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Drought, not cold seen main threat to UK wheat Planetark | by Nigel hunt | January 31, 2006 Britain's wheat crop has escaped any damage from the recent cold snap across Europe, with dry conditions seen as a more significant threat to this year's harvests, analysts said on Monday. "There haven't been any problems (with frost damage). In Ukraine you have a cold wind blowing through and temperatures of minus 20 degrees Celsius. We don't see that sort of cold," Susan Twinning said. Ukraine is one of the grain producers which could face crop damage following a European winter cold snap which has killed more than 00 people and frozen parts of the Black Sea. Twinning said a lack of soil moisture in East Anglia, the East Midlands and the South-East was the biggest current threat to production. Those regions account in total for more than half the country's wheat area. Satellite portrait of global plant growth will aid climate research European Space Agency | January 27, 2006 An ambitious ESA project to chart ten years in the life of the Earth's vegetation has reached a midway point, with participants and end-users having met to review progress so far. harnessing many terabytes of satellite data, the GLOBCARBON project is intended to home the accuracy of climate change forecasting. GLOBCARBON involves the development of a service to generate fully calibrated estimates of land products based on a variety of Earth Observation data, suitable for assimilation into sophisticated software simulations of the planet created by the global carbon modeling community. Researchers have developed complex software models of carbon cycle processes to try and predict future changes, providing vital input for the IPCC. Seed quality variable for coming growing season Western Producer | by Michael Raine | January 26, 2006 Seed growers across the West report that seed quality and quantity for spring 2006 are highly variable and sales remain sluggish. Terry Rempel of Springstein, Man., said the wet weather that plagued much of southern Manitoba last year caused headaches for seed growers this winter. "Small kernels, light weight oats. Some flax that didn't' mature if it survived. The usual fusarium problems we have here. It is a tough year to get a handle on," he said about the Manitoba market. Perhaps the biggest problem comes from a lack of sales. Commercial growers facing poor commodity prices are waiting to make their seed buying decisions. "We find producers are even waiting to see what sort of coverage they will get from crop insurance. They want to be able to minimize their exposure to the market this year so until crop insurance programs give them indication of coverage levels, they don't want to start making cropping choices," Rempel said. Tomato growers, prices are finally recovering from Wilma: Consumers should benefit from the harvesting of tomatoes from South Florida, which affects the entire tomato industry Knight Ridder Tribune | by Wendy Victora | January 24, 2006 Folds who think Northwest Florida escaped Hurricane Wilma last October haven't tried to buy tomatoes lately. The late-season storm caused a temporary shortage of tomatoes, which translated into prices as high as $3.99 a pound in some stores. Some restaurants cut back or stopped using tomatoes when prices more than doubled. But prices are expected to begin dropping, now that South Florida farmers are harvesting what they replanted after Wilma, according to a press release from Florida Agricultural Commissioner Charles Bronson. "They overcame staggering odds to get back on their feet and are now bringing in the crops they promised," Bronson said. Non-risky business: New technology improves ranch management ARS News Service | January 24, 2006 Does the grass seem greener on the other side? That may change soon, thanks to new technology developed by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) that predicts forage growth, allowing ranchers to make more informed management decisions. At the ARD Great Plains Systems Research Unit (GPSR) in For Collins, Colo., soil scienteist Gale Dunn and range systems modeler Allan Andales are developing a database that will analyze historical and simulated data. The database will predict future forage growth and help ranchers decide how many animals to graze on native range. The new database is based on GPFARM, a computer simulation model developed at GPSR to help central Plains farmers and ranchers make management decisions. Spanish farmers fear for water supplies PlanetArk | by Julia Hayley | January 23, 2006 Cloudless skies over much of Spain on Friday may cheer tourists and hikers ahead of the weekend, but farmers are deeply concerned as the country faces the second year of what could be a prolonged drought. Rain in recent weeks, even if way below the historical average for the month, has been enough to moisten the soil for sowing winter wheat and barley, which need no irrigation. "Sowing conditions for wheat