Plant Nutrients News
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4R Research Fund Issues Proposal Requests for Research on Nutrients in the Environment
This week, the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Research Fund announced the release of requests for proposals (RFP) to solicit literature reviews and syntheses on nutrient stewardship on a national, regional, or cropping system basis, and to solicit field research and demonstration projects. The 4R Research Fund was established by the fertilizer industry to help establish sustainability indicators and ...
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Multi-species mixtures for greater productivity and environmental resilience
A recent study has revealed that grassland plots planted with a mixture of several agricultural plant species produced a greater yield than plots planted with a single species. The findings provide valuable evidence for scientists, farmers and policymakers who strive to increase the productivity of grassland, while reducing input of nitrogen fertilisers. The EU-funded1 study explored whether ...
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Scaling up conservation agriculture in Zambia
The European Union (EU), FAO and the Government of Zambia launched a four-year, €11 million programme to increase crop production and productivity of over 300 000 small-scale farmers by promoting practices based on conservation agriculture. The agricultural production of smallholder farmers in Zambia is most affected by soil degradation, high-input prices, poor produce markets and poor ...
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Tillage and reduced-input rotations affect runoff from agricultural fields
A new study from researchers at the USDA Agricultural Research Service provides information about runoff under different management practices and can help farmers choose the practice that is best for them. No-till management practices can reduce soil erosion, but evidence suggests they can also lead to increased runoff of dissolved phosphorus from soil surfaces. Meanwhile, farmers looking to ...
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Desert bacteria could help boost crop yields
Desert soil microbes could help halt desertification and boost agriculture in arid regions of the Middle East and North Africa, according to a study. Scientists from the United Arab Emirates [UAE] have isolated local salt- and drought-tolerant strains of Rhizobia, soil bacteria that fix nitrogen when they become established inside the root nodules of legumes. Rhizobia bacteria establish a ...
By SciDev.Net
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Nepal sees potential in aquaponics
Nepal sees food security potential in aquaponics, a combination of aquaculture and hydroponics. Aquaculture efficiently farms fish species while hydroponics ensures controlled use of water and nutrients in plant cultivation. In aquaponics, water saturated with nutrient-rich fish excreta from aquaculture tanks is used in plant breeding before being circulated back. The technology produces fish ...
By SciDev.Net
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American society of agronomy announces 2011 award recipients
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. Drew Lyon, University of Nebraska-Lincoln - Agronomic Extension Education Award. Drew Lyon is the Fenster Professor of dryland agriculture and extension dryland cropping systems specialist at the ...
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Cranfield offers range of new scholarships
Cranfield’s School of Applied Sciences is offering a number of subject targeted scholarships for 2012 entry onto its range of postgraduate courses. The scholarships, named after key historical figures in their field of study, all cover UK fees plus up to £9k towards living costs. The four named scholarships are as follows: Cranfield-Euclid Scholarships –This scholarship is ...
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Crop Science Society of America Presents Awards in Long Beach
The Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) will recognize the following individuals at the 2010 Awards Ceremony on Oct. 31-Nov. 3 during their Annual Meetings in Long Beach, CA, www.acsmeetings.org. The annual awards are presented for outstanding contributions to crop science through education, national and international service, and research. Jianming Yu, Kansas State University –Early ...
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Past, present and future of soil sciences
The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) is reporting the results of a recent survey of trends related to the soil science profession. The results suggest that employment opportunities in soil and related sciences are increasing, and students, academics, and employers have a positive outlook for the future of soil science. Despite these positive findings, the survey identified areas to be ...
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Method developed to measure solute movement in soils
Scientists from Aarhus University and Aalborg University in Denmark have developed a new method for measuring the movement of solutes in intact soil. Improving on the existing method, the new procedure can be used on intact, undisturbed soil and provides more confident estimates. Movement, or diffusion, of solutes in soils is involved in many processes of agronomical, environmental and technical ...
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Improved soil water sensors aid in irrigation management
Agriculture, a large user of water for irrigation, is under pressure to reduce water use. Increased urban population growth has created more competition for limited water supplies. While growers have used soil moisture probes to aid in irrigation management in the past, earlier probes required maintenance or were expensive or inadequate. New electronic sensors have been developed that require ...
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Nitrogen use by warm-season grasses for biomass production
Perennial, warm-season grasses are being evaluated as potential renewable energy crops. These species are well-suited for the production of biomass for energy applications because they utilize C4 photosynthesis and are perennial. Grasses that employ the C4 photosynthetic pathway use water, nitrogen (N), and solar radiation more efficiently than plants having the C3 pathway, and therefore are ...
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Genetic change could make crops thrive on salty soils
Scientists have genetically modified plants to tolerate high levels of salt — offering a potential solution to growing food in salty soils. The researchers inserted a gene to remove salt — in the form of sodium ions — from water taken up by the plant before it reaches the leaves, where it does most damage. The research was published in The Plant Cell this month (7 July). High salinity reduces ...
By SciDev.Net
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Less nitrogen could increase profit & sustainability
More fertilizer doesn't always mean more profit. That's one conclusion from a 10-year study conducted by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists at the agency’s Soil Plant Nutrient Research Unit in Fort Collins, Colo., and colleagues at Colorado State University. From 1998 to 2008, the researchers evaluated and compared potential management strategies for reducing nitrogen and nitrate ...
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A model to measure soil health in the era of bioenergy
One of the biggest threats to today’s farmlands is the loss of soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil organic matter (SOM) from poor land-management practices. The presence of these materials is essential as they do everything from providing plants with proper nutrients to filtering harmful chemical compounds to the prevention of soil erosion. Sustainable management practices for crop residues are ...
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Getting to the root of plants
A diverse team of researchers from Europe, Asia and the USA have unearthed new information on how roots grow and develop. Specifically, how roots are able to move out sideways out of the central root and into the soil. Their discovery has opened the way to further research that may eventually lead to the creation of new crops with improved root structure, improving their chances of survival in ...
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FAO urges farmers to join “Greener” revolution
Some 100 delegates from 36 countries meeting at FAO last week called on farmers to join the ongoing “Greener” revolution represented by a form of farming known as Conservation Agriculture. This farming system, CA for short, aims to help feed the world more sustainably by building up soil ecosystems and reducing unnecessary soil disturbance wherever possible. According to one study, some 20 ...
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Planning for sustainable global biomass use
Projected future population growth, dietary changes and a growing need to use biomass for energy and fibre will increase the global use of biomass over the coming decades. Livestock are a major contributor to human biomass consumption, using from 30-75 per cent of all biomass harvested by humans, new research shows. The research suggests that integrated assessments of land and biomass use are ...
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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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