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Illinois research accurately predicts US end-of-season corn yield![]() Urbana IL (SPX) Oct 04, 2018 Crop yield predictions are a key driver of regional economy and financial markets, impacting nearly the entire agricultural supply chain. That's why economists, agricultural researchers, government agencies, and private companies are working to improve the accuracy of these predictions. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report forecasts end-of-season yield based on real-time farmer surveys and analysis from the USDA National Agricul ... read more |
Australia farmers welcome rain relief amid severe droughtSydney (AFP) Oct 5, 2018 Farmers in drought-stricken parts of Australia are celebrating after the heavens opened up this week, inundating parched lands with more than a month's rain in one day following the country's driest September on record. ... more
Conflict and drought ravage Iraq's prized date palmsBasra, Iraq (AFP) Oct 05, 2018 Sweet Iraqi dates adorn tables in homes across the country, but the fruit tree and national symbol has come under threat from conflict and crippling drought. ... more
Farmers furious as France helicopters bear into PyreneesSarrance, France (AFP) Oct 4, 2018 French authorities helicoptered a Slovenian she-bear into the Pyrenees mountains on Thursday, despite an all-night protest by furious local farmers who fear she will eat their sheep. ... more
How fungi could help bees fight diseaseTokyo (AFP) Oct 4, 2018 They're far from floral, but fungi could be just what the doctor ordered for bees, according to a study that shows mushroom extracts could protect against viruses decimating bee populations. ... more |
Philippines digs out from Typhoon Fung-wong as death toll climbs
Philippines digs out from Typhoon Fung-wong as death toll climbs to 18 Three Vietnam men survive 40 hours at sea after typhoon Typhoon Fung-wong floods Philippine towns, leaves 5 dead in its wake Typhoon Fung-wong leaves flooded Philippine towns in its wake Typhoon exposes centuries-old shipwreck off Vietnam port Weakening Typhoon Fung-wong exits Philippines after displacing 1.4 million Super Typhoon Fung-wong makes landfall in Philippines Over 1 million evacuate as deadly Super Typhoon Fung-wong nears Philippines Dam reservoir levels drop below 3% in Iran's second city: media |
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| Previous Issues | Oct 04 | Oct 03 | Oct 02 | Oct 01 | Sep 28 |
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Ancient African herders had lasting ecological impact on grazed landsChampaign IL (SPX) Oct 01, 2018 Ancient animal herders added to the ecological richness and diversity of the African savanna thousands of years ago - an effect that persists to the present day, a new study finds. The herders' prac ... more
Down to the Kernel: NASA Space Imaging Helps Predict Crop YieldsGreenbelt MD (SPX) Sep 27, 2018 Farmers have always looked to the weather and the progress of their crops to try to predict how the harvest will go, but a new tool uses NASA satellite imagery to take the predictions to a whole new ... more
Sunflower pollen protects bees from disease, study findsWashington (UPI) Sep 26, 2018 Great access to sunflowers and their pollen could help keep vulnerable bee populations pathogen-free. ... more
Austrian fruit grower jailed over bee deathsVienna (AFP) Sept 26, 2018 An Austria fruit grower was handed a rare prison sentence Wednesday for having illegally spread an insecticide which led to the deaths of dozens of neighbouring bee colonies. ... more
Greenpeace 'occupies' Indonesia palm oil plant with rock bandJakarta (AFP) Sept 25, 2018 Greenpeace activists Tuesday scaled storage tanks at an Indonesian palm oil refinery along with a popular rock band which played pro-environment songs, protesting against a commodity found in everything from soap to biscuits. ... more |
![]() 3D electron microscopy uncovers the complex guts of desalination membranes
EU palm oil ban sows bitter seeds for Southeast Asian farmersLangkat/Ijok, Indonesia (AFP) Sept 24, 2018 Indonesian palm oil farmer Kawal Surbakti says his livelihood is under attack, but the threat is not from insects or hungry orangutans eating his prized crop. ... more |
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South African villagers tap into trend for 'superfood' baobabMutale, South Africa (AFP) Sept 24, 2018 From before dawn, 54-year-old grandmother Annah Muvhali weaves between baobab trees that loom over her rural South African home, collecting fruit that enthusiasts worldwide hail as a "superfood". ... more
