agriculture soil News
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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 ...
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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 ...
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`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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
By SciDev.Net
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Copper-zinc interactions increase toxicity in soils, say researchers
Agricultural soils accumulate trace metals, particularly copper and zinc, as a result of their presence in wastes (sewage biosolids and manures) and fungicides that are applied over long periods of time. Regulations and guidelines for tolerable concentrations of these potentially plant-toxic elements in soils are based on the assumption that the toxic effects of the metals are substantially ...
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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 ...
By SOIL Haiti
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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View Cattle, Soil Building & More at Drive-Through Farm Tour May 31
SFA and Voss Farms are hosting a drive-through farm tour from 2 to 4 p.m. Sun., May 31, at 27725 Business 23, Paynesville. Participants will drive through Voss Farms (above) to learn about animals and animal health, food from the farm and soil health. An audio recording will be available for download to listen to as you visit each station along the tour. As soon as it is available, a notice will ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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Peroxide UltraPure™ produced directly on site boosts blueberries through increased organic soil content, uniform irrigation
The Huelva region in southern Spain is an important area for agriculture. Dry soil and a warm climate, combined with the use of organic fertilizer, can be challenging for growers, however. A 24-hectare blueberry plantation in Huelva, part of an organization producing high quality organic berries, turned to HPNow for help. Together with the operators of the farm and leading agronomists, HPNow ...
By HPNOW
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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 ...
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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). ...
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How much water is used for irrigation in European agriculture?
Agriculture plays a large role in the management of water in the EU. However, there is little consistent information on water use in irrigation. New EU supported research has estimated how much water is used for irrigation in European countries, providing a framework to analyse agricultural pressures on water quantity. Water scarcity is an increasing problem in the EU and the situation is ...
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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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New irrigation strategies for pecans in humid climates
Georgia is the largest pecan producing state in the U.S. Although this humid region receives an average of 127 cm or more rainfall annually, periods of moisture stress can occur during the pecan growing season, particularly during August and September when pecans are in the kernel-filling stage and water demand is at its peak. Pecan producers throughout the region depend on irrigation strategies ...
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World soil day opportunity for UK government to commit to protect healthy soils
Costs of soil degradation in England and Wales estimated at £264 million annually National environmental protection charity, Environmental Protection UK (EPUK), is calling on the UK Government to celebrate World Soil Day (Sunday 5th December 2010) by backing an important EU Framework Directive designed to enshrine the protection of soil within EU legislation. Despite its fundamental ...
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