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Drought in SW China Worsens as Temperatures Soar Planet Ark | August 31, 2006 Southwest China is suffering from its worst drought in 50 years and temperatures soared to 41 degrees Celsius on Wednesday with crops withering in the scorching heat. More than 40 percent of the vegetable crop in parts of the municipality of Chongqing have suffered in the drought, and with production down, prices were rising. The government was calling on residents to plant alternative crops such as potatoes to make up their losses, and in Chongqing's Nanchuan city, farmers who had planted more than 10 mu of land were being given 100 yuan (US$12.50) each in assistance. A mu is equal to one-sixth of an acre. Global Warming a Boon for Greenland's Farmers Speigel Online | Gerald Traufetter | August 30, 2006 Known for its massive ice sheets, Greenland is feeling the effects of global warming as rising temperatures have expanded the island's growing season and crops are flourishing. For the first time in hundreds of years, it has become possible to raise cattle and start dairy farms. Bangladesh Prays for Rain as Rice Crop Fears Grow Planet Ark | Azad Majumder | August 28, 2006 Bangladeshi farmers said they might not be able to plant all their rice fields this season because of a lack of rain. Agriculture officials said up to 2.0 million hectares (800,000 acres), or 40 percent of land supposed to grow Aman this year, might remain unplanted for want of rain. Fields already planted with the help of irrigation were also drying up since farmers could not keep watering them because of the high price and short supply of diesel needed to run pumps. Weather shrinks crop estimates for Prairies CanWest News Service | Angela Hall | August 26, 2006 Persistent hot, dry days shrivelled hopes for a bumper crop, with Prairie farmers expecting production to decline from last year's levels. After an optimistic spring in many areas, a string of days with little moisture in July stressed crops and accelerated development. In addition to the July heat, wet weather also took a toll earlier in the season. The region's crops also suffered damage from Bertha armyworm and other pests. Estimate of production of principal field crops Statistics Canada | August 25, 2006 Prairie farmers report that crop production will decline from last year's record levels, the result of persistent dry conditions. In the East, generally favourable conditions could result in crop production well above the 10-year average. Millions of Tonnes of Grain Lost in China Drought Planet Ark | August 25, 2006 A drought in southwest China, the worst in 50 years, has led to the loss of five million tonnes of grain and damaged more than two million hectares (7,700 sq miles) of farmland. Sichuan province was helping farmers plant crops like potatoes, sweet potatoes and yams which can be harvested later in the year to make up for the grain shortage. The drought has been so severe that the government is helping 100,000 farmers move to the far-western region of Xinjiang to pick cotton after their own fields withered. China Aids Drought - Stricken Farmers on "Cotton Exodus" Planet Ark | August 23, 2006 China is backing a "cotton exodus" of 100,000 drought-stricken farmers to help harvest the crop in the country's far-western Xinjiang region after their own fields withered. About 467,000 migrant workers were needed to pick cotton in Xinjiang, which has reported a bumper crop even as two months of drought conditions and hot weather have destroyed crops in much of the southwestern region. Drought, Water Worries Cloud Skies for US Farmers Planet Ark | Christine Stebbins | August 23, 2006 As the United States bakes in one of the hottest summers since the Dust Bowl years of the 1930s, drought from the Dakotas to Arizona through Alabama has sharpened the focus of farmers on their lifeline: water. Farmers from Nebraska through northern Texas are now growing more water-thirsty crops, like corn, that offer them better cash returns due to changing trends such as the boom in ethanol and biodiesel fuels. The squeeze on water for US farms is pushing innovation, such as a trend away from flood irrigation to center pivot sprinklers or state-of-the art, localized drip irrigation. Drought Hurts Rice, Poultry in China's Sichuan Planet Ark | August 22, 2006 A severe drought, which has left over 18 million people short of drinking water, damaged half of the farmland, mainly paddy fields, in southwest Chinese province of Sichuan. The drought, the worst in 50 years, has helped pushed up prices for vegetables as well as poultry and pork, but has not had much effect on grains. Farmers have given up breeding of chickens and ducks. Drought In Southwestern China Worst in 50 Years Planet Ark | August 17, 2006 Parts of southwestern China are enduring the worst drought in more than 50 years as the southeast reels from the strongest typhoon to hit in half a century. Soaring temperatures and low rainfall