agriculture crop News
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Use of residues from agriculture and forestry as energy source improves food security
The sustainability of growing crops for use as energy sources has been disputed for many years. A potentially attractive alternative is to use waste and residues from agricultural and forestry. However, using waste and other residues may have an impact on land use, biodiversity and food security. The additional sources of income from the sale of waste and other residues could prompt an increase ...
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Exciting Farming Projects Benefit from £18M Government Funding
There were some exciting announcements in farming this week as Defra revealed 15 agri-tech projects that are due to receive a share of £18 million from the Government and industry to help speed up agriculture innovation and their commercial viability. According to Farmers Guardian, they are the first industrial research awards to be funded by the £70 million Agri-Tech Catalyst, which ...
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Leading cereal experts discussing challenges and new approaches to enhance wheat yield and quality
About 230 experts and representatives from 30 cereal growing countries across the globe have met on February 11 and 12 at the Bayer CropScience Cereal Future Forum in Brussels, Belgium, to discuss current challenges and future opportunities in wheat production. The conference aimed to stimulate fresh perspectives on topics ranging from agronomic challenges such as integrated weed and pest ...
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Drones effective tools for fruit farmers
People have used the phrase “drone on and on” for a long time. Webster’s dictionary defines this figure of speech as “to speak for a long time in a dull voice without saying anything interesting.” Yet, in agriculture, drones aren’t dull, at all! Farmers use drones to be more efficient. Drones help farmers improve yields and stay ahead of problems before they ...
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Crop Growers Told to Prepare for Low Price Era
Following some of the best years ever for growing row crops, an agricultural economist advised farmers to prepare for several years of lower prices, at a workshop at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 95th Annual Convention. “The last six years have been extraordinary years if you are a row crop producer,” said Matthew Roberts, an associate professor at Ohio State ...
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Four million Syrians are unable to produce or buy enough food
Syria's food security situation has significantly deteriorated over the past year and domestic agricultural production will further decline over the next 12 months if the present conflict continues, according to a new report published by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP). "Crop and livestock production, food availability and access to food have all ...
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2014 Guide on Corn, Soybean, Wheat and Alfalfa Available for Growers
With wet weather continuing to create harvest and planting delays, a new guide developed by agronomists from Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences is available to help growers check their crops’ development. The 2014 Corn, Soybean, Wheat and Alfalfa Field Guide is now available for $12.50 and can be purchased through the Ohio State ...
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History sheds revealing light on crop sequencing
Forty years of crop sequencing trials have recently been collated by the Department of Agriculture and Food WA (DAFWA), giving Western Australian grain growers real insights into the rotational benefits of break crops. Representing more than 160 crop sequence experiments, the results were presented by DAFWA’s Mark Seymour at the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) supported 2009 ...
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DAFWA researcher wins Seed of Light award
The winner of the 2014 Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) western region Seed of Light award is Department of Agriculture and Food (DAFWA) research officer Ben Biddulph. The presentation of the award – made annually to someone who makes a significant contribution to communicating the outcomes of grains research – took place today at Perth’s Agribusiness Crop ...
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Erratic weather threatens livelihoods in Pakistan
In recent years, climatic stresses, particularly droughts and floods, have devastated yields and caused crops to fail for many farmers across Pakistan. Erratic rainfall — particularly in rain-fed areas like Taxila, 20 miles northwest of the capital, Islamabad — has further exacerbated farmers' problems and led to a slump in yields. With four dry winters in a row since 2008, deciding ...
By SciDev.Net
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Fertiliser Storage Tanks and the Latest ADAS Farming Report
The latest arable crop report from the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service (ADAS) was recently published, revealing that winter drilled crops were in good condition at the end of March. It also reveals that winter wheat crops were in good condition at the end of the month with typical crops at the end of late tillering stage. The control of black-grass and broadleaved weeds was good, ...
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Pakistan needs a new crop forecasting system
Pakistan's outdated crop yield forecasting system needs a revamp, says Ibrar ul Hassan Akhtar. Like most developing countries, Pakistan is staring at the spectre of food insecurity, with its food production out of sync with population growth. The food availability scenario is further complicated by changing weather patterns with recurring severe droughts and floods that affect crop production. ...
By SciDev.Net
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UK farming urges EU policy makers to consider the future of pesticides carefully
The growing season is fast approaching and farmers and growers throughout the UK are turning their attentions to the management of fertilisers and pesticides. This month, farmers and UK industry bodies called for a balanced EU approach to pesticides, as reported by Farmers Guardian. The NFU, Crop Protection Association and Agricultural Industries Confederation presented what they have named ...
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Demand for innovative solutions for Sustainable Agriculture drives Bayer CropScience
Bayer CropScience expects market for agricultural inputs to grow to EUR 100 billion despite increasing volatility / Company continues to invest significantly in innovative solutions for continued growth / Long-term innovation program to enhance global wheat productivity / New public dialogue program to foster communication with society about modern agriculture Bayer CropScience is optimistic ...
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The future of cover crops
Winter cover crops are an important component of nutrient cycling, soil cover and organic matter content. Although its benefits are well documented, cover crop use in farming systems is relatively low. Research has shown that time and money are the two primary reasons why farmers are hesitant to adopt the technique. Developing innovative and cost-effective crop cover systems could increase the ...
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Winter Cereals Sustainability in Action Gives Winter Wheat a Boost With a $475,000 Investment in Science
Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) and Bayer CropScience announced today an additional $475,000 investment in Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's (AAFC) winter wheat research program based at the AAFC Lethbridge Research Centre. The funds will be used to purchase equipment required to increase the program's capacity for molecular marker screening. The new equipment should significantly speed up the ...
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Decision could boost use of popular weed killer
Faced with tougher and more resistant weeds, corn and soybean farmers are anxiously awaiting government decisions on a new version of a popular herbicide - and on genetically modified seeds to grow crops designed to resist it. Critics say more study is needed on the effects of the herbicide and they are concerned it could endanger public health. The Environmental Protection Agency is expected ...
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Healthy soil is essential for a biobased & circular economy
The soil is the ground beneath our feet and the growth place for biomass. For a biobased & circular economy it is crucial to preserve this ‘pantry’ storage function of the soil. This is why Wageningen University & Research is performing dedicated research into various aspects of the soil, such as nutrients and organic material, smarter cultivation systems of a larger diversity ...
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Can the World Feed China?
By Lester R. Brown Overnight, China has become a leading world grain importer, set to buy a staggering 22 million tons in the 2013–14 trade year, according to the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture projections. As recently as 2006—just eight years ago—China had a grain surplus and was exporting 10 million tons. What caused this dramatic shift? It wasn’t until 20 years ...
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