorado, and Cheyenne, Wyoming, between June 2 and June 18.

The goal is to find out whether it is possible to detect convective turbulence using airborne Doppler radar. Convective turbulence may be detected by weather radar that bounces radio waves off large raindrops, snowflakes and hailstones. "Airborne Doppler radar is a promising tool for detecting convective turbulence," said NCAR lead atmospheric scientist on the project Larry Cornman. "If everything goes well, it could be ready for use by U.S. airlines within two years." Convective turbulence is caused by heat and is associated with storms and clouds. Asair heats up, it rises, oscillates and becomes chaotic. This chaotic air is known as convective turbulence.