Soil News: October 2005

Organic, sustainability research discussed at scientific meeting

Organic, sustainability research discussed at scientific meeting
EurekAlert (press release) - Washington,DC,USA
... Society of America, and Soil Science Society of ... CSSA: "50 Years of Crop Science, 1955-2005 ... Our New Horizons: Education, Environment, Exploration, Experimentation ...

New option for dairy effluent disposal
Scoop.co.nz (press release) - New Zealand
... Last year, Environment Bay of Plenty contracted Dr Dave Horn, a senior lecturer in soil science at Massey University, to investigate another option for dairy ...

Study Finds That Loss Of Tree Diversity Affects The Ability Of ...
Science Daily (press release) - USA
... a healthy forest provides such as soil stability or ... integrated study of Earth, its environment and society ... The Earth Institute mobilizes science and technology ...

Potato project lands budding scientist on top
San Antonio Express (subscription) - San Antonio,TX,USA
... free, able to grow in infertile soil and doesn ... original field of thousands with her science project examining ... a test tube and greenhouse environment, free from ...

UCLA Environmental Report Card Grades Public Agencies Poorly for ...
UC Los Angeles - Los Angeles,CA,USA
... to UCLA Institute of the Environment researchers ... wastes in groundwater, surface water and soil are on ... and director of the environmental science and engineering ...

[TOP]

Introduce soil health cards: Swaminathan

Organic, sustainability research discussed at scientific meeting
EurekAlert (press release) - Washington,DC,USA
Sustainable agriculture, food security, organic production, biodiversity, and soils and ... of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society ...

Putting Your Garden to Bed for the Winter
PR Newswire (press release) - New York,NY,USA
... used to warm the soil, prevent frost heaving and soil erosion, and ... of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture, nutrition, electronics ...

Researcher studies ways to utilize winter legumes
Bismarck Farm & Ranch Guide - ND, USA
... Pulse crops are gaining momentum in Montana agriculture as farmers ... or lentils, the plant residue decomposes and releases that nitrogen into the soil, making it ...

Transplant trees, shrubs and vines during the fall
Baxter Bulletin - Baxter,AR,USA
... Use a mulch to keep the soil surface cool and moist. ... on transplanting, stop by the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension office ...

Introduce soil health cards: Swaminathan
NewKerala.com - Ernakulam,Kerala,India
Addressing a seminar on sustainable development of agriculture and allied sector ... to lab" and establish National network of Advanced Soil Testing laboratories ...

[TOP]

Agriculture Adventures

Thursday, October 27, 2005 8:04 AM PDT

Britain should vaccinate poultry: group
Reuters Thu, 27 Oct 2005 6:31 AM PDT
"This use of vaccination in the form of a ring-fence is a proven, effective tool that should be used ahead of any moves to bring organic and free-range poultry indoors throughout the country and to prevent the mass slaughter of UK poultry," the Soil Association said.

Agriculture Adventures
CentralOhio.com Wed, 26 Oct 2005 10:12 AM PDT
Atkinson Elementary first-graders Maxwell Jones, left, and Alec Snodgrass try their hand at milking a life-sized model of a cow during the COSI on Wheels assembly on Tuesday morning. Volunteer parent Toni Musser gives instruction.

Britain should vaccinate poultry: group
Reuters via Yahoo! News Thu, 27 Oct 2005 6:16 AM PDT
Britain should protect its poultry industry by vaccinating fowl against the spread of the bird flu virus, an organic farming group said on Thursday.

RRFA board acclaimed for another term
Fort Frances Times Wed, 26 Oct 2005 11:23 AM PDT
There was no new president to welcome at the 29th-annual dinner and meeting of the Rainy River Federation of Agriculture on Saturday evening at the Millennium Hall in Stratton.

Charles calls for emphasis on climate change
DeHavilland Thu, 27 Oct 2005 4:02 AM PDT
Prince Charles has today called for a greater emphasis to be placed on climate change within the UK. The Prince of Wales told the BBC that global warming is the "greatest challenge to face man" and that it would have a significant impact on the future of UK farming.

Prince fears over bird flu threat
PA via Yahoo! UK & Ireland News Wed, 26 Oct 2005 10:31 PM PDT
Prince Charles has expressed sympathy for UK poultry producers facing the threat of bird flu describing the situation as "very, very worrying".

It's time to start living by the 11th commandment
The Pilot-Independent Thu, 27 Oct 2005 6:51 AM PDT
The winds and the rains of the Gulf Coast hurricanes may have faded away (or a new one may be approaching), but the storm of problems, recriminations and blame will fly for a long time. There are two simple lessons that are related.

OBITUARIES
The Monitor Thu, 27 Oct 2005 0:46 AM PDT
On Oct. 25, 2005, our Dear Lord called upon one of his living angels named Rafael A. Guerra to join his son Victor, his brothers Arcadio and Manuel Angel, and his parents Arcadio and Leonor Guerra in Heaven....

Linda Smith
The Times Record Thu, 27 Oct 2005 7:59 AM PDT
Linda Smith, 59, of Van Buren died Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2005, in Van Buren. She was born July 21, 1946, in St. Anthony, Iowa. She worked as a seamstress for Garen and Lady Fair manufacturing.

[TOP]

Chandy should give up home dept: BJP

Monday, October 24, 2005 4:30 AM PDT

Chandy should give up home dept: BJP
Kaumundi Online Sun, 23 Oct 2005 9:58 AM PDT
BJP general secretary P P Mukundan today demanded that Chief Minister Oommen Chandy should give up the home and jail departments following the seizure of arms from the central jail here. Mukundan said, Chandy has so far not responded on the incident.

