FARM NEWS - AFRICA DAILY

Friendships promote better farming in developing countries

Aug 17, 2012 (SPX)

A study that examined how rural farmers in Ethiopia learn new farming techniques and adopt them on their own farms discovered that learning from a friend was a ...

Impulsive micromanagers help plants to adapt, survive

Aug 17, 2012 (SPX)

Soil microbes are impulsive. So much so that they help plants face the challenges of a rapidly changing climate. Jen Lau and Jay Lennon, Michigan State Universi...

Japan says food diplomacy will keep Hong Kong sweet

Aug 16, 2012 (AFP)

Hong Kong's love of Japanese cuisine will help ease tensions over Tokyo's arrest of Hong Kong activists at a disputed island chain, a Japanese minister said Thu...

Plants exhibit a wide range of mechanical properties

Aug 16, 2012 (SPX)

From an engineer's perspective, plants such as palm trees, bamboo, maples and even potatoes are examples of precise engineering on a microscopic scale. Like woo...

Diversity keeps grasslands resilient to drought, climate change

Aug 15, 2012 (SPX)

For much of the year drought has been plaguing American grasslands. But a recent study found that grasses do not appear to be losing the turf war against climat...

Rooftop farms flourish in space-starved Hong Kong

Aug 14, 2012 (AFP)

On the rooftop of a tower block above the hustle and bustle of teeming Hong Kong, dedicated growers tend to their organic crops in a vegetable garden. Against a...

Hong Kong tests babies over Japanese milk formula

Aug 09, 2012 (AFP)

Hong Kong said Thursday it will test babies who have consumed Japanese-made infant formulas found to have insufficient levels of iodine, after the products were...

Drought causes 1bn euros crop damage in Italy

Aug 09, 2012 (AFP)

Heatwaves and drought have caused around one billion euros ($1.2 billion) in crop damage in Italy, the head of the country's agricultural association said Thurs...

New technology eliminates plant toxins

Aug 09, 2012 (SPX)

Plants produce toxins to defend themselves against potential enemies, from herbivorous pests to diseases. Oilseed rape plants produce glucosinolates to serve th...

Researchers Demonstrate Control of Devastating Cassava Virus in Africa

Aug 09, 2012 (SPX)

An international research collaboration recently demonstrated progress in protecting cassava against cassava brown streak disease (CBSD), a serious virus diseas...

New Zealand court backs farm sale to Chinese group

Aug 08, 2012 (AFP)

New Zealand's Court of Appeal on Wednesday rejected a bid to stop a Chinese company from buying a bankrupt dairy farm group, in a case that has stirred heated d...

Using wastewater as fertilizer

Aug 08, 2012 (SPX)

Sewage sludge, wastewater and liquid manure are valuable sources of fertilizer for food production. Fraunhofer researchers have now developed a chemical-free, e...

Roots and microbes: Bringing a complex underground ecology into the lab

Aug 07, 2012 (SPX)

Beneath the surface of the earth, an influential community of microbes mingles with plant roots. In the first large-scale analysis of those communities, scienti...

Early weaning, DDGS feed could cut costs for cattle producers

Aug 06, 2012 (SPX)

If the drought forces producers to feed a larger portion of distillers dried grains with solubles, cattle can maintain gains and improve meat quality if the ani...

India's economic growth seen lower as rains play truant

Aug 04, 2012 (AFP)

India's economic growth could slip to near six percent this year with the country facing the spectre of its third drought in a decade, a top government policyma...

UCLA research makes possible rapid assessment of plant drought tolerance

Aug 02, 2012 (SPX)

UCLA life scientists, working with colleagues in China, have discovered a new method to quickly assess plants' drought tolerance. The method works for many dive...

Parched fields as drought devastates US crops

Jul 31, 2012 (AFP)

The sweat pours down Larry Hasheider's face as he walks across his parched cornfields to show the result of one of the worst droughts to strike the United State...

Public strongly supports programs helping farmers adapt to climate change

Jul 30, 2012 (SPX)

A survey conducted by Michigan State University reveals strong public support for government programs to assist farmers to adapt to climate change. According to...

Study: All chickens have Asian roots

Jul 30, 2012 (UPI)

The world's chickens descend from Southeast Asian common ancestors that Australian researchers say were the "great, great grandmothers of the chicken world." Sc...

Japanese Kobe beef debuts in Hong Kong

Jul 27, 2012 (AFP)

Rarely exported Japanese Kobe beef made its way to Hong Kong dining tables Friday as supermarkets and high-end restaurants started selling the previously exclus...