Agricuture News - February 2009 Archives

Shredding corn silage could produce more ethanol at less cost (2/28/2009)

A Purdue University researcher has found a way to get more bang for fewer bucks when it comes to processing cellulosic material to make ethanol. By shredding corn stover instead of chopping, as is commonly done, about 40 percent less energy is needed to gain access to more of the material stored in the plant. ...> Full Article

Long-term study of orchard ground cover management systems (2/28/2009)

10 years of research proves substantial differences in GMSs ...> Full Article

New Zealand breeding program creates new red raspberry variety (2/27/2009)

'Moutere' produces early season high-grade berries for fresh market ...> Full Article

How cold is too cold for newborn calves? (2/27/2009)

University of Miami scientist develops the first cold weather warning system designed to protect newborn calves from extreme winter weather ...> Full Article

Portable kit may 1 day detect plant disease before disastrous outbreak (2/27/2009)

A briefcase-sized kit may one day be used for quick, accurate field tests for microorganisms that could infect and kill plants. If the pathogen is found, experts can tell farmers how to prevent the devastation, according to a Texas AgriLife Research plant pathologist. A $1 million US Department of Agriculture grant is funding the effort to protect U.S. agriculture from bacterial, fungal and viral agents on the homeland security select list. ...> Full Article

Scientists identify stem-cell genes that help form plant organs (2/27/2009)

Discovery can help researchers develop improved crop plants ...> Full Article

Ultra-fine coatings on sediment grains influence nitrate and sulfate storage in soil (2/26/2009)

Vadose zone scientists examine how this thin, complex mineral layer on sediment grains can influence groundwater quality even years after fertilizer application ...> Full Article

Saving wheat crops worldwide (2/25/2009)

Scientists identify a wheat gene sequence which provides protection against leaf rust, stripe rust and powdery mildew ...> Full Article

Gene to reduce wheat yield losses (2/25/2009)

A new gene that provides resistance to a fungal disease responsible for millions of hectares of lost wheat yield has been discovered by scientists from the US and Israel ...> Full Article

Secure right of usage more important than ownership to China's forest farmers (2/24/2009)

What do poor forest farmers want from China's ongoing forest land reform?Well, it is not private ownership of the land that makes them invest. What Chinese farmers value most and what attracts them to investments that can raise their standard of living and contribute to sustainable forestry is secure rights of usage, as shown by Ping Qin's doctoral thesis in economics at the School of Business, Economics and Law, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. ...> Full Article

An atmosphere rich in CO2 and oxygen enhances the quality of refrigerated potato (2/23/2009)

The study of the effects of the composition of the atmosphere surrounding the processed potato was the objective of the Ph.D. thesis defended by Mr. Ignacio Angel Angos Iturgaiz at the Public University of Navarre. His work concluded that an atmosphere rich in carbon dioxide and with high concentrations of oxygen enhances the quality of the minimally processed potato given that these factors slow down the loss processes of water and nutrients, and its change of color. ...> Full Article

Grape shapes (2/22/2009)

New research helps breeders produce elongated grape crops ...> Full Article

New blackberry introduced (2/22/2009)

'Natchez' thornless blackberry shows good potential for commercial shipping and home gardens ...> Full Article

Protecting wine grapes from heat and drought (2/21/2009)

Winemakers may see benefits using foliar particle film ...> Full Article

Methyl bromide alternatives for California strawberry nurseries (2/21/2009)

Researchers find alternative fumigants effective in weed control ...> Full Article

Capillary mats labor-saving, economical alternative to hand watering (2/20/2009)

Retail nurseries can recoup investment in one year ...> Full Article

Mechanical thinning increases fruit size, reduces labor (2/20/2009)

Thinning technology can produce economic benefits for peach and apple growers ...> Full Article

Controlling cucumber beetles organically (2/20/2009)

Pest numbers reduced, fruit yields increased using organic methods ...> Full Article

Sweet potato takes a ride on space shuttle (2/20/2009)

Study shows roots can regenerate in microgravity ...> Full Article

Protecting apples from disease (2/19/2009)

Researchers look for answers to reducing incidence, severity of lenticel breakdown ...> Full Article

Veterinarians developing model to help producers, vets make cattle more comfortable (2/19/2009)

A jogger's heart rate monitor and an instrument similar to a pedometer are a few of the tools Kansas State University veterinary researchers are using to measure discomfort in cattle undergoing two routine procedures, castration and dehorning. ...> Full Article

Biofuels, like politics, are local (2/18/2009)

Including native perennials in biofuel crops could keep watersheds healthy ...> Full Article

Texas researchers provide emissions data for livestock industry (2/17/2009)

A group of Texas-based researchers provided answers for the nation's cattle feeding industry after it was given a very short window by the US Environmental Protection Agency to begin reporting ammonia and hydrogen sulfide emissions.The EPA issued a final ruling on Dec. 18 that required the reporting of continuous air releases of these gases by large confined animal feeding operations to local and state emergency management entities. ...> Full Article

One of history's biggest biological rescue efforts to save 100,000 crop varieties from extinction (2/16/2009)

Only two years after launching an ambitious effort to save endangered crop species, the Global Crop Diversity Trust announced today it is on track to save from extinction 100,000 different varieties of food crops from 46 countries, making it one of the largest and most successful biological rescue efforts ever undertaken. ...> Full Article

Scientists to sequence DNA of British wheat varieties (2/15/2009)

