Agricuture News - October 2009 Archives

Rot-resistant wheat could save farmers millions (10/31/2009)

CSIRO researchers have identified wheat and barley lines resistant to Crown Rot -- a disease that costs Australian wheat and barley farmers $79 million in lost yield every year. ...> Full Article

How do we fund plant breeding? (10/30/2009)

Stakeholders from public and private sectors of the plant breeding community will share their perspectives on the current funding landscape during the symposium, "Building a Strong Financial Base for Sustaining a Healthy Plant Breeding Community." The event is part of the 2009 Annual Meetings of the American Society of Agronomy, and Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America in Pittsburgh, Pa. ...> Full Article

Scientists reveals secrets of drought resistance (10/29/2009)

A team of biologists in California led by researchers at The Scripps Research Institute and the University of California, San Diego, has solved the structure of a critical molecule that helps plants survive during droughts. Understanding the inner workings of this molecule may help scientists design new ways to protect crops against prolonged dry periods, potentially improving crop yields worldwide, aiding biofuels production on marginal lands and mitigating drought's human and economic costs. ...> Full Article

Wild pigs and deer do not spread GM corn via feces or accumulate transgenic residues in meat (10/28/2009)

The German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation funded a study to address two controversial questions: When wild boar and deer, traditional menu items in the fall, eat genetically modified corn, do transgenic residues accumulate in their meat? Do they spread GM corn via their feces? The answer in each case is no, according to scientists at TUM, the Technische Universitaet Muenchen. They recommend, however, that such studies be conducted separately for all GM plants. ...> Full Article

Modified crops reveal hidden cost of resistance (10/27/2009)

Genetically modified squash plants that are resistant to a debilitating viral disease become more vulnerable to a fatal bacterial infection, according to biologists. ...> Full Article

Professor develops new method to help keep fruit, vegetables and flowers fresh (10/24/2009)

A Georgia State University professor has developed an innovative new way to keep produce and flowers fresh for longer periods of time. Microbiologist George Pierce's method uses a naturally occurring microorganism -- no larger than the width of a human hair -- to induce enzymes that extend the ripening time of fruits and vegetables, and keeps the blooms of flowers fresh. ...> Full Article

Advance in 'nano-agriculture': Tiny stuff has huge effect on plant growth (10/23/2009)

With potential adverse health and environmental effects often in the news about nanotechnology, scientists in Arkansas are reporting that carbon nanotubes could have beneficial effects in agriculture. Their study, scheduled for the October issue of ACS Nano, a monthly journal, found that tomato seeds exposed to CNTs germinated faster and grew into larger, heavier seedlings than other seeds. That growth-enhancing effect could be a boon for biomass production for plant-based biofuels and other agricultural products, they suggest. ...> Full Article

Massive monitoring project to identify dairy air quality parameters (10/22/2009)

Optimizing expertise and equipment to get solid answers both producers and government agencies can use was the goal of a massive two-week air quality monitoring project at an eastern New Mexico dairy, according to project researchers. ...> Full Article

Popping the cork on biofuel agriculture (10/21/2009)

Scientists at the US Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have identified a novel enzyme responsible for the formation of suberin -- the woody, waxy, cell-wall substance found in cork. Adjusting the permeability of plant tissues by genetically manipulating the expression of this enzyme could lead to easier agricultural production of crops used for biofuels. ...> Full Article

Fruit fly pest identified in wine grapes (10/20/2009)

A newly recognized pest in Oregon continues to concern fruit growers and researchers with the recent discovery of a spotted wing Drosophila fly in a sample of Willamette Valley wine grapes. ...> Full Article

Global seed banking milestone celebrated by wildflower center, 122 other organizations (10/19/2009)

An international partnership of 54 countries led by the United Kingdom's Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and including the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is celebrating a decade of work to set aside seeds for future generations from 10 percent of the world's wild flowering species. ...> Full Article

Nitrogen mysteries in urban grasslands (10/14/2009)

A group of scientists uncover the nitrogen dynamics of a common urban landscape ...> Full Article

New portal for plant genomics will support research into improved crops (10/10/2009)

Today sees the launch of Ensembl Plants -- a freely available Web resource for plant genomics research -- by EMBL-EBI, in partnership with the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, USA. Ensembl Plants allows researchers worldwide to access and visualize the results of genome-scale experiments in different plant species and will make it easier for scientists to improve the productivity and health of crops. ...> Full Article

If only the weeds would keep their genes to themselves (10/9/2009)

Study explores how farmers' practice affects role of gene flow between cultivated sorghum and its weedy relatives ...> Full Article

African cattle to be protected from killer disease (10/7/2009)

Millions of African families could be saved from destitution thanks to a much-needed vaccine that is being mass-produced in a drive to protect cattle against a deadly parasite. ...> Full Article

Grains and lamb offer new sources of omega-3 (10/6/2009)

CSIRO research on grains and lamb aimed at developing new dietary sources of long-chain omega-3 oils will be presented at the World Congress on Oils and Fats in Sydney this week. ...> Full Article

A thermometer for the Earth (10/5/2009)

An "optical soil dipstick" developed by Prof. Eyal Ben-Dor of Tel Aviv University will help scientists, urban planners and farmers understand the changing health of the soil, as well as the soil's agricultural potential and other environmental concerns. ...> Full Article

Growing greener greens (10/5/2009)

A pioneering project to make our green vegetables even better for us has been launched by scientists at the University of Nottingham. The research will underpin future technological developments in agriculture that could help fight a looming food security crisis. ...> Full Article

'Killer' Southeast drought low on scale, says study (10/4/2009)

A 2005-2007 dry spell in the southeastern United States destroyed billions of dollars of crops, drained municipal reservoirs and sparked legal wars among a half-dozen states -- but the havoc came not from exceptional dryness but booming population and bad planning, says a new study. ...> Full Article

Tall fescue's future in agriculture (10/3/2009)

A new book, "Tall Fescue for the Twenty-first Century," documents the history, science and applications of tall fescue, a cultivated pasture grass that is playing an increasing role in protecting soil and water and enhancing animal agriculture. ...> Full Article

Researchers help identify cows that gain more while eating less (10/2/2009)

Mizzou scientist leads the effort to help farmers decrease feed costs ...> Full Article

A new chemical method for distinguishing between farmed and wild salmon (10/1/2009)

Wild salmon and farmed salmon can now be distinguished from each other by a technique that examines the chemistry of their scales. ...> Full Article