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Addressing today's agricultural challenges requires a more balanced view that must be guided by evidence. But more importantly, it requires an optimistic outlook that recognizes the power of human creativity in responding to global challenges. International development expert Calestous Juma emphasized that developing countries will need agricultural technology innovations, particularly transgenic crops to feed their people. Professor Juma said that while 28 countries are now benefitting from planting such crops, not all regions of the world are reaping their full benefits. Speaking at McGill University to receive his Honorary Degree, Professor Juma said, "As the world's food challenges increase, so must humanity enlarge its toolbox to include genetic modification and other technologies." He then cited examples of transgenic plant science innovations in Africa, where there are only four countries planting transgenic crops.
"Water rights sharing can only mediate conflict in the short term but cannot address water scarcity. In practice, a shared understanding of watershed functions, and reconciliation of the diverse interest and expectations of multiple stakeholders at the landscape level, .
I’ve been sitting on it for a while, but a paper which AoB Blog discussed back in January led me to uncover a whole load of stuff on Prunus africana.
Via Luigi Guarino
The Western Ghats region extends from North to South over a distance of 1500 km. Out of the estimated 164,280 square km, the natural landscape constitutes only 41 per cent. The area identified as ecologically sensitive is about 37 per cent i.e., about 90 % of the natural landscape. TheWorking Group has summarised their recommendation into thirty six key points. Because of unprecedented threats to natural landscape of Western Ghats region by development projects and urban growth, the Working Group has recommended a non-tolerance policy with respect to highly interventionist and environmentally damaging activities like mining or polluting industries and made specific recommendations about prohibited activities and those that require high level of scrutiny and assessment before clearance within ESA. With regard to effect of climate change a number of adaptive strategies has been recommended by HLWG such as (i) species-mix plantations, (ii) planting of hardy species that are resilient to increased temperature and drought risk, and (iii) launching of a few anticipatory plantation projects.
Curiosity, clarity and conviction - top tips for accessible, engaging science writing
So far, the best-known attractants in carnivorous prey traps are nectar, colour and olfactory cues. Reporting a new prey capture mechanism in some species of carnivorous plants. They found the existence of distinct blue fluorescence emissions at the 'capture spots' of Nepenthes, Sarracenia, Drosera, Pinguicula, Dionaea muscipula and Utricularia stellaris at UV 366 nm. When the capture spot was masked by coating a non-fluorescent extract, the pray capture was drastically reduced. The study has been published as a short research paper in the current issue of 'Plant Biology' http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1438-8677.2012.00709.x/abstract
Since the mid-nineteenth century, maps have helped elucidate the deadly mysteries of diseases like cholera and yellow fever.
Jeanne walks you through the botany you need to know to understand pomegranate fruit structure. Jeanne’s definition of “need to know” is arguably a bit broad and includes a brief tour of the many ...
The Creative Commons (CC) licenses are a suite of copyright-based licenses defining terms for the distribution and re-use of creative works ... Although many people identify “non-commercial” with “non-profit”, detailed analysis reveals that significant differences exist and that the license may impose some unexpected re-use limitations on works thus licensed. After providing background information on the concepts of Creative Commons licenses in general, this contribution focuses on the NC condition,
We’ve just received the following little plug from Trevor Dines... Just to let you know that Wild Things, the new Channel 4 series that I’ve been involved with, will begin at 8.30pm on Monday 21st Jan. This new six-part series opens up a completely different view on the world around us, revealing how plants offer an understanding of changing British wildlife. Using maps to show which species have come and gone over the last 50 years, each episode explores a different part of Britain and tells the stories and the science behind the changes. With help from Plantlife, the Botanical Society of the British Isles, the British Lichen Society and the British Bryological Society, as well as Bangor University and Treborth Botanic Garden, Wild Things aims to introduce maps and change to a whole new audience in an accessible and slightly quirky way. A book, The Wild Things Guide to the Changing Plants of the British Isles: Guide to the Changing Plants of the British Isles, complete with maps, illustrations and more background information, has also been written to accompany the series. The Botanical Society of the British Isles is the leading organisation for identification of British and Irish plants.
Can we call quinoa a grain? Why do people care? Where did all these geese feet come from, and what does Ban Ki-moon have to do with it? On long winter runs, Katherine’s mind wanders over such que...
Here is our attempt to encourage people to get people interested in keeping an eye for interesting species on their local patches whilst also improving identification skills. The general premise is...