Scientists at the University of Liverpool have been awarded £1.7 million to decode the genome of wheat, in order to help farmers increase the yield of British wheat varieties. ...> Full Article

Preventing rangeland erosion: Developing better management practices in Iran (2/14/2009)

The rangelands of Iran have one of the world's longest history of agriculture development, but new pressures to feed an increasing population of humans and livestock in the region has taken its toll on the land. A recent study was conducted to determine the most effective method of instructing pastoralists in Iran in ways of preventing further degradation of the land. ...> Full Article

Why fruits ripen and flowers die: Salk scientists discover how key plant hormone is triggered (2/13/2009)

Best known for its effects on fruit ripening and flower fading, the gaseous plant hormone ethylene shortens the shelf life of many fruits and plants by putting their physiology on fast-forward. In recent years, scientists learned a lot about the different components that transmit ethylene signals inside cells. But a central regulator of ethylene responses, a protein known as EIN2, resisted all their efforts. ...> Full Article

Cropland diversity reduces nitrogen pollution (2/13/2009)

Biodiversity in crops decreases fertilizer damage to rivers and lakes ...> Full Article

Technology identified could reduce the spread of rice virus (2/13/2009)

Discovery could lead to increased rice crop yields ...> Full Article

Rot's unique wood degrading machinery to be harnessed for better biofuels production (2/10/2009)

An international team led by scientists from the US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute and the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory have translated the genetic code that explains the complex biochemical machinery making brown-rot fungi uniquely destructive to wood. The same processes that provide easier access to the energy-rich sugar molecules bound up in the plant's tenacious architecture are leading to innovations for the biofuels industry. ...> Full Article

Understanding phosphorus in soils is vital to proper management (2/9/2009)

Phosphorus can have a significant effect on water quality, entering these water sources in a variety of ways, particularly due to runoff from phosphorus enriched soil. A new study examined the characteristics of phosphorus in soils as a way to understand how it behaves in soils and how it is transported in runoff. ...> Full Article

Host shift triggers cascading effect on ecosystem, research finds (2/9/2009)

A major cause for biodiversity may be biodiversity itself, says evolutionary ecologist Andrew Forbes of the University of California, Davis, whose newly published research shows that when the apple maggot shifted hosts from the hawthorn to the apple, that triggered a cascading effect on the ecosystem. ...> Full Article

Research project to boost European fish farming (2/8/2009)

European fish farms are to be globally competitive and produce the best fish in terms of ethics and quality. That is the aim of the Lifecycle research project, which is directed from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. A total sum of SEK 130 million (US$15 million) is being invested in the project, of which $7.6 million comes from the EU. ...> Full Article

Interest in Texas wheat improves as quality goes up (2/8/2009)

Finding out what the customer wants and then working toward that goal is paying off for Texas wheat producers, according to a Texas AgriLife Research wheat breeder. That was the message heard on a recent visit to Coast Rica, Guatemala and Mexico by Dr. Jackie Rudd, AgriLife Research associate professor in charge of the wheat breeding and genetics program for the Panhandle. ...> Full Article

Does hotter mean healthier? (2/7/2009)

Phytophthora blight, caused by Phytophthora capsici, is a major plant disease that affects many crop species worldwide, including chile peppers in New Mexico. Farmers' observations suggested that Phytophthora capsici caused less damage in pepper crops of the hot pepper varieties than low-heat pepper varieties. ...> Full Article

Methyl bromide alternatives indicated for North Carolina tomato production (2/6/2009)

In a recent study published in the October 2008 issue of HortTechnology, researchers at North Carolina State University and the USDA analyzed the economic feasibility of chemical alternatives to MeBr in the plasticulture production of tomatoes in the mountain region of North Carolina. ...> Full Article

Automation increases worker efficiency in greenhouses, nurseries (2/5/2009)

The nursery and greenhouse industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors of US agriculture, and is inherently labor-intensive. According to study author Benedict Posadas, "the goals of this study were to develop a socioeconomic profile of horticulture workers and to evaluate the impact of automation on workers' employment, earnings, safety, skill levels and retention rates." ...> Full Article

Research suggests public funding for specialty crops inadequate (2/4/2009)

Specialty crops, including fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and nursery crops, have become increasingly important compared to other categories of agriculture in the United States over the past 50 years. These crops have continued to grow in production value, but this growth has not been matched by growth in public agricultural research spending. ...> Full Article

Removing some cloud seeds of doubt (2/4/2009)

A team of researchers at Monash University has released a new analysis of precipitation records from the long-term cloud seeding operation in Tasmania that shows a promising increase in rainfall during periods of seeding. ...> Full Article

Plant soybean early to increase yield (2/3/2009)

Planting date is probably one of the most important yet least expensive management decisions that significantly affects soybean yield, yet few scientists have studies the effect of early planting. A new article in Agronomy Journal features results of a recent study that examines its benefits for soybean crops. ...> Full Article

Plums poised to give blueberries run for the money (2/2/2009)

There's an emerging star in the super-food world -- plums.Plainly, "blueberries have some stiff competition," said Dr. Luis Cisneros, food scientist with Texas AgriLife Research."Stone fruits are super fruits and plums are emerging stars."Far from fruit snobbery, the plum is being ushered in after more than 100 varieties of plums, peaches and nectarines were found to match or exceed blueberries in antioxidants and phytonutrients associated with disease prevention. ...> Full Article