Herbicide Management News
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The impact of pesticides on freshwater creatures
A recent study has concluded that, although spray drift of pesticides can have short-term effects on individual stream-dwelling invertebrates, there is no evidence to suggest that there is an impact on populations as a whole. However, to reduce the impact of the pesticides on these organisms, a no-spray buffer zone is shown to be a simple and effective measure. Pesticides play an important role ...
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Grass strips help curb erosion, herbicide transport
Grass filter strips placed in riparian zones not only curb soil erosion, but can help block and degrade the widely used herbicide atrazine, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists report. Atrazine has been used extensively to suppress weeds in corn production for decades, but because it's applied directly to soil it's especially prone to losses in surface runoff. The contamination of ...
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Low level herbicide use can damage potato reproduction
Currently, plant testing in the United States to determine potential ecological risks from chemical pesticides to nontarget plants requires two tests, both of which use immature plants. Protection of the plant development and reproduction are not considered, unlike tests required for the protection of animals. Past research conducted by the USEPA and others have shown that plant ...
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GM crops could reduce need for herbicides
Analysis of large-scale European field trial data reveals that lower quantities of herbicides are applied to crops genetically modified for herbicide-resistance compared with conventionally grown crops. However, the data also suggest that biodiversity may be reduced if genetically modified (GM) crops are grown widely. Transgenic crops are currently grown in 22 countries across the world, ...
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Increased amphibian mortality due to agri-chemical pollution
Global decline in frog populations is thought to indicate environmental damage caused by human activity. In particular, the use of agri-chemicals has been linked to an increase in infectious diseases in amphibians. A link has now been found between a parasitic infection and localised interaction between phosphate fertilisers and herbicides. Leopard frogs from wetlands in Minnesota, USA, were ...
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Water primrose nipped in the bud by UK Environment Agency
An invasive plant species with the potential to choke UK waterways and increase the risk of flooding is being eradicated by the Environment Agency. Water primrose, or Ludwigia grandiflora, is a native of South America and can spread rapidly in ponds and rivers, threatening other aquatic species. Once established, the plant forms dense mats above and below the water, clogging up waterways, ...
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A new biopesticide for the organic food boom
With the boom in consumption of organic foods creating a pressing need for natural insecticides and herbicides that can be used on crops certified as 'organic,' biopesticide pioneer Pam G. Marrone, Ph.D., is reporting development of a new 'green' pesticide obtained from an extract of the giant knotweed in a report scheduled for presentation at the 236th national meeting of the American Chemical ...
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Prince of Wales in tune with public and independent scientific opinion on GM
The Prince of Wales’s views not only reflect the views of 85% of the British public who opposed the commercial growing of GM crops in the UK, but also of an increasing body of independent scientists who question GM company PR claims that GM crops are the answer to world hunger. [1] Robin Maynard, Soil Association Campaigns Director said: “As so often, The Prince of Wales’s views are in tune with ...
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British GMO protests highlight global divide
British opposition to genetically modified crops is on the rise, prompting security concerns at research laboratories across the country. Nearly all 54 U.K. pesticide-resistant crop trials attempted in the past eight years have been attacked, according to media reports. Protesters are destroying the experimental crops to prevent biotechnology companies from spreading genetically modified ...
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US$4.8bn merger of Corn Products Int. and Bunge Ltd. prompts industry to take notice
This week's US$4.8 billion merger of Corn Products International and Bunge Ltd. probably didn't catch your eye, but with revenues projected to increase 29 percent this year to $4 billion, you might consider paying attention -- for the sake of your belly and the environment. Corn syrup manufacturers are going on the offensive -- and that includes a charm offensive. The Corn Refiners Association ...
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Herbicide-tolerant crops can improve water quality
The residual herbicides commonly used in the production of corn and soybean are frequently detected in rivers, streams, and reservoirs at concentrations that exceed drinking water standards in areas where these crops are extensively grown. When these bodies of water are used as sources of drinking water this contamination can lead to increased treatment costs or a need to seek alternative sources ...
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Reducing the negative impacts of pesticides
Ensuring that pesticides do not endanger public health or the environment is a key objective of the European Commission. Due to spray-drift, the effects of pesticides are often observed outside of crop fields, where they affect non-target plants, fungi and insects as well as humans. New research discusses the effects of pesticides on non-target species and demonstrates that employment of “best ...
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Mapping pesticide contamination risk
A new computerised tool helps regulators identify water sources at risk of pesticide contamination. The tool can be used to produce maps indicating water bodies at risk of contamination by taking into account: adjacent land-use, the concentration of pesticides in the environment and biological indicators of contamination. Protection of water resources is a key priority for the EU and water bodies ...
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Ecuador sues Colombia to stop anti-coca herbicide spray
The government of Ecuador this week filed suit at the International Court of Justice against the government of Colombia, in an effort to stop or restrict aerial anti-coca spraying that has allegedly sickened people on the Ecuadorean side of the border and harmed livestock, farmland, and sensitive, ecologically diverse rainforest areas. The lawsuit follows seven years of persistent but ...
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Perennial grass crops - a carbon neutral biofuel?
Perennial crops, such as grasses, are attracting increasing interest as potential biofuel crops. Perennial crops have significant advantages over many annual crops because they require less energy input during growth than annual crops which not only need to be planted each year, but typically require more fertiliser, herbicide and pesticide input. Research on farm-scale cultivation of the ...
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Ministries Need to Collaborate to Ensure Continued Productivity of Farmland and Forests in ECA
As economies in the ECA region grow, farm and forest productivity will need to keep pace with rising consumer and industrial demand for food and wood. But doing so by pushing natural resources beyond their limits can be disastrous. Governments in the region have taken steps to address this issue, but they – ministries of environment in partnership with others such as agriculture, forestry and ...
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Soaring Demand for Ethanol Spikes Corn Prices in US
Owing to the soaring demand for ethanol, corn prices have also jumped to an unparalleled level in US. Since corn is used massively to produce ethanol there. Consequently, the farmers in the country are all set to plant corn‘s crop in massive amounts this spring. This is creating dearth for some popular biotech hybrid seeds. 'It is a nationwide problem. One reason it is so severe in Kansas ...
By RNCOS
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Common Pesticide Reduces Food Value of Algae
SILVER SPRING, Maryland (ENS) - Researchers with the NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science have identified negative effects of the commonly used herbicide atrazine on phytoplankton, the free-floating algae that form the base of the food chain for aquatic animals. Published in the current issue of the journal 'Pesticide-Biochemistry and Physiology,' the study indicates protein levels ...
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