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TR4: will history repeat itself? - ProMusa blog" Looming large on the horizon is a new threat to African banana farmers: the tropical race 4 variant of Fusarium wilt (better known as TR4). TR4 was thrust into the limelight when it destroyed commercial Cavendish plantations in Malaysia and Indonesia in 1988. The killer fungus went viral (sorry) and spread to banana production areas in four more countries, including China. Once introduced, TR4 spreads rapidly with infected planting material, on contaminated tools, and in contaminated water and soil.
You might expect me to say that environmentalists should say no to meat, and that we should focus on changing what people eat in the interest of saving the planet. But it's not quite so simple.
Rothamsted Research has submitted an application to Defra to extend its current GM wheat field trial to include additional autumn-sown cadenza wheat. Rothamsted scientists believe it would be advantageous to gain further data from their experiment, in wheat planted at a different time of year and under different weather conditions with different aphid populations. This will give us additional data under a more diverse range of environmental conditions... Because the UK’s temperate climate permits wheat plant growth during the winter, Cadenza wheat can be sown in either the autumn or the spring and both sowings are harvested in August/September. As such, the extension of the experiment will further increase the relevance to UK farmers and those in other temperate climates by covering a greater range environmental variability. This weather variability has been particularly evident in the UK in the past 12 months... The controlled experiment being conducted by scientists from Rothamsted Research combines modern genetic engineering with natural plant defences to test whether aphid-repelling wheat works in the field. Wheat is the most important UK crop with an annual value of about £1.2 billion. Currently a large proportion of UK wheat is treated with a broad spectrum of chemical insecticides to control cereal aphids, which reduce yields by sucking sap from plants and by transmitting barley yellow dwarf virus. Unfortunately, repeated use of insecticides can kill other non-target insect species including the natural enemies of aphids, which itself could have further impacts on biodiversity. Rothamsted Research scientists, who receive strategic funding from the UK Government... have been seeking novel ecological solutions to overcome this problem in wheat. One approach has been to use an odour, or alarm pheromone, which aphids produce to alert one another to danger. This odour, (E)-β-farnesene, is also produced by some plants as a natural defence mechanism and not only repels aphids but also attracts the natural enemies of aphids, ladybirds for example. This work has been effective in the laboratory and Rothamsted scientists have already conducted the first field trial to investigate whether the GM plants work outside in the field, as well as in the laboratory... Professor Melanie Welham, BBSRC Director of Science, said: “We face the challenge of producing food in a sustainable way, while minimising effects on the environment. This research is exploring one approach to solving this problem. It is important to carry out these investigations as these data gathered will help to provide answers about the potential of this type of GM technology and what benefits it could offer. Importantly, the findings generated through this extension will add to the picture of how this technology compares to others and is it vital that future decisions are based on scientific evidence.”
Via Alexander J. Stein
"This program integrates hard-core science with a light-hearted look at how plants behave, revealing a world where plants are as busy, responsive and complex as we are."
Via Mary Williams
Despite the rapid progress made towards reducing poverty in many developing countries in recent years, high rates of malnutrition persist – and Vitamin A deficiency remains a persistent challenge. ...
Wetlands have often been at odds with agricultural land uses and their very existence threatened by pressure from cropland expansion or chemical runoff. However, one of the goals in taking a landscape approach is managing these conflicts within a landscape. Today’s blog post highlights ongoing research to realize synergies between agricultural land uses and wetlands.
Looking for some very basic resources for teaching statistics, I found this excellent article from "Significance", the magazine of the Royal Statistics Society. It's a terrific plant biology exercise for 9 year olds - which leaves are bigger, those in the sun or the shade?
Via Mary Williams
The Bank of Canada blundered by using a Norwegian maple leaf instead of the country's native variety on its new banknotes, plant experts have claimed. Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre botanist Sean Blaney highlighted the difference between the leaf on new \$20, \$50 and \$100 notes and the North American sugar maple. He said: "It's really hard to deny the image is of a Norway maple." He said the Norway maple has more lobes - or sections - has a more pointed outline than the sugar maple and the lobe that rises in the centre is shorter than the sugar maple's.
This animated film tells the reality of soil resources around the world, covering the issues of degradation, urbanization, land grabbing and overexploitation; the…
Bael (Aegle marmelos) (also known as Bengal quince, stone apple or wood apple), Bilva or வில்வம் (Tamil) is a species of tree native to India. It is present throughout Southeast Asia as a naturalized species.[1] The tree is considered to be sacred by Hindus. Its fruits are used in traditional medicine and as a food throughout its range.
Bael is the only member of the monotypic genus Aegle.[1] It is a mid-sized, slender, aromatic, armed, gum-bearing tree growing up to 18 meters tall. It has a leaf with three leaflets.
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