agriculture Archives

The Orangutan Project: How a successful not-for-profit organisation is working to protect Critically Endangered orangutans from extinction

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An orangutan looks out from a wooden box

The Orangutan Project was founded in 1998 by orangutan expert and conservationist Leif Cocks. Today, it takes a multifaceted approach to conservation, targeting the key threats facing the Critically Endangered orangutan population. Leif Cocks told us about the vital work of the Project, and about his own ethics which underpin the conservation work. Orangutans are facing an existential threat. As vast tracts […]

The role of extra chromosomal circular DNA in rapid adaption to glyphosate resistance in pigweed

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eccDNAs could constitute the targets of the next generation of herbicides and anti-cancer drugs.

Plants, like other living organisms, have genetic stress-avoidance mechanisms that allow them to become resistant to specific chemicals when continuously exposed to them. Dr Christopher Saski from Clemson University and Dr William Molin from the U.S. Department of Agriculture are researching the extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA) structure known as the replicon of pigweed, which contains the EPSPS gene, the gene […]

Relieving heat stress in dairy cattle

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Dr Stone found that cows with access to sprinklers were less affected by heat stress.

Dairy cattle in warm climates are at risk of heat stress, which can adversely affect both their welfare and milk production. To investigate the effects of heat stress on cattle, Dr Amanda Stone of Mississippi State University, USA, uses Precision Dairy Monitoring Technologies. Some of these technologies allow for continuous monitoring of the body temperature of cattle. Recently, Dr Stone’s […]

Protein as a Unifying Metric for Carbon Footprinting Livestock

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The GHG-protein indicator can be used to inform consumers and producers about the impact of red meat consumption on GHG levels in Canada.

Agriculture and livestock production contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. To reduce these emissions, some environmental groups advocate reducing the amount of red meat that we consume. James Dyer and Raymond Desjardins, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), were interested in the impact that reducing red meat, diversifying meat consumption and changing cattle diets could potentially have on […]

Quantum theory for sustainability transformations

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Agriculture significantly contributes to environmental issues and requires deep and urgent transformations in order to be sustainable. Agroecological transition is not only technical but involves the evolution of farmers’ ways of seeing and interpreting the world. Dr Cyrille Rigolot at the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE), explores the potential of quantum theory as a […]

Rice husk biochar with beneficial microbes: A promising agricultural inoculant and soil ameliorant

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Rice husk biochar has traditionally been used in Japan as a soil ameliorant.

The research of Shohei Ebe and Takashi Ano from Kindai University into the relationship between a microbe and rice husk biochar (RHB) suggests the latter is an activator of beneficial microbes that can be used to combat phytopathogenic microorganisms. Having isolated a novel lipopeptide producing Bacillus sp. that benefits from RHB presence in the soil, these are promising insights into […]

Climate risk mapping provides rice growers with adaptation options in the Mekong River Delta

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The Mekong River Delta in Vietnam accounts for over half of the country’s domestic rice production yet is increasingly affected by climate change. Mr Le Thanh Tung, Mr Bui Tan Yen and Mr Nguyen Hong Son from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development have jointly worked with the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security in […]

Growing soybean in Canada: Collaborative genomics research

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The collaborative research initiative, SoyaGen, was launched officially in October 2015 to develop soybean as a valuable and viable crop in Canada. François Belzile and Richard Bélanger of the Université Laval, Québec, co-lead this ambitious project involving six research institutions. Supported by Genome Canada, Génome Québec, the Western Grain Research Foundation and fourteen other partners, the project also includes grower […]

Poultry science: chicken & egg

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Production of poultry meat and egg comprise a significant part of the economy throughout Alabama. At Auburn University, the Department of Poultry Science in the College of Agriculture conducts research to aid local, national, as well as many different international poultry industries. Emeritus Professor Edwin Moran’s efforts typify the broad scope of work being performed in the Department. In one […]