root crop News
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Rising emissions may double sweet potato size
Rising levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere caused by human-driven emissions might lead to larger sweet potatoes, a staple food for many African and Asian countries, research reveals. Sweet potatoes could double in size with the increase in CO2 levels currently forecasted for the end of this century, according to research by a team from the University of Hawaii, United States. The ...
By SciDev.Net
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Horn of Africa `should grow more climate-hardy cassava`
Farmers in the Horn of Africa should focus on growing more improved cassava varieties, which are high-yielding and resilient to drought, according to researchers. The improved varieties developed by the Nigeria-based International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and tested in Ethiopia, may help tackle famine in the Horn of Africa, an area that was severely hit by drought and hunger in ...
By SciDev.Net
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Less nitrogen could increase profit & sustainability
More fertilizer doesn't always mean more profit. That's one conclusion from a 10-year study conducted by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists at the agency’s Soil Plant Nutrient Research Unit in Fort Collins, Colo., and colleagues at Colorado State University. From 1998 to 2008, the researchers evaluated and compared potential management strategies for reducing nitrogen and nitrate ...
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Root-imaging technology could improve crop resilience
Mexican researchers have welcomed a breakthrough in imaging plant roots, saying it could help breeders develop new varieties of crops that can thrive in harsh conditions. The technique uses X-ray computed tomography to build up a three-dimensional image by scanning through 360 degrees, a technology commonly used in hospitals to diagnose soft tissue damage. Scans of plant roots in soil show the ...
By SciDev.Net
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Target the crop not the soil - to reduce fertiliser use
Feed the crop not the soil’ is the message of a new review into sustainable phosphorus use. Currently, phosphorus fertiliser is applied to the soil, and plants then take it up through the roots. However, more precise nutrient management is needed on farms, the researchers say, so that the phosphorus is targeted at the crop just as it needs it. Modern agriculture is dependent on phosphorus, ...
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AgBiome Granted Multi-year Award to Discover Biological Solutions to Diseases Affecting Subsistence Crops of Sub-Saharan Africa
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded AgBiome a new multi-year grant, entitled “Broad-Spectrum Biological Control of Fungal Diseases,” which will fund the evaluation and development of lead, proprietary biological fungicides in the fields of African smallholder farmers. The aim of the project is to identify and validate biological fungicides to control one or more of ...
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AgBiome Awarded Grant from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
AgBiome, LLC, a leader in the development of microbial solutions for agriculture, has been awarded a multi-year grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to discover biological insect control for deployment to smallholder farmers in African nations. The project, entitledRSM Systems Biology for Sweetpotato: Engineering the African Root/Soil/Microbiome for Enhanced Crop Productivity, ...
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Cassava disease monitoring goes mobile
Mobile phones are the unlikely weapons being used to fight cassava disease in Tanzania, in a collaboration between scientists and farmers. As part of the Digital Early Warning Network (DEWN) farmers from ten districts in the Lake Zone region of Tanzania will be trained to recognise the symptoms of Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD) and Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD). They will then send monthly ...
By SciDev.Net
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In the world: nanotech on the farm - MIT chemical engineer Paula Hammond lends her nanotechnology expertise to farmers in Africa.
Cassava is a tropical root vegetable and staple crop for millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa. However, it’s tricky to handle: Once the root is removed from the ground, it spoils within one to three days, so farmers must get it to processing centers as soon as possible after harvesting it. If they don’t, the crop goes to waste. A simple way to prolong cassava’s shelf life could help farmers ...
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Roots Sustainable Agricultural Technologies Installs 3 root zone temperature optimization systems at the Israeli National Agricultural Organization – Volcani and a system to at South Africa`s Cannabis training Academy
Roots Sustainable Agricultural Technologies Ltd (ASX:ROO) has secured a sales contract for 3 systems of its proprietary Root Zone Temperature Optimization (RZTO) technology, ordered by the prestigious Israeli National Agricultural Research Organization (ARO) – the Volcani. The company’s technology will be deployed to heat and cool plants' pots and check the influence of 3 ranges of ...
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