http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html This Blog provides news on crop farming and recent releases on plant research findings. It quickly informs you also on changes and additions to the CropsReview.Com website. en-us crop farming Mon, 20 May 2013 00:43:19 -0400 Mon, 20 May 2013 00:43:19 -0400 cropsreview.com http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Agriculture-in-China-Predates-Domesticated-Rice-Discovery-of-Ancient-Diet-Shatters-Conventional-Ideas-of-How-Agriculture-Emerged5e9a4320e01e104db19d9a246869237fArchaeologists have made a discovery in southern subtropical China which could revolutionise thinking about how ancient humans lived in the region. They have uncovered evidence for the first time that people living in Xincun 5,000 years ago may have practised agriculture -- before the arrival of domesticated rice in the region (University of Leicester/ScienceDaily May 17, 2013). Mon, 20 May 2013 00:43:15 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Insecticides-Lead-to-Starvation-of-Aquatic-Organisms53b14c18825c04b120921b64e27dd331Neonicotinoid insecticides have adverse effects not only on bees but also on freshwater invertebrates. Exposure to low but constant concentrations of these substances -- which are highly soluble in water -- has lethal effects on these aquatic organisms (EAWAG: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology/ScienceDaily May 15, 2013). Mon, 20 May 2013 00:31:01 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Scientific-Consensus-On-Anthropogenic-Climate-Change90f6f09e06a9d60d58fd16f2003c0711A comprehensive analysis of peer-reviewed articles on the topic of global warming and climate change has revealed an overwhelming consensus among scientists that recent warming is human-caused (Institute of Physics/ScienceDaily May 15, 2013). Mon, 20 May 2013 00:22:49 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Flower-Power-Fights-Orchard-Pests7ee3a230360e90ecc066698582fa7393May 14, 2013 — Washington State University researchers have found they can control one of fruit growers' more severe pests, aphids, with a remarkably benign tool: flowers. The discovery is a boon for organic as well as conventional tree fruit growers. The researchers recently published their study in the journal Biological Control. They found that plantings of sweet alyssum attracted a host of spiders and predator bugs that in turn preyed on woolly apple aphids, a pest that growers often control with chemical sprays (Washington State University/ScienceDaily May 14, 2013). Mon, 20 May 2013 00:15:26 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Do-Potatoes-Grow-On-Vines-A-Review-of-the-Wild-Relatives-of-Some-Favorite-Food-Plants5da0d2e5b7ec037afd8d3e3389acee85The Solanaceae, also called the potato or nightshade family, includes a wide range of flowering plants, some of which are important agricultural crops. Tomatoes, potatoes, aubergines, peppers and wolfberries are all representatives of the family present on many tables across the world. Solanum is the largest genus of the family, and with 1500 species, is one of the largest genera of flowering plants. Solanum has 13 major evolutionary groups,or clades (Pensoft Publishers/ScienceDaily May 14, 2013). Mon, 20 May 2013 00:09:09 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#New-Non-GM-Technology-Platform-for-Genetic-Improvement-of-Sunflower-Oilseed-Cropd1a2cc091f7b560b8595f8a6bfeb71cfScientists have developed techniques for the genetic improvement of sunflowers using a non-GMO based approach. The new technology platform can harness the plant's own genes to improve characteristics of sunflower, develop genetic traits, which will improve its role as an important oilseed crop (National University of Ireland, Galway/ScienceDaily May 13, 2013). Sun, 19 May 2013 23:58:34 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Sacred-Lotus-Genome-Sequence-Enlightens-Scientistse92ffca1a0aee4c51abc67466e69914aThe sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is a symbol of spiritual purity and longevity. Its seeds can survive up to 1,300 years, its petals and leaves repel grime and water, and its flowers generate heat to attract pollinators (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign/ScienceDaily May 10, 2013). Sun, 12 May 2013 08:06:46 