24/7 Farm  News Coverage
February 22, 2017
FARM NEWS
Bee decline threatens US crop production



Burlington VT (SPX) Feb 22, 2017
The first-ever study to map U.S. wild bees suggests they are disappearing in the country's most important farmlands - from California's Central Valley to the Midwest's corn belt and the Mississippi River valley. If wild bee declines continue, it could hurt U.S. crop production and farmers' costs, said Taylor Ricketts, a conservation ecologist at the University of Vermont, at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting panel, Plan Bee: Pollinators, Food Production ... read more

FARM NEWS
Fifth of world's food lost to over-eating and waste
Edinburgh, UK (SPX) Feb 22, 2017
Almost 20 per cent of the food made available to consumers is lost through over-eating or waste, a study suggests. The world population consumes around 10 per cent more food than it needs, while alm ... more
CLIMATE SCIENCE
Brazil's poorest region suffers worst drought in a century
Quixeramobim, Brazil (AFP) Feb 21, 2017
A cow's skull lies baking in the sun and nearby another dead cow rots, symbols of the desolation gripping northeastern Brazil during its worst drought in a century. ... more
FARM NEWS
New idea to fight billion-dollar threat to soybean production
Columbia MO (SPX) Feb 14, 2017
Invisible to the naked eye, cyst nematodes are a major threat to agriculture, causing billions of dollars in global crop losses every year. A group of plant scientists, led by University of Missouri ... more
FARM NEWS
90 percent of fish used for fishmeal are prime fish
Vancouver, Canada (SPX) Feb 17, 2017
Every year for the past 60 years, an average of 20 million tonnes of fish caught in the global ocean have not been used to nourish people. A new study emerging from the Sea Around Us project at the ... more
24/7 Disaster News Coverage
Previous Issues Feb 21 Feb 20 Feb 18 Feb 17 Feb 16
SEED DAILY

Advertise at Space Media Network
FARM NEWS
Maize study finds genes that help crops adapt to change
Ithaca NY (SPX) Feb 21, 2017
Over many thousands of years, farmers have bred maize varieties so the crops are optimally adapted to local environments. A new study, published in Nature Genetics, analyzed close to 4,500 maize var ... more
FARM NEWS
Bioinvasion on the rise
Konstanz, Germany (SPX) Feb 17, 2017
"It had remained unclear whether or not the accumulation of alien species has already reached a point of slow-down", says Dr Hanno Seebens from the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Cent ... more
WATER WORLD
Cash-strapped Rio de Janeiro to privatize water utility
Rio De Janeiro (AFP) Feb 20, 2017
Legislators for financially strapped Rio de Janeiro state voted Monday to approve privatization of the public water utility despite a strike by workers and threats of protests. ... more
WATER WORLD
Small ponds have outsized impact on global warming: study
Paris (AFP) Feb 20, 2017
Tiny natural ponds pose an overlooked danger for speeding up global warming, according to a study published Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change. ... more
FARM NEWS
Snap beans hard to grow in cover crop residue
Urbana IL (SPX) Feb 17, 2017
More no-till farmers are using cover crops to conserve soil and suppress weeds, but many vegetable producers are reluctant to get on board. That's because many small-seeded vegetable crops struggle ... more
FARM NEWS
Mongolia herders reel under dreaded 'dzud' weather
Beijing (AFP) Feb 16, 2017
Thousands of Mongolian herders face disastrous livestock losses from a dreaded severe weather phenomenon known as the "dzud", the Red Cross said Thursday in launching an international emergency aid appeal. ... more