Hit-and-Run Heist of Water by Terrestrial Planets in the Early Solar SystemBerlin, Germany (SPX) Sep 20, 2018 A study simulating the final stages of terrestrial planet formation shows that 'hit-and-run' encounters play a significant role in the acquisition of water by large protoplanets, like those that gre ... more
Farmers fume as France stands firm on more Pyrenees bearsPau, France (AFP) Sept 20, 2018 Dozens of farmers and local officials stormed out of a meeting with France's new environment minister on Friday as he confirmed two more bears would soon be released into the Pyrenees mountains. ... more
Indonesia halts new palm oil plantation developmentJakarta (AFP) Sept 20, 2018 Indonesia's president has signed a moratorium on all new palm oil plantation development, an official said Thursday, in a move hailed by environmentalists. ... more
Chinese actress has high hopes for her Bordeaux vineyardSaint-Emilion, France (AFP) Sept 18, 2018 A Chinese film star got her hands dirty Tuesday to kick off the harvest at her Bordeaux vineyard, which she aims to propel into the ranks of top estates as demand for French wines grows back home. ... more |
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NASA Evaluates Commercial Small-Sat Earth Data for Science Washington DC (SPX) Oct 05, 2018
NASA has launched a pilot program to evaluate how Earth science data from commercial small-satellite constellations could supplement observations from the agency's fleet of orbiting Earth science missions. On Sept. 28, the agency awarded sole-source contracts to acquire test data sets from three private sector organizations.
NASA's Earth Science Division in Washington issued blanket purcha ... more |
Lockheed awarded $1.4B for first GPS IIIF satellites Washington (UPI) Sep 27, 2018
Lockheed Martin has received a contract for the first two GPS IIIF satellites, Space Vehicles 11 and 12, which are follow-ons to the initial 10-satellites of the new GPS III constellation.
The contract, announced Wednesday by the Department of Defese, provides for engineering, space vehicle test bed and simulators, and production of GPS IIIF Space Vehicles 11 and 12. It also includes op ... more |
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How leaves talk to roots Aarhus, Denmark (SPX) Oct 01, 2018
New findings show that a micro RNA from the shoot keeps legume roots susceptible to symbiotic infection by downregulating a gene that would otherwise hinder root responses to symbiotic bacteria. These findings help us understand what it takes to make nitrogen-fixing symbiosis efficient, and what we need to do to exploit it agronomically.
An international research team reveals that a small ... more |
A biofuel for automated heat generation Tomsk, Russia (SPX) Oct 04, 2018
Pyrolysis - a process of biomass decomposition - can be organized automatically for heat generation out of the most common type of biomass such as peat and straw. That is, it is sufficient to heat biomass to a certain temperature and then the process proceeds in the autothermal mode due to its own heat release. This technology was studied by scientists from Tomsk Polytechnic University in the ar ... more |
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Emissions-free energy system saves heat from the summer sun for winter Gothenburg, Sweden (SPX) Oct 04, 2018
A research group from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, has made great, rapid strides towards the development of a specially designed molecule which can store solar energy for later use. These advances have been presented in four scientific articles this year, with the most recent being published in the highly ranked journal Energy and Environmental Science.
Around a year ago, the ... more |
Wind turbines contribute to climate change: study Washington (AFP) Oct 4, 2018
Wind turbines, designed as an alternative to fossil fuels, still contribute to climate change due to the way they redistribute heat and moisture in the atmosphere, according to a study published Thursday.
Researchers from Harvard University found that powering the entire United States with wind energy would cause a 0.54 degree Celsius ground temperature rise in the area where the turbines we ... more |
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Weathering rates for mined lands exponentially higher than unmined sites Fort Collins CO (SPX) Sep 27, 2018
Mountaintop removal, a coal-mining technique used in much of Central Appalachia, is an extreme form of surface mining, that excavates ridges as deep as 600 feet - twice the length of a football field - and buries adjacent valleys and streams in bedrock and coal residue. This mining activity has long been known to have negative impacts on water quality downstream.