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Power-Plants-How-to-Harvest-Electricity-Directly-from-Plantse97a82d441b056d8be8753e2028899f1The sun provides the most abundant source of energy on the planet. However, only a tiny fraction of the solar radiation on Earth is converted into useful energy (University of Georgia/ScienceDaily May 9, 2013). Sun, 12 May 2013 07:58:00 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#US-Urban-Trees-Store-Carbon-Provide-Billions-in-Economic-Value-Finds-State-By-State-Analysis409b71e843d6420d2e6ab6ef8dc5ebfeFrom New York City's Central Park to Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, America's urban forests store an estimated 708 million tons of carbon, an environmental service with an estimated value of $50 billion, according to a recent U.S. Forest Service study (USDA Forest Service - Northern Research Station/ScienceDaily May 7, 2013). Sun, 12 May 2013 07:40:09 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Plants-Talk-to-Plants-to-Help-Them-Grow9bb78f22e4fd55db8e825452cea3ec12Having a neighborly chat improves seed germination, finds research in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Ecology. Even when other known means of communication, such as contact, chemical and light-mediated signals, are blocked, chilli seeds grow better when grown with basil plants. This suggests that plants are talking via nanomechanical vibrations (BioMed Central Limited/ScienceDaily May 7, 2013). Sun, 12 May 2013 07:30:42 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Bees-Survival-Ban-More-Pesticidese8df8f9108949250943669dfe5b74c94Neonicotinoids are under intense scrutiny. But a ban of a broad variety of pesticides may be required to protect bees, humans and the environment (youris.com/ScienceDaily May 3, 2013). Sun, 5 May 2013 20:38:38 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#New-Plant-Protein-Discoveries-Could-Ease-Global-Food-and-Fuel-Demands70ff3123f84e50a3403218af55ebea38New discoveries of the way plants transport important substances across their biological membranes to resist toxic metals and pests, increase salt and drought tolerance, control water loss and store sugar can have profound implications for increasing the supply of food and energy for our rapidly growing global population (University of California - San Diego/ScienceDaily May 1, 2013). Sun, 5 May 2013 20:29:49 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#How-Petals-Get-Their-Shape-Hidden-Map-Located-Within-Plants-Growing-Budscb18b8b655c1a8bca3c52caedd190f8cWhy do rose petals have rounded ends while their leaves are more pointed? In a new study published April 30 in the open access journal PLOS Biology, scientists from the John Innes Centre and University of East Anglia, UK, reveal that the shape of petals is controlled by a hidden map located within the plant's growing buds (Public Library of Science/ScienceDaily Apr. 30, 2013). Sun, 5 May 2013 20:16:10 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#New-Excavations-in-Sweden-Indicate-Use-of-Fertilizers-5000-Years-Ago534f650fc562a11d8369afe5ef1745cbResearchers from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have spent many years studying the remains of a Stone Age community in Karleby outside the town of Falköping, Sweden. The researchers have for example tried to identify parts of the inhabitants' diet. Right now they are looking for evidence that fertilisers were used already during the Scandinavian Stone Age, and the results of their first analyses may be exactly what they are looking for (University of Gothenburg /ScienceDaily Apr. 26, 2013). Mon, 29 Apr 2013 06:42:18 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Europe-Needs-Genetically-Engineered-Crops-Scientists-Saybc0ea6c650debdbd108d08a90e7d46b6The European Union cannot meet its goals in agricultural policy without embracing genetically engineered crops (GMOs). That's the conclusion of scientists who write in Trends in Plant Science, a Cell Press publication, based on case studies showing that the EU is undermining its own competitiveness in the agricultural sector to its own detriment and that of its humanitarian activities in the developing world (Cell Press/ScienceDaily Apr. 25, 2013). Mon, 29 Apr 2013 06:30:55 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#How-Trees-Play-Role-in-Smog-Production522e88c0184a12b1f7f2439eceef05f0After