Nicaragua focuses on climate-change resistant coffee

FARM NEWS
Study rewrites the history of corn in corn country
Champaign IL (SPX) Feb 15, 2017
A new study contradicts decades of thought, research and teaching on the history of corn cultivation in the American Bottom, a floodplain of the Mississippi River in Illinois. The study refutes the ... more
WATER WORLD
10 Italian execs found guilty over polluted water supply
Rome (AFP) Feb 17, 2017
Ten former executives with Italian chemicals firm Montedison were found guilty Friday on appeal of allowing industrial waste to pollute the water supply of 700,000 people in the central eastern region of Pescara. ... more
FARM NEWS
Using high-resolution satellites to measure African farm yields
Stanford CA (SPX) Feb 14, 2017
Stanford researchers have developed a new way to estimate crop yields from space, using high-res photos snapped by a new wave of compact satellites. The approach, detailed in the February 13 issue o ... more
FARM NEWS
Gluten-free diet may increase risk of arsenic, mercury exposure
Chicago IL (SPX) Feb 14, 2017
People who eat a gluten-free diet may be at risk for increased exposure to arsenic and mercury - toxic metals that can lead to cardiovascular disease, cancer and neurological effects, according to a ... more

Space Media Advertising


Airbus to develop payload for first Franco-German Earth observation satellite
Ottobrunn, Germany (SPX) Feb 22, 2017
Airbus Defence and Space has signed a contract with Space Administration at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) to develop and build all components of the German contribution to the German-French Earth observation mission MERLIN. The German Aerospace Center and the French space agency Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) are jointly developing this challenging mission on behalf of the F ... more
Pasadena CA (JPL) Feb 22, 2017
In Atmospheric River Storms, Wind Is a Risk, Too
Huntsville AL (SPX) Feb 17, 2017
NASA to launch sequel to successful Lightning Study Mission
Paris (ESA) Feb 17, 2017
Sentinel-2 teams prepare for space
Police in China's restive Xinjiang to track cars by GPS
Beijing (AFP) Feb 21, 2017
A prefecture in China's restive Xinjiang region has ordered all vehicles to be equipped with GPS-like tracking software, police and media reports said Tuesday, as authorities step up an "anti-terrorism" campaign. All drivers in the Bayingol Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture must install a China-developed satellite navigation system called Beidou "to prevent theft, but also primarily to maintai ... more
New Delhi (Sputnik) Feb 15, 2017
GLONASS station in India to expedite 'space centric' warfare command
Canberra, Australia (SPX) Feb 14, 2017
Australia and Lockheed field 2nd-Gen sat-based augmentation system
Moscow (Sputnik) Feb 14, 2017
UK may lose access to EU Galileo GPS system after Brexit


Laissez-faire is not good enough for reforestation
Zurich, Switzerland (SPX) Feb 17, 2017
In order to restore tropical rainforests, it is not enough to simply set up protected areas and leave them to their own devices. In particular, tree species with large fruit and seeds distributed by birds will have to be actively planted. This is one of the conclusions of a large-scale study by scientists from ETH Zurich in the Western Ghats, the mountain range running along the western co ... more
Jena, Germany (SPX) Feb 17, 2017
How much biomass grows in the savannah
Wageningen, Netherlands (SPX) Feb 10, 2017
Why nature restoration takes time
Gambier OH (SPX) Feb 07, 2017
Wetlands play vital role in carbon storage, study finds
Alberta backing bioenergy programs
Edmonton, Alberta (UPI) Feb 10, 2017
The provincial government of Alberta said it was creating new jobs by offering funding to support bioenergy and a low-carbon future. The government said it was offering up to $45 million to support a bioenergy producer program aimed at deriving fuels from crops and livestock waste. The industry already powers the equivalent of 200,000 average households in Alberta and contributes ... more
Syracuse NY (SPX) Feb 01, 2017
A better way to farm algae
Leiden, The Netherlands (SPX) Jan 31, 2017
DuPont Industrial Biosciences to develop new high-efficiency biogas enzyme method
Hong Kong (AFP) Jan 31, 2017
Cathay Pacific to cut emissions with switch to biofuel


