agriculture soil News | Agriculture XPRT

Spreading antibiotics in the soil affects microbial ecosystems

Antibiotics used extensively in intensive livestock production may be having an adverse effect on agricultural soil ecosystems. In a presentation to the Society for General Microbiology meeting at Harrogate International Centre March 30, Dr Heike Schmitt from the University of Utrecht, the Netherlands described how antibiotics passed from the animals in manure that was then spread on farmland. ...

Apr. 3, 2009

By ScienceDaily

Soil nitrogen test measures microbial nitrogen

Contrary to the prevailing view, cereal crops derive the majority of their nitrogen from the soil, not fertilizer. Soils differ considerably in microbial activities that determine nitrogen-supplying power, and these differences must be taken into account if nitrogen fertilizers are to be used efficiently. The Illinois Soil Nitrogen Test (ISNT) was developed for this purpose, and involves ...

May 13, 2009

By ScienceDaily

Compost and climate change: a novel mitigation strategy?

Native soils are thought to take up more of the greenhouse gas methane than land used for farming. This study shows that, while agriculture can exert an adverse impact on soil methane uptake, the application of soil conditioners like compost may compensate for loss of the methane sink function. The researchers propose new land management strategies based on this finding. Agriculture has become ...

Jul. 23, 2015

By European Commission, Environment DG

High levels of glyphosate in agricultural soil: ‘Extension of approval not prudent.’

There has been a great deal of discussion about the use and extension of the approval of use of glyphosate as a herbicide. Glyphosate is the most used herbicide in Europe. In 2016 the approval by the European Commission for the use of this agent expired. However, an extension of approval of use is currently being discussed. One of the conditions of this is that the agent cannot have a negative ...

Oct. 16, 2017

By Wageningen University and Research Centre

`We need a new approach for better soil`

‘Dutch agricultural soils are not future-proof’ was a widely accepted statement at the final meeting of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Sustainable Soil. Breeders, chain partners, suppliers, the government and the science sector see a gradual deterioration in soil quality and are joining forces within the PPP to find a solution. “It isn’t a simple matter,” says ...

Nov. 22, 2016

By Wageningen University and Research Centre

Agrochemicals blamed for chronic kidney disease in Sri Lanka

A team of Sri Lankan and WHO scientists has linked the high prevalence of chronic kidney disease of uncertain aetiology (CKDu) on the island to indiscriminate use of agrochemicals including fertilisers and pesticides. In its final report released on February 28, the team, led by WHO researcher Shanthi Mendis, identified districts in the north, centre and east of the island and the rice-growing ...

Apr. 12, 2013

By SciDev.Net

The Cool Farm Alliance joins the Regenagri governance team

Regenagri is a regenerative agriculture initiative launched in 2020 with the goal to secure the health of agricultural land and the wealth of those who live on it. Via its Digital Hub and continuous improvement framework, regenagri supports farms and organisations to transition to holistic farming techniques that increase soil organic matter, encourage biodiversity, sequester CO2 and improve ...

Nov. 11, 2020

By Cool Farm Tool (CFT)

Modern farming practices: a short term solution to soil erosion

New research shows that the damaging effects of soil erosion can be partly avoided by using modern farming methods, such as the use of fertilisers, but at a cost. An increase in the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, for example, is likely to have an impact on local ecosystems. A team of European scientists, lead by the Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium, have developed a ...

Feb. 8, 2008

By European Commission, Environment DG

European Parliament strengthens accounting rules for agricultural emissions

Wetlands International welcomes the European Parliament’s vote on rules for accounting for greenhouse gas emissions and removals resulting from agriculture and forestry. Emissions and removals from cropland and grazing land management will have to be accounted for, but accounting for wetland drainage and rewetting remains voluntary. The European Parliament voted today to establish common ...

Mar. 12, 2013

By Wetlands International

Regenerative Agriculture Expands Regions

Heliae® Agriculture continues to expand as it builds its efforts on promoting regenerative agriculture and soil health to the Delmarva, Kentucky, and Carolina regions. Chris Templeton will work with distributors to implement the PhycoTerra® product line into their recommended grower applications. “We have learned how to stimulate the microbiome and improve the soil structure while ...

