It appears that scientists, and farmers too, are taking a closer look at the ubiquitous use of neonicotinoid seed treatments in US corn, soybean and other crops. Neonics are powerful insecticides used to coat the outside of a wide variety of seeds including grain and oilseed crops. The brightly-dyed layer of pesticide is designed to […]
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The first in a series of monthly blogs by Dr. Benbrook was posted this week to the UK Soil Association’s website. They are a non-profit supporting sustainable and organic agriculture, who also serve as the primary organic certification body in the UK. Dr. Benbrook’s first guest blog is called “U.S. must shift towards agroecology.” It […]
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We have posted a summary of an important report from a European think tank — “An agroecological Europe in 2050: multifunctional agriculture for healthy eating. Findings from the Ten Years For Agroecology (TYFA) “. This report that lays out a concrete plan — and path — toward a safer, sustainable agricultural system that promotes human […]
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A dark new climate report was released on Black Friday, a day usually reserved for the kind of news someone wants overlooked. The Fourth National Climate Assessment was produced by 13 federal agencies including the Department of the Interior, EPA, NOAA, and the Department of Commerce. Together with experts from non-governmental science institutions, they make up […]
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A new study published in Science makes some progress untangling the roots of what’s known as the “irrigation paradox.” Water is precious, and irrigating crops uses a whole lot of it – accounting for 70% of global fesh water extractions. And, in many key agricultural regions, water availability is the key limiting factor to crop yields, and […]
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A recent story on NPR reviewed a new body of emerging research on the nutritional impact on food crops of the higher carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere that are the driving force of global climate change. Atmospheric CO2 levels are up and continuing to rise, and scientists are working to understand how this will effect […]
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New research out of the University of Illinois looks at the long-term consequences of crop rotations including corn, soybean, and wheat crops, compared to less diverse rotations. This study was conducted at the Northwestern Illinois Agricultural Research and Demonstration Center near Monmouth, IL, located in a region with “some of the most productive soils in […]
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A Professor of Geography at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Dr. William G. Moseley, has written a short, compelling essay in Geographical Review that explains clearly why genetically engineered crop technology, and particularly today’s GE crops, are not now and never will contribute in a meaningful way to global food security. First, Moseley explains […]
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The environmental benefits of organic farming have been widely acknowledged. In a long-term study of organic, conventional, and integrated apple orchards in Washington State, a team of scientists documented several important environmental benefits. In the organic blocks of trees, nitrogen (N) losses to groundwater and the atmosphere were reduced relative to conventional agriculture. Annual nitrate […]
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Long-term research has documented the extent to which organic farming improves key indicators of soil quality, including soil organic carbon content (SOC) and particulate organic matter (POC). An important article entitled “Total and Labile Soil Organic Matter in Organic and Conventional Farming Systems” summarizes the findings of nine long-term comparative trials assessing the impacts of […]
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