years of scientific uncertainty and speculation, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill show exactly how trees help create one of society's predominant environmental and health concerns: air pollution (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill/ScienceDaily Apr. 25, 2013). Mon, 29 Apr 2013 06:22:12 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#High-Nutrition-and-Disease-Resistant-Purple-and-Yellow-Fleshed-Potato-Clones-Obtainedfdfc11a1b1a24a53af55f7fbf7e260ddThe Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Neiker-Tecnalia, has created four new potato clones which are characterised by their high antioxidant content, their good production both in size and number of tubers, as well as by their resistance to the usual diseases of this crop. The clones were obtained by natural methods through crossing varieties from South America with commercial varieties used in Europe. The result was three clones of the purple-fleshed potato and one with a markedly yellow flesh. The attractiveness and nutritional value of these types of potato make them a product highly regarded by professionals in gastronomy and by the public in general (Elhuyar Fundazioa/ScienceDaily Apr. 24, 2013). Mon, 29 Apr 2013 06:12:20 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Strengthening-Legumes-to-Tackle-Fertilizer-Pollution1a15962122c1e577ef48ca2d41dea7fdThe overuse of nitrogen fertilizers in agriculture can wreak havoc on waterways, health and the environment (DOE/Argonne National Laboratory/ScienceDaily Apr. 23, 2013). Mon, 29 Apr 2013 05:59:23 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Weeding-out-Ineffective-Biocontrol-Agentse6b872560ab63af50c468e497a2adf1d'Keep it simple' is a good rule of thumb when designing biocontrol programs to combat weeds and invasive plants, according to a meta-analysis of studies by UBC biodiversity experts (University of British Columbia/ScienceDaily Apr. 18, 2013). Mon, 22 Apr 2013 09:10:16 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Fertility-Needs-in-High-Yielding-Corn-Productionb450ed9cccc50c8aa676e629b0982f51Although advances in agronomy, breeding, and biotechnology have dramatically increased corn grain yields, soil test values indicate that producers may not be supplying optimal nutrient levels. Moreover, many current nutrient recommendations, developed decades ago using outdated agronomic management practices and lower-yielding, non-transgenic hybrids, may need adjusting (University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES)/ScienceDaily Apr. 18, 2013). Mon, 22 Apr 2013 09:03:49 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Hydrogen-Sulfide-Greatly-Enhances-Plant-Growth-Key-Ingredient-in-Mass-Extinctions-Could-Boost-Food-Biofuel-Production51fa6418fd02be166028e80b2b199ec2Hydrogen sulfide, the pungent stuff often referred to as sewer gas, is a deadly substance implicated in several mass extinctions, including one at the end of the Permian period 251 million years ago that wiped out more than three-quarters of all species on Earth (University of Washington/ScienceDaily Apr. 17, 2013). Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:43:16 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Scientists-Transform-Cellulose-Into-Starch-Potential-Food-Source-Derived-from-Non-Food-Plants99756776ea7171ddcfec86d22ec75297A team of Virginia Tech researchers has succeeded in transforming cellulose into starch, a process that has the potential to provide a previously untapped nutrient source from plants not traditionally though of as food crops (Virginia Tech/ScienceDaily Apr. 16, 2013). Sun, 21 Apr 2013 09:18:38 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Seeds-of-Model-Cereal-Plant-Now-Available29d09089b3197b04f59e662208dc45c3Seeds of the model cereal plant Brachypodium distachyon are now available at the RIKEN BioResource Center (BRC) in Japan, the second bioresource facility to provide seeds of this important model plant to the international scientific community (RIKEN/ScienceDaily Apr. 5, 2013). Mon, 8 Apr 2013 08:02:38 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Verifying-That-Sorghum-Is-a-New-Safe-Grain-for-People-With-Celiac-Disease953171b20441d33cc502ecee7bffce16Strong new biochemical evidence exists showing that the cereal grain