Soil News: November 2005

Phosphorus levels catch regulators' attention

Thursday, November 10, 2005 7:04 AM PST

Phosphorus levels catch regulators' attention
AG Weekly Wed, 09 Nov 2005 9:02 PM PST
BOISE, Idaho -- The Idaho State Department of Agriculture issued a press release Wednesday announcing that soil tests have revealed higher-than-acceptable levels of phosphorus in fields that receive manure.

Corn harvest nears completion
Waterloo Cedar-Falls Courier Thu, 10 Nov 2005 2:40 AM PST
INDEPENDENCE --- The vast majority of combines and corn pickers have went back into hibernation as Iowa's harvest winds down. Monday's weekly U.S. Department of Agriculture Crops and Weather Report indicated the state's soybean fields are bare and only 9 percent of the corn crop is standing.

FAO food census aims to eradicate hunger
Food Navigator Thu, 10 Nov 2005 2:50 AM PST
10/11/2005 - An FAO agricultural census covering 2006 to 2015 could help to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. The UN Organisation plans to gather socio-economic data on community issues in addition to conventional structural data concerning agriculture.

Wednesday Nov 09, 2005
Rockland Village Soup Wed, 09 Nov 2005 3:49 PM PST
WARREN (Nov 9): The Knox-Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District held its Annual Dinner and Meeting on Thursday, November 3rd, at the North Nobleboro Community Hall, with fifty-four people attending.

Agric Experts Advise On Research
AllAfrica.com Wed, 09 Nov 2005 1:17 PM PST
In a bid to conduct community-based research, researchers at Rwanda Institute of Agriculture (ISAR) have called for a strong linkage between research activities and the national policy on agriculture.

USDA agencies offer electronic information, tools for better service
Prairie Star Wed, 09 Nov 2005 1:06 PM PST
BOZEMAN, Mont. - First there was the Big Chief tablet and the pencil, then there was the telephone and now there is the computer and the Internet. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has evolved with the times, offering new ways for its agencies to communicate with their clients over time.

Drainage seminar at 3 sites
The Prairie Advocate Wed, 09 Nov 2005 12:50 PM PST
Agriculture producers and landowners have a chance to learn more about current research on agriculture drainage and decision aids for design at the Advances in Agricultural Drainage Seminar.

Dividend XL RTA now registered for use on oats, rye & triticale in Canada
SeedQuest Thu, 10 Nov 2005 6:51 AM PST
Dividend XL RTA, a leading seed treatment in wheat and barley, just got better with the addition of three more cereal crops to the label: oats, rye and triticale.

ICRISAT varieties restart pigeonpea cultivation in China
SeedQuest Thu, 10 Nov 2005 6:51 AM PST
Pigeonpea is an essential ingredient in Indian cooking. However, in the neighboring China, for centuries it was used for rearing lac insects. And when the lac industry collapsed, pigeonpea cultivation had disappeared from Chinese farmlands, till improved varieties from the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) restarted cultivation.

Interactive Effects of Fungicide Programs and Nitrogen Management on Potato Yield and Quality
RedNova Thu, 10 Nov 2005 2:14 AM PST
By Miller, J S; Rosen, C J ABSTRACT The use of azoxystrobin (Quadris) for early blight control often results in potato vines remaining greener later in the growing season.

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Farmers urged to embark on seed selection

Corn harvest nears completion
Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier - Waterloo,IA,USA
... Monday's weekly US Department of Agriculture Crops and Weather Report indicated the state's ... averaged between 225 bushels per acre in high-quality soil to 160 ...

FAO food census aims to eradicate hunger
Food Navigator - France
... on community issues in addition to conventional structural data concerning agriculture. ... Issues such as soil degradation, irrigation by crop type, method and ...

Record walnut harvist predicted
Record-Searchlight (subscription) - Redding,CA,USA
... After all, the county's department of agriculture headquarters are on Walnut ... Walnut trees like deep soil, something Tehama County has in abundance compared ...

Agriculture in decline for 20 yrs
Business Standard - India
... water and soil conservation were needed. The report highlighted the fact that though there was a need for generating employment outside the agriculture sector ...

Farmers urged to embark on seed selection
Daily Observer - Banjul,Gambia
The department of state for Agriculture has called on farmers to embark on ... which drastically reduce yields in groundnut detachment in the soil, which inturns ...

