Month: June 2018

University of California researchers are on the path to discovering genes that assist in drought resistance in sorghum, which could potentially be applied to other important cereal crops like corn, wheat, rice and barley in the years to come. “We’re going to need crops that have better drought tolerance in the future,” said Jeff Dahlberg… Continue reading How sorghum’s drought-resistant genes could benefit other crops

Labels proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to disclose “bioengineered” (BE) foods dramatically increase a wide variety of consumer concerns, especially regarding human health. Those are among the findings of new research by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation into areas where AMS sought comments on its proposed BE… Continue reading Survey: Nearly half of U.S. consumers avoid GMO foods; Large majority primarily concerned about human health impact

The value of agriculture products in overall exports from India in percentage terms has been on the fall for decades now. Agricultural exports accounted for 44 percent of total exports in 1960 falling to about 31 percent in 1980 and further to 15 percent in 1993. More recently, agricultural exports have fallen in absolute term… Continue reading India agricultural growth has to be export driven for doubling farmers’ income

The Antarctic greenhouse EDEN ISS has reached full operation, providing valuable experience for future plant breeding on Mars and moon, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) announced on Monday. In contrast to previous plant breeding experiments in Antarctica, the EDEN ISS greenhouse is characterized by a closed cycle in which all water not contained in the… Continue reading Vegetable harvest in Antarctica boosts scientists’ plan to grow greens on Mars, moon

Monsanto proposes to conduct a field trial of one canola line genetically modified for tolerance to dicamba herbicide, and dual herbicide tolerant GM canola produced by conventional breeding between the dicamba tolerant GM canola line and MON88302 GM canola. MON88302 canola is tolerant to glyphosate herbicide and has been commercially released in Australia since 2014… Continue reading Australia to approve Monsanto’s GM canola for field trial

Purdue University scientists have discovered evidence that the repressive structures that plants use to keep genes turned off is built with a potential self-destruct switch. The findings offer insight into ways to control gene expression to alter plants’ characteristics. Purdue University’s Joe Ogas led a study that showed how plants using repressive states to control… Continue reading Plants have unique lock to control expression of genes, study finds

Corn, or maize, is the most widely grown crop in the world. Used in food, cooking oil, industrialized foods, livestock feed and even automobile fuel, the crop is one that both rich and poor people rely upon. Research led by the University of Washington looks at what climate change will mean for global yields of… Continue reading Warmer climate will dramatically increase the volatility of global corn crops

Co-robots, robots that work with humans rather than replace them, is the future of high-tech horticultural production, according to experts at Wageningen University and Research in The Netherlands. Twenty British growers who attended a 3-day study tour in The Netherlands heard how a different generation of robots can improve productivity by lending a hand, eyes,… Continue reading Robots will support, not replace, growers in the future

In thirty years, the global population of 7 billion will increase by 30% to a staggering 9.1 billion people. Feeding everyone with the same amount of land that is available today will undoubtedly be a challenge. Along with expanding cities gobbling up agricultural and forest land, changing climatic conditions with frequent spells of droughts also… Continue reading What makes some varieties of rice resistant to drought?

The world produces more corn by weight than any other cereal crop. Corn, also known as maize, is a staple food in many countries. But farmers growing corn face many challenges, such as drought, diseases, and pests. A flowering witchweed (Striga asiatica L. O. Krantz) in a conventionally-ploughed maize field on sandy soils in Madziwa,… Continue reading High-protein corn also resistant to parasitic weed