Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University – A new study by a team of researchers has found that the consolidation of traditional smallholder farms in China has a devastating effect on the biodiversity of wild pollinators in the area. Pollinators play an essential role when it comes to supporting global food production. However, wild pollinators are on the […]
University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences – Corn growers can choose from a wide array of products to make the most of their crop, but the latest could bring seaweed extract to a field near you. The marine product is just one class in a growing market of crop biostimulants marketed […]
Zero till has been identified as way to discourage the insects, and some wonder if cover crops provide similar benefits By Robert Arnason Glacier FarmMedia staff When it comes to flea beetles, there are no easy answers. When a canola crop grows slowly and beetle populations are high enough, the pest can quickly devastate a […]
PLOS Biology – Small-scale mixed-use agriculture that avoids synthetic fertilizers in favor of manure could eliminate agricultural greenhouse gas emissions if established across the United States’ 100 million hectares of lush high quality cropland, according to a study by Gidon Eshel, publishing 3rd June 2021 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology. The minor catch: beef […]
By Ieuan Evans Grainews contributor The word organic in farm practice is just about totally confusing. Does it mean pesticide-free, GMO-free, or chemically produced fertilizer-free. Just keep in mind there are no such things as synthetic fertilizers. All fertilizers are simply minerals that are essential for plant growth. These minerals are the macro fertilizers, such […]
Penn State – For corn, using dairy manure and legume cover crops in crop rotations can reduce the need for inorganic nitrogen fertilizer and protect water quality, but these practices also can contribute to emissions of nitrous oxide — a potent greenhouse gas. That is the conclusion of Penn State researchers, who measured nitrous oxide […]
American Chemical Society – Although the use of pesticides in agriculture is increasing, some farms have transitioned to organic practices and avoid applying them. But it’s uncertain whether chemicals applied to land decades ago can continue to influence the soil’s health after switching to organic management. Now, researchers reporting in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology have […]
By Diana Martin Glacier FarmMedia staff To understand the paradigm shift in the production of soil organic matter you’re going to have to dig a little deeper. “Soil organic matter (SOM) is intimately linked to soil health, to ecosystem health, to planetary health and it has influences on the physical, chemical and biological properties of […]
By Glacier FarmMedia staff Will Bailey-Elkin, a graduate student in Plant Science at the University of Manitoba, wants feedback from growers who practice certified organic pea-intercropping. Bailey-Elkin has prepared a short questionnaire (click here to go to page to download doc file) as part of a research project focussing on the economics of organic pea-intercropping. […]
By Robert Arnason Glacier FarmMedia staff The rise of the organic farming movement was touted as a way to save the planet and better protect the environment. But over the decades, the sector has drifted away from those original principles, says a University of British Columbia professor and Canada Research Chair in Global Environmental Change […]
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