RSS wants BJP to return to its Hindutva roots
Kaumundi Online Sun, 23 Oct 2005 9:59 AM PDT
CHITRAKOOT : The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) today said it wanted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to embrace collective leadership and return to its Hindutva roots.

[TOP]

Toledo is on top of food trends

Sunday, October 23, 2005 4:30 AM PDT

Toledo is on top of food trends
Toledo Blade Sun, 23 Oct 2005 3:44 AM PDT
Some gourmets say that in the Toledo area they are hard pressed to find the latest in cutting edge cuisine and wonderful avant-garde dishes by chefs who are wildly inventive.

[TOP]

Chicken Farmers Fight State's Plan To Test Soil

Sunday, October 23, 2005 8:04 AM PDT

Chicken Farmers Fight State's Plan To Test Soil
KOTV Tulsa Sat, 22 Oct 2005 9:46 AM PDT
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Several Delaware County poultry farmers are fighting efforts by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture to conduct soil tests on their land.

Farmers urged to try 'agriculture conservation'
SABCnews.com Sat, 22 Oct 2005 3:14 PM PDT
by Kimani Chege African farmers could boost yields and save money by taking simple steps to conserve soil quality, according to a report on the Science and Development Network.

It's all in the soil
Galesburg Register-Mail Sat, 22 Oct 2005 9:53 PM PDT
Complete local and regional news, local business directory including restaurants, local classifieds and Central Illinois information.

Citrus greening still spreading
Sarasota Herald-Tribune Sun, 23 Oct 2005 1:35 AM PDT
LAKE ALFRED -- Citrus greening apparently has spread to two new locations in the heart of Florida's commercial orange and grapefruit groves, agriculture officials said Friday after a meeting to plot a strategy for combatting the feared tree disease.

J K govt assessing crops loss due to earthquake
Outlook India Sun, 23 Oct 2005 3:15 AM PDT
With the dust of the earthquake settling down in the worst-hit Tangdhar and Uri sectors, Jammu and Kashmir Agriculture Department has mobilized its resources to assess the loss caused to crops in the areas.

Man grows 17 foot okra plant
WALB News 10 Sat, 22 Oct 2005 3:14 PM PDT
Mitchell County- Joe Henry has worked in agriculture for decades. "I've been a pecan shaker, and then I've been a cotton picker, and then I've been a peanut shaker, and I've been a 'bacco cropper."

Modeling the Distribution of Diffuse Nitrogen Sources and Sinks in the Neuse River Basin of North Carolina, Usa1
RedNova Sun, 23 Oct 2005 1:17 AM PDT
By Lunetta, Ross S; Greene, Richard G; Lyon, John G ABSTRACT: This study quantified nonpoint source nitrogen (NPS-N) sources and sinks across the 14,582 km^sup 2^ Neuse River Basin (NRB) located in North Carolina, to provide tabular data summaries and graphic overlay products to support the development of management approaches to best achieve established N reduction goals.

Assessing the Need for Groundwater Quality Guidelines for Pesticides Using the Species Sensitivity Distribution Approach
RedNova Sun, 23 Oct 2005 1:18 AM PDT
By Hose, Grant C ABSTRACT The water quality needs of groundwater ecosystems are rarely considered. It is currently assumed that water quality guidelines for surface waters will also protect groundwater ecosystems and their fauna, but this assumption has not been tested.

22 structures in dire need of repairs
Honolulu Advertiser Sun, 23 Oct 2005 7:31 AM PDT
Perched on the Pali above Nu'uanu Valley and downtown Honolulu, Nu'uanu Dam is among nearly two dozen in the state with structural or functional deficiencies.

High fertilizer costs cultivate farming woes
Houston Chronicle Sat, 22 Oct 2005 11:10 PM PDT
Dave Nielsen just spent nearly $14,000 to fertilize his crops, an amount he never could have imagined when he started farming 20 years ago.

[TOP]

City residents buying farmland some even to farm

Tuesday, October 25, 2005 8:05 AM PDT

Media alert: Special sessions feature Utah's military, agriculture connections
EurekAlert! Mon, 24 Oct 2005 9:11 AM PDT
MADISON, WI, OCTOBER 24, 2005 – Two sessions featuring a look at Utah's past, present, and future--one covering Utah's Military History and one focusing on Utah's Agricultural Research--will be presented on Monday, Nov. 7 in Salt Lake City, UT. The events will be held as part of the International Annual Meetings of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil

Nigeria's Food Crisis: Something's Wrong With US
AllAfrica.com Tue, 25 Oct 2005 6:54 AM PDT
Government officials talk of food security, investment in agriculture and there are annual budgets that seem to underline commitment to these. The reality, however, is that the prices of foodstuffs have gone beyond the reach of most Nigerians.

Syngenta Crop Protection and the American Society of Agronomy’s Certified Crop Advisor launch online cotton nematode
SeedQuest Mon, 24 Oct 2005 8:36 AM PDT
A new web-based learning module addressing cotton nematode awareness, identification of key species, proper soil sampling techniques and nematode management strategies is now available.

Apollo FFA chapter to receive honors
Messenger-Inquirer Mon, 24 Oct 2005 11:03 PM PDT
When Apollo High School agriculture teacher James Morgan receives his honorary American Degree this week during the national FFA convention, he'll receive something even more rewarding -- recognition for the impact he has made on students' lives.

