FARM NEWS - AFRICA DAILY

Fused genes tackle deadly Pierce's disease in grapevines

Feb 23, 2012 (SPX)

A gene fusion research project led by a University of California, Davis, plant scientist delivers a one-two punch to Pierce's disease, a deadly threat to Califo...

Organic farming improves pollination success in strawberries

Feb 23, 2012 (SPX)

Organic farms produce strawberries with fewer malformations and a higher proportion of fully pollinated berries relative to conventional forms, according to a r...

Microsoft founder urges digital revolution against hunger

Feb 23, 2012 (AFP)

Microsoft founder Bill Gates on Thursday called for a "digital revolution" to alleviate world hunger by increasing agricultural productivity through satellites ...

China company opens bear bile farm to media

Feb 22, 2012 (AFP)

A traditional Chinese medicine company at the heart of an angry Internet campaign accusing it of cruelty to animals opened one of its controversial bear bile fa...

Scientists regenerate a plant -- 30,000 years on

Feb 21, 2012 (AFP)

Russian scientists have grown flowering plants using seeds stored by squirrels 30,000 years ago and preserved by the Siberian permafrost, a new study showed, in...

Chinese tycoons snap up Bordeaux chateaux

Feb 21, 2012 (AFP)

The world's largest producer of alcohol from goji berries and an elusive tycoon have become the latest super rich Chinese investors to invest in Bordeaux wine e...

New miniature grasshopper-like insect is first member of its family from Belize

Feb 21, 2012 (SPX)

Scientists at the University of Illinois, USA have discovered a new species of tiny, grasshopper-like insect in the tropical rainforests of the Toledo District ...

Reducing salt in crisps without affecting the taste

Feb 21, 2012 (SPX)

Food scientists have found a way of measuring how we register the saltiness of crisps which could lead to new ways of producing healthier crisps - without losin...

Obstacles holding back healthier foods from your table

Feb 21, 2012 (SPX)

There are lots of new ideas out there for giving you extra protection against chronic diseases through the food you eat. But many good ideas may never make it t...

Fossilized Pollen Unlocks Secrets of Ancient Royal Garden

Feb 20, 2012 (SPX)

Researchers have long been fascinated by the secrets of Ramat Rahel, located on a hilltop above modern-day Jerusalem. The site of the only known palace dating b...

Revealed in accurate detail, the underground world of plants

Feb 20, 2012 (SPX)

Plant and computer scientists can now study the underground world of plants with more accuracy and clarity. The revolutionary technique will improve our chances...

Information flow can help farmers cope with climate change

Feb 20, 2012 (SPX)

The instant communications technology that nurtured grassroots revolutions in the Arab world could also help farmers cope with climate change, according to Iowa...

Models underestimate future temperature variability

Feb 20, 2012 (SPX)

Climate warming caused by greenhouse gases is very likely to increase the variability of summertime temperatures around the world by the end of this century, a ...

Repelling the knapweed invasion

Feb 20, 2012 (SPX)

The problem of invasive species may seem remote from most people's lives. But in some parts of the United Kingdom, an invasive plant creates a problem that hits...

Prions play powerful role in the survival and evolution of wild yeast strains

Feb 17, 2012 (SPX)

Prions, the much-maligned proteins most commonly known for causing "mad cow" disease, are commonly used in yeast to produce beneficial traits in the wild. Moreo...

Study simulates effects of foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Mexico

Feb 17, 2012 (SPX)

In a worst-case scenario simulation of a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Mexico, researchers found that establishing a good surveillance system and raising a...

Organic foods may be an unsuspected source of dietary arsenic

Feb 17, 2012 (SPX)

As people seek healthier dietary regimens they often turn to things labeled "organic." Lurking in the background, however, is an ingredient that may be a hidden...

AgriLife research study shows temperatures may change disease resistance in wheat

Feb 17, 2012 (SPX)

Wheat streak mosaic resistance bred into several wheat varieties might be negated by the producer practice in the High Plains of planting wheat early and using ...

Tiny shrimp leave giant carbon footprint: scientist

Feb 17, 2012 (AFP)

Measured by environmental impact, a humble shrimp cocktail could be the most costly part of a typical restaurant meal, scientists said Friday. If the seafood is...

Rainfed-dryland farming needs more investment

Feb 15, 2012 (IANS)

President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday called for more investment in agriculture, especially in rainfed and dryland farming, to ac...