sorghum is a safe food for people with celiac disease, who must avoid wheat and certain other grains, scientists are reporting. Their study, which includes molecular evidence that sorghum lacks the proteins toxic to people with celiac disease, appears in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (American Chemical Society/ScienceDaily Apr. 3, 2013). Mon, 8 Apr 2013 07:51:02 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#An-Inside-Look-at-Carnivorous-Plantseb86477c25e727ee0bf209f18d0b74c4When we imagine drama playing out between predators and prey, most of us picture stealthy lions and restless gazelle, or a sharp-taloned hawk latched on to an unlucky squirrel. But Ben Baiser, a post-doctoral fellow at the Harvard Forest and lead author of a new study in Oikos, thinks on a more local scale. His inter-species drama plays out in the humble bogs and fens of eastern North America, home to the carnivorous pitcher plant, Sarracenia purpurea. "It's shocking, the complex world you can find inside one little pitcher plant," says Baiser (Harvard University/ScienceDaily Apr. 2, 2013). Mon, 8 Apr 2013 07:38:20 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/harvesting-vermicompost.html347f85a763f54fee9ca51aabd15b9286Describes common techniques in harvesting vermicompost and earthworms. Also suggests a practical method of harvesting earthworms. Tue, 2 Apr 2013 22:40:57 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Growing-Plants-On-Marsec6000ea6a7bc29951f79d4ab19a5eb9Concrete plans for a one-way ticket to Mars have been forged. Food will have to be grown on location. Is this a distant future scenario? Not for Wieger Wamelink, ecologist at Alterra Wageningen UR, for whom the future will begin on 2 April. He will be researching whether or not it is possible to grow plants on the moon (Wageningen University and Research Centre/ScienceDaily Mar. 28, 2013). Sun, 31 Mar 2013 07:26:04 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Novel-Way-Plants-Pass-Traits-to-Next-Generation-Inheritance-Behavior-in-Corn-Breaks-Accepted-Rules-of-Geneticsb65d759f808abc9e4b90f508462445e3New research explains how certain traits can pass down from one generation to the next -- at least in plants -- without following the accepted rules of genetics (Ohio State University/ScienceDaily Mar. 26, 2013). Sun, 31 Mar 2013 07:06:23 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Losing-Wetlands-to-Grow-Crops652fee8726142a1a864bdf06e7e090f1Getting enough to eat is a basic human need -- but at what cost to the environment? Research published in BioMed Central's journal Agriculture & Food Security demonstrates that as their crops on higher ground fail due to unreliable rainfall, people in countries like Uganda are increasingly relocating to wetland areas. Unless the needs of these people are addressed in a more sustainable way, overuse of wetland resources through farming, fishing, and hunting will continue (BioMed Central Limited/ScienceDaily Mar. 25, 2013). Sun, 31 Mar 2013 06:52:54 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Global-Nitrogen-Availability-Consistent-for-Past-500-Years-Linked-to-Carbon-Levels9608bd116645ccdbb5246e1e03736495A Kansas State University research team has found that despite humans increasing nitrogen production through industrialization, nitrogen availability in many ecosystems has remained steady for the past 500 years. Their work appears in the journal Nature (Kansas State University/ScienceDaily Mar. 21, 2013). Sun, 24 Mar 2013 23:53:33 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Understanding-the-Continuous-Corn-Yield-Penalty4080942e6f13cdc28618b1a9eda6f3cdAs escalating corn prices have encouraged many farmers to switch to growing corn continuously, they wonder why they have been seeing unusually high yield reductions over the past several years. The University of Illinois conducted a six-year study that identified three key factors affecting yield in continuous corn (CC) systems ( University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences/ScienceDaily Mar. 21, 2013). Sun, 24 Mar 2013 23:41:38 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/properties-of-water.html9298cf8fc302b00b3cfc2aeee9aa1b72Understanding the properties of water is important in plant physiology. But first, the structural properties of the water