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Soil and Water Conservation District hold Harrison banquet

Tuesday, November 8, 2005 7:04 AM PST

Study: Burn corn stalks, fertilize soil
UPI Mon, 07 Nov 2005 5:16 PM PST
AMES, Iowa, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- Iowa State University scientists say partially burning corn stalks, husks and cobs left in fields may help improve soil fertility.

Phosphorus levels catch regulators' attention
AG Weekly Mon, 07 Nov 2005 9:02 PM PST
BOISE, Idaho -- The Idaho State Department of Agriculture issued a press release Wednesday announcing that soil tests have revealed higher-than-acceptable levels of phosphorus in fields that receive manure.

Soil and Water Conservation District hold Harrison banquet
The Steubenville Herald-Star Mon, 07 Nov 2005 7:28 AM PST
CADIZ - Sixty years of developments and improvements in farming and rural living and changes in personnel were shown in a display of photographs and a slide presentation during the 60th annual Harrison Soil and Water Conservation District meeting and banquet held Thursday at Wallace Lodge at Sally Buffalo Park.

USDA awards more than US$4.5 million for integrated organic research
SeedQuest Mon, 07 Nov 2005 8:57 PM PST
Agriculture Deputy Secretary Chuck Conner announced today the awarding more than $4.5 million in research grants to address organic agricultural issues and priorities, while increasing organic agriculture's global competitiveness.

New Global Agricultural Census Under Way
AllAfrica.com Tue, 08 Nov 2005 6:17 AM PST
More than 100 countries are participating in the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) 2010 round of agricultural censuses covering the period 2006-2015, the agency announced today.

Ag Bill contains funding for Black Belt farmers
Demopolis Times Tue, 08 Nov 2005 3:07 AM PST
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-AL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced funding for Alabama agriculture projects included in the Fiscal Year 2006 Agriculture Appropriations Bill.

Farming That Improves the Environment
Newswise Mon, 07 Nov 2005 1:23 PM PST
Researchers say partially burning some of the corn stalks, husks and cobs left in corn fields produces products that can be used to improve soil fertility, boost in-soil storage of greenhouse gases and reduce the amount of natural gas used to produce fertilizer.

Could Africa be the incubator for bird flu pandemic?
USATODAY.com via Yahoo! News Tue, 08 Nov 2005 4:18 AM PST
As countries scramble to slaughter infected poultry in fear of a bird-flu pandemic, there is growing concern about the effect of the disease on Africa. The continent's population, already ravaged by AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, could be particularly vulnerable.

Hope stirs in Angola 30 years after independence
Reuters via Yahoo! News Tue, 08 Nov 2005 6:58 AM PST
Angola won independence from Portugal 30 years ago but the southwest African country is only

ILLINOIS STYLE: Goat cheese is an increasingly popular product in Illinois
Belleville News-Democrat Mon, 07 Nov 2005 9:23 AM PST
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Leslie Cooperband, a Boston native who holds a Ph.D. in soil science, had a secret passion. And it didn't have anything to do with soil.

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Phosphorus levels catch regulators' attention

Sunday, November 6, 2005 7:04 AM PST

Phosphorus levels catch regulators' attention
AG Weekly Sat, 05 Nov 2005 9:02 PM PST
BOISE, Idaho -- The Idaho State Department of Agriculture issued a press release Wednesday announcing that soil tests have revealed higher-than-acceptable levels of phosphorus in fields that receive manure.

MSU designing course on sustainable crops
Billings Gazette Sat, 05 Nov 2005 11:31 PM PST
BOZEMAN - Montana State University's agriculture faculty needs the help of ag producers and professionals to develop a course in sustainable agriculture.

Update: 2005 Crop Harvest
The Des Moines Register Sun, 06 Nov 2005 2:05 AM PST
Dry, warm weather hastened harvest completion last week across the U.S. Corn Belt. As of Oct. 30, the corn and soybean harvests were ahead of last year's pace and ahead of the five-year average in most of the Midwest.

Toxin smacks already-hurt corn
The Des Moines Register Sun, 06 Nov 2005 2:05 AM PST
As if drought did not do enough damage, farmers in parts of east-central and southeastern Iowa have found aflatoxin in their corn this fall.