and barley were good and there's plenty of humidity in the soil," said a spokeswoman for the farmers' association ASAJA. "But water levels are very low and I don't even want to think what problems there will be for crops like maize for fruit and vegetables that need irrigation," she added. Farmers do not usually plant maize until March or April so it is too early for them to decide how much to sow, ASAJA speciallist Jesus Rivera said. Drought forces beef cow liquidation Ontario Farmer | January 24, 2006 A withering drought stretching from southwestern Arkansas to southeastern Oklahoma and across Texas is forcing beef farmers to start selling off their breeding herds. Agriculture Online reports areas from Dallas-Ft. Worth through San Antonio have come off their driest year in 111 years of weather records and there is no sign that the drought will let up soon. Since October, the region is six-12 inches shy of normal in terms of precipitation totals. Wildfires are a constant threat. Further south, the El Paso region has had no rain for 90 days. Agriculture officials say there has been no massive selloff of breeding stock yet, but it's starting to happen. Sales of cows, especially older animals, are increasing at area auction yards. With hay prices on the rise in the area, analysts say that trend will accelerate in the coming weeks. Cotton producers nervous over drought Associated Press | by Betsy Blaney | January 21, 2006 Little rain has fallen on producer Ronald Thuett's cotton patch, leaving a parched, hardened ground on the South Plains that prevents him from doing winter work such as tilling soil. If the National Weather Service's prediction of a drier-than-normal trend through March holds, the producer on the world's largest contiguous patch could face difficulty when planting begins. "If it's this dry in April, we're going to be in extremely bad shape." Thuett said, "Everybody's concerned." With 85 practically dry days, Lubbock tied a 1922 record on Friday for the most consecutive days of no measurable rainfall. Record temperatures and windy conditions have dried soils further. The last measurable rainfall in Lubbock came on Oct. 27. West Texas isn't the only region in the state grappling with drought. Prolonged drought, low humidity and high winds around the state left many areas of North and East Texas vulnerable to fire Keeping an eye on soil moisture - from space SPARKPlug | by Sarah Fischer | January 20, 2006 Science, soil, and space - it's all coming together for University of Guelph researchers trying to use soil moisture levels to help determine long-term weather trends and climate change. Advanced space technology, along with a land-based soil network led by Prof. Aaron Berg, Dept. of Geography, will be used to monitor climate change and the impacts on water supply. A satellite, due to be launched by 2010, will keep an eye on the amount of water stored in the Earth's soil. "Soil moisture levels can play a critical role in determining long-term climate and weather trends," says Berg. "The combination of the satellite and a ground observation network will allow us to produce quality data on soil moisture levels to pass on to weather experts." Pollinator loss threatens crops and medicinal plants SciDev.Net | by Talent Ngandwe | January 20, 2006 Biodiversity "hotspots' such as South Africa's shrublands, and rainforests around the world, may lose some plant species forever because animals that pollinate them are dying out. As research published this week shows, this could affect the lives of millions of people in the developing world. The study says pollinators such as bees and some bird species are declining globally because of habitat loss, pesticide use and invasive species. As pollinator numbers fall, plants will increasingly compete for their services, raising concerns that more may need to be done to protect biologically rich areas. Lead researcher Jana Vamosi said that the decline in pollinators will have a serious impact on agriculture, as most food crops are dependent on effective natural pollination. Without it, flowers cannot develop into fruit, crop yields diminish and seeds -essential for the propagation of the species - fail to develop. Crops that cope with climate change BBSRC Press Release | January 20, 2006 Scientists at the UK's leading plant science centre have uncovered a gene that could help to develop new varieties of crop that will be able to cope with changing world climate. Researchers funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) in Norwich have identified the gene in barley that controls how the plant responds to seasonal changes in the length of the day. This is key to understanding how plants have adapted their flowering behaviour to different environments. The John Innes Centre researchers have discovered that the Ppd-H1 gene in barley controls the timing of the activity of another gene called CO. When the length of the day is long enough, CO activates one of the key genes that triggers