Printable solar cells just got a little closer
Toronto, Canada (SPX) Feb 17, 2017
A U of T Engineering innovation could make printing solar cells as easy and inexpensive as printing a newspaper. Dr. Hairen Tan and his team have cleared a critical manufacturing hurdle in the development of a relatively new class of solar devices called perovskite solar cells. This alternative solar technology could lead to low-cost, printable solar panels capable of turning nearly any surface ... more
Minneapolis MN (SPX) Feb 22, 2017
Dream of energy-collecting windows is one step closer to reality
Zurich, Switzerland (SPX) Feb 21, 2017
Trina Solar modules eligible for calls for tenders in France
Seoul, South Korea (SPX) Feb 14, 2017
Accelerated chlorophyll reaction in microdroplets to reveal secret of photosynthesis
US grid can handle more offshore wind power
Newark DE (SPX) Feb 22, 2017
Injecting large amounts of offshore wind power into the U.S. electrical grid is manageable, will cut electricity costs, and will reduce pollution compared to current fossil fuel sources, according to researchers from the University of Delaware and Princeton University who have completed a first-of-its-kind simulation with the electric power industry. The researchers consulted with PJM Inte ... more
Lansing, Mich. (UPI) Feb 16, 2017
Michigan meets renewable energy targets
Stavanger, Norway (UPI) Feb 9, 2017
British grid drawing power from new offshore wind farm
Milan, Italy (SPX) Jan 31, 2017
Prysmian UK to supply land cable connections for East Anglia ONE offshore wind farm


China halts N. Korea coal imports after missile test
Beijing (AFP) Feb 18, 2017
China will suspend all imports of coal from North Korea for the rest of the year, Beijing said Saturday, depriving Pyongyang of a crucial source of foreign exchange following its latest missile test. "(China) will temporarily stop its imports of coal from North Korea for the rest of this year (including coal for which customs applications have been made but not yet processed)," the commerce ... more
Brussels (AFP) Feb 9, 2017
EU must shut coal plants by 2030 to meet climate pledge: study
Canberra, Australia (UPI) Feb 7, 2017
Do more to advance CCS, BHP Billiton says
Beijing (UPI) Feb 6, 2017
Beijing's mayor vows step away from coal
Villagers glorify their children in China festival
Tufang, China (AFP) Feb 16, 2017
Looking like living dress-up dolls, elaborately costumed children are paraded through an eastern China village as firecrackers roar, commemorating the end of barbaric child sacrifices hundreds of years ago. It's an annual event in the village of Tufang in coastal Fujian province, where China's Hakka community is concentrated and marks its unique history with a range of colourful festivals. ... more
Hong Kong (AFP) Feb 17, 2017
Hong Kong police jailed over attack on democracy protester
Fangshan, China (AFP) Feb 18, 2017
Struggle against evil sparks China ritual
Beijing (AFP) Feb 16, 2017
Ex-VP of China's top court jailed for life over graft


Will androids dream of quantum sheep?
Singapore (SPX) Feb 14, 2017
The word 'replicant' evokes thoughts of a sci-fi world where society has replaced common creatures with artificial machines that replicate their behaviour. Now researchers from Singapore have shown that if such machines are ever created, they'll run more efficiently if they harness quantum theory to respond to the environment. This follows the findings of a team from the Centre for Quantum ... more
Lausanne, Switzerland (UPI) Feb 17, 2017
Scientists invent new, faster gait for six-legged robots
Chicago IL (SPX) Feb 14, 2017
Now you can 'build your own' bio-bot
Washington (AFP) Feb 11, 2017
How algorithms secretly run the world
Study finds 6,600 fracking spills in four states over 10 years
Durham, N.C. (UPI) Feb 21, 2017
In a new study, researchers tallied spills at hydraulic fracturing sites between 2005 and 2014 in Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota and Pennsylvania. Researchers surveyed state records of incidents at 31,481 fracking wells. According to their work, the decade yielded 6,648 spills in just four states. "State spill data holds great promise for risk identification and mitigation," ... more
Ithaca NY (SPX) Feb 17, 2017
Underwater seagrass beds dial back polluted seawater
Geneva (AFP) Feb 21, 2017
Tiny plastic particles from clothing, tyres clogging oceans: report
Bangalore, India (AFP) Feb 17, 2017
Polluted Indian lake catches fire