Planting profits
Desert Sun Sun, 06 Nov 2005 4:13 AM PST
It's that time of year again - residents are ready for cooler weather, and so are the plants. During the past month, homeowners associations, hotels, golf courses and others around the Coachella Valley have been busily sprucing up their flower beds with fall colors.

Local News
The Tucson Citizen Sat, 05 Nov 2005 7:14 AM PST
University of Arizona researchers say a new facet of their work will help find ways to keep your water safe, clean and tasting and smelling good.

New method to separate jute fibre gaining ground
News From Bangladesh Sat, 05 Nov 2005 10:16 AM PST
Nov 2 : : Rotting of jute fibre has become a big problem for the farmers due to shortage of water in the ponds, canals and rivers of the country. But the scientists of the Jute Research Institute has evolved a new method to rot the fibres of jute titled 'Ribbon Betting'.

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A conversation with Wendell Berry

Sunday, October 30, 2005 7:04 AM PST

Investment in soil pay off
Republican American Sun, 30 Oct 2005 2:12 AM PST
Paul Bucciaglia had a hunch three years ago that if he planted vegetables at Fort Hill, a 20-acre New Milford hayfield preserved by the Nature Conservancy, people would come.

Hurricane Bends Landfill Rules
Washington Post Sat, 29 Oct 2005 9:26 PM PDT
NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 29 -- New Orleans is building a mountain, a heap of broken concrete and soiled mattresses and shredded curtains plopped out on the edge of a swampy road that routinely draws comparisons to a hellish scene from Dante's "Inferno."

Grant for monitoring milk nitrogen levels could help dairy farmers and environment
Baltimore Sun Sun, 30 Oct 2005 6:19 AM PST
On the Farm -- Stacy Kaper Like many dairy farmers, Kate and David Dallam hire a nutritionist to regulate the feed for their cows.

Study finds pesticide effect in local creeks
The Sacramento Bee Sun, 30 Oct 2005 5:24 AM PST
A group of insecticides that now dominate the home-and-garden market is poisoning urban creeks in California, including three tested in densely residential Roseville, according to several scientists.

Tribune exclusive report
SanLuisObispo.com Sun, 30 Oct 2005 3:15 AM PST
A tentative deal to retain the $135 million state loan needed to fund most of the Los Osos sewer project would let the Community Services District build an out-of-town treatment plant and would extend the completion deadline by two years, The Tribune has learned.

Update: 2005 crop harvest
The Des Moines Register Sun, 30 Oct 2005 2:04 AM PST
Iowa farmers headed into the homestretch on fall harvest last week , under clear skies and nearly ideal conditions.

After 5 years, agreement still keeps SMC, groups content
Billings Gazette Sun, 30 Oct 2005 1:05 AM PST
Nye rancher Noel Keogh was worried about his kids and his cattle. CLICK TO READ ENTIRE STORY SHERIDAN, Mont. - Paul Degel killed his first deer with a muzzleloader at age 14 and was hooked.

A conversation with Wendell Berry
Bloomington Alternative Sun, 30 Oct 2005 6:04 AM PST
For the past four decades, writer Wendell Berry has crafted a body of work within the “green” American literary tradition that includes Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Gary Snyder and Edward Abbey.

Corn crop liked it hot
The Des Moines Register Sun, 30 Oct 2005 2:04 AM PST
Bob Henderson feared heavy crop losses because of this year's drought. He thought he would be harvesting insurance checks, rather than filling bins with grain.

On The Farm: Protein-rich hay is key to maintaining animal's weight
The Bryan-College Station Eagle Sun, 30 Oct 2005 5:40 AM PST
Hay is the most common used stored feed source for livestock. By utilizing high-quality hay, livestock producers are able to supply their livestock with quality roughage when forage quality and/or quantity is limited. Animals consuming hay will reflect the quality of hay being fed.

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Sewage rules could stall new home starts

Monday, October 31, 2005 7:05 AM PST

High Plains Journal Farm and Ranch Magazine
High Plains Journal Mon, 31 Oct 2005 5:18 AM PST
OMAHA (DTN) -- Over 80 percent of Ontario's soybean crop has been harvested as of Oct. 27, says Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) Soybean Seasonal Summary.

