Seed Daily - Land Seed Water Food

October 19, 2016

Soil moisture, snowpack data could help predict 'flash droughts'
Boulder CO (SPX) Oct 19, 2016
New research suggests that "flash droughts" - like the one that unexpectedly gripped the Southern Rockies and Midwest in the summer of 2012 - could be predicted months in advance using soil moisture and snowpack data. Scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) analyzed the conditions leading up to the 2012 drought, which ultimately caused $30 billion in economic losses, looking for any warning signs that a drought was on the way. In a study funded by the National Science Fou ... read more

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Evaluating forecasting models for predicting rainfall from tropical cyclones Many people know that tropical cyclones and hurricanes cause high winds and storm surges. But two of their other effects, heavy rainfall and inland flooding, can be just as dangerous and impact larg ... more		Model predicts spread of harmful plant pathogen around the globe The soil-borne plant pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi causes root rot, triggering devastating diebacks of infected flora. ... more		Climate change could push 122 mn into extreme poverty: UN Climate change could sink up to 122 million more people into extreme poverty by 2030, mostly in South Asia and Africa, where small farmers would see their output plummet, the UN warned Monday. ... more
				Massive US health tab for hormone-disrupting chemicals Exposure to tiny doses of hormone-disrupting chemicals is responsible for at least $340 billion (310 billion euros) in health-related costs each year in the United States, according to a report published Tuesday. ... more		Climate change may help Ethiopia, increase the country's access to water Despite the many disastrous impacts of climate change, there are some regions of the globe that might benefit from hotter temperatures. A team of researchers from Virginia Tech have predicted that w ... more

Soybean nitrogen breakthrough could help feed the world Washington State University biologist Mechthild Tegeder has developed a way to dramatically increase the yield and quality of soybeans. Her greenhouse-grown soybean plants fix twice as much nitrogen ... more		N. Korea purges vice foreign minister: report North Korea has purged its vice foreign minister as punishment for the recent defection of the nuclear-armed country's deputy ambassador to Britain, South Korean media reported Wednesday. ... more		EU to fast-track review of 2035 combustion-engine ban Norway sovereign wealth fund drops French miner over environmental fears EU split on 2040 climate goal ahead of UN summit		People's tribunal accuses Monsanto of 'ecocide' Global activists Friday launched a people's tribunal, accusing giant US seeds firm Monsanto of violating human rights and committing the crime of "ecocide", by posing a "major threat" to the environment. ... more
				Biodiversity is a natural crop pest repellent Monoculture growing fields attract a plethora of pests, while a plot rich in biodiversity repels them. But why? A new study offers answers. ... more		Protecting streams that feed Lake Erie will take much work While current efforts to curtail agricultural runoff will improve the health of Lake Erie, much more work will be needed to protect the streams that feed the lake, new research shows.A study of the ... more

6th Annual Modular Construction Summit for Oil and Gas Agenda - December 7-9 - Houston

Nuclear Plant Digitalization Conference - Nov 15-16 - Charlotte NC USA

Invasive insects cost the world billions per year Ecologists have estimated that invasive (non-native) insects cost humanity tens of billions of dollars a year - and are likely to increase under climate change and growing international trade. ... more		Globalization hasn't affected what we grow and eat as much as you might think Walk through the produce aisle in a grocery store nearly anywhere in North America and you are likely to find fruits and vegetables imported from abroad alongside numerous iterations of domestic fav ... more		U.S. defense in free fall U.S. and Saudis conduct Middle East's largest counter-drone exercise Saudi Arabia and Pakistan sign mutual defense pact		Hurricane-hit Haiti receives two water purification stations Two water purification stations arrived in Haiti Tuesday, after Hurricane Matthew plowed through the Caribbean nation last week, leaving hundreds dead and raising fears of a spike in cholera. ... more
High number of pesticides within colonies linked to honey bee deaths Honey bee colonies in the United States have been dying at high rates for over a decade, and agricultural pesticides - including fungicides, herbicides and insecticides - are often implicated as maj ... more		Megadrought risks in Southwest soar as atmosphere warms As a consequence of a warming Earth, the risk of a megadrought - one that lasts more than 35 years - in the American Southwest likely will rise from a low chance over the past thousand years to a 20 ... more		After Hurricane Matthew, Haiti has lost its breadbasket Mist begins its usual descent around her small house but tonight is not like the rest, and Marie-Therese Jean won't be cooking a warm meal over a few coals. ... more		Soil microbes flourish with reduced tillage For the past several decades, farmers have been abandoning their plows in favor of a practice known as no-till agriculture. Today, about one-third of U.S. farmers are no longer tilling their fields, ... more

	Australian-Chinese bid for massive cattle estate Australia's richest woman and a Chinese property developer joined forces Sunday to bid for one of the world's largest cattle estates, despite Canberra's rejection of previous foreign offers. ... more		Madagascar hillsides stripped bare as locals seek land "Last time, I burnt a section about that big," says Mihareta Laivoa, pointing to a parcel of land about the size of a football field, as the farmer admitted to having destroyed forest to make way for his crops. ... more

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As arable land disappears, here come the vertical farmers		Brothers behind Ubisoft locked in real-life battle for control		Large animals most vulnerable to impact of human expansion		A terrible rift		Which cropping system is best for the environment
Flower attracts pollinating flies by mimicking smell of attacked bee		Invasive insects cause tens of billions in damage: study		Foreign farms increase the risk of conflicts in Africa		Microbes help plants survive in severe drought		Salt's secret success in ancient Chaco Canyon

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World's deepest flooded cave found in Czech Republic

Can Africa's mobile money revolution reduce poverty?

Chinese giant turns to France to meet soaring demand for baby formula

Thirsty megacities poisoning rural groundwater

Taking the environmental bite out of salmon farming

Review of studies finds genetically engineered crops are safe

China removes 13-year-old ban on some US beef products

Two million people without water in Syria's Aleppo: UN

China removes 13-year-old ban on some US beef products

Amazon forest fire threatens natives, wildlife in Peru

French firms to gauge impact of Nile dam project

How plant roots sense and react to soil flooding

In Uruguay, green school 'plants seeds' for planet

Tunisia water shortages spark 'thirst uprising' warning

Nitrates poison water in California's Central Valley

Study quantifies enviromental impact of genetically modified crops

Spain's Donana wetlands going dry, WWF warns

Sri Lanka to shift farmers from elephant corridors

After Strong El Nino Winter, NASA Model Sees Return to Normal

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