Plant genes identified that can form the basis for crops that are better adapted to environmental conditions
SeedQuest Tue, 25 Oct 2005 6:36 AM PDT
Roots are crucial for the development of strong, healthy crops. But until recently, exactly which genes are involved in the development of roots was still a mystery.

For Midwest farmers, a disappointing harvest
The Christian Science Monitor Mon, 24 Oct 2005 2:26 PM PDT
High fuel costs and drought conditions are dealing a double blow.

Modernised Tay Nguyen farms prosper
Viet Nam News Tue, 25 Oct 2005 7:02 AM PDT
TAY NGUYEN — Provinces in Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) have effectively modernised its farm economy, generating jobs for the rural unemployed and accelerating the process of industrialisation in the region.

Researchers looking into ways wasps can help law enforcement, among others
Macon Telegraph Tue, 25 Oct 2005 0:11 AM PDT
TIFTON - Move over, drug-sniffing dogs. Make way for the wasps. With just a wisp of scent, these tiny Georgia insects can identify not only drugs, but crop pests, explosives, diseases and dead bodies.

City residents buying farmland some even to farm
AG Weekly Mon, 24 Oct 2005 9:08 PM PDT
Pushing wheelbarrows full of home-equity or low-interest mortgages, more people all across America are heading for the countryside -- to raise animals, to experience life in the rough, sometimes even to grow a crop or two.

[TOP]

Japan Panel Delays U.S. Beef Safety Report Approval

Tuesday, October 25, 2005 4:30 AM PDT

Japan Panel Delays U.S. Beef Safety Report Approval
CattleNetwork.com Mon, 24 Oct 2005 8:04 AM PDT
TOKYO (Dow Jones)--A Japanese government panel charged with reviewing Japan 's ban on U.S. beef imports on Monday postponed a decision on whether to approve a report saying the risk of mad-cow disease entering Japan through U.S. beef is very low.

[TOP]

Launch of New Alliance to Combat Land Degradation in Africa

Wednesday, October 26, 2005 8:04 AM PDT

New classification of eukaryotes has implications for AIDS treatment, agriculture and beyond
EurekAlert! Tue, 25 Oct 2005 8:32 AM PDT
This classification conveys important information about the biochemistry and metabolism of disease-causing organisms.

Launch of New Alliance to Combat Land Degradation in Africa
AllAfrica.com Tue, 25 Oct 2005 9:19 AM PDT
With about 65 percent of Africa's population affected by land degradation, and over 3 percent of agricultural GDP lost annually to soil and nutrient loss in Sub-Saharan Africa, a new partnership - TerrAfrica - the largest of its kind to address land degradation and increase sustainable land management throughout the region was announced at the seventh session of the UN Conference of the Parties

Dutch design lets homes float on the floodwaters
USA Today Tue, 25 Oct 2005 3:57 PM PDT
After hurricane Katrina flooded the Gulf Coast, many U.S. hydrologists, architects, and city planners looked to the Netherlands for water-wise guidance. Some Dutch architects are designing ways to live on, instead of fighting against, the rising tide.

Water Cost Pits Residents Against Dupont, Officials
RedNova Wed, 26 Oct 2005 1:45 AM PDT
By JOHN LANTIGUA Palm Beach Post Staff Writer It's like living next to a haunted house. Residents in the Mapp Road North area here say worrisome phenomena emanate from the 13-acre property that was once the Loxahatchee Nursery.

Dutch design lets homes float on the floodwaters
The Christian Science Monitor Tue, 25 Oct 2005 2:10 PM PDT
Giving up their high-cost war with the sea, some architects are designing ways to live on, instead of against, the rising tide.

Corn harvest is moving right along, but storage continues to be a problem
Globe Online Tue, 25 Oct 2005 10:10 PM PDT
Machinery is moving across North Iowa fields at a rapid pace, chewing up corn stalks and spitting grain into hoppers. About 60 percent of the crop is out of the field, putting producers a week ahead of a year ago, but only a day ahead of normal.

Defra plans mass cull of poultry if avian flu hits UK
Guardian Unlimited Tue, 25 Oct 2005 6:12 PM PDT
UK: Talks being held over disposal of carcasses amid fears that lethal strain has reached heart of EU.

FFA maps out plan for Wickland agritourism site
The Kentucky Standard Tue, 25 Oct 2005 10:17 PM PDT
It’s a big plan, but one several local students and adults hope becomes a reality. Students and advisors with the Nelson County FFA program want to turn the Wickland estate into a fully operational agritourism site.

Defra plans mass cull of poultry if avian flu hits UK
Guardian Unlimited Wed, 26 Oct 2005 1:02 AM PDT
A mass cull of poultry in the UK is being prepared by Defra officials in meetings with some of the main agricultural firms involved in the clean up and disposal of hundreds of thousands of cattle, pig and sheep carcasses during the foot and mouth epidemic.

Canadian company expands inoculant products to the U.S.
Prairie Star Tue, 25 Oct 2005 1:07 PM PDT
A Saskatoon, SK company, Philom Bios, has expanded into the United States with new uses for inoculants. Producers here know that a good quality inoculant is needed when soybeans are introduced to an area, but Philom Bios takes that same concept a step farther.

[TOP]

Fertilizer costs weigh down farmers' profits

Saturday, October 22, 2005 8:03 AM PDT

Farmers urged to try 'agriculture conservation'
SABCnews.com Fri, 21 Oct 2005 12:44 PM PDT
by Kimani Chege African farmers could boost yields and save money by taking simple steps to conserve soil quality, according to a report on the Science and Development Network.