SOUTH BAY
San Jose Mercury News Mon, 31 Oct 2005 5:22 AM PST
Camera Show. Collectible and rare cameras, new and used camera equipment. 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturday. Napredak Hall, 770 Montague Expressway, San Jose. $6, $5 seniors/students. (888) 338-1350.

Greenhouse project endangered in Gaza
Boston Globe Sun, 30 Oct 2005 11:53 PM PST
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip -- The refurbished greenhouses shine amid the rubble of Kfar Darom, a former Jewish settlement, embodying the hope that Israel's withdrawal from Gaza will drive an economic revival of this desperately poor and crowded urban strip.

Protecting vital resource: Steps aim to preserve area aquifers
Idaho State Journal Mon, 31 Oct 2005 5:26 AM PST
Maurice Grady's farm on West Hildreth Road, where he raises cattle on irrigated pastures, has been in the family since 1929. But the true value of his land, which happens to be located above the heart of the municipal aquifer, is the gravel below the surface.

Special Reports
Farmers Weekly Interactive Mon, 31 Oct 2005 4:46 AM PST
Most oilseed rape has established well and even late drillings are looking good. However, there is some variability in Autocast crops and decisions are having to be made now about whether they should be left. About 70% have been successful.

Pittsfield park goes commercial
Bangor Daily News Mon, 31 Oct 2005 5:59 AM PST
ome day, when my 5-year-old daughter is grown, I will tell her were I was when her hometown of Pittsfield was given back to Massachusetts. Well, not given back literally. Spiritually perhaps.

‘Jenny's Gut' in Hertford getting makeover
The Daily Advance Sun, 30 Oct 2005 9:10 PM PST
HERTFORD – "Jenny's Gut," a narrow strip of rodent-infested marshland next to Perquimans County High School, is getting a makeover.

Update: 2005 crop harvest
The Des Moines Register Sun, 30 Oct 2005 6:47 PM PST
Iowa farmers headed into the homestretch on fall harvest last week , under clear skies and nearly ideal conditions.

Sewage rules could stall new home starts
Lima News Mon, 31 Oct 2005 0:07 AM PST
OTTAWA — The rich clay soils in Putnam County remain perfect for high-yielding corn, soybean and wheat crops each year. Those same soils could keep a crop of new homes from sprouting throughout the county’s rural areas, though.

HISTORY OF GIBSON COUNTY
Tri-State Media Mon, 31 Oct 2005 0:16 AM PST
In this section you will find an interesting historical account of the communities that make up Gibson County. Gibson County was once a wilderness situated in the Northwest Territory which, in 1784, was ceded to the United States of America by Virginia.

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Montana organic conference set for Nov. 11-13

Tuesday, November 1, 2005 7:04 AM PST

Conditions improve for winter wheat
Billings Gazette Mon, 31 Oct 2005 11:28 PM PST
The condition of Montana's winter wheat improved last week, as did soil moisture in the state, a federal agriculture agency said Monday. The Montana field office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service rated the crop 73 percent good to excellent for the week that ended Sunday.

Winter wheat condition improves
Independent Record Mon, 31 Oct 2005 11:38 PM PST
BILLINGS (AP) - The condition of Montana's winter wheat improved last week, as did soil moisture in the state, a federal agriculture agency said Monday.

Department of Agriculture Signs "5-Star" Statement of Support for the National Guard and Reserve
USDA Mon, 31 Oct 2005 12:07 PM PST
ARLINGTON, Va. - The Honorable Thomas F. Hall, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, announced that Mike Johanns, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, signed a "5-Star" Statement of Support for the National Guard and Reserve in Washington, D.C.

Toxic runoff disposal could imperil water / U.S. agency offers 3 options; critics prefer retiring farmland
San Francisco Chronicle Tue, 01 Nov 2005 3:43 AM PST
A pending decision on the disposal of contaminated wastewater produced by San Joaquin Valley agriculture could have disastrous consequences for Bay Area drinking water, fisheries and wildlife, officials say. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which is...

Appreciating ag's complexities
Redwood Falls Gazette Tue, 01 Nov 2005 4:06 AM PST
Growing up I didn't pay much attention to agriculture. Even though I was raised in Sanborn, which is an agricultural community, farming just didn't really seem to matter much.

New classification of eukaryotes has implications for AIDS treatment, agriculture and beyond
Medical News Today Mon, 31 Oct 2005 4:11 PM PST
This classification conveys important information about the biochemistry and metabolism of disease-causing organisms.