have laid waste to Chongqing's summer crops with market prices for leaf vegetables soaring 50 percent. Autumn vegetable harvests were also likely to be severely affected with dry weather predicted to linger for several weeks. Global warming 'threat to wine industry' The Australian | Steve Larkin | August 17, 2006 Australian wine regions won't be able to grow the grapes they're famous for because of global warming. Wine quality could suffer from reduced harvest times, more extreme weather and reduced water supplies. "We know enough [about climate change] to start managing our risks", consultant Katherine Wells said. “For example, how will the viticultural sector adapt to climate change, will it need to change its viticultural methods, will it look at water efficiencies and new sources of water?" Millions Still Face Hardship from East Africa Drought Planet Ark | Marie-Louise Gumuchian | August 17, 2006 Rains may have eased a severe drought across east Africa this year, but millions still face hardship and it will take herders years to recover from the decimation of their livestock. Lack of rain from late 2005 into early this year scorched vegetation and left rivers dry, leaving 11 million people short of food in half a dozen countries across some of Africa's poorest and most arid zones. Ironically, Ethiopia is now experiencing devastating floods, which have killed hundreds this month. Wheat discovery Agnet | August 16, 2006 Wheat farmers could be millions of dollars better off thanks to Department of Primary Industries scientists who discovered new drought-resistant wheat lines. At the Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference last week Minister for Innovation John Brumby said the Victorian scientists had identified bread wheat lines that yield up to 20 per cent more grain than currently-used varieties under drought-affected conditions. China Farmland Hit by Drought Up 21 Percent Over 2005 Planet Ark | August 11, 2006 A persistent drought in parts of China has affected 17.6 million hectares of farmland across the country since April, up 21 percent from the same period last year. It was not immediately clear whether the drought was changing the prospects for the 2006 harvest of major crops, such as corn, wheat or rice, that are expected to rise from last year's levels. Despite dry conditions in much of the country, the southeast coastal areas have been battered by typhoons and tropical storms, with hundreds of people killed by rainstorms, mudslides and floods. Commission publishes updated crop yield forecast: July heat waves and drought reduce European crop yields Agnet | August 11, 2006 An updated analysis by the European Commission, through its advanced crop yield forecasting system, shows that the particularly hot weather in July has significantly affected this year’s EU crops productions. Compared to the previous analysis performed at the end of June, the European crop monitoring system now depicts a further reduction of crops. High temperatures could leave seed crops sterile Agnet | Sharon Durham | August 11, 2006 Some crop plants—like rice, kidney beans, soybeans and peanuts—stop producing seeds when exposed to high temperatures. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Gainesville, Fla., found that the higher temperatures affect reproductive processes more than they affect photosynthesis and vegetative growth. For all the crops studied, even when pollination was successful, shortened seed-filling time and higher respiration rates at moderate temperature increases also contributed to yield declines. Ring mutant wins drought war Agnet | August 11, 2006 The RING, or Really Interesting New Gene, zinc-finger proteins are known to function in gene regulation and development. But what do RING zinc-finger proteins do? Through their experiments, Jae-Heung Ko and colleagues find that “Upregulation of an Arabidopsis RING-H2 gene, XERICO, confers drought tolerance through increased abscisic acid biosynthesis.” The researchers found that adult transgenic plants were more resistant to salt and osmotic stress compared to wild-type controls, however young seedlings showed hypersensitivity to the same stresses, as well as to exogenous abscisic acid (ABA). Understanding how ABA is regulated, and how it accumulation affects the level and performance of other plant hormones, is crucial in developing drought tolerant crops. Biotech Seeds Helping U.S. Crops Survive Heat, Analysts Say Agriville | Millie Munshi | August 10, 2006 The increased use of gene-altered seeds is helping to protect U.S. corn and soybean crops in parts of the Midwest from record heat and drought. ``The biotechnology has improved corn and soybeans to be able to withstand some of the Mother-Nature pressures that we have gotten,' said Kevin Dahlman, president of Dahlco Seeds in Cokato, Minnesota. "A decade ago, farmers would be expecting substantial losses." Genetic snooze button governs timing of spring flowers Agnet | August 10, 2006 In the