CEOs need to accelerate their action plans to safeguard the production of commodities critical to the global population and economy as heat stress and drought risk rise around the world, according to PwC's report, Climate Risks to Nine Key Commodities: Protecting People and Prosperity, published. The report, which analysed nine …
As climate change continues to alter our planet, humans will soon be forced to find new ways to feed the growing population. It’s estimated that the amount of food produced will have to double in order to meet the needs of over nine billion people that could occupy Earth in …
A fungal disease called Diplodia ear rot is lurking in corn fields in portions of the U.S. Midwest, and crop experts and farmers fear lower yields and crop damage that could force growers to accept steep discounts on the cash market. Diplodia, which causes a whitish mold between kernels, is …
A team of researchers led by the University of Birmingham warns that without significant improvements in technology, global crop yields are likely to fall in the areas currently used for production of the world's three major cereal crops, forcing production to move to new areas. With a worldwide population projected …
How will we feed our growing population in the face of an increasingly extreme climate? Many experts suggest the answer lies in breeding novel crop varieties that can withstand the increases in drought, heat, and extreme rainfall events predicted in the not-too-distant future. But breeding is only part of the …
Maize is grown by millions of smallholder farmers in South Asia (SA) under diverse environments. The crop is grown in different seasons in a year with varying exposure to weather extremes, including high temperatures at critical growth stages which are expected to increase with climate change. This study assesses the …
Karnataka Agriculture Price Commission Chairman T N Prakash Kammardi said 5.97 lakh hectares of agricultural land in Karnataka has been converted to non-agricultural purposes in the last one decade. He was speaking to mediapersons after holding a meeting with the officials from Agriculture, Horticulture Departments and scientists of research centres, …
New research has added to the growing list of challenges facing the nation’s pollinators. A study, published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that agricultural changes in the Northern Great Plains — particularly the expansion of corn and soybean cropland — could be putting a …
Yield stability is fundamental to global food security in the face of climate change, and better strategies are needed for buffering crop yields against increased weather variability. Regional- scale analyses of yield stability can support robust inferences about buffering strategies for widely-grown staple crops, but have not been accomplished. We …
The international prices for major food commodities saw a modest decline in July, following five consecutive months of increases, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The FAO Food Price Index, a trade-weighted gauge tracking international market prices for five major food commodity groups, averaged 161.9 points …
HYDERABAD: The discovery of the carcasses of 25 blackbucks near an illegal maize farm in Telangana's Mahabubnagar has led to suspicions they may have ingested toxic pesticide pellets while grazing. "The area has very good grasslands which serve as the ideal blackbuck habitat. The maize crop was being grown illegally …
A US-developed weapon system that strikes the atmosphere with a focussed electromagnetic beam may cause global warming, the government today said and acknowledged that climate change is likely to reduce the yield of major crops like wheat and maize in India. "The US has developed a type of weapon called …
Grass plants, such as maize, dramatically alter their root structure in order to preserve water in the soil column during droughts, say researchers Grass species of crops adopt an "austerity" strategy and limits the development of its root system during times of drought, a study has revealed. The results offer …
Researchers have developed maize varieties that are resistant to the necrosis disease. The two hybrids — H12ML and H13ML — are commercialised by the Kenya Seed Company and will be released to farmers early next year. Boddupalli Prasanna, director of the Global Maize Programme in the International Maize and Wheat …
Soil series representing different physiographic units were studied to know the impact of temporal change in land use and cropping system on some soil properties in the northwestern parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. The dynamics in land use and cropping system for the period 1983–84, 1996–97 and 2007–2008 and change …
A study involving research institutes and a local university has supported the use of compost manure in farming, saying its yields are higher than those of hybrid crops grown using fertiliser. Speaking after visiting two fields in Thika and Chuka, where trials have been carried out since 2007, Project Co-ordinator, …
The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) has said that the Genetically Modified (GMO) maize recently approved to Monsanto Agriculture Nigeria Limited may not be in the market until another five years. The five-year window period, according to the agency, is to ensure that the product meet all safety standards and …
Crop yields in Africa will nosedive ten years from now unless we can develop varieties that can better deal with climate change. Unfortunately, we’re not breeding those hardier varieties fast enough. That’s the sobering conclusion of a study published in the journal Nature Climate Change by researchers from the University …
The African Development Bank (AfDB) on Tuesday unveiled a ten-year strategy that seeks to accelerate agricultural transformation in Africa in a bid to achieve food security, economic growth and job creation. Gabriel Negatu, the regional director of AfDB, said its implementation will be a game changer in efforts to eradicate …
Arusha — East Africa is still struggling to eradicate the maize lethal necrosis disease (MLND), which has ravaged the crop in the northern regions of Tanzania and other East African countries since 2013. The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Dr Florens Turuka, said although intensive …
The development of crop varieties that are better suited to new climatic conditions is vital for future food production. Increases in mean temperature accelerate crop development, resulting in shorter crop durations and reduced time to accumulate biomass and yield. The process of breeding, delivery and adoption (BDA) of new maize …
