farmland soil News
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2012 Conservation Easement Applications Due February 15
Private landowners interested in protecting their grassland or farmland with this year's funding are encouraged get their applications in soon. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in California has set Feb. 15, 2012, as the deadline for accepting applications for both the Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) and Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP). "These programs ...
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Obama Budget Proposal to Slash Conservation Would Be Costly
President Obama's congressional budget request to slash funding for Farm Bill conservation programs in Fiscal Year 2013 by about $600 million could cost more than it saves in the long term, according to a leading conservation group. Farm Bill conservation programs assist farmers, ranchers and private forest landowners in adopting land management practices that improve water quality and wildlife ...
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50+ Groups Urge Congress to Reject $1 Billion in Cuts to USDA Conservation Programs
A coalition of more than 50 agriculture and conservation groups representing millions of Americans today are urging lawmakers to reject nearly $1 billion in proposed cuts to farm bill conservation programs. The organizations are asking the House Appropriations Committee to "ensure that reasonable funding levels are continued" when the committee meets today at 5 p.m. to vote on these huge cuts in ...
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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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Expert to Field Questions on Crop Budgets, Farmland Prices and Rental Rates at the 2014 Farm Science Review
While cropland values in Ohio increased in the past two years, they have remained flat, and in some cases declined depending on the land class, in 2014, an economist from Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences said. Barry Ward, production business management leader for Ohio State University Extension, will discuss his latest research related to ...
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Artificial wetlands on farmland help to prevent soil loss and recapture agricultural by-products
Small field wetlands are a simple and effective way to reduce soil erosion and nutrient pollution, recent research suggests. The authors adapted Norwegian designs for the UK environment and created a series of small rectangular lakes on the edges of agricultural fields. After three years, the wetlands had prevented tonnes of soil from leaving the land, and helped alleviate some of the nutrient ...
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Poor soil quality may reduce farmland bird population
Researchers have investigated the relationship between soil quality and the decline of yellow wagtail birds on arable farmland in the UK. The results suggest that reduced soil penetrability in particular affects the numbers and distribution of the species. Modern, intensive-farming methods can lead to changes in habitats with a loss in biodiversity, including farmland bird species. Degradation ...
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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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New plant protein discoveries could ease global food and fuel demands
New discoveries of the way plants transport important substances across their biological membranes to resist toxic metals and pests, increase salt and drought tolerance, control water loss and store sugar can have profound implications for increasing the supply of food and energy for our rapidly growing global population. That’s the conclusion of 12 leading plant biologists from around the ...
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Satellite data plus conservation equals better crop yields
Combining remote sensing technology with water and soil conservation techniques can help raise crop yields in South Asia, scientists have reported. Satellite data can help identify specific problems on farmlands such as moisture shortage, excessive soil wetness and flood occurrence. Using the data along with appropriate resource conserving technology (RCT) will increase productivity, a study ...
By SciDev.Net
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Baker’s yeast wastewater has limited effect on groundwater when used for irrigation
Untreated wastewater from the baker’s yeast industry can be used to irrigate crops without negatively affecting the chemical quality of the groundwater beneath, recently published research concludes. Although the wastewater increased concentrations of some groundwater contaminants in an area with a high water table, these levels would not pose a risk to human health even if this water was ...
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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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As seas rise, saltwater plants offer hope farms will survive
On a sun-scorched wasteland near India's southern tip, an unlikely garden filled with spiky shrubs and spindly greens is growing, seemingly against all odds. The plants are living on saltwater, coping with drought and possibly offering viable farming alternatives for a future in which rising seas have inundated countless coastal farmlands. Sea rise, one of the consequences of climate change, ...
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