molecule. Sat, 23 Mar 2013 14:05:17 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/plant-movements.htmle99783a9cb46592aa6eb5658551bbd66Introduction to the existence of plant movements and lists common terms in describing various types. Tue, 19 Mar 2013 21:33:31 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Indirect-Side-Effects-of-the-Cultivation-of-Genetically-Modified-Plants5a4a3b7e0b2d6174de8a98bc8a8b2f49Mar. 13, 2013 — Genetically modified Bt cotton plants contain a poison that protects them from their most significant enemies. As a result, these plants rely less on their own defence system. This benefits other pests, such as aphids. These insights stem from a study supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) (Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Foerderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung/ScienceDaily Mar. 13, 2013). Sun, 17 Mar 2013 11:44:33 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Fertilizers-Could-Help-Tackle-Nutritional-Deficiency-in-African-Country611c007587f2039f27a424d881b84e67Enriching crops by adding a naturally-occurring soil mineral to fertilisers could potentially help to reduce disease and premature death in the African country of Malawi, researchers have said (University of Nottingham/ScienceDaily Mar. 11, 2013). Sun, 17 Mar 2013 11:21:12 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Catalysts-That-Produce-Green-Fuel227cc41a6aa2b2b9079f32fe135f2a35The energy produced by solar panels, be it heat or electricity, has to be used right away. It is hard to store and preserve and also its transportation can be rather complicated. Creating solar cells capable of producing energy in an easily storable and transportable way, that is to say fuel, is therefore the future challenge of solar energy. For this reason the scientists at SISSA are working on a catalyst that imitates and improves what nature has been able to do for millions of years (Sissa Medialab/ScienceDaily Mar. 12, 2013). Sun, 17 Mar 2013 11:09:17 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#European-Invader-Outcompetes-Canadian-Plants-Even-Outside-Its-Usual-Temperature-Range3e06b44e6424f184209127401a58805aDog-strangling vine (Vincetoxicum rossicum) is an exotic plant originating from the Ukraine and southeastern Russia that is becoming increasingly invasive in southern Ontario, Canada. It has been found growing successfully in both disturbed and undisturbed areas, in open fields, forest edges and understories, parks, road edges and railway embankments. The invasive plant effectively competes for light by forming large and dense stands that climb over other plants (Pensoft Publishers/ScienceDaily Mar. 12, 2013). Sun, 17 Mar 2013 10:37:23 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Pumpkins-and-Cucumbers-New-Checklist-Brings-Information-About-Cucurbitaceae-Up-to-Dateeccb41db2808dbaf53774ad9a2326be2In 2010, it was shown that melons and cucumbers can be traced back to India. Because of the importance of the region for an understanding of Cucurbitaceae evolution and diversity, a new checklist of the Cucurbitaceae of India was produced to update the information on that family (Pensoft Publishers/ScienceDaily Mar. 11, 2013). Sun, 17 Mar 2013 07:36:38 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Farmers-Who-Commit-Totally-to-Sell-Locally-Can-Make-a-Profit8a566d6cab73315921efbc6fd63a63e6Farmers can make a profit selling their produce directly to local businesses, but they must not let possible new costs weaken their commitment to the new venture, according to an international team of researchers (Penn State /ScienceDaily Mar. 8, 2013). Sun, 10 Mar 2013 08:02:35 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Key-Developmental-Mechanism-in-Plants-Explained-for-First-Time7edae14dbd0cc2fd185b1b7e55ff1dd2When a stem cell commits to becoming a leaf cell, how does a polycomb gene-repressing protein complex know where in the genome to go, and when? The normal development of an animal or plant can be compared in at least two ways with the successful performance of a great symphony. The whole is the product of a great number of events involving contributions by many different "players"; and these contributions must occur in a precise and almost perfectly coordinated temporal and spatial sequence (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory /ScienceDaily Mar. 6, 2013). Sun, 10 Mar 2013 07:52:25 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Artificial-Leaf-Solar-To-Fuel-Roadmap-Developed-for-Crystalline-Siliconf6bcb7af660cf01e671a076b12343090Bringing the concept of an "artificial leaf" closer to reality, a team of researchers at MIT has published a detailed analysis of all the factors that could limit the efficiency of such a system. The new analysis lays out a roadmap for a research program to improve the efficiency of these systems, and could quickly lead to the production of a practical, inexpensive and commercially viable prototype (Massachusetts Institute of Technology /ScienceDaily Mar. 4, 2013). Sun, 10 Mar 2013 07:33:47 -0400 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#New-Insights-Into-Plant-Evolution5c5728357dff3488a5ee8e8d1561eeffFeb. 28, 2013 — New research has uncovered a mechanism that regulates the reproduction of plants, providing a possible tool for engineering higher yielding crops. In a study published today in Science, researchers from Monash University and collaborators in Japan and the US, identified for the first time a particular gene that regulates the transition between stages of the life cycle in land plants (Monash University / ScienceDaily Feb. 28, 2013). Mon, 4 Mar 2013 07:48:21 -0500 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Loss-of-Wild-Insects-Hurts-Crops-Around-the-World9a1e160726bb3355bad4754dcb85b79eResearchers studying data from 600 fields in 20 countries have found that managed honey bees are not as successful at pollinating crops as wild insects, primarily wild bees, suggesting the continuing loss of wild insects in many agricultural landscapes has negative consequences for crop harvests (University of Calgary / ScienceDaily Feb. 28, 2013). Mon, 4 Mar 2013 07:44:36 -0500 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Fast-Facts-on-the-Worlds-Land-and-Water-Resources73272439d65ced4fca3f8ce6570c6d97The food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2011) provides this fact sheet on The State of the World's Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture. Includes statistics on agricultural production, land use and water use. To view, click on the link below. Mon, 25 Feb 2013 04:09:50 -0500 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Turning-Pine-Sap-Into-Ever-Green-Plasticseb185627ed56768c04f9280b14b2ca1bPlastic bags are a bane of nature. And not just bags -- just about all plastics, really. Most are made out of petroleum, and a piece of plastic, if it misses the recycling bin and ends up in a landfill, will probably outlast human civilization (University of South Carolina/ ScienceDaily Feb. 20, 2013). Sun, 24 Feb 2013 23:26:02 -0500 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Phosphorus-Starvation-Linked-to-Symptoms-of-Citrus-Disease-Huanglongbing-in-New-Study51993f53cbf75359f67211f1a04501fbThe citrus disease Huanglongbing (HLB), meaning "yellow shoot disease" in Chinese and also called citrus greening in English-speaking countries, is the most destructive disease threatening the citrus industry worldwide. Powerful diagnostic tools and management strategies are desired to control it. A new study, 'Small RNA profiling reveals phosphorus deficiency as a contributing factor in symptom expression for citrus Huanglongbing disease', published online February 19 in the journal Molecular Plant profiled small Ribonucleic Acids (sRNAs) from both diseased and healthy plants and found that some of these tiny molecules could potentially be developed into early diagnosis markers for HLB. More importantly, the study demonstrates that the diseased trees suffered from severe phosphorus (P) deficiency and that application of phosphorus solutions to the diseased trees significantly alleviated HLB symptoms and thus improved fruit yield in a three-year field trial in southwest Florida (Oxford University Press/ ScienceDaily Feb. 19, 2013). Sun, 24 Feb 2013 23:19:05 -0500 http://www.cropsreview.com/growing-kaong.html0c133a704b3caedcfa7c3fc12e5e61ebGrowing kaong in the city away from its forest dwelling is commenced. Wed, 20 Feb 2013 10:59:07 -0500 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Modern-Growing-Methods-May-Be-Culprit-of-Coffee-Rust-Fungal-Outbreak4ca392876830448501fced3d50053