Agricultural Institute of Canada releases discussion paper: - Big farms, small farms - Strategies in sustainable
SeedQuest Mon, 31 Oct 2005 8:36 AM PST
A landmark discussion paper, published by the Agricultural Institute of Canada , proposes that the GST or some other levy be applied to groceries to help achieve sustainable agriculture and staunch a potentially disastrous collapse of smaller sized farms.

USDA agencies offer electronic information, tools for better service
Prairie Star Mon, 31 Oct 2005 3:51 PM PST
BOZEMAN, Mont. - First there was the Big Chief tablet and the pencil, then there was the telephone and now there is the computer and the Internet. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has evolved with the times, offering new ways for its agencies to communicate with their clients over time.

Wet October no big problem
The Burlington Free Press Tue, 01 Nov 2005 6:12 AM PST
The rain, rain of October has gone away to come back another day, but all those downpours were enough to alter the record books and leave Vermonters squishing through an oddball autumn mud season.

Montana organic conference set for Nov. 11-13
Iowa Farmer Tue, 01 Nov 2005 3:09 AM PST
BILLINGS, Mont. - Organic production systems represent the best future for preserving family farms as they quickly disappear, according to Montana Organic Association officials.

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Farmers test soil for salt damage

Saturday, October 29, 2005 8:03 AM PDT

Farmers test soil for salt damage
2theadvocate.com Fri, 28 Oct 2005 10:22 PM PDT
LAFAYETTE -- Agriculture scientists hope to receive the first results next week in a massive soil sampling project to gauge how much salt Hurricane Rita's storm surge left in the rice fields of southwest Louisiana.

Houlton, Maliseets ready to fix soil erosion problem
Bangor Daily News Sat, 29 Oct 2005 4:57 AM PDT
HOULTON - Now that a company has been selected to do the work, the town will move forward with its plan to cure a problem that has been festering on land behind the Millar Civic Center for nearly a decade.

Adamski and Dantoin to receive top award from college
The Shawano Leader Sat, 29 Oct 2005 2:11 AM PDT
Rick Adamski and Valerie Dantoin of Seymour will be honored in Madison tonight for their commitment to sustainable agriculture and work to share their vocation.

Plant Genes Identified That Can Form Basis For Crops Better Adapted To Environmental Conditions
Science Daily Fri, 28 Oct 2005 9:04 PM 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. VIB scientists have now analyzed a complete plant genome in order to identify the genes that are essential for the formation of capillary roots. For the first time, they are unraveling the genetic basis for the branching of the root

Task force monitors feathered guests
INQ7.net Fri, 28 Oct 2005 9:22 PM PDT
PARANAQUE CITY\'S TASK Force Avian Flu has cordoned off the bird sanctuary just off the Coastal Road in Barangay La Huerta near the Fishermen\'s Wharf.

Tribute: To reflect and...Act
Vanguard Sat, 29 Oct 2005 2:39 AM PDT
WHEN one loses a loved one and it occurs in an abrupt manner, such that you least expected it to happen, it dawns on you with a clarity more real than imagined that indeed man’s existence on earth is a vain pursuit after the wind.

Archeological Dig Northwest Of Tucson Uncovers 2,800 Year-Old Settlement
KOLD News 13 Tuscon Fri, 28 Oct 2005 4:40 PM PDT
Archeologists are finding the people who lived here three thousand years ago have more in common with us than we might think. One thing that's fairly obvious, they came here because water was plentiful.

Fears of egg farm stirring up residents
Ohio News Network Fri, 28 Oct 2005 3:43 PM PDT
RUSSELLS POINT, Ohio -- The possibility that an Iowa poultry operation might build a large egg farm near the resort community of Indian Lake has alarmed residents and is fueling organized opposition.

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Soil News

About Me

Sunday, November 20, 2005

Phosphorus levels catch regulators' attention

Farmers urged to embark on seed selection

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Soil and Water Conservation District hold Harrison banquet

Monday, November 07, 2005

Phosphorus levels catch regulators' attention

Saturday, November 05, 2005

A conversation with Wendell Berry

Sewage rules could stall new home starts

Montana organic conference set for Nov. 11-13

Farmers test soil for salt damage