soil biodiversity News
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Grassy field margins enhance soil biodiversity
Grass strips at field margins are almost as valuable as hedgerows in encouraging diversity of soil creatures, according to new research. Six metre wide margin strips increase the number and variety of species such as earthworms, woodlice and beetles, and may act as corridors between isolated habitats. The study analysed the presence of invertebrates of three main feeding types - soil ingesters ...
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Soil biodiversity reduces nitrogen pollution and improves crops’ nutrient uptake
Increased soil biodiversity can reduce nitrogen pollution, improve nutrient uptake by plants and even increase crop yields, new research suggests. The two-year study found that levels of nitrogen leaching from soil with an abundant soil life were nearly 25% lower than for soil with a reduced level of soil life. Practices which enhance soil biodiversity such as reduced tilling, crop rotation and ...
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What are the impacts of invasive alien species?
The impacts of invasive alien species (IAS) can take many different forms, from ecological to socio-economic. A new review investigates how to define and quantify ‘impact’ and discusses the most successful strategies to reduce invasion risk and prevent different impacts. Biological invasions can substantially degrade ecosystems and IAS are listed among the primary causes of global ...
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Be kind to soil - TerraIndex
In the 40’s in post-war Japan an agricultural scientist turned his back on conventional practices and started an interesting experiment. Masanobu Fukuoka wanted to try agriculture the natural way; without ploughing, without herbicides and pesticides, and even without excessive weeding of his fields. The result? The crops seemed to be stronger and more resilient, and his costs to produce ...
By TerraIndex
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Healthy soils for a healthy planet
Healthy soils are vital in a world challenged by climate change. We need to decide how best to use land to provide food for a growing population and how it can be used to mitigate the effects of manmade emissions. The quality of soil must be maintained or restored if it is to provide its essential services: cycling nutrients, water and air, supporting biodiversity and acting as a substantial ...
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Where carbon credits meet Agroforestry: a partnership between ALLCOT and reNature
ALLCOT Group and reNature Foundation signed an agreement to generate carbon credits from Agroforestry projects located above all in Brazil, Colombia, and Indonesia. Carbon credits have always been dialoguing mainly with reforestation programs, but now it’s time to give Agroforestry a chance. Since Agriculture is the major driver of depletion of natural resources worldwide, ALLCOT & ...
By ALLCOT
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Increasing diversity through crop rotation boosts soil microbial biodiversity and productivity
Planting a variety of crop species in rotation in agricultural fields increases the diversity of soil microbes below ground, recent research has found. This in turn positively affects soil organic matter, soil structure and aids the healthy functioning of the soil. The researchers say that rotational diversity can help farmers to grow crops in a more sustainable way that promotes soil stability. ...
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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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World must reform agriculture now or face dire crisis: report
The world will face social upheaval and environmental disasters if agriculture is not radically reformed to better serve the poor and hungry, a landmark UN-sponsored report said last week. The warning in the report by the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) comes amid growing discontent among the world's poorest over rising food prices. ...
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Preserve, promote, and utilise rich soil life
Healthy soil life can contribute to sustainable agriculture which, in addition to ensuring a good yield, keeps diseases under control and generates carbon and nitrogen retention. That is what Prof. Gerlinde De Deyn, Professor holding a personal chair in Soil Ecology, asserted in her inaugural address at Wageningen University & Research on 18 May. Life underground is richer in species than ...
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Sustainable Agriculture to Promote Biodiversity
• Biodiversity affects key ecosystem services, such as the primary production of food for humans and the rest of nature, plus the recycling of nutrients and water. • One hectare of land contains a lot of biodiversity in the soil – equivalent to the weight of one cow of bacteria, two sheep of protozoa, and four rabbits of soil animals such as earthworms. The INSPIA* project is ...
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High gold prices drive expansion of mining activity in the Amazon forest of Peru
Gold mining areas in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest expanded from under 10 000 hectares in 1999 to over 50 000 hectares by 2012, and now destroys more forest than agriculture and logging combined, new research has shown. Using high-resolution satellite imaging, researchers estimated gold mining areas to be twice as large as estimated by previous studies, which did not include the combined effects ...
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NNFCC joins 43 other signatories in open letter to UK government
This October, the British Standards Institute enacted a new specification, supporting the use of plastics containing additives to degradation. These plastics stand to exacerbate the global issue of microplastics and plastic pollution. As a result, NNFCC has jointly signed an open letter to the UK government calling for the immediate banning of these materials. 'From Blue Planet, to taxes on ...
By NNFCC Ltd.
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Damaging Human Impact on the Land ‘Unsustainable’
A new UN report examining how land resources such as water, soil and biodiversity are being managed around the world has found that human activity is damaging and degrading the earth in an unsustainable way. The second edition of the Global Land Outlook – which has taken five years to compile – indicates that up to 40 per cent of terrain worldwide has already been devalued, ...
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Using nature`s resources to store carbon
The ability of the Earth's living systems to store carbon could play a vital role in the mitigation of climate change. A new report suggests that, in coming decades, safeguarding and restoring carbon in ecosystems has the potential to prevent well over 50 gigatonnes (Gt) of carbon entering the atmosphere. Last year the EU launched its Climate Action and Renewable Energy package to set a target ...
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Significant progress made in first year of The Good Growth Plan
Syngenta has published the first update on progress towards meeting the six ambitious commitments in The Good Growth Plan, which was launched in 2013 to support the future sustainability of agriculture and rural communities. Syngenta established a global network of over 3,500 reference and benchmark farms in 2014. Around 860 reference farms are using tailored protocols to raise productivity ...
By Syngenta
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CAP post 2013 - last call for sustainability?
On September 23rd an informal Agriculture Council meeting will be held in Annecy, dedicated to the future of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after 2013. BirdLife International, EEB and Pesticide Action Network warned Ministers that the issue of food and energy security - and prices - can only be addressed effectively through a new model of agriculture that emits less greenhouse gases, ...
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Multifunctional forests - balancing timber, water and carbon sink needs air
Traditionally, forests have needed different management programmes depending on their purpose, for example, whether the priority is to maximise their value in terms of timber, water or as a carbon sink. However, the integration of these values in management strategies has become increasingly important. A new study has explored one means of achieving this, by placing an economic value on fresh ...
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The Reason That The Finished Product Appears Rough In The Organic Fertilizer Granulator Production Line
Organic fertilizer granulator production line is to make the fertilizer into the user needs the granule, then convenient for later use or sales. Zhengzhou Fusmar is a professional fertilizer granulator machine manufacturer, welcome to our website and inquiry for machine details. The Reason That The Finished Product Appears Rough In The Organic Fertilizer Granulator Production Line The service ...
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Sandwich system found effective in organic apple orchards
In organic apple orchards, one of the most serious challenges for growers is determining ways to limit weed competition while improving soil quality and ensuring high yields of quality apples. Scientists from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences published a study of orchard floor management systems (HortScience, March 2015) that revealed the benefits of using "sandwich systems" in ...
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