Wheat Farming News
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Boost for high rainfall zone wheat research
Research into developing more productive wheat varieties in Australia has been given a major boost following an equity investment in HRZ Wheats Pty Ltd by one of the nation's leading agricultural disease and pest control companies, Dow AgroSciences Australia Ltd. Established in 2003 specifically to develop hardy, high-rainfall-zone (HRZ) wheat varieties, HRZ Wheats’ other equity partners ...
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California’s Prop 65 and Fumonisin B1 Public Health Concerns
In 1986, California voters approved an initiative to address increasing concerns about exposure to toxic chemicals. That initiative, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, is better known by its original name of Proposition 65. Proposition 65 requires businesses to notify Californians about significant amounts of chemicals in the products they purchase, in their homes or ...
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American society of agronomy presents 2011 class of fellows
The American Society of Agronomy (ASA) will recognize the following individuals at the 2011 Awards Ceremony during their Annual Meeting on Oct. 16-19 in San Antonio, TX, www.acsmeetings.org. ASA has been selecting outstanding members as Fellows since 1924. Members of the Society nominate worthy colleagues based on their professional achievements and meritorious service. Only .3 percent of the ...
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Improving wheat yields for global food security
With the world’s population set to reach 8.9 billion by 2050, CSIRO scientists are hunting down and exploiting a number of wheat’s key genetic traits in a bid to substantially boost its grain yield. The rate of wheat-yield improvement achievable through conventional plant breeding and genetic engineering alone is not fast enough to compete with a rapidly growing global ...
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CGIAR announces next batch of research programmes
Some of the key foods that could help solve the global food crisis will be the focal point of six new research programmes totalling US$957 million over the next three years. The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) — a network of governments and organisations that funds 15 major research centres around the world — conditionally approved proposals for the ...
By SciDev.Net
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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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Biohappiness key to future, says Swaminathan
The father of the Green Revolution in Asia and World Food Prize winner, M.S. Swaminathan, has launched a book on 'biohappiness'. In Search of Biohappiness maintains that true, long-term wellbeing can only be achieved by harnessing biodiversity to work for people in sustainable and equitable ways. "Biohappiness arises from the conversion of bioresources into jobs and income in an environmentally ...
By SciDev.Net
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Global warming `has reduced maize and wheat yields`
Global warming has already reduced the global yields of key crops, say scientists. Maize and wheat production have been 3.8 and 5.5 per cent lower, respectively, than they would have been without the temperature rises associated with climate change since the 1980s, according to the statistical analysis. Rice and soya yields have dropped in some parts of the world and risen in others, so overall ...
By SciDev.Net
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Fight against wheat rust needs sustained investment
Developing countries need help with crop surveillance and the development of strains resistant to wheat rust, say agricultural research leaders. Today's food security situation is being worsened by strains of wheat rust disease that are emerging more frequently and spreading much faster and to new areas — changes fuelled by climate change and conducive environments in increasingly fragile ...
By SciDev.Net
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Ants and termites boost dryland wheat yields
"Ants and termites perform the same ecosystem service functions in dryland agriculture that earthworms perform in cooler and wetter areas, but the potential for ants and termites to provide these benefits has received little attention until now," said CSIRO's Dr Theo Evans. "We already knew that the activities of ants and termites affect soil structure, aeration, water infiltration and nutrient ...
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Using genetic mapping to save wheat production
Stem rust disease has the potential to devastate wheat production worldwide. In the 1950s, large epidemics spread across North America and through other parts of the world. Developing a stem rust resistant gene stopped the spread of the disease. In 1999, a new race of stem rust was discovered in Uganda and identified as Ug99. Previously developed stem rust resistant genes are no longer effective ...
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Afghanistan: New Survey Techniques improve Opium Poppy Monitoring
Accurate monitoring of opium poppy production in Afghanistan – responsible for 90% of the world’s supply of the illegal crop – has become increasingly difficult with rising security concerns, but remote sensing survey techniques developed by Cranfield University have proved critical in providing accurate information to inform UK and international policy and counter-narcotics ...
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Europe’s sugar beets produce twice as much ethanol in the tropics
Sugar beets from Europe can help solve the conflict between food and bioenergy in the developing world. “Sugar beets have greater energy content than sugar cane but require rotation with other crops,” explained Jan Öhrvall at the World Bioenergy conference in Jönköping, Sweden. Öhrvall is working on a tropical sugar beet project being run by two companies: Anditec ...
By Elmia AB
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Crop Science Society of America announces the 2010 class of fellows
The CropScience Society of America(CSSA) will continue a time-honored tradition this year with the presentation of the following individuals as 2010 CSSA Fellows at a special Awards Ceremony during their Annual Meeting on Oct. 31-Nov. 3 in Long Beach, CA, www.acsmeetings.org. Members of the Society nominate worthy colleagues based on their professional achievements and meritorious service. Only ...
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American society of Agronomy announces award recipients
The American Society of Agronomy (ASA) will recognize the following individuals at the 2010 Awards Ceremony on Nov. 2 during the scientific society’s Annual Meeting in Long Beach, CA, www.acsmeetings.org. The annual awards are presented for outstanding contributions to agronomy through education, national and international service, and research. Alan Blaylock, Agrium Advanced ...
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Genetics not enough to increase wheat production
The deep gene pool that has allowed wheat to achieve ever increasing gains in yield may be draining. Crop scientists estimate that 50% of the gain in wheat production over the past century has been due to breeding. According to a new study, however, that improvement has been slowing since the late 1980s, with little chance that future increases in yield can be met by breeding efforts alone. The ...
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American society of Agronomy presents 2010 fellows
The American Society of Agronomy (ASA) will recognize the following individuals as 2010 ASA Fellows at a special Awards Ceremony during their Annual Meeting on Oct. 31-Nov.3 in Long Beach, CA, www.acsmeetings.org. ASA has been selecting outstanding members as Fellows since 1924. Members of the Society nominate worthy colleagues based on their professional achievements and meritorious service. ...
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Challenges in soil and water conservation
Productive soils and clean water are essential elements for economic and social prosperity and environmental sustainability. Throughout history, civilizations have thrived or collapsed based on the availability of these vital resources. The lack of arable land and evidence of soil degradation have been identified as causes for the fall of many ancient civilizations, such as those in Mesopotamia, ...
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Crop residues provide valuable protection for soil
Removing wheat and sorghum crop residue after harvest, such as stalks, stubble and leaves, may cause more harm than good according to new research. Results indicate that removing residue can increase nutrient and sediment levels in water runoff, and decrease organic carbon stored in the soil. Crop residue left after harvest performs several ecosystem services. In particular it protects the soil ...
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Squeezing more crop out of each drop of water
Studies in China and Colorado by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and cooperators have revealed some interesting tactics on how to irrigate with limited water, based on a crop’s critical growth stages. Laj Ahuja, research leader at the ARS Agricultural Systems Research Unit in Fort Collins, Colo., and colleagues conducted the studies. As one example, with wheat in China, they ...
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