A new study led by watersh ... more |
Hong Kong marks fourth anniversary of Umbrella Movement Hong Kong (AFP) Sept 28, 2018 Hundreds gathered in Hong Kong Friday to mark the fourth anniversary of the mass pro-democracy Umbrella Movement rallies as concerns grow that freedoms are disappearing under an assertive Beijing.
The subdued gathering comes days after the Hong Kong government banned a political party which promotes independence, calling it a threat to national security.
Britain and the United States exp ... more |
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Machine learning could help regulators identify environmental violations Washington (UPI) Oct 1, 2018
Regulatory agencies tasked with protecting environmental and public health are regularly understaffed and underfunded, but new research suggests machine learning could help officials more effectively monitor potential violators.
The Environmental Protection Agency and partnering state agencies are responsible for monitoring the regulatory compliance of 300,000 facilities. Regulators, ho ... more |
Microplastics found deep in sand where turtles nest Exeter UK (SPX) Oct 04, 2018
Microplastics have been found deep in the sand on beaches where sea turtles lay their eggs.
University of Exeter scientists found an average of 5,300 particles of plastic per cubic metre at depths of 60cm (2ft) on beaches in Cyprus used by green turtles and loggerheads.
At the surface, up to 130,000 fragments of plastic were found per cubic metre - the second-worst level ever recorde ... more |
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Europe fires to worsen even if climate goals met: study Paris (AFP) Oct 2, 2018
Even reaching the most optimistic goals in the Paris climate treaty will still increase the area of southern Europe devastated by forest fires each year by at least 40 percent, researchers warned Tuesday.
Following two years of often deadly blazes across Portugal, Spain, southern France and Greece, scientists at the University of Barcelona said more woodland areas could be lost to the fla ... more |
130-year-old brain coral reveals encouraging news for open ocean Princeton NJ (SPX) Oct 04, 2018
When nitrogen-based fertilizers flow into water bodies, the result can be deadly for marine life near shore, but what is the effect of nitrogen pollution far out in the open ocean?
A 130-year-old brain coral has provided the answer, at least for the North Atlantic Ocean off the East Coast of the United States. By measuring the nitrogen in the coral's skeleton, a team of researchers led by ... more |
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Tornado batters area near Canadian capital Ottawa Ottawa (AFP) Sept 22, 2018
More than 200,000 people in Canada's capital region of Ottawa were without power on Saturday and two people were critically injured after a powerful tornado ripped apart dozens of homes and threw cars into the air.
After visiting the hard-hit Dunrobin area, in the city's west, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson likened it to an aerial bombing, adding that Friday's tornado was among "the top two or thre ... more |
US forming 'trade coalition' to confront China: Trump adviser Washington (AFP) Oct 4, 2018
The United States is uniting with other major economies to take on China's unfair trade practices, a senior White House economic adviser said Thursday.
National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow also said there was a possibility US President Donald Trump could meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Group of 20 summit in Argentina at the end of November.
"We're moving to what ... more |
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Parker Solar Probe Changed the Game Before it Even Launched Greenbelt MD (SPX) Oct 05, 2018
On Oct. 3, 2018, Parker Solar Probe performed the first significant celestial maneuver of its seven-year mission. As the orbits of the spacecraft and Venus converged toward the same point, Parker Solar Probe slipped in front of the planet, allowing Venus' gravity - relatively small by celestial standards - to twist its path and change its speed. This maneuver, called a gravity assist, reduced Pa ... more |
India watches for deadly virus as lion deaths spike Ahmedabad, India (AFP) Oct 2, 2018
Ten endangered Asiatic lions have died in the last two weeks in India, authorities confirmed Tuesday, four of them from a virus that killed around 1,000 lions in Tanzania in the 1990s.
The new deaths take the toll at the Gir sanctuary in the western Gujarat state, home to India's entire population of around 500 wild Asiatic lions, to 21 since September.
India's National Institute of Viro ... more |
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