long, dark days of winter, gardeners are known to count the days until spring. Now, scientists have learned, some plants do exactly the same thing. Richard Amasino described studies that have begun to peel back some of the mystery of how plants pace the seasons to bloom at the optimal time of year. The key to initiating flowering is the ability of plants to switch those flower-blocking genes off, so that they can bloom and complete their pre-ordained life cycles. But how that gene was turned off was a mystery until Amasino and his group found that exposure to prolonged cold triggered a molecular process that effectively silenced the genes that repress flowering. Texas and Israeli irrigators give plants the last word Agnet | August 10, 2006 Irrigated cotton fields in arid Israel and Texas may one day be watered automatically based on plant temperature. Steven R. Evett, an Agricultural Research Service soil scientist, and colleagues are working with the Israelis on infrared field thermometer sensors to take leaf temperatures from a short distance. They are designing computer programs that can automatically translate temperature readings into on/off irrigation decisions to get the most "crop per drop" of water. Variability in corn yields Agnet | Bob Sampson | August 10, 2006 Better genetics and farming practices may be responsible for the lack of severe corn yield losses in recent years. It also may be that weather conditions that resulted in the worst yields in recent history--1983 and 1988--have not re-occurred. A study conducted by Gary Schnitkey indicated that lower relative yields tend to be regional rather than state-wide in nature. Scientists Identify Flood Resistance Gene in Rice Planet Ark | Tan Ee Lyn | August 10, 2006 Scientists have identified a gene that enables rice to survive for up to two weeks in water, a breakthrough that could herald the development of rice varieties that withstand flooding. Rice, like most other crops, dies if submerged in water for more than a few days and flooding causes annual losses of over US$1 billion, particularly in parts of South and Southeast Asia. Climate Change Threatens Pollination Timing Science daily.com | August 9, 2006 In addition to the more obvious effects of climate change, such as rising sea levels and increasing storm activity, there is the potential to dramatically alter ecological communities. Dr. David Inouye, director of University of Maryland's graduate program in Sustainable Development and Conservation Biology, reports that global warming could disrupt the timing of pollination in alpine environments, with serious negative impacts to both plants and pollinators. Drought adds urgency to Red River water scheme: North Dakota officials Canada.com | August 4, 2006 Abnormally dry weather this summer reinforces the need to pipe Missouri River water to the Red River Valley. From 1932 to 1940, there were 800 days when the Red River stopped flowing in Fargo. Since then, the city has grown from 32,580 residents to more than 90,000. If a drought of similar duration and magnitude happens today, it would be devastating. The drought conditions experienced this summer have magnified the significance of this project. Evogene, Biogemma unite for drought-tolerant corn CropBiotech Update | August 4, 2006 Evogene and Biogemma, two biotech companies engaged in crop improvement, have recently announced that they will collaborate on developing commercial corn lines with improved drought tolerance. Both companies have already made progress toward the goal. Evogene’s abiotic stress tolerance program has identified a set of novel genes that provide high tolerance to adverse environmental conditions in a number of model crops. Biogemma, on the other hand, has developed different genomic approaches to define what will be the best commercial variety. Prairie farmers see harvest hopes wither Saskatoon Star Phoenix | August 2, 2006 To farmers across the Prairies, it looked like it was going to be an ideal growing season -- warm temperatures combined with just the right amount of moisture to create what could have been a bumper crop. At least until the beginning of July. Since then, the three Prairie provinces have been plagued with varying degrees of heat and drought, leading to early harvests, small yields, a lack of topsoil and poor crop conditions. Rain is really what's needed at this point. Several trends drive development of drought-tolerant corn AgriNews | Martha Blum | August 1, 2006 Developing drought-tolerant corn is critical to growers and to the economy. Drought tolerance is a key second generation trait. There are several trends driving the development of this trait. The focus for the second generation trait is to provide yield recovery. The drought-tolerant hybrids are currently in the early development stage. Since this trait is in the early development stage, it is difficult to predict when the hybrids may be available to farmers. |
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