May 7, 2020

By Heliae Development, LLC

2013/2014 Report from the Field Highlights Recent Successes

Every year, SARE's four regional programs provide grant funding to scores of cutting-edge farmers, ranchers, researchers and educators for projects that aim to improve the sustainability of American agriculture. To get a glimpse of some of these innovators at work, check out the latest edition of SARE's biennial report, 2013/2014 Report from the Field. Download or order free print copies of ...

Mar. 17, 2014

By Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE)

Effects of chemical fertiliser and animal manure on soil health compared

Fertilising crops with cattle manure can lead to better soil quality than when synthetic fertiliser is used, recent research indicates. The use of cattle manure in the study led to greater soil fertility by encouraging higher microbial activity, and the researchers suggest that it could potentially improve soil’s ability to cope with periods of difficult growing conditions. The complex ...

Jun. 6, 2013

By European Commission, Environment DG

Salt-tolerant wheat a breakthrough for better yields

Australian scientists have successfully carried out field trials of a salt-tolerant durum wheat, boosting grain yield by 25 per cent in salty soils. Durum is one of the most widely grown cereals in the world, but in saline soils it is vulnerable to salt build-up in the leaves, which can hinder growth and reduce yields, threatening food security. The researchers at the University of Adelaide and ...

Mar. 16, 2012

By SciDev.Net

Soil and crop management and carbon sequestration

Research results from management scenarios ranging from those in the South Eastern, Great Plains, and Upper Midwest regions of the US and from Italy are reported in the March-April, 2010 issue of the Soil Science Society America Journal. This group of papers originated from the Soil Carbon Sequestration and Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Symposium that was held jointly by the Soil Science Society of ...

Feb. 19, 2010

By Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)

10 Frequently Asked Questions about soils

Why are soils important? Soils are the basis of life for a large number of plants and animals. Next, to their importance for biodiversity, soils are the essential substrate on which most agricultural plants grow. It means that this is where the food we eat comes from. In addition to that, soils play an important role in the structuration of the ground, which is essential for any sort of ...

Aug. 13, 2019

By AFS Agro Flow System GmbH

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 ...

Apr. 22, 2008

By European Commission, Environment DG

Comparing N2O emissions from organic and mineral fertilisers

A recent study compares the effects of organic, 'natural' fertilisers, such as compost, with mineral, synthetic fertilisers, such as urea, on N2O emissions from Mediterranean soil. It suggests that there is little difference between the fertilisers, but that pig slurry offers the best overall balance in terms of emissions and crop yield. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a powerful greenhouse gas (GHG). ...

Jul. 3, 2009

By European Commission, Environment DG

Measuring the impacts of the Nitrates Directive on nitrogen emissions

The EU’s Nitrates Directive has led to significant decreases in nitrogen pollution in Europe, a new study suggests. Modelled scenarios with and without implementation of the Directive showed that it had resulted in a 16% reduction of nitrate leaching by 2008. These improvements could be further increased as implementation becomes stricter, the researchers conclude. More nitrogen is applied ...

Mar. 12, 2014

By European Commission, Environment DG

Haiti’s Young Agronomists

In this past fiscal year, SOIL hosted six interns in the agricultural department. The interns were all agriculture students at local universities who come to SOIL to fulfill their internship requirement during their last year of schooling. In SOIL’s agricultural intern program, students gain practical hands-on experience in lab work, research and compost production, and then design and ...

Jul. 9, 2015

By SOIL Haiti

Dust storms cause health problems in Afganistan

Unusually strong winds carrying dust from the parched land have increased respiratory and eye diseases in western Afghanistan, according to health and environmental officials. The winds - known locally as “the 120-day winds” - usually begin in early July and go on until late September in Herat Province, the provincial department of agriculture said. This year’s winds have been unusually strong, ...

Aug. 21, 2008

By IRIN Association

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