Green acres for legislators
Times Leader Fri, 21 Oct 2005 10:58 PM PDT
OFFICIALS WITH the Belmont Soil and Water Conservation District offered a first-hand presentation Friday to show how a variety of its services and programs benefit the environment, the area's agricultural industry, the local economy and the community as a whole.

Local Farm-City Committee learns about peanut production
Opelika-Auburn News Fri, 21 Oct 2005 10:45 PM PDT
Members of the 2005 Lee County Farm-City Committee visited one of the Lazenby family’s fields to learn about how peanuts are grown, harvested and marketed and toured new agriculture-related buildings on the Auburn University campus during their annual tour.

Herseth visits Gulf Coast areas devastated by recent hurricanes
Huron Plainsman Fri, 21 Oct 2005 10:07 PM PDT
BY ROGER LARSEN Encouraging signs are slowly emerging in New Orleans, but for farmers and others in the agriculture community, the recovery from Hurricane Katrina will take years, Rep. Stephanie Herseth, D-S.D., said Thursday.

Burton to Lead Conservation Work in Golden State
PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance Fri, 21 Oct 2005 10:22 AM PDT
A new State Conservationist has arrived in California to lead federal conservation efforts for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service in the Golden State.

City residents buying farmland some even to farm
AG Weekly Sat, 22 Oct 2005 7:39 AM PDT
Pushing wheelbarrows full of home-equity or low-interest mortgages, more people all across America are heading for the countryside -- to raise animals, to experience life in the rough, sometimes even to grow a crop or two.

Text of Chinese Communist Party Proposal on 11th Five-Year Programme - Part 2
RedNova Sat, 22 Oct 2005 4:30 AM PDT
Text of Part 2 of Chinese Communist Party proposal entitled: "(Released by authorization) CCP Central Committee proposal on formulating the 11th Five-Year Programme for National Economic and Social Development"; as carried by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency); subheadings as received V.

Flooding devastates acres of farmland
Portsmouth Herald Sat, 22 Oct 2005 6:38 AM PDT
CONCORD - Hundreds of acres of farmland in Cheshire and Sullivan counties were damaged or destroyed by the recent flooding and heavy rains, and federal recovery money may not come any time soon.

Fertilizer costs weigh down farmers' profits
Billings Gazette Fri, 21 Oct 2005 11:45 PM PDT
OMAHA, Neb. - Dave Nielsen just spent nearly $14,000 to fertilize his crops, an amount he never could have imagined when he started farming 20 years ago.

New Hampshire cropland ravaged by floods
The Union Leader and NewHampshire Sunday News Fri, 21 Oct 2005 9:14 PM PDT
CONCORD — Hundreds of acres of farmland in Cheshire and Sullivan counties were damaged or destroyed by the recent flooding and heavy rains, and federal recovery money may not come anytime soon.

[TOP]

Green choice

Friday, October 21, 2005 8:04 AM PDT

Steeped in a New Tradition
Los Angeles Times via Yahoo! News Fri, 21 Oct 2005 2:30 AM PDT
COAMILPA, Mexico — Only 3 years old, Leon Gustavo Davila Hinojosa is still learning to speak Spanish. But the precocious youngster already knows a bit of Japanese: "Maruchan."

Farmers' Poverty: a Threat to Food Security
AllAfrica.com Thu, 20 Oct 2005 10:33 AM PDT
The Minister of Information, at the opening ceremony of the Technical Centre for Agriculture and Rural Co-operation regional workshop with local and national partners in Accra, wondered why most of our rural farmers fall within the poverty bracket.

Monocropping is not desirable
Financial Express Thu, 20 Oct 2005 10:03 AM PDT
TRADITIONAL agriculture -- centering mainly on the production of foodgrains -- has served a purpose, no doubt, in feeding the growing population of Bangladesh. But this singular emphasis on foodgrain production is also costing the country dear in different ways.

Steeped in a New Tradition
Los Angeles Times Fri, 21 Oct 2005 0:34 AM PDT
Instant ramen noodles are supplanting beans and rice for many in Mexico. Defenders of the nation's cuisine and dietitians are alarmed.

Commissioners create preservation board
Observer-Reporter Fri, 21 Oct 2005 6:31 AM PDT
WAYNESBURG – A new, seven-member board will act as the voice of farmers in planning and development decisions in the area after county commissioners created a Farmland Preservation Board at their meeting Thursday.

City residents buying farmland some even to farm
AG Weekly Fri, 21 Oct 2005 2:08 AM PDT
Pushing wheelbarrows full of home-equity or low-interest mortgages, more people all across America are heading for the countryside -- to raise animals, to experience life in the rough, sometimes even to grow a crop or two.

Rising like a Phoenix from ash - environmentally friendly fertilisers from sewage sludge
uniprotokolle Fri, 21 Oct 2005 6:42 AM PDT
Municipal sewage sludge contains a number of plant nutrients like for instance phosphorus (P), which is a non-renewable resource going into depletion within the next 100 years.

Cowboy hopes to lasso Neb. seat Democrat Kleeb GRD '01 '03 faces tough fight in heavily Republican home district
Yale Daily News Fri, 21 Oct 2005 2:21 AM PDT
Handsome, 6'3 and clad in jeans, cowboy boots and a purple dress shirt, Scott Kleeb GRD '01 '03 strode onto Yale's campus last week to talk about his congressional campaign.

Japan Panel On U.S. Beef To Meet Monday; May Approve Safety
CattleNetwork.com Fri, 21 Oct 2005 5:34 AM PDT
TOKYO (Dow Jones)--A Japanese government panel studying the U.S. beef import ban issue will hold a meeting on Monday in which it may finalize a report saying the risk of U.S. beef imports bringing mad-cow disease into the country is extremely low.

