Vegetation Research News
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SPECIM: a reliable partner for hyperspectral imaging
Hyperspectral imaging is today’s technology to reveal the invisible, to generate an in depth understanding of phenomena and objects studied. The technology is used increasingly in many research areas, such as life sciences, vegetation research, forensics, food analysis, and mineral research. In each application area the hyperspectral scanner is used to to identify, measure and map the ...
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Growers get pest smart with Veg Pest ID
Picking a mould from a mildew is now easier for vegetable growers, thanks to the latest range of pest and disease identification updates on the vegetable levy-funded smart device application, Veg Pest ID. The app, released last year by Applied Horticultural Research, has been updated to include 13 vegetable varieties and more than 1,500 high resolution images of a wide range of pests, disorders ...
By AUSVEG
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Rooftop gardens could grow three quarters of city’s vegetables
Rooftop gardens in cities could provide more than three quarters of the vegetables consumed in them, a case study from Bologna, Italy, suggests. If all suitable flat roof space was used for urban agriculture, rooftop gardens in the city could supply around 12 500 tons of vegetables a year whilst also providing a range of ecosystem services, the researchers say. Any unused roof space in a city ...
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Clove Oil Tested for Weed Control in Organic Vidalia Sweet Onion
Weed control is one of the most challenging aspects of organic crop production. Most growers of certified organic crops rely heavily on proven cultural and mechanical weed control methods while limiting the use of approved herbicides. A new study of herbicides derived from clove oil tested the natural products' effectiveness in controlling weeds in Vidalia sweet onion crops. "Cultivation with a ...
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Plants host pathogenic bacteria from livestock farming
Disease-causing bacteria resulting from livestock farming can contaminate food products and find their way to humans. This occurs remarkably effectively via plants, which explains why recent outbreaks due to infection with EHEC and other E. coli and Salmonella strains are regularly attributed to the consumption of fresh vegetables. These are the findings of researchers from Wageningen UR ...
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The big red hand picks Australian vegetables for freezing
AUSVEG, the National Peak Industry body representing Australian vegetable and potato growers, has welcomed an initiative rolled out on Australia Day by retailer Coles to replace all of its Smart Buy frozen vegetables with 100 per cent Australian grown vegetables and potatoes. The agreement comes in the form of a five-year contract that the retailer has inked with Simplot, who operate vegetable ...
By AUSVEG
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Vegetables can absorb heavy metals from contaminated irrigation water
Certain vegetables take up heavy metals from contaminated water used for irrigation, a new study finds. The researchers grew vegetables in greenhouses similar to field conditions in Greece and found that concentrations of nickel and chromium increased in potatoes and onions, but not in carrots, when irrigated with water containing contaminant levels similar to those found in industrial ...
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Coffee pest spreading to other crops in East Africa
East Africa's horticulture could face a severe crisis due to 'species jump' — whereby a disease moves from a known host to new and unusual ones — affecting fruits, vegetables, and medicinal and ornamental plants. Researchers in Uganda have discovered that the Black Coffee Twig Borer, a devastating coffee pest, has crossed over from Robusta coffee to about 40 plant species including ...
By SciDev.Net
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Global alliance to strengthen research–farmer links
An international alliance of research institutions will try to implement the results of agricultural research and to communicate findings to smallholder farmers in developing nations. The Association of International Research and Development Centres for Agriculture (AIRCA) was launched last month (30 October) at the Second Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development in Uruguay. ...
By SciDev.Net
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West Africans would pay more for pesticide-free food
Even in poor settings, shoppers say they are willing to pay more for organically grown vegetables, a study in West Africa has found. Researchers from Benin and the United Kingdom surveyed 100 people shopping for cabbages and tomatoes in Benin and Ghana about their ideas on vegetable quality, their awareness of the use of synthetic pesticides, and their willingness to pay more for chemical-free ...
By SciDev.Net
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What are the impacts of fish-farming on marine ecosystems?
New EU-supported research in the Mediterranean Sea has assessed the impact of fish-farming on seafloor ecosystems. Results indicate that impacts are only apparent in habitats with no vegetation, but the researchers suggest that habitats with vegetation seagrass could be masking the effects. The EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive 2008/56 1 aims to achieve good environmental status of the EU's ...
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Predicting the spread of plant invasions across Europe
For the first time, a map has been produced that can be used to predict the level of invasion by alien plants across Europe, which could help policy makers design conservation policies suited to different habitats and landscapes. Areas dominated by farming and urban land are among those identified as particularly at risk. Alien plants are non-native species introduced into foreign areas, ...
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