Category: Industry News

Keywords: climate, crop yields Scientists now have a new tool to predict the future effects of climate change on crop yields. Researchers from University of Illinois are attempting to bridge two types of computational crop models to become more reliable predictors of crop production in the U.S. Corn Belt. “One class of crop models is… Continue reading Researchers develop new tool to to predict the effect of climate change on crop yields

Keywords: tomatoes, Israel There are Cherry tomatoes, purple tomatoes, red eggplants, purple potatoes. From this week two new tomatoes will hit Israeli supermarket shelves. That is the Bon Bon Tomato, the world’s sweetest tomato and the Tipa Tomato, the world’s smallest. The new tomato plants are the creation of Ariel Kitron, Dubi Dagay, and David Mizrahi.… Continue reading World’s smallest and the world’s sweetest tomatoes reach Israeli shelves

Scientists working to increase soybean oil content tend to focus their efforts on genes known to impact the plant’s seeds, but a Purdue University study shows that genes affecting other plant parts deserve more attention. Wild-type soybeans contain bloom, a powdery substance originating in the pod that can coat seeds. This trait makes the seeds… Continue reading Study suggests new targets for improving soybean oil content

Keywords: agriculture, Africa Up to $600 million has been set aside to aid in advancing agriculture among the world’s poorest farmers in Africa and Asia. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged $300 million over the next three years to support agricultural research that will help farmers better adapt to increasingly-challenging conditions brought about… Continue reading $600 million towards agricultural advancement in Africa

Keywords: seed, revolution Pioneering new technology is set to accelerate the global quest for crop improvement in a development which echoes the Green Revolution of the post war period. The speed-breeding platform developed by teams at the John Innes Centre, University of Queensland and University of Sydney, uses a glasshouse or an artificial environment with… Continue reading Speed breeding technique sows seeds of new green revolution

China has released new guidelines on the civilian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) industry, expecting the market value of the industry to rose 40 percent year on year on average to 60 billion yuan (about 9.1 billion U.S. dollars) by 2020. The market value would be tripled to 180 billion yuan by 2025, according to the… Continue reading China’s commercial drone market to top USD 9 bln by 2020

In order to implement the plan of “building 500 full-mechanized pilot counties” in the “Outline for the Thirteenth Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development,” the Ministry of Agriculture has carried out the nationwide promotion of the mechanization of the entire crop production and started Demonstration County to create a job. Recently, based on… Continue reading The country’s 150 counties took the lead in realizing the mechanization of the main crop production

In order to speed up the modernization of agriculture and rural areas and promote the reform on the supply side of agriculture, Shandong, a major agricultural province, recently proposed that while continuously improving the mechanization of planting industry, it will also promote the comprehensive agricultural production such as livestock husbandry, aquaculture, forestry and fruit processing,… Continue reading Shandong will promote the full mechanization of agricultural production

Keywords: Zimbabwe, cotton Zimbabwe has introduced cotton hybrid seeds with potential to improve yields by as much as 45 percent when compared with the traditional varieties, an official has said. Hybrid seeds require less water and have a higher yield potential compared to non-hybrid varieties. Studies have shown that the hybrid seeds are generally less… Continue reading Zimbabwe introduces hybrid cotton seeds

Keywords: World Bank, loan, China The World Bank has approved a 150-million U.S. dollar loan to southeastern Chinese province of Jiangxi. The purpose is to improve its farm produce distribution system, the bank said in a statement. The loan will benefit over 200,000 farmers through more efficient farm-to-market supply chains, according to the statement. “Despite… Continue reading World Bank approves 150 mln USD loan for China’s farm produce distribution system