Taking the next step toward growing our own fuel
...luding those of the highly productive corn/soybean cropping system in the Midwest -- arguably the largest man-made ecosystem on the planet," Blaschek said. "This agro-ecosystem is still largely focused on providing raw materials for the food, feed and fiber industries and not on chemicals and fuels." T...US Agency for International Development awards $34 million to Virginia Tech
... water. Providing information about weather, soil, cropping systems, livestock management, water availability, and the tools for agricultural and natural resource management resulted in better communication, decision-making, and land use in the region. Researchers also published a book and numerous articles. ...Assumptions of effects of rising carbon dioxide probed
...ors will be of concern to the future health of our cropping and wildland ecosystems....Researchers investigate 'whole farm' approach to reduce dairy pollution
...regulations are based on soils, climate and forage cropping systems that have little in common with those in Central Texas, said Dr. James Pierre Muir, Experiment Station forage research physiologist. "If you add assumption on top of supposition, you wind up with legislation and litigation based on very littl...New winter hulless barley has high protein
...r barley was an integral component of the region's cropping system, growers stopped producing it because it was not profitable. The Small Grains Breeding Program work is aimed at reversing this trend. It has focused on improving and diversifying barley's end-use quality. "Traditional hulled barley cultivars t...Hawaiian soils reveal clues to cultural history
...ultural system to an optimal zone for sweet potato cropping within a landscape that was on the marginal limits for tropical root production," wrote the authors. "As subsistence increases, society can produce surplus and afford to have different classes including warriors, priests and rulers," said Chadwick....Genetically modified rice in China benefits farmers' health, study finds
...arms in terms of size, share of rice in the farm's cropping pattern, or in the farmers' age or education. Pesticide Use The main difference between the farm households was in the level of pesticides they used. The study showed that the farmers applied the same types of pesticides, regardless of what type o...Children at risk, says Illinois agricultural economist who helped assess the world's ecosystem
... global climate change, may necessitate changes in cropping patterns, even if farmers stick with corn and soybeans," he said. "Water shortages around the world will mean 'exporting' Illinois water in the form of agricultural products. "We may see discontinuities of some kind as ecosystems are put under increa...Study in Royal Society journal on first observation of giant squid in the wild
...Effects of genetically modified herbicide-tolerant cropping systems on weed seedbanks in two years of following crops by Dr LG Firbank, Dr P Rothery, Mr M May, Ms SJ Clark, Mr RJ Scott, Mr RC Stuart, Ms CWH Boffey, Mr. DR Brooks, Dr G Champion, Dr A Haughton, Dr. C. Hawes, Dr MS Heard, Dr AM Dewar, Professor ...Cowpeas could add sustainability to cropping systems
...s trying to make the region's wheat-sorghum-fallow cropping system more sustainable by getting rid of the fallow component. Leaving the land idle for one cropping season is a way to retain soil moisture for the following crop. However, Payne said, this practice d...Sustainable agriculture: Canadian institute offers definition, recommends path
...rams to facilitate partial farm ownership or share cropping to re-engage non-farmers in agriculture and, therefore, rural communities. The discussion paper also calls for programs to help small farmers stay current with information technologies, some of whom are still on party lines and cannot even operate a ...Story tips from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, November 2005
...68 million tons of carbon sequestered from no-till cropping practices in the U.S. and Canada from 1981 to 2000...another because of differences in soil properties, cropping practices and the influence of climate change on soil moisture and soil temperature. While carbon se...Crop development efforts get major boost
...er more than 70 percent of the planet's productive cropping land. "We're very pleased that the IRRI-CIMMYT Alliance established just a year ago is already achieving such important progress," said CIMMYT Director General Masa Iwanaga. "As we enter the era of genomics research, the efficient and effective man...... spatial distribution of irrigated areas and their cropping intensities; areas affected by droughts and their intensities; and the interaction between the water and the plant in natural vegetation and agricultural areas. Contact: Prasad Thenkabail, International Water Management Institute Tel.: +94 112 787404...Is biodiversity the future of farming?
...ll make it difficult to sustain highly specialized cropping systems which require relatively stable climates. To keep agriculture productive, farmers likely will need to adjust quickly. If we can design farming systems that are less energy intensive, more resilient in the face of unstable climates, and that b...Biofuels: More than just ethanol
... The study, "Net greenhouse gas flux of bioenergy cropping systems using Daycent", was completed by Paul Adle...et biofuel greenhouse emissions from major biofuel cropping systems by combining ecosystem computer model data with estimates of the amount of fossil fuels used...Turtles are loyal in feeding as well as in breeding
...foraging sites. Green turtles have been observed cropping sea grass gardens to encourage new growth, so there could be a benefit to them returning to foraging grounds. Loggerheads have an omnivorous diet, including molluscs and crustacea, so the benefit to them revisiting feeding areas is unclear. Scientist...Recycled garden compost reduces phosphorus in soils
...n matter recycled from Sydney gardens in vegetable cropping systems. The Sydney trial has found that over time, additional nitrogen fertiliser may be required as the nitrogen from the compost is depleted, however, the overall crop need for inorganic fertiliser is reduced. One of the next phases of the pro...Alternative farming cleans up water
...s at the University of Minnesota shows alternative cropping practices may help to protect the environment by r...rned about the environment is to develop efficient cropping systems that maintain economical production levels while minimizing surface and ground water degrada...... conditions are forcing farmers to rethink current cropping system strategies. To maximize crop production in ...ever, before making the change to a more adaptable cropping systems strategy, researchers say its important to understand how short-term crop sequencing decisio...