Agricultural and Forestry Science

A new study suggests in-season nitrogen monitoring can reduce overall fertilizer use
Many producers currently base nitrogen fertilizer applications on the results of soil nitrate tests. According to a recent article in the Soil Science Society of America Journal, farmers can reduce in-season nitrogen use for irrigated crops without sacrificing yield potential by using commercially available nitrogen sensing tools.

The typical spring soil nitrate tests do not account for nitrate l

Agriculture is responsible for 8% of the total emissions of greenhouse effect gases and so, given the EU adhesion to the 1997 Kyoto protocol, it is obliged to assume a certain percentage in the reduction of these emissions. 41% of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions of human origin in Europe comes from agriculture. The soil, through microbic processes of nitrification and denitrification, is deemed to be mainly responsible for these N2O emissions, contributing to NO emissions also.

Meadowlands fo

A CSIRO Livestock Industries researcher, Dr Caroline Kerr, will use an award from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to ascertain whether certain immune system molecules can be used to reduce livestock stress levels.

Dr Kerr is the Australian Wool Innovation winner and one of 18 researchers and innovators to be awarded the 2003 Science and Innovation Award for Young People in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Presented in Canberra by the

Poor farmers in developing countries could soon be using a range of ’biofumigant’ plants to help increase tropical vegetable yields.

CSIRO is part of a research team from Australia and the Philippines which has found that brassica species such as radish, mustard or broccoli can be used to help reduce yield losses from Bacterial Wilt – the major pathogen of vegetables in tropical farming.

“Brassicas contain compounds that suppress pests and pathogens, principally isothiocyanates (ITC

It was worshipped by the ancient Egyptians, was said to keep vampires at bay, and is good for keeping you healthy.

Scientists from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne have now found the pungent herb garlic could win the costly worldwide war against slugs and snails as an environmentally friendly pesticide.

The findings are published in the current edition of the academic journal, Crop Protection*. Lead researcher Dr Gordon Port will speak about the effective alternatives

In the VIIth International Conference on Agri-Food Antibodies that is going to be held in September in Uppsala (Sweden), AZTI is going to present immnunosensors to detect pesticides.

AZTI has a great deal of experience in this area, since it has worked several years in projects related to research and development of biosensors adapted to the needs of the food industry. Biosensors or rapid monitoring tools are great potentials for the food industry, because in contrast to conventional analyti