Australia fires ease as damage mounts after record heat
Sydney (AFP) Feb 13, 2017
Australia was counting the cost to property and livestock Monday after firefighters battled weekend blazes in some of the hottest conditions on record. At least 19 homes were destroyed in eastern Australia as emergency teams were sent out to assess the damage after a "catastrophic" weekend saw over 100 fire outbreaks, with 2,500 firefighters deployed and thousands more on standby. About ... more
Albany CA (SPX) Feb 07, 2017
Vegetation resilient to salvage logging after severe wildfire
Hobart, Australia (SPX) Feb 07, 2017
Research predicts extreme fires will increasingly be part of our global landscape
Santiago (AFP) Jan 29, 2017
More than 40 detained in Chile for spreading forest fires
Subsea mining moves closer to shore
Kiel, Germany (SPX) Feb 10, 2017
The demand for raw materials is rising continuously, forcing mining companies to use lower-grade ores and to explore at greater depths. This could lead to a decline in production in the coming decades. Many industrialized economies also depend on imports of metals for their high-tech industries. Some of these metals occur in ore deposits that are found only in a few countries. In order to ... more
Paris (AFP) Feb 20, 2017
Small ponds have outsized impact on global warming: study
Rio De Janeiro (AFP) Feb 20, 2017
Cash-strapped Rio de Janeiro to privatize water utility
Exeter, UK (SPX) Feb 22, 2017
Basking sharks seek out winter sun


Four dead as 'worse storm in years' buffets California
Los Angeles (AFP) Feb 18, 2017
A devastating storm billed by forecasters as the worst to hit California in years pounded the southern half of the state, wreaking devastation that claimed four lives, authorities said on Saturday. The powerful storm blew in from the Pacific Ocean, hitting California on Friday with high winds and heavy rain that downed power lines, leaving 60,000 people in the Los Angeles area without power ... more
Albuquerque (UPI) Feb 14, 2017
Extreme heat threatens desert songbirds
University Park PA (SPX) Feb 08, 2017
Broader updrafts in severe storms may increase chance of damaging hail
Los Angeles (AFP) Jan 24, 2017
California state of emergency over storm damage
China's huge debt poses big headache for central bank
Beijing (AFP) Feb 20, 2017
Chinese banks lent more money in January alone than the annual GDP of South Africa, as borrowers rushed to take advantage of government policies intended to stimulate the economy with easy credit. But the free-for-all has had unintended consequences, creating a tottering tower of unsustainable debt, with Beijing now trying to tighten monetary policy and reduce access to credit without bringi ... more
London (AFP) Feb 21, 2017
HSBC profits plunge as bank navigates political storms
Beijing (AFP) Feb 16, 2017
China outbound investment plunges under new curbs
Washington (AFP) Feb 16, 2017
Trump trade strategy 'doomed to failure:' US trade expert
Daily Newsletters - Space - Military - Environment - Energy

Setting Sun on Space Station Solar research
Paris (ESA) Feb 17, 2017
Today, ground control in Belgium switched off a package that had been continuously watching the Sun from the International Space Station for nine years. 'Solar' has been measuring most of the radiation emitted by our closest star across the electromagnetic spectrum. Built to run for only 18 months, it was still working until today - exceeding all expectations. Solar's observations are impr ... more
Nagoya, Japan (SPX) Feb 08, 2017
What happened to the sun over 7,000 years ago?
Greenbelt MD (SPX) Feb 03, 2017
NASA Scientist Studies Whether Solar Storms Cause Animal Beachings
Palm Coast FL (SPX) Feb 08, 2017
Friday Night's Deep Penumbral Lunar Eclipse
Japan zoo culls 57 monkeys carrying 'invasive' genes
Tokyo (AFP) Feb 21, 2017
A Japanese zoo has culled 57 native snow monkeys by lethal injection after finding that they carried genes of an "invasive alien species", officials said Tuesday. The Takagoyama Nature Zoo in the city of Futtsu in Chiba prefecture east of Tokyo, housed 164 simians which it believed were all pure Japanese macaques. But the operator and local officials discovered about one-third were cross ... more
Washington (AFP) Feb 21, 2017
Bye Bye, Bao Bao: Panda leaves Washington for China
Laramie WY (SPX) Feb 17, 2017
Decline of grass threatens world's most endangered antelope
Lund, Sweden (SPX) Feb 22, 2017
Those who help each other can invade harsher environments




Subscribe free to our newsletters via your



Buy Advertising Media Advertising Kit Editorial & Other Enquiries Privacy statement
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement