24/7 Farm  News Coverage
January 23, 2018
WATER WORLD
Clean and green: A moss that removes lead from water



Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Jan 19, 2018
Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS) in Japan have demonstrated that that moss can be a green alternative for decontaminating polluted water and soil. Published in PLOS One, the study shows that in particular, the moss Funaria hygrometrica tolerates and absorbs an impressive amount of lead (Pb) from water. Lead-contaminated water is a serious environmental concern that has recently proved to be disastrous when left untreated. Compounding the problem, the typical ... read more

FARM NEWS
New 'Buck' naked barley: Food, feed, brew
Washington DC (SPX) Jan 19, 2018
Researchers at Oregon State University (OSU) are giving an ancient grain a new life: this barley is naked, but not in an indecent way. Most barley grains are covered rather than naked. Covered ... more
WATER WORLD
Egypt, Ethiopia united against 'conflict' over Nile waters
Cairo (AFP) Jan 18, 2018
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said Thursday at talks in Cairo they were opposed to any "conflict" over the sharing of Nile waters. ... more
WATER WORLD
Cape Town water ration to be slashed as drought bites
Cape Town (AFP) Jan 18, 2018
Cape Town will next month slash its individual daily water consumption limit by 40 percent to 50 litres, the mayor said Thursday, as the city battles its worst drought in a century. ... more
FARM NEWS
In sweet corn, workhorses win
Urbana, IL (SPX) Jan 17, 2018
When deciding which sweet corn hybrids to plant, vegetable processors need to consider whether they want their contract growers using a workhorse or a racehorse. Is it better to choose a hybrid with ... more
24/7 Disaster News Coverage




24/7 Disaster News Coverage
24/7 Technology News Coverage
24/7 China News Coverage


Previous Issues Jan 22 Jan 19 Jan 18 Jan 17 Jan 16
SEED DAILY

Advertise at Space Media Network
FARM NEWS
New process could slash energy needs of fertilizer, nitrogen-based chemicals
Princeton NJ (SPX) Jan 17, 2018
Nitrogen-based synthetic fertilizer forms the backbone of the world food supply, but its manufacture requires a tremendous amount of energy. Now, computer modeling at Princeton University points to ... more
BIO FUEL
Malaysia protest against EU push to ban palm oil in biofuels
Kuala Lumpur (AFP) Jan 16, 2018
Hundreds of Malaysian palm oil farmers protested Tuesday against a push by the European Parliament to ban the use of the commodity in biofuels, saying it would devastate rural people's livelihoods. ... more
WATER WORLD
Drought-stricken Cape Town faces dry taps by April 21
Cape Town (AFP) Jan 16, 2018
As Cape Town suffers its worst drought in a century, residents were warned by the mayor on Tuesday that they face losing piped water to their homes by April 21. ... more
SUPERPOWERS
Grazing dangerously: The Romanian sheep nibbling away at US security
Stoenesti, Romania (AFP) Jan 16, 2018
One of the most important strategic sites in Europe for the US military has come under threat from a rather unexpected enemy: a flock of sheep. ... more
FARM NEWS
Setback for Romanian farmer's bid to graze sheep near NATO base
Bucharest (AFP) Jan 17, 2018
A Romanian farmer who has waged a years-long legal battle against the state to graze his sheep near a NATO military base suffered as setback Wednesday when he was denied a permit for a structure housing the animals. ... more
FARM NEWS
'World's ugliest pig' spotted in Indonesia
Jakarta (AFP) Jan 5, 2018
Rare images of the "world's ugliest pig" have been captured in Indonesia, researchers said Friday, offering a window into a little-known species believed to be on the brink of extinction. ... more
FARM NEWS
Genetic mechanism that could enhance yield in cereal crops
St. Louis MO (SPX) Jan 09, 2018
Solving the world's food, feed and bioenergy challenges requires integration of multiple approaches and diverse skills. Andrea Eveland, Ph.D., assistant member at the Donald Danforth Plant Science C ... more


Wearable sensors for plants enable measurements of water use in crops

FARM NEWS
Lightening Up Soybean Leaves May Boost Food Supply
Pasadena CA (JPL) Jan 05, 2018
A new university-led study has shown that lightening the color of soybean leaves may increase the growth and yield of this major world food crop. The finding offers a strategy to help address Earth' ... more
FARM NEWS
Annual forage crops offset losses from alfalfa winterkill
Washington DC (SPX) Jan 09, 2018
Meet alfalfa, a perennial legume used mainly as high-quality feed for dairy cattle. Alfalfa is also used as feed for beef cattle, horses, sheep, and goats. It's high in protein (16-20% crude protein ... more
FARM NEWS
Predicting the effect of climate change on crop yields
Urbana IL (SPX) Jan 09, 2018
Scientists now have a new tool to predict the future effects of climate change on crop yields. Researchers from University of Illinois are attempting to bridge two types of computational crop ... more





Space News from SpaceDaily.com
FARM NEWS
New research reveals how gardeners can dig for health, not injury
Coventry UK (SPX) Jan 09, 2018
New research from Coventry University and the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) reveals that a bad digging technique can as much as double the load on the joints in the body, leaving people suscepti ... more
FARM NEWS
Self-defense for plants
La Jolla CA (SPX) Jan 09, 2018
When you see brown spots on otherwise healthy green leaves, you may be witnessing a plant's immune response as it tries to keep a bacterial infection from spreading. Some plants are more resistant t ... more
FARM NEWS
Did ancient irrigation technology travel Silk Road?
St. Louis MO (SPX) Jan 09, 2018
Using satellite imaging and drone reconnaissance, archaeologists from Washington University in St. Louis have discovered an ancient irrigation system that allowed a farming community in arid northwe ... more
WATER WORLD
Sisi vows to protect Egypt's water supply
Cairo (AFP) Jan 15, 2018
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi vowed Monday to protect Egypt's water supply while striving for peace with the Nile upstream countries of Sudan and Ethiopia, which is building a controversial dam. ... more
FARM NEWS
Research outlines the interconnected benefits of urban agriculture
Tempe AZ (SPX) Jan 11, 2018
From a vacant plot in a blighted neighborhood springs neatly combed rows of plants put in by the neighbors. They meticulously care for this small piece of land and among the drab looking buildings s ... more
CLIMATE SCIENCE
Researchers use global thermometer to track temperature extremes, droughts
Corvallis OR (SPX) Jan 04, 2018
Large areas of the Earth's surface are experiencing rising maximum temperatures, which affect virtually every ecosystem on the planet, including ice sheets and tropical forests that play major roles ... more
FARM NEWS
Robotic weeders: to a farm near you?
Washington DC (SPX) Jan 11, 2018
The future of weeding is here, and it comes in the form of a robot. The growing popularity of robotic weeders for specialty crops has grown partly out of necessity, says Steven Fennimore, an extensi ... more


French beef producers cheer chance for return to China

WATER WORLD
Poisonous and running out: Pakistan's water crisis
Islamabad (AFP) Jan 8, 2018
Barely 15 days old, Kinza whimpers at an Islamabad hospital where she is suffering from diarrhoea and a blood infection, a tiny victim among thousands afflicted by Pakistan's severely polluted and decreasing water supplies. ... more
WATER WORLD
US rivers and streams are compromised by increasing salt loads
Millbrook, NY (SPX) Jan 09, 2018
Human activities are exposing US rivers and streams to a cocktail of salts, with consequences for infrastructure and drinking water supplies. So reports a new study in the Proceedings of the Nationa ... more
WATER WORLD
European sampling sheds light on massive diversity of freshwater plankton
bLondon, UK (SPX) Jan 09, 2018
In a major pan-European study, a research team from Germany have successfully extracted environmental DNA (eDNA) from as many as 218 lakes to refute a long-year belief that vital microorganisms do n ... more





First ICEYE-X1 Radar Image from Space Published
Helsinki, Finland (SPX) Jan 19, 2018
ICEYE has published the first radar image obtained with the ICEYE-X1 SAR satellite. The image depicts Noatak National Preserve, Alaska, on Monday Jan. 15, at 21:47 UTC. ICEYE-X1 is the world's first SAR satellite under 100 kg, launched less than a week ago on Jan. 12, 2018 on ISRO's PSLV-C40 from Satish Dhawan Space Center in India. A synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) instrument sends its own ... more
+ Himawari-8 data simulation allows 10-min updates of rain and flood predictions
+ Japan forecasting breakthrough could improve weather warnings
+ Satellites paint a detailed picture of maritime activity
+ 'First Light' images from CERES FM6 Earth-observing instrument
+ Earth-i launches prototype of world's first full-colour, full-motion video satellite constellation
+ Unexpected environmental source of methane discovered
+ Jet stream changes since 1960s linked to more extreme weather
China sends twin BeiDou-3 navigation satellites into space
Xichang, China (XNA) Jan 15, 2018
China on Friday sent twin satellites into space on a single carrier rocket to help its BeiDou system provide navigation and positioning services to countries along the Belt and Road by late 2018. The Long March-3B carrier rocket took off from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan at 7:18 a.m. The twin satellites are coded as the 26th and 27th satelli ... more
+ 18 satellites in exactEarth's real-time constellation now in service
+ 'Quantum radio' may aid communications and mapping indoors, underground and underwater
+ Raytheon to provide GPS-guided artillery shells
+ DARPA Subterranean Challenge Aims to Revolutionize Underground Capabilities
+ New satellite tracking of in-flight aircraft to improve safety
+ US military imagines war without GPS
+ First GPS 3 satellite receives commands from new OCX ground control segment


Senegal to revamp logging laws after massacre linked to timber trade
Dakar (AFP) Jan 18, 2018
President Macky Sall on Thursday suspended all authorisations for logging and ordered an overhaul of Senegal's forestry laws after a massacre connected to the illegal trade in timber. In a statement, Sall said he had instructed the government "to suspend until further orders all authorisations for logging and to immediately proceed with a revision of the forestry code." He also urged the ... more
+ Study shows European forest coverage has halved over 6,000 years
+ Senegal forest massacre: what we know
+ Senegal in crackdown on timber trafficking after massacre
+ North Atlantic Oscillation dictates timing of tree reproduction in Europe
+ African deforestation not as great as feared
+ Cascading use is also beneficial for wood
+ New maps show shrinking wilderness being ignored at our peril
Malaysia protest against EU push to ban palm oil in biofuels
Kuala Lumpur (AFP) Jan 16, 2018
Hundreds of Malaysian palm oil farmers protested Tuesday against a push by the European Parliament to ban the use of the commodity in biofuels, saying it would devastate rural people's livelihoods. Waving banners that read "Stop the Palm Oil Ban" and "Palm oil provides food for my family", the smallholders gathered in downtown Kuala Lumpur and marched to the European Union's mission to deliv ... more
+ New catalyst for hydrogen production is a step toward clean fuel
+ New study shows producers where and how to grow cellulosic biofuel crops
+ To maximize sugarcane harvesting, use the right blade
+ Solid-state physics offers insights into dielectric properties of biomaterials
+ Rice U.'s one-step catalyst turns nitrates into water and air
+ Less chewing the cud, more greening the fuel
+ A new strategy for efficient hydrogen production


Chinese solar boom sparks global renewables boon: study
Paris (AFP) Jan 16, 2018
A Chinese boom in solar panel installation last year helped drive global investment in renewable clean energy technology to record levels, a new study showed Tuesday. After a dip in 2016, overall global investment in the sector rose 3.0 percent to a total $333.5 billion, offsetting falls in Japan, Germany and Britain, according to the Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) study. That was t ... more
+ Trump approves steep tariffs on solar panels, washing machines
+ Semiconductor breakthrough may be game-changer for organic solar cells
+ Ultrathin black phosphorus for solar-driven hydrogen economy
+ New gas-solid reaction for high-speed perovskite photodetector proposed
+ A Russian scientist improved nanofluids for solar power plants
+ Slow 'hot electrons' could improve solar cell efficiency
+ NEXTracker to supply smart trackers to massive North Africa solar farm
German offshore wind farm closer to powering mainland
(UPI) Jan 17, 2018
Construction of a wind farm in the German waters of the Baltic Sea, set to supply power for 400,000 homes, is ahead of schedule, the head company said. German utility E.ON said Wednesday that construction of its Arkona wind farm is moving into its second phase a bit early, with the 60 foundations already set in place for their Siemens turbines. The 60-turbine wind farm is set abo ... more
+ The wave power farm off Mutriku could improve its efficiency
+ Turkey gets European loan for renewable energy
+ Oil-rich Alberta sees momentum for wind energy
+ Construction to start on $160 million Kennedy Energy Park in North Queensland
+ U.S. wind turbines getting taller and more efficient
+ New wind farm in service off the British coast
+ End tax credits for wind energy, Tennessee Republican says