Green choice
Bangkok Post Thu, 20 Oct 2005 6:48 PM PDT
Not so long ago, our mums went to fresh markets to buy their lettuce and cucumbers. Now people go to supermarkets and what they want is not your ordinary lettuce grown at some who-knows-where garden. They demand rocket lettuce, continental cucumbers, even microgreens.

[TOP]

Farmers’ Poverty: A Threat To Food Security

Thursday, October 20, 2005 8:04 AM PDT

The budget and agriculture
Trinidad Express Wed, 19 Oct 2005 6:31 PM PDT
I have waited until individual Ministers have made presentations on the budget before commenting since the Minister of Finance has pointed out that not everything could have been included in his presentation but amplification would be made by each Minister.

Ne China Able To Add 10 BLN KG New Grain Output Per Yr: Research
Asia Pulse via Yahoo! Australia & NZ News Wed, 19 Oct 2005 9:24 PM PDT
The three provinces in northeast China, Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning, known for black soil and good climate suitable for growing maize, soybean, wheat and high-quality rice, are able to add a new grain output capacity of more than 10 billion kilograms a year by 2010 if existing land resources are rationally utilized.

Senate ag committee cuts $3 billion in spending
Lincoln Journal Star Wed, 19 Oct 2005 10:03 PM PDT
The Senate Agriculture Committee voted 11-9 Wednesday in favor of $3 billion in cuts in agricultural spending over the next five years.

Farmers’ Poverty: A Threat To Food Security
The Ghanaian Chronicle Thu, 20 Oct 2005 6:04 AM PDT
The Minister of Information, at the opening ceremony of the Technical Centre for Agriculture and Rural Co-operation regional workshop with local and national partners in Accra, wondered why most of our rural farmers fall within the poverty bracket.

Belarus begins to revive its poisoned lands
International Herald Tribune Thu, 20 Oct 2005 7:03 AM PDT
Almost a quarter of all of Belarus remains radioactive to varying degrees, including some of its prime farmland.

Senegal gets $30 mln loan from Africa's AfDB
Reuters via Yahoo! Asia News Thu, 20 Oct 2005 6:24 AM PDT
TUNIS, Oct 20 (Reuters) - The African Development Bank (AfDB) has agreed to lend Senegal $30 million to bolster the country's economy.

Farmers' conservation role feted
News Leader Thu, 20 Oct 2005 3:28 AM PDT
STAUNTON — More than 100 farmers and policymakers celebrated 20 years of cleaner water, healthier livestock and more plentiful wildlife at a banquet at the Stonewall Jackson Hotel on Wednesday night.

Growlin' good grapes Howell Mountain's intense fruit attracts winemakers and bears alike
San Francisco Chronicle Thu, 20 Oct 2005 7:54 AM PDT
Not all connoisseurs of Howell Mountain wine grapes are human.

'Green Acres' series to start in November
The Sentinel-News Thu, 20 Oct 2005 7:31 AM PDT
Arnold the pig and Fred Ziffel will not be on hand, but landowners in Shelby County who want to learn how to make their acreage more productive or enjoyable may want to try Extension's Green Acres series.

[TOP]

Farmers Fret Over Fertilizer Costs

Wednesday, October 19, 2005 8:06 AM PDT

San Joaquin Valley agriculture at risk
UPI Tue, 18 Oct 2005 11:46 AM PDT
DAVIS, Calif., Oct. 18 (UPI) -- California's San Joaquin Valley soil and groundwater reserves may be increasingly saline, University of California-Davis researchers said Monday.

UConn Professor Creates More Productive Plants
University of Connecticut Daily Campus Wed, 19 Oct 2005 7:26 AM PDT
UConn professor Roberto Gaxiola and his research team have discovered a way to produce more productive plants that will be able to flourish in low-nutrient soil and survive heavy droughts, which could have a large impact on agriculture around the world. The research was conducted in a collaboration between scientists from UConn, Purdue and Penn State, according to sciencedaily.

Millions of impoverished Chinese benefit from WFP projects
People's Daily Tue, 18 Oct 2005 6:11 PM PDT
Over 30 million rural Chinese have benefited directly from the United Nations World Food Program's (WFP) projects in China over the past 26 years, according to a survey commissioned by the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture.

Wednesday, October 19, 2005
IndeOnline.com Tue, 18 Oct 2005 9:44 PM PDT
The United States Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency based in Massillon could be on the chopping block. The federal agency is discussing the possibility of closing more than 700 Farm Service locations nationwide as part of an effort to streamline operations.

Farmers Fret Over Fertilizer Costs
AP via Yahoo! News Wed, 19 Oct 2005 1:47 AM PDT
Dave Nielsen just spent nearly $14,000 to fertilize his crops, an amount he never could have imagined when he started farming 20 years ago.

Conservation planning sign-up pilot announced
Farm And Ranch Guide Tue, 18 Oct 2005 11:02 AM PDT
U.S. Agriculture Deputy Secretary Chuck Conner announced that nine states are participating in the first conservation planning sign-up, a pilot initiative that emphasizes the importance of conservation planning to help farmers and ranchers be better prepared to apply for conservation programs and to comply with federal, state, tribal and local environmental regulations.

Watershed project gets $420K
Press-Citizen Wed, 19 Oct 2005 1:11 AM PDT
The Clear Creek Watershed Enhancement Board’s efforts to keep Clear Creek clean got an extra boost last week when it received $420,000 in state grants.

Purdue Researcher Leads $4.5 Million NSF Study of Soybean Genome
Newswise Wed, 19 Oct 2005 6:23 AM PDT
Farmers, college students and consumers may benefit from soybean research made possible by a $4.5 million National Science Foundation grant to a team of researchers headed by Purdue University plant geneticist Scott Jackson.

Dry weather great for harvesting and field fires
Waterloo Cedar-Falls Courier Wed, 19 Oct 2005 4:26 AM PDT
HUDSON --- Farmers love warm, breezy days in the fall. They speed harvest and corn naturally dries in the field, cutting expenses. But the tinder box-like conditions also spark equipment and field fires. And local volunteer fire departments have already responded to plenty of them.

Farmers Fret Over Fertilizer Costs
WJLA-TV Washington D.C. Wed, 19 Oct 2005 2:16 AM PDT
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Dave Nielsen just spent nearly $14,000 to fertilize his crops, an amount he never could have imagined when he started farming 20 years ago.But the $410 a ton Nielsen paid is symptomatic of the crunch farmers are feeling this year as the cost of fertilizer soars.

[TOP]

The budget and agriculture

National panel mooted for rural insurance
The Statesman - Kolkata,India
... Private Partnership for Harnessing the Potential of Rainfed Agriculture organised here ... to establish a national network of advanced soil testing laboratories ...

The budget and agriculture
Trinidad & Tobago Express - Port-of-Spain,Trinidad and Tobago
... to state my view that this could in no way create a resurgence in agriculture. ... However the success of these farmers depends on the soil type of the land which ...

Pain of hunger
The Nation, Malawi - Chichiri,Blantyre,Malawi
... The same soil, same rains, same people. ... That has killed our agriculture because years later we discovered that fertiliser prices had skyrocketed. ...

All the state's a campus compliments of SDSU's research stations
SDSU Collegian - Brookings,SD,USA
... Professors in the College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences and extension specialists head ... 1940s, the focus of the station was on crops and soil research. ...

Senate ag committee cuts $3 billion in spending
Lincoln Journal Star - Lincoln,NE,USA
... "Agriculture can adjust," he said, "but that pain will be felt somewhere.". ... Security Program and its incentive payments to good soil stewards "one of ...

[TOP]

Greenhouse Gas Technology Center Verifies Aisin Seiki 6 kW ...

Bid to build democracy comes to fruition
China Daily - China
... rooted in the vast land of fertile soil on which ... to help these areas develop education, science and technology ... as well as a pleasing environment and harmonious ...

Greenhouse Gas Technology Center Verifies Aisin Seiki 6 kW ...
PR Newswire (press release) - New York,NY,USA
... science to safeguard both human health and the environment. ... provide the solid underpinning of science and technology ... the quality of air, water, soil, and the ...

Science warms to a frozen mission
Hobart Mercury - Hobart,Tasmania,Australia
... ANTARCTICA'S environment will come under the microscope during this summer's research season with ... "About two thirds of that would be soil contaminated by ...

Candidates for the Kill Devil Hills Board of Commissioners
Outer Banks Sentinel - Nags Head,NC,USA
... College; Tidewater Community College- Applied Science (Drafting and ... must be good stewards of our environment now and ... there will be less leaching into the soil. ...

[TOP]

S. Fla. farmers turn to niche markets

Tuesday, October 18, 2005 8:04 AM PDT

Winter wheat emerges later than in '04
Billings Gazette Mon, 17 Oct 2005 11:37 PM PDT
Montana's winter wheat is off to a slower start than last year, though a federal agriculture official expects that to change with the recent warm spell.

EQIP deadline nears
The Valdosta Daily Times Mon, 17 Oct 2005 8:37 PM PDT
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service announces that applications for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program must be submitted by Nov. 18 to be ensured consideration for the 2006 funding cycle.

EU holds emergency bird flu talks
Reuters.co.uk Tue, 18 Oct 2005 4:52 AM PDT
LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) - European Union officials sought to reassure the public on Tuesday as foreign ministers held emergency talks following the disclosure that bird flu has spread to at least three southeast European countries.

In unruly Gaza, authority goes to the clans
International Herald Tribune Mon, 17 Oct 2005 9:12 AM PDT
Gaza now seems like a street-corner society, with the various security forces only more sophisticated varieties of the militant gangs that have their bases in neighborhoods, refugee camps and hamullas.

EU: Bird flu is global threat
The Shelby Star Tue, 18 Oct 2005 6:43 AM PDT
LONDON, England -- European Union foreign ministers on Tuesday declared the spread of bird flu from Asia into Europe a "global threat" requiring international action.

Family business closing doors
Daytona Beach News-Journal Mon, 17 Oct 2005 10:52 PM PDT
PORT ORANGE -- For years the sturdy slatted tables inside the Allandale Garden Center and Florist held row after colorful row of bright orange marigolds, purple pansies, shocking pink petunias and yellow chrysanthemums. The greenhouse was filled with hanging baskets of ferns and foliage.

Brazilian farmers turn away from tilling
Miami Herald Mon, 17 Oct 2005 9:34 PM PDT
When Albino Ampessan bought 620 acres here in 1982, the plucky farmer was undeterred by the scrubby bushes, gnarled trees and wiry grasses typical of Brazil's vast, central savannas.

S. Fla. farmers turn to niche markets
Miami Herald Mon, 17 Oct 2005 9:34 PM PDT
S. Fla. farmers turn to new products and mechanization to survive. To stay competitive, the industry is making investments to upgrade technology and machinery to cut costs.

