Climate friendly crops reflect sunlight
Planting ‘climate friendly’ crops that reflect sunlight could help offset the effects of global warming, a study suggests. The crops, spread across large fertile regions of North America and Europe, would send a small percentage of the sun’s light and heat back into space.
Continue reading… “Planting Climate Friendly Crops Could Help Offset the Effects of Global Warming”
Canola
A genetically modified (GM) crop has been found thriving in the wild for the first time in the United States. Transgenic canola is growing freely in parts of North Dakota, researchers told the Ecological Society of America conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Continue reading… “Massive Escape of Genetically Modified Crop Into the American Wild”
The study says climate change may drive up to 6.7m Mexicans across the border into the US by 2080
A warming climate could see millions of adult Mexicans migrate to the US as rising temperatures cause a drop in crop yields, according to a study by researchers at Princeton University. For every 10% of lost crop yields in Mexico, another 2% of Mexicans are likely to leave their country, the study says.
Continue reading… “Climate Change Could Increase Mexico-U.S. Migration: Study”
Super-yeast is a significant step toward developing ‘second generation’ biofuels.
A new type of baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) has been developed which can efficiently ferment pentose sugars, as found in agricultural waste and hardwoods. Researchers writing in BioMed Central’s open access journal Biotechnology for Biofuels describe the creation of the new S. cerevisiae strain, TMB3130, which demonstrated significantly improved aerobic growth rate and final biomass concentration on sugar media composed of two pentoses, xylose and arabinose.
A certified crop adviser and agronomist looks for weeds resistant to glyphosate.
For 15 years, Eddie Anderson, a farmer, has been a strict adherent of no-till agriculture, an environmentally friendly technique that all but eliminates plowing to curb erosion and the harmful runoff of fertilizers and pesticides.
Continue reading… “Round-Up Resistant Weeds Pose a Threat to Farmers”
Children in Kenya with the Peepoo
Anders Wilhelmson, a Swedish entrepreneur, is trying to market and sell a biodegradable plastic bag that acts as a single-use toilet for urban slums in the developing world. Once used, the bag can be knotted and buried, and a layer of urea crystals breaks down the waste into fertilizer, killing off disease-producing pathogens found in feces.
Continue reading… “The Peepoo – A Disposable Toilet That Could Help Grow Crops”
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Evan Ryan travelled the world looking at trace element nutrition in broadacre cropping
A Yarrawonga farmer believes “biofortification” of grain with trace elements will become a trend in the future.
Evan Ryan said trace element biofortification of grains – supercharging them with elements such as zinc, boron, selenium or other micronutrients – was a novel way of solving human health and nutrition problems.
Continue reading… “Biofortification Will Become a Trend in the Future”
Studies carried out at Panjab University, Chandigarh, suggest that electromagnetic field (EMF) radiation from cell phones could choke seeds, affect germination and early growth. This is said to be the first such study on the impact of EMF radiation on seeds.
The researchers germinated moong dal (Phaseolus aureus) seeds in a closed chamber in which two cell phones were kept on talk mode.
California and Australia have lately been making the headlines for drought problems. But Mexico is facing the worst drought it has seen in the last 69 years. That on top of the already existing water crisis, precipitated by terrible water management, is beginning to push things over the edge. Corn, wheat and other crops are faring badly, and officials are actually hoping to see a hurricane hit soon just so a looming food crisis might be averted.
Continue reading… “Water Shortage In Mexico Turning Into Food Crisis”
Argentine ants from three huge colonies in Europe, America and Japan are actually part of one global super-colony, scientists have revealed.
Continue reading… “Global Super-Colony Of Ants Rivals Human Population”
The Ug99 fungus, called stem rust, could wipe out more than 80% of the world’s wheat as it spreads from Africa, scientists fear. The race is on to breed resistant plants before it reaches the U.S.
Continue reading… “Race Is On To Stop Fungus That Could Wipe Out 80% Of World’s Wheat”
Thought up by Italian architecture firm Studiomobile, vertical seawater farms sticking up out of the water could covert the salt-laden liquid into freshwater for crops. It’s all about producing humidity. A series of vents would gather humidity from the seawater to cool the greenhouses and, as it collects, irrigate the crops inside. (Pics)
Continue reading… “Vertical Coastal Farms Could Use Seawater To Grow Crops In The Future”