New York unveils plans for fossil fuel divestment
New York (AFP) Jan 10, 2018
New York announced plans Wednesday to sell off $5 billion in fossil fuel investments from city pension funds after suing for billions of dollars in damages from oil companies to help fund protection against climate change. While other cities in Europe and the United States have already taken similar steps, New York hailed its move as significant as it is the biggest metropolis in the country ... more
+ French energy company EDF to replace coal in China
+ Poland opens Europe's largest coal-fired power unit
+ BHP to exit global coal body over climate change policy
+ Coal demand falling, IEA says
+ Adani drops contractor for contentious Australia mega mine
+ Scientists develop new mode of energy generation from bituminous coal
+ Battle lines drawn over coal at UN climate talks
Anger over second 'snatching' of bookseller in China
Hong Kong (AFP) Jan 23, 2018
Rights campaigners slammed as "appalling" Tuesday reports that dissident publisher Gui Minhai has been snatched again in mainland China, the latest person ensnared in Beijing's crackdown on civil society. Civil rights have come under increasing pressure since President Xi Jinping took power in 2012, with widespread arrests of lawyers and activists. Gui, a Swedish citizen, was one of fiv ... more
+ China to enshrine Xi's name in state constitution
+ China sees births fall despite push for second child
+ Chinese human rights lawyer's detention 'absurd': attorney
+ Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong jailed over protest
+ Qantas changes website to recognise Chinese territories
+ China demolishes Christian megachurch
+ Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong jailed over protest


A miniaturized origami-inspired robot combines micrometer precision with high speed
Boston MA (SPX) Jan 19, 2018
Because of their high precision and speed, Delta robots are deployed in many industrial processes, including pick-and-place assemblies, machining, welding and food packaging. Starting with the first version developed by Reymond Clavel for a chocolate factory to quickly place chocolate pralines in their packages, Delta robots use three individually controlled and lightweight arms that guide a pla ... more
+ Army scientists improve human-agent teaming by making AI agents more transparent
+ Stingray soft robot could lead to bio-inspired robotics
+ Old dog, new tricks: Sony unleashes 'intelligent' robot pet
+ Artificial muscles power up with new gel-based robotics
+ New 'emotional' robots aim to read human feelings
+ Digital assistants duel for dominance at major electronics show
+ Virtual aide market a "wildfire" at CES gadget show
China's waste import ban upends global recycling industry
Beijing (AFP) Jan 21, 2018
For years China was the world's top destination for recyclable trash, but a ban on certain imports has left nations scrambling to find new dumping grounds for growing piles of garbage. The decision was announced in July and came into force on January 1, giving companies from Europe to the United States barely six months to look for other options, and forcing some to store rubbish in parking ... more
+ New research to help reduce number of algae blooms that form annually
+ Trashy literature? No such thing for Turkish refuse collectors
+ Microwaves could be as bad for the environment as cars suggests new research
+ Coca-Cola sets 100% recycling goal for 2030
+ Scientists on the road to discovering impact of urban road dust
+ Microwave ovens are cooking the environment: study
+ China says air quality 'improved' in 2017


Fort McMurray researchers find simple key to risk of severe peat fires
Hamilton, Canada (SPX) Jan 19, 2018
The scrawny black spruce trees that push up through the peat bogs of Canada's boreal forest are valuable indicators of fire risk, say researchers who studied a burned-over area just outside Fort McMurray, Alberta, where a devastating wildfire struck in 2016. The science behind their findings is complex, but the conclusion is simple: in a peat bog, bigger trees mean greater risk of high-sev ... more
+ Charcoal remains could accelerate CO2 emissions after forest fires
+ Wet winters may not dampen small wildfires
+ Returning winds churn up heightened alert in fire-hit California
+ Thomas fire mostly contained in charred
+ After the fire, charcoal goes against the grain, with the flow
+ NASA's Aqua satellite captures smoke billowing off California coast
+ Firefighter killed in massive California blaze
New application for acoustics helps estimate marine life populations
San Diego CA (SPX) Jan 17, 2018
Researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego were part of an international team that for the first time used hydroacoustics as a method for comparing the abundance of fishes within and outside marine protected areas (MPAs). They found that the abundance of fishes was four times greater in Mexico's protected Cabo Pulmo National Park than in ar ... more
+ Top European chefs take electric pulse fishing off the menu
+ Dutch shocked by call to ban EU electric pulse fishing
+ Scale-eating fish adopt clever parasitic methods to survive
+ Clean and green: A moss that removes lead from water
+ Australia offers cash for Great Barrier Reef rescue ideas
+ Egypt, Ethiopia united against 'conflict' over Nile waters
+ Feeding patterns among coastal, deep ocean sharks differ, study shows


Nine dead as huge storms batter Europe
Berlin (AFP) Jan 18, 2018
Nine people including two firefighters were killed Thursday as violent gales battered northern Europe, snapping air and train links. Germany halted all long-distance rail traffic for at least a day, while numerous domestic flights were scrapped as hurricane-force winds lashed the country. The storm claimed six lives in Germany, including two firefighters deployed in emergency operations ... more
+ Storm damage to cost Germany 500 mln euros as death toll rises
+ Death toll from California mudslides rises to 20
+ Dozens still unaccounted for in California mudslides
+ Rescuers search for victims as California mudslide toll hits 17
+ California mudslides demolish homes, killing at least 13
+ Bats' brains boil in Australia heatwave
+ 'Hottest' Ashes Test day on record as Australia swelters
China economy beat expectations in 2017: AFP survey
Beijing (AFP) Jan 16, 2018
China's economy exceeded Beijing's annual growth target in 2017, analysts said in an AFP survey, overcoming the government's battles against massive debt and pollution-spewing factories. The world's second largest economy expanded 6.8 percent in 2017, much better than the official target of around 6.5 percent, according to the poll of 11 financial experts. The reading is also an improvem ... more
+ Bangladesh blacklists Chinese firm over alleged bribe
+ Juncker says would like Britain to rejoin EU after Brexit
+ US 'erred' in supporting WTO membership for China, Russia: USTR
+ Trump tells Xi US trade deficit with China 'not sustainable': W.House
+ Trump angers China, South Korea with new trade tariffs
+ China factory gate inflation slows to 13-month low
+ China economy rebounds in 2017 with 6.9% growth
Daily Newsletters - Space - Military - Environment - Energy

Magnetic coil springs accelerate particles on the Sun
Gottingen, Germany (SPX) Jan 12, 2018
Why does the Sun sometimes accelerate preferentially helium-3 and iron into space? Researchers have for the first time observed helical solar flares as a source. In April and July 2014, the Sun emitted three jets of energetic particles into space, that were quite exceptional: the particle streams contained such high amounts of iron and helium-3, a rare variety of helium, as have been obser ... more
+ Sounding rockets study space x-ray emissions and create polar mesospheric cloud
+ Eclipse megamovie projects seeks public's help analyzing 50,000 photos
+ Special star is a Rosetta Stone for understanding the sun's variability and climate effect
+ August eclipse left a wake in ionosphere, researchers reveal
+ Report Highlights Social and Economic Impacts of Space Weather
+ Eclipse 2017: Science from the Moon's Shadow
+ Space weather, EarthScope, and protecting the national electrical grid
Why don't turtles still have tail spikes?
Raleigh NC (SPX) Jan 19, 2018
We're all familiar with those awesome armored giants of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods - Stegosaurus and Ankylosaurus - and their amazing, weaponized tails. But why aren't similar weaponized tails found in animals living today? In a study covering 300 million years of evolutionary history, researchers from North Carolina State University and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Scienc ... more
+ Bacteria under your feet
+ Breakthrough study shows how plants sense the world
+ Facebook top choice for Philippines wildlife traders: monitor
+ Expert unlocks mechanics of how snakes move in a straight line
+ New technology will create brain wiring diagrams
+ France's first panda cub makes debut appearance
+ Wolf found in northern Belgium, first time in over 100 years


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