Agrifood News
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Study Highlights the Economic Impact of the Canadian Dairy Sector
Today, Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) released the most recent update of a regular study highlighting the important economic impact of the dairy sector in Canada. The study, conducted by EcoRessources and entitled: “Update on the Economic Impacts of the Dairy Industry in 2015”, is the fourth update tracking the economic impact of the sector, which since 2009, has been conducted every ...
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Get Feet Wet in Aquaponics at FSR
Two talks at the Sept. 20-22 Farm Science Review will dive into aquaponics. “There’s growing interest in aquaponics in the Midwest,” said Matthew Smith, an aquaculture specialist with The Ohio State University who will give the talks. “People like the idea of the marriage between fish and plants.” The Review is an annual agricultural trade show in London, about 25 ...
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Ohio State Aquaculture Boot Camp Program Recruiting New Fish Farmers
Want to learn how to become a fish farmer? The Ohio Center for Aquaculture Research and Development at The Ohio State University South Centers is offering 30 new and beginning fish farmers an in-depth introduction to aquaculture and aquaponics and the business of fish farming through a yearlong program. Called Aquaculture Boot Camp-2 or ABC-2, the program’s goal is to increase the number ...
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Reducing the spread of antimicrobial resistance on our farms and in our food
FAO today pledged to help countries develop strategies for tackling the spread of antimicrobial resistance in their food supply chains, as governments prepare to debate the emerging challenge posed by medicine-resistant "superbugs" next week at the UN General Assembly. The increased use – and abuse – of antimicrobial medicines in both human and animal healthcare has contributed to an ...
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Rice paddies raise methane threat
Directly seeding rice into fields rather than transplanting it into flooded paddies would dramatically reduce methane emissions and slow down climate change, according to scientists studying the staple crop. A number of experiments in Asia, particularly in the Philippines and Japan, show that a change in the way rice is grown would have considerable other benefits in saving water and improving ...
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The Cloud and the Changing Face of Agriculture
Enterprises, non-profits, and startups around the world are using the cloud to accelerate innovations that are changing the face of agriculture. In support of The Ohio State University’s Discovery Themes initiative, and in tandem with the 2016 Farm Science Review, Amazon Web Services and experts from around the country will demonstrate how massive public data sets of satellite photos and ...
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Sustainable phosphorus use — evaluating past patterns to inform future management
Recycling waste from farming and mining could help improve the sustainable use of phosphorus, a recent study suggests. The study traced the stocks and flows of phosphorus over a 50 year period to reveal changing patterns of global phosphorus use. The results can be used to develop the sustainable management of phosphorus — a finite and critical resource — in the future. Phosphorus is ...
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UF/IFAS researchers scramble to find cure for tenacious, costly sugarcane virus
Researchers with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences are working to find a cure or develop resistant varieties for a virus that is attacking sugarcane and sorghum throughout the Everglades agricultural region. Florida produces more than 50 percent of all sugarcane in the United States, making it the largest producer in the nation. The sugarcane yellow leaf virus ...
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Review Published of Nanomaterials for Products and Application in Agriculture, Feed, and Food in the European Union
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) requested a review of the already marketed and in-development applications of nanomaterials in the agri/feed/food sectors. The results of the review are published in the August 2016 issue of Trends in Food Science & Technology in an article entitled “Nanomaterials for products and application in agriculture, feed and food.” The article ...
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UF/IFAS scientists find top 10 muscadine grape varieties for health, taste, smell
You may eventually tempt your palette with more muscadine grape varieties, and they’ll be good for you, with new findings from University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers. Muscadine grapes are known for their health benefits and other nutritive values – even for potential preventive measures against cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The fruits are ...
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UF/IFAS study: Sweet potato crop shows promise as feed and fuel
As some Florida growers try to find new crops and the demand for biofuel stock increases globally, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers have found that sweet potato vines, usually thrown out during harvest, can serve well as livestock feed while the roots are an ideal source for biofuel. This could be a key finding for the agriculture industry in Florida ...
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Irish agriculture faces emissions dilemma
Ireland is facing a classic conflict, pitching economic growth targets against the need for action on climate change. On one hand, Ireland’s planners want to see significant growth in its food and agriculture industry – a sector that is one of the main pillars of the country’s economy, accounting for about 8% of gross domestic product. On the other hand, the country − ...
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Aquaculture Water Quality Workshop Offers Tips to Boost Profitability of Fish Farming
Healthy water leads to healthy fish and increases the potential for healthy profits for fish farmers. On the other hand, poor water quality can lead to stressed fish, increasing the chance for the animals’ illness and death, and resulting in income losses for farmers, says Matthew Smith, an Ohio State University Extension aquaculture specialist. Water quality management for fish farmers ...
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FAO’s State of the World’s Forests Calls for Positive Interactions Between Agriculture and Forestry
It is not necessary to cut down forests to produce more food. Promoting more positive interactions between agriculture and forestry can stop deforestation, build sustainable agricultural systems and improve food security. This is the key message of 'The State of the World's Forests' (SOFO), the flagship publication of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), presented at the opening ...
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COFI 32 Concludes, Discusses Aquaculture and Blue Growth
The 32nd session of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) has concluded with participants welcoming the entry into force of the Agreement of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing (PSMA). The meeting also featured discussions on aquaculture, food security and blue growth, among ...
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Taller, thinner crop beds save money, water, other resources
Looking out over thousands of acres of tomatoes, Miguel Talavera, director of East Coast growing operations at Pacific Tomato Grower, Ltd., marvels at the narrow lanes of fruit that are thriving in the hot Florida sun. Talavera credits increase in yield and a decrease in the use of fumigants to a collaboration with researchers and Extension faculty at the University of Florida Institute of Food ...
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Algae Biomass Organization Announces Preliminary Agenda for 10th Annual Algae Biomass Summit in Phoenix, AZ
The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO), the trade association for the algae industry, today announced the preliminary agenda for the 10th Annual Algae Biomass Summit, being held in Phoenix, Arizona, October 23-26, 2016. The plenary and breakout sessions unveiled on the agenda promise a wide range of discussions about the latest advances in algae commercialization, research and finance at the ...
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Fruit fly outbreak cost growers $4.1 million; could have been much worse
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences economists estimate the Oriental fruit fly outbreak last year caused at least $4.1 million in direct crop damages in Miami-Dade County, but the damage could have been far worse, UF/IFAS researchers say. In the new report, UF/IFAS researchers and the chief economist for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, ...
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Key Themes for World Agri-Tech Investment Summit London 2016 Announced
The key themes for World Agri-Tech Investment Summit London 2016 have just been announced. They are: Agribusiness Leaders Debate: New Collaboration Models for R&D Precision Farming: Gearing up for Global Market Applications Satellites for Agri-Food: Optimising Big Data to Drive Sustainable Intensification Farm Management: Integrating Smart Farming Platforms Farm Operators: Closing the ...
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New test can detect plant viruses faster, cheaper
A new test could save time and money diagnosing plant viruses, some of which can destroy millions of dollars in crops each year in Florida, says a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher. In a newly published study, Jane Polston, a UF/IFAS plant pathology professor, examined several ways to detect the DNA genome of begomoviruses. These viruses have emerged ...
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