Showing results for: agriculture soil News
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Grass-based farming systems: Soil conservation and environmental quality
Crop selection and sequence can have a profound effect on the environment and on farm profitability. According to Chapter 7, “Grass-based Farming Systems: Soil Conservation and Environmental Quality” by Jeremy W. Singer, Alan J. Franzluebbers, and Douglas L. Karlen in the book, Grassland Quietness and Strength for a New American Agriculture, the basis for a productive agricultural system should ...
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Black Worm Castings/VermaPlex Can Replace Harmful Chemical Fertilizers
Whether you have a farm or home garden, the health of the soil directly correlates to the quality of the fruit and vegetables. The healthy soil movement is centered around bringing attention to the fact that fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides are killing our soil and seeping into our food supply. Our soil is depleted of essential nutrients, fungi and bacteria due to decades of agricultural ...
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Modern farming practices: a short term solution to soil erosion
New research shows that the damaging effects of soil erosion can be partly avoided by using modern farming methods, such as the use of fertilisers, but at a cost. An increase in the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, for example, is likely to have an impact on local ecosystems. A team of European scientists, lead by the Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium, have developed a ...
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BiOWiSH™-Hydroponic receives Organic Certification
July 18, 2011 For Immediate Release CHICAGO, IL - The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) has certified BiOWiSH™-Hydroponic as an organic material. BiOWiSH™-Hydroponic is a commercial fertilizer that helps stimulate microbial activity, increase nutrient availability and improve plant vigor, while preventing sludge build-up and problematic scaling in dripper lines, ...
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Keeping a pulse on the soil
Leaving behind stubble is not ideal when shaving, but it’s a good practice to leave behind crop “stubble” after harvest. According to soil scientist Frank Larney, crop residue anchors the soil against wind and water erosion. Avoiding bare soils is one part of a soil conservation package he and his research team demonstrate in a 12-year experiment growing pulses in southern ...
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Announcing IFA’s New Scientific Panel on Responsible Plant Nutrition
A new scientific panel will provide crucial data and research to facilitate continued progress towards sustainable plant nutrition required for feeding the world’s growing population in the face of climate change and other challenges to agricultural systems. Following an inaugural organizational meeting among seven scientists held in Versailles, France on November 17, the International ...
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Small Robot Co launches robot services to 50 farms
Salisbury, 6 June 2022 Small Robot Company (SRC), a British agritech start-up for sustainable farming, today announced the launch of its commercial Per Plant Farming robot services. Pilot trials this season have revealed herbicide applications can be cut by around 77% and fertiliser by 15%. Britain’s first fully autonomous crop-scanning service, it will roll out from this autumn to about 50 ...
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Groundswell: Small Robots and Tuckwells partner to deliver applications by exception
Small Robot Company (SRC), a British agritech start-up for sustainable farming, today demonstrates applications by exception at the Groundswell regenerative agriculture show, in partnership with Tuckwells, one of the UK’s leading John Deere dealerships, which has a focus on industry-leading design and technology. The first precision application of herbicides informed by robots to a UK ...
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Integrating animal and crop production can reduce nutrient leaching from agricultural fields
Nutrient leaching, the movement of plant nutrients from soil to water, can have negative effects on aquatic ecosystems due to eutrophication, which reduces the oxygen available in water, causing species and habitat loss. Ecological Recycling Agriculture (ERA), which is based on ecological principles and integrates crop production and animal husbandry, may limit this effect. This study ...
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How much water is used for irrigation in European agriculture?
Agriculture plays a large role in the management of water in the EU. However, there is little consistent information on water use in irrigation. New EU supported research has estimated how much water is used for irrigation in European countries, providing a framework to analyse agricultural pressures on water quantity. Water scarcity is an increasing problem in the EU and the situation is ...
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Iowa’s Corn Farmers Celebrate Soil & Water Conservation Week
Iowa has 71,665 miles of streams and more than 11,000 different types of soil. Both resources are precious to the productivity of our state. Farmers celebrate soil and water every day but, Soil and Water Conservation Week April 28 to May 2, is a good time to recognize Iowa’s innovations to conserve both soil and water resources. “We haven’t reached perfection, yet” said ...
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Climate change and agriculture: food and farming in a changing climate
Climate change is already affecting the Earth’s temperature, precipitation, and hydrological cycles, with detrimental impacts on U.S. and global agricultural systems. The interaction of these dynamic factors can lead to a decrease in plant productivity, increasing the price for many important agricultural crops. On Wednesday, June 16, 2010, between 10:30-11:30am, in Room 328A of the Senate ...
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Compost and climate change: a novel mitigation strategy?
Native soils are thought to take up more of the greenhouse gas methane than land used for farming. This study shows that, while agriculture can exert an adverse impact on soil methane uptake, the application of soil conditioners like compost may compensate for loss of the methane sink function. The researchers propose new land management strategies based on this finding. Agriculture has become ...
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10 Frequently Asked Questions about soils
Why are soils important? Soils are the basis of life for a large number of plants and animals. Next, to their importance for biodiversity, soils are the essential substrate on which most agricultural plants grow. It means that this is where the food we eat comes from. In addition to that, soils play an important role in the structuration of the ground, which is essential for any sort of ...
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EU call for regulation of wood ash fertilisers
Wood ash may not be an ideal fertiliser for the forest after all, according to new research, which found high natural levels of toxic trace elements in wood ash. In addition, the study showed that adding wood ash could affect the forest soils in such a way that toxic elements are more rapidly released into the receiving waters. Wood ash is a by-product of wood burning which is classed as a form ...
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Measuring calcium in serpentine soils
Serpentine soils contain highly variable amounts of calcium, making them marginal lands for farming. Successful management of serpentine soils requires accurate measurement of the calcium they hold. Research published this month in the Soil Science Society of America Journal shows that multiple measurement techniques are needed to accurately measure calcium content in serpentine soils. To make ...
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New Tool Offers Growers Easy Option to Measure Soil Organic Matter Content
Researchers with Ohio State University's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences have developed a new tool that allows farmers to easily predict soil organic matter content and can help them make decisions about whether or not to sell crop residue. The tool can benefit growers by providing information for more timely planting and harvesting, reducing operating costs, increasing ...
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Lambertson Family Farms Recognized for Environmental Excellence by USPOULTRY
TUCKER, Ga. –Feb.21, 2020 –Lambertson Family Farms of Pocomoke, Maryland, was one of six farms across the United States to receive U.S. Poultry & Egg Association’s Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award during the 2020 International Production & Processing Expo in Atlanta. U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) sponsors the annual awards in recognition of ...
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Cover Crop Workshops Featured at the Iowa Power Farming Show
All you ever wanted to know about cover crops will be in one place next week. Whether you use cover crops or are still evaluating them, save time and money by attending the Cover Crop Workshops at this year’s Iowa Power Farming Show, January 28-30, in Des Moines, Iowa. The Workshops will feature grain and livestock farmers with on-farm cover crop experience, as well as other experts. ...
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The Role of Charcoal Making Machines in Agricultural Development
Charcoal has long been a valuable resource in agriculture, contributing to soil enrichment and energy generation. However, recent advancements in charcoal making machine has revolutionized its role in agricultural development. This article explores the significance of charcoal in agriculture, the evolving technology behind charcoal making machines, and the multifaceted impact on modern farming ...
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