INTERVIEW: Australia On Track For Bigger Wheat Crop
Dow Jones via Yahoo! Asia News Mon, 17 Oct 2005 10:02 PM PDT
CANBERRA (Dow Jones)--With harvest preparations well advanced, Australia looks to be on track for a sharp jump in annual wheat production, Mike Chaseling, a spokesman for private grain trading company Emerald Group Australia Pty. Ltd., said Tuesday.

DRY SIGH OF RELIEF
New Orleans Times-Picayune Mon, 17 Oct 2005 11:34 PM PDT
With many roof-damaged buildings still lacking tarpaulins, the fact that New Orleans is on track to record one of the driest Octobers in its history is good news for their hurricane-weary owners. But will the dearth of rain harm trees that suffered high winds and weeks of salty floodwater?

[TOP]

Soil test is a wise investment

Monday, October 17, 2005 8:04 AM PDT

Soil test is a wise investment
Fort Frances Times Mon, 17 Oct 2005 6:38 AM PDT
With all of the soil samples that are analyzed each year, I’m amazed at the number of fields that still don’t get soil tested. It baffles me why a farmer would spend thousands of dollars on fertilizer, without investing 20 bucks in a soil test to tell him if he is putting on the right amount.

Florida agriculture: A tough row to hoe
Miami Herald Mon, 17 Oct 2005 3:03 AM PDT
South Florida farmers turn to new products, mechanization and niche markets to survive. To stay competitive, the industry is making investments to upgrade technology and machinery to cut costs.

Organics Web site launched
Honolulu Advertiser Mon, 17 Oct 2005 6:02 AM PDT
The University of Hawai'i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources is seeking to become as important a resource for organic farmers as it has been for the conventional agriculture community. To that end, the college has launched a Web site — www.ctahr.hawaii .edu/organic — that contains an extensive list of online educational and instructional documents on farming without chemicals, as

Organic Benefits Still Face Debate
RedNova Mon, 17 Oct 2005 4:48 AM PDT
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first of a two-part series on organic fruits and vegetables. For years, I've been skeptical about the value of eating organic food.

Slice of Wilderness Sits Amid One of South Carolina's Fastest Growing Areas
Environmental News Network Mon, 17 Oct 2005 6:22 AM PDT
It may not have the beauty of a waterfall or waves crashing on the beach, but few places on the Southeast shore can match the variety found inside the mysterious shallow depressions along the coastal plains called Carolina Bays.

TURNING AWAY FROM TILLING
Miami Herald Mon, 17 Oct 2005 3:04 AM PDT
BY PAULO PRADA When Albino Ampessan bought 620 acres here in 1982, the plucky farmer was undeterred by the scrubby bushes, gnarled trees and wiry grasses typical of Brazil's vast, central savannas.

Farmers fret over fertilizer costs as natural gas prices soar
Casper Star-Tribune Mon, 17 Oct 2005 1:03 AM PDT
OMAHA, Neb. -- Dave Nielsen just spent nearly $14,000 to fertilize his crops, an amount he never could have imagined when he started farming 20 years ago.

City residents buying farmland some even to farm
AG Weekly Sun, 16 Oct 2005 9:24 PM PDT
Pushing wheelbarrows full of home-equity or low-interest mortgages, more people all across America are heading for the countryside -- to raise animals, to experience life in the rough, sometimes even to grow a crop or two.

17 October 2005
PharmiWeb Mon, 17 Oct 2005 3:13 AM PDT
The new Plant Growth Controlled Environment Test Facility at Aberystwyth’s Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research (IGER) is playing a key role in the development of new, sustainable, grass varieties capable of providing high quality animal feed.

In search of sinkholes -- Santee State Park’s limestone deposits make for interesting tour
Times and Democrat Sun, 16 Oct 2005 10:19 PM PDT
SANTEE -- Ever hear the phrase: “Who’d a thunk it?” Well, who would think that a walk through the woods to look at limestone sinkholes would be interesting? Certainly not this reporter. But, interesting it was, thanks in part to the information provided by Santee State Park Ranger Seth Caughman.

[TOP]

Report on various types of soil in Qatar released

Sunday, October 16, 2005 8:03 AM PDT

Report on various types of soil in Qatar released
Gulf Times Sun, 16 Oct 2005 2:36 AM PDT
Staff Reporter THE Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture (MMAA) has released the first comprehensive scientific study on soil in Qatar titled ‘The Atlas of Soil for the State of Qatar’, brought out by the department of agriculture and water research at the ministry.

Agriculture and Intercultural Dialogue
IPP Media Sat, 15 Oct 2005 10:13 PM PDT
In the Adam and Eve era was there hunger? Did they use fertilizers, pesticides or machines to ensure they realised a bumper harvest or increased production? Why do we now have food shortages from time to time?

Carolina Bays Show Biological Diversity
AP via Yahoo! News Sat, 15 Oct 2005 6:49 PM PDT
It may not have the beauty of a waterfall or waves crashing on the beach, but few places on the Southeast shore can match the variety found inside the mysterious shallow depressions along the coastal plains called Carolina Bays.

Questions and answers on the avian influenza virus
phillyburbs.com Sun, 16 Oct 2005 5:06 AM PDT
What's the difference between an epidemic and a pandemic?

We must adapt to climate change - or die
Independent Online Sun, 16 Oct 2005 6:51 AM PDT
The National Climate Change Conference will be the meeting place for top scientists from Africa and the rest of the world to discuss the threat of climate change in South Africa and the sub-continent.

