agriculture crop News
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Rem Tec Obtains the Revocation of Fraunhofer Institute Patent
With the Hearing held in The Hague on 17/10/2018 REM Tec obtained the revocation of the patent EP 2 811 819 filed in 2013 by the Fraunhofer Institute. Fraunhofer's patent referred to agro-photovoltaic plants for the simultaneous use of agricultural crops and production of energy from solar sources, claiming characteristics already present in REM Tec's AGROVOLTAICO® plants, installed in ...
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Improved crops can double European agriculture production
Roadmap Will Help to Make Food Crops “Future-Proof” Wageningen University & Research is working within the CropBooster-P EU project on a roadmap to make agricultural crops future-proof. The project will develop a pathway to sustainably doubling Europe’s crop yields by 2050 and preparing these crops for the needs and the future climate of Europe Ensuring sufficient food ...
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Patches of flowers boost pollinator diversity and lead to higher crop yields
Falling levels of insect pollination are causing declining yields of important agricultural crops. However, new research from South Africa now indicates that planting small patches of native flowers in agricultural fields can be a profitable and sustainable method of increasing pollination and yield. Insect pollination is a vital ecosystem service as animal-pollinated crops form an essential ...
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Scottish seaweed may help tackle climate change
Scotland’s seaweed could be the latest weapon in the fight against climate change, according to a new report commissioned by The Crown Estate and conducted by researchers at The Scottish Association for Marine Science. The report details the potential of farming marine algae to be used to produce biomass to heat homes and fuel transport while avoiding the problems associated with biofuels, such ...
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Use of residues from agriculture and forestry as energy source improves food security
The sustainability of growing crops for use as energy sources has been disputed for many years. A potentially attractive alternative is to use waste and residues from agricultural and forestry. However, using waste and other residues may have an impact on land use, biodiversity and food security. The additional sources of income from the sale of waste and other residues could prompt an increase ...
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Loss of wild pollinators would hit crops, finds study
The loss of wild pollinators from agricultural landscapes could threaten global crop yields, a study has found. Led by Lucas Garibaldi, an assistant professor at the National University of Río Negro inArgentina, a team of researchers compared fields containing many wild pollinators — mostly insects — with those containing few. They studied 41 crop systems across all continents ...
By SciDev.Net
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Climate change to shift global spread and quality of agricultural land
New areas of land suitable for agriculture will open up under climate change’s effects, new research predicts, particularly in far northern regions of the world. However, the overall quality of land for farming will decline and many regions, including Europe, could lose large areas of suitable land. Demand for agricultural products is expected to rise by 70–110% by 2050. This is ...
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Understanding land use change and US ethanol expansion
Understanding changes in land use—such as deforestation, urbanization and agriculture expansion—is important if society is to properly address the challenges of climate change, utilization of natural resources, and energy production and consumption. However, the intensifying debate over potential indirect land use changes resulting from biofuels expansion is nebulous at best. At worst, it is ...
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Sustainable Agriculture to Promote Biodiversity
• Biodiversity affects key ecosystem services, such as the primary production of food for humans and the rest of nature, plus the recycling of nutrients and water. • One hectare of land contains a lot of biodiversity in the soil – equivalent to the weight of one cow of bacteria, two sheep of protozoa, and four rabbits of soil animals such as earthworms. The INSPIA* project is ...
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High-yield crops have curbed agricultural land expansion, but care needed to avoid negative biodiversity effects
The widespread use of higher-yielding improved varieties of crops as part of the Green Revolution’ has averted the conversion of between 18 to 27 million hectares of forests, woodlands and pastures in the period 1965 to 2004, according to a recent study. However, its authors caution that the relationship between these crops and land use change is complex, and good governance is needed to ...
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Nitrogen fertilizer works way into sea and destroys marine habitats - EC
Substantial increases in the flow of nitrogen into the sea have raised concerns about marine pollution. New research shows that commercial fishing is playing an important, but now declining, role in transferring this nitrogen back onto land. Enormous amounts of nitrogen fertilizer are applied to agricultural land to increase crop productivity. However, the use of such fertilisers can be damaging ...
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Making agriculture sustainable
Agriculture is possibly the most important sector of global activity. It is a source of foods, fibers and, increasingly, fuel. It provides livelihoods and subsistence for the largest number of people worldwide. It is vital to rural development and therefore critical to poverty alleviation. Up to 40% of the land’s surface is used for agriculture, along with 70% of the world’s fresh water supply. ...
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Media Availability: Algae Facts and Experts From the Algal Biomass Organization
As high gas prices and the need for new supplies of fuel have entered the national energy discussion, the Algal Biomass Organization (ABO), the trade association for the U.S. algae industry, today announced the availability of experts and information resources that can clarify the potential for algae to provide the nation with a new source of domestically produced fuels. ABO spokespersons, ...
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Don`t miss a chance to book your stand at AgroLogistics Uzbekistan 2015
International Trade Exhibition company ITE Uzbekistan and its partner I.T.E. Exhibitions & Conferences Ltd. (United Kingdom) are glad to invite Your company to participate in AgroLogistics Uzbekistan 2015 The exhibition covers every segment of the fresh produce business, features players from all the world's markets, and offers a complete overview of the market for all products and services ...
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Healthy soil is essential for a biobased & circular economy
The soil is the ground beneath our feet and the growth place for biomass. For a biobased & circular economy it is crucial to preserve this ‘pantry’ storage function of the soil. This is why Wageningen University & Research is performing dedicated research into various aspects of the soil, such as nutrients and organic material, smarter cultivation systems of a larger diversity ...
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Ancient crops preserved for future generations in Arctic seed vault
Varieties of one of the world's most important staple crops will be stored for perpetuity deep in the Arctic ice today. José Graziano da Silva, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is joining scientific experts and delegations from Peru, Costa Rica and Norway to witness a ceremony here this afternoon that will help to preserve these vital ...
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New Report Offers Menu of Solutions to Close the Global Food Gap
New research presents solutions to meet the world’s growing food needs, while advancing economic development and environmental sustainability. The analysis finds that the world will need 70 percent more food, as measured by calories, in order to feed a global population of 9.6 billion people in 2050. It is possible to close the food gap, while creating a more productive and healthy ...
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