flowering. Canadian researchers solve 45-year old mystery SeedQuest | January 20, 2006 Genome Canada and Genome Prairie-funded researchers have discovered a receptor for the hormone abscisic acid (ABA), the major hormone involved in a plant's response to environmental stresses. The results appear in today's edition of Nature. Dr. Robert Hill, a molecular biologist at the University of Manitoba, confirmed that a protein known as FCA, acts as a receptor for ABA, solving a mystery that had eluded the scientific community for 45 years. Although researchers know ABA helps plants survive environmental stresses such as drought, salt and cold, they had been unable to identify the receptor until now. "The discovery has many biological implications, including the prospect of greater crop yields," says Dr. Hill. Piled grain may lose its value Western Producer | by Karen Briere| January 19, 2006 The mild prairie winter has been good for people but not so good for grain. A combination of warm temperatures and moisture is leading to insect infestation and mould. Grain piled on the ground last fall and left uncovered is at risk of contamination from deer droppings and rodent damage. The Canadian Grain Comission said if producers aren't vigilant in checking their bins and grain piles, they may be disappointed when it comes time to sell. Grant McLean, a crop specialist, said some producers are complaining about insects. He heard before Christmas that one grain terminal turned away 10 trucks because the grain was infested. Woodbeck said the presence of insects like rusty grain beetles causes other problems. "Grain is a fabulous insulator. Insects will start reproducing. Just through their own activity they will create more moisture and more heat." That leads to moulds and more insects. Without a prolonged spell of -30 to -40 C to kill them, the bugs will live without problems or go dormant until it warms up again. Farm-saved hybrid canola doesn't pay, research finds Western Producer | by Ian Bell| January 19, 2006 Researchers have found that certified hybrid canola seed offers an advantage over farm-saved hybrid seed, according to findings released last week. The research was prompted by producer interest in saving seeds from the farm to help keep production costs in line. The conclusion was that the savings typically were not enough to offset lower yield when compared with hybrid canola grown from certified seed. "There's a loss in vigour and there's a loss in productivity and in most cases that loss exceeds any potential savings that you might have," said Stewart Brandt, a crop management agronomist with Agriculture Canada's research farm at Scott, Sask. "I think that growers are taking a risk when they use farm-saved seed." Research examines causes of droughts Western Producer | by Karen Morrison | January 19, 2006 Having grown up on a farm near Biggar in one of Saskatchewan's driest regions, climatologist Elaine Wheaton knows first hand about the impact of drought on the Prairies. She brings that background to her work at the Saskatchewan Research Council and as part of a new research team analyzing the physical characteristics and processes involved in droughts. The drought research initiative, jointly let by scientists from the University of Saskatchewan and McGil University, will focus on the 1999-2004 drought and seek better ways to predict the next one. Wheaton said the study will examine how severe it was and what was affected in areas such as agriculture, tourism, wildlife and watersheds. Wheaton said the study will examine how severe it was and what was affected in areas such as agriculture, tourism, wildlife, and watersheds. MF Chief urges assistance to drought-hit Africa PlanetArk | January 18, 2006 International Monetary Fund chief Rodrigo Rato appealed on Tuesday for more aid for Africa "to avert the risk of a humanitarian crisis" and said the global lender would also seek to help drought-hit nations. Rato expressed "deep concern" about food insecurity from intensifying drought in eastern Africa, adding that countries like Niger, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Malawi continue to suffer after last year's food shortages. "It will be critical to respond in a timely manner - avoiding the human tragedies and adverse economic consequences that have all too often been associated with droughts in the past," the IMF managing director said in a statement. Calling for grants and other assistance to boost the continent's food capacity, Rato called on international donors "to respond generously and pro-actively in addressing the food needs of Africa's people." More Ethiopians need food aid after poor rains PlanetArk | January 18, 2006 About 1.75 million Ethiopians will need emergency food aid in the first half of 2006 due to poor rains in parts of the country, adding to the 5.5 million Ethiopians already getting food shipments, the United Nations said on Monday. Last year's rainy season got off to a late start and was not heavy enough to support good crop growth in Ethiopia's southern Somali region and south-central Oromiya region, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. The spreading humanitarian crisis in the country of about 70 million people stems from prolonged drought that has left more than 11 million people at risk across eastern Africa this year. Djibouti, Somalia and Kenya are among those suffering as well. Portuguese drought seen abating this year PlanetArk | January 18, 2006 Portugal's government said on Tuesday it did not expect last year's severe drought to last into 2006 and farmers said there has been enough winter rain for them to sow their crops. Portugal had its worst drought since 1931 last year, with virtually all of the wheat crop destroyed, water rationing in some places and the dry weather causing widespread forest fires. An official at the Confederation of Portuguese Farmers said the sector was bracing for dry weather, but rain during the winter months had ensured that crops were planted. More Maryland farmers buying crop insurance Knight Ridder Tribune | by Laurie Savage | January 17, 2006 More Maryland farmers are utilizing crop insurance in their mix of risk management tools, and crop insurance is improving to meet the needs of more types of farming operations. According to the Maryland Department of Agriculture Website, a key element of risk reduction for farmers is crop insurance. Crop insurance, subsidized and regulated by the USDA Risk Management Agency, is an important tool in managing financial risk associated with farming. It is intended to help farmers survive disasters and return to profitability. Although crop insurance is not used as widely in the East as in the Midwest, the number of policies increased 14 percent from 2003-2004. New weather stations to provide more local information CBC News | January 17, 2006 The provincial Department of Agriculture is preparing to install 25 new weather stations across Manitoba to help make weather monitoring and forecasting a little easier for farmers. Provincial agriculture meteorologist Andy Nadler says more weather stations are needed because farmers in certain areas of the province cannot get enough accurate weather information from the few existing weather stations scattered around the province. "We can never get enough weather information because, especially in summer, as everyone knows, the weather is just so variable," said Nadler. "You can't get enough information because where we measure, it is not suitable to represent what is going on in the province." For example, huge amounts of rain fell last summer in several rural areas, bit no weather stations were available to measure how much rain actually fell. Drought, funding shortages and mismanagement put millions of Kenyans at risk Canadian Press | by Chris Tomlinson | January 17, 2006 Malnourished children cried feebly in a hospital in this drought-stricken corner of Kenya, too weak to even make themselves heard as aid agencies warned Tuesday that they do not have money to feed millions hit by food shortages. Kenya's government announced a day earlier that the number of Kenyans at risk from the food crisis has increased to 3.5 million from 2.5 million. The number of districts affected by drought is expected to rise to 37 from 17, just over half of Kenya's 70 districts. At least 30 people, including 13 children, have died from the food shortage. At least five cattle herders have been killed in clashes over access to scarce pastures and water. Carbon trading offers modest cash income for established no-tillers Ontario Farmer | January 17, 2006 There is an opportunity for farmers using no-till or other conservation tillage practices to earn extra money from the carbon that's being stored in their fields. Carbon trading efforts have been expanding across the US. They involve energy industries paying no-till farmers through bilateral agreements, or agricultural groups working in the open market on farmers' behalf. One such market is the Chicago Climate Exchange, where individuals and companies can trade carbon credits in the open market. Currently, carbon is trading at $1.70 (US) per ton of carbon dioxide, which roughly translates into a dollar-per-acre for the farmer. Dangerously dry Associated Press | by Kelly Kurt | January 16, 2006 Bill Lawson's thirsty pastures crunch underfoot, just like the dried mud in the dead and dying farm ponds that stopped sustaining his cattle weeks ago. His herd follows his pickup truck, lowing for feed because the wheat they usually graze on failed to come up. Fields that should be 6-inch high seas of shamrock green sit yellowed and dusty, feeding only the black crows that swoop down to steal the unsprouted seed. The Oklahoma rancher moves his herd from shrinking puddle to shrinking pond, fearing grass fires, hoping for rain and knowing that 50 years of farming will end if it doesn't come in significant amounts. The drought that has gripped parts of Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Missouri since last summer has left some areas more than 20 inches behind annual rainfall. Drought forces Kenyan nomads to rethink traditions PlanetArk | by Nita Bhalla | January 16, 2006 For centuries Kenya's pastoralists have criss-crossed the arid plains of eastern Africa, moving with their families and herds in search of water and grazing pastures. Trekking vast distances into bordering Somaila and Ethiopia, these nomads carry their homes, tents made of thatched grass, and their most valued assets, animals, in soaring temperatures and across inhospitable terrain. Despite the hardship, these migrating populations say their traditional way of life provides all they need, using the meat and milk from their cows, sheep, goats and camels for survival. But as drought ravages north-east Kenya, drying rivers and turning pastures into deserts, the pastoralists are seeing their animals starve and being forced to rethink their way of life. Icelandic grain farmers welcome warming Yukon News | January 13, 2006 Until recently, very little grain had been grown in Iceland since the time of the Vikings. Archeologists suggest the settlers had discovered the use of seaweed as a fertilizer, and some suppose grain farming was dependent upon seaweed. Scientists believe seaweed stimulates the growth of plants and increases their tolerance against diseases. But seaweed or no seaweed - in the next 50 years, scientists suppose global warming is going to create warmer atmosphere in Iceland, which in turn will allow better farming. The effects have already begun to be seen. In 10 years the production of grain and wheat has multiplied many times over, or from 485 tonnes to well over 10,000 tonnes in 2004. Texas cattle ranchers hobbled by drought, fires PlanetArk | by Bob Burgdorfer | January 12, 2006 Texas rancher Pete Bonds would like to add cattle to his 7,000-head herd but the lack of grazing and the lack of water prevent it. A drought in Texas and Oklahoma, one of the worst in nearly 100 years, has dried up creeks and ponds, depleted pastures, and fueled wildfires that have burned precious hay and grass. The conditions have ranchers selling off breeding stock at a time when they should be expanding herds. Current prices have been profitable for nearly every level of the cattle industry, and during profitable times producers normally expand. Research targets drought prediction The StarPheonix | by Jillian Pavlin | January 12, 2006 Droughts, the nemesis of Prairie farmers for a century, may one day be something producers can mark on their calendars. A team of scientists from institutions in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec has established the Drought Research Initiative (DRI) a network that aims to better understand the characteristics and processes involved in droughts. Most importantly, they hope it will improve the ability to predict them. The work of the DRI team focuses on the prolonged 1999-2004 drought, which today is considered to be one of Canada's worst natural disasters. Japanese experiment with rice grow-op: Farmers grown grain in underground vault The Ottawa Citizen | by Leo Lewis | January 12, 2006 In a heavily fortified, air-tight bank vault deep below the financial district of Tokyo, a small agricultural revolution has taken place: A group of farmers has cultivated the world's first crop of hydroponically grown rice. The 60 kilometres of Koshihikari rice reaped yesterday may fill only a single regulation-sized sack, but its significance is huge. The rice has grown to maturity without natural light or a paddy field. If the same process was done on a commercial scale, says its creators, farmers could reap four harvests every year rather than one, and not be affected by seasonal weather patterns that have become more and more extreme. Global warming may force crop rethink ABC News | January 12, 2006 A Darling Downs, southern Queensland, climatologist says global warming many force many farmers to change what they grow during the next 20 years. Delegates from six nations will continue a second day of discussions at an Asia-Pacific climate meeting in Sydney today. The Department of Primary Industries' Holger Mienke says changing temperatures could change the agricultural landscape of Queensland. "I think there is an increasing need to concentrate more on adaptation measures and what farmers can actually do in order to respond adequately to changing climate around them" he said. "We have the tools in place, we have the scientific knowledge in place, we just have to do a lot more of the analysis." Haves and have nots clash over plan to divert river for drought relief Associated Press| by Michael Astor | January 11, 2006 The sun here is unforgivig. It cracks the parched earth into intricate spider web patterns that run beneath the scraggly brown bushes and green mandacaru cacti. Welcome to Brazil's "sertao," a semi-desert region that covers some 647,500 sq. km behind the thin strip verdant jungle. For centuries, getting water to the arid sertao has been an obsession for politicians and a puzzle for engineers. "It's kind of lousy here, bus somehow we get by," says 19-year old Luiz Olimpio da Costa, who ekes out a living farming 33 parched hectares with no electricity or running water and expects half his crops to die before harvest time. Now, the government plans to embark on a massive 4.5 billion reals project that would channel the waters of the Sao Francisco river - Brazil's largest - across four states. Criticisms range from the possible environmental impact of rechanneling the ailing Sao Francisco, to the project's high costs and whether the money wouldn't be better spent on cisterns and catchments. GM crops fail to deliver benefits to Africa The Citizen | January 10, 2006 Ten years after the first significant planting of Genetically Modified (GM) crops there are no apparent benefits for consumers, farmers or the environment, a report made public on Tuesday said. The Johannesburg-based African Centre for Biosafety and Friends of the Earth Nigeria, based in Lagos, added that despite the promises of the biotech corporations there had been no impact on hunger and poverty. The 100 page report "Who benefits from GM crops? Monsanto and its corporate driven genetically modified crop revolution" concludes that the increase in GM crops in a limited number of countries has largely been the result of the aggressive strategies of the biotech industry, rather than the consequences of benefits derived from using GM technology. Florida reviewing canker law after storms Associated Press | by Brent Kallestad | January 10, 2006 Agriculture officials are reviewing a state law requiring the destruction of citrus trees within a 1,900-foot radius of one infected with canker after the devastating 2005 hurricane season. The four storms that struck or brushed the state not only caused an estimated $2.2 billion in damage to the state's crops and farming infrastructure, but they are believed to have spread dreaded citrus diseases that threaten the state's signature citrus crops. Agriculture officials estimate that hurricanes Wilma and Katrina could be responsible for spreading canker to 183,000 acres, or a quarter of the state's commercial citrus groves. Millions risk starvation in East Africa - FAO Reuters | by Silvia Aloisi | January 9, 2006 Six million people are on the brink of starvation in the Horn of Africa region due to severe drought, crop failure and depletion of livestock herds, the United Nations said on Friday. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said about 2 million people needed urgent humanitarian help in Somalia. The situation was also very serious in south-eastern Ethiopia, with up to 1.5 million people affected, and Djibouti. An FAO statement also cited Kenyan government estimates that at least 2.5 million are facing famine there and poor rains are only expected to make things worse. Storms bring flooding and water-borne illness to Southern Africa Voice of America | by William Eagle | January 8, 2006 In recent weeks, heavy rains and subsequent flooding has left thousands in southern Africa without homes. It's also flattened some crops and spurred the spread of water-borne illness like cholera. 40 thousand people are displaced in southern Malawi and hundreds in rural areas of Mozambique. The rains and floods come as much of the region fights food shortages caused by drought. Last year, Zambia and Malawi declared the shortages as natural disasters. Gene shows promise for saline agri CropBiotech Update | January 6, 2006 To adapt to salt stress, microorganisms in the Dead Sea synthesize low molecular mass compounds, such as glycerol, to balance the high external osmotic pressure. Eurotium harbariorum, a common fungal species, was isolated from the lake. Researchers isolated and sequenced the EhHOG gene from the fungus. The gene, which codes for a protein that allows cells to produce more glycerol, was found to be highly similar to genes from Aspergillus nidulans. When expressed in yeasts made susceptible to high salt condition, the gene allowed the yeasts to survive even under saline stress. The article was published in the December 27, 2005 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Growers weigh in on winegrape insurance Knight Ridder Tribune | by Reed Fujii | January 4, 2006 The California Association of Winegrape Growers helped develop a package of property and liability insurance tailored to the needs of vineyard operators, association officials said Tuesday. That customization includes a proposed premium discount for sustainable winegrowing practices, a vineyard management and cultivation system being supported and encouraged by the Winegrape Growers. "Sustainable winegrowing is about managing risks proactively and implementing sound business practices," explained Bruce Fry, a Lodi grape grower. Because the credit for sustainable winegrowing practices is so new, it must still be approved by state insurance officials. |
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