Sustainable farming can feed the world
Swissinfo Sun, 16 Oct 2005 1:46 AM PDT
On World Food Day, Swiss agricultural specialist Hans Rudolf Herren tells swissinfo that hunger can be overcome if farming practices are improved.

Fall color isn't all about leaves if you have anemones
Hampton Roads Daily Press Sat, 15 Oct 2005 10:01 PM PDT
Fall-blooming anemones transition summer into fall - often blooming as early July and as late as November.

City residents buying farmland some even to farm
AG Weekly Sat, 15 Oct 2005 9:08 PM PDT
Pushing wheelbarrows full of home-equity or low-interest mortgages, more people all across America are heading for the countryside -- to raise animals, to experience life in the rough, sometimes even to grow a crop or two.

Farmers fret over fertilizer costs as natural gas prices soar
Sioux City Journal Sat, 15 Oct 2005 11:13 PM PDT
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- Dave Nielsen just spent nearly $14,000 to fertilize his crops, an amount he never could have imagined when he started farming 20 years ago.

Farmers fret over fertilizer costs as natural gas prices soar
Lincoln Journal Star Sat, 15 Oct 2005 10:03 PM PDT
Dave Nielsen just spent nearly $14,000 to fertilize his crops, an amount he never could have imagined when he started farming 20 years ago. But the $410 a ton Nielsen paid is symptomatic of the crunch farmers are feeling this year as the cost of fertilizer soars.

[TOP]

'Conservation agriculture' urged for African farmers

Saturday, October 15, 2005 8:03 AM PDT

'Conservation agriculture' urged for African farmers
SciDev.net Fri, 14 Oct 2005 6:24 PM PDT
[NAIROBI] African farmers could boost yields and save money by taking simple steps to conserve soil quality, said scientists at a major international meeting last week in Kenya.

Billion rand Chintsa golf estate gets thumbs down Developer plans to fight Agriculture Department ruling that it should
Daily Dispatch Sat, 15 Oct 2005 1:29 AM PDT
THE NATIONAL Department of Agriculture has stopped British property developer David Eastall from building a R1 billion golfing and holiday estate at Chintsa.

USDA Announces $1.7 Billion for Voluntary Conservation Programs on Working Lands
Kansas City InfoZine Sat, 15 Oct 2005 6:41 AM PDT
2005-Agriculture Deputy Secretary Chuck Conner announced the release of nearly $1.7 billion in fiscal year 2006 funding for voluntary conservation farm bill programs on working lands.

Effects of Fertilization and Vegetation Control on Microbial Biomass Carbon and Dehydrogenase Activity in a Juvenile
RedNova Sat, 15 Oct 2005 3:17 AM PDT
By Blazier, Michael A; Hennessey, Thomas C; Deng, Shiping Abstract: To characterize the influences of fertilization and understory vegetation suppression on microbial biomass and activity in a juvenile loblolly pine plantation, we measured microbial biomass C (C^sub mic^) and dehydrogenase activity in soil monthly in response to (1) untreated control (CONT), (2) understory suppression with

In one corner of Malawi, a 'solution' to hunger
AFP via Yahoo! News Fri, 14 Oct 2005 8:40 AM PDT
Rows of tall bountiful maize will soon be ready for harvesting in one patch of drought-stricken southern Malawi, thriving in soil that is disappointing farmers elsewhere in the country and leaving millions hungry.

Ann's Organic Garden: Time to feed lawns, meadows
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sat, 15 Oct 2005 0:24 AM PDT
Fall is a fine time to work on your lawn by getting rid of persistent weeds as the soil moistens and loosens up and by adding nutrients that will help build stronger grass roots in the spring. Read Ann Lovejoy's tips for fall lawn care.

Johanns announces $1.7 billion in 2005 CRP payments
Rapid City Journal Fri, 14 Oct 2005 9:50 PM PDT
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture will issue $1.7 billion in Conservation Reserve Program, or CRP, payments to participating producers for fiscal year 2005, allowing producers to earn an average of $4,143 per farm enrolled, Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns announced last week.

State, county encourages farmers to recycle plastics
Daily Journal Sat, 15 Oct 2005 3:15 AM PDT
VINELAND -- Vegetable grower Kevin Flaim picked a tough day to be a volunteer. Boots sinking in rain-softened soil, Flaim ventured into one of his eggplant fields off Italia Avenue for a quick show-and-tell Friday morning.

Officials worry they may not be able to eradicate citrus greening
Bradenton Herald Fri, 14 Oct 2005 3:31 PM PDT
LAKE ALFRED, Fla. - Citrus greening apparently has spread to two new locations in the heart of Florida's commercial orange and grapefruit groves, agriculture officials said Friday after a meeting to plot a strategy for combatting the feared tree disease.

[TOP]

Soil News

About Me

Friday, October 28, 2005

Organic, sustainability research discussed at scientific meeting

Introduce soil health cards: Swaminathan

Agriculture Adventures

Chandy should give up home dept: BJP

Toledo is on top of food trends

Chicken Farmers Fight State's Plan To Test Soil

City residents buying farmland some even to farm

Japan Panel Delays U.S. Beef Safety Report Approval

Launch of New Alliance to Combat Land Degradation in Africa

Saturday, October 22, 2005

Fertilizer costs weigh down farmers' profits

Green choice

Farmers’ Poverty: A Threat To Food Security

Farmers Fret Over Fertilizer Costs

The budget and agriculture

Greenhouse Gas Technology Center Verifies Aisin Seiki 6 kW ...

S. Fla. farmers turn to niche markets

Soil test is a wise investment

Report on various types of soil in Qatar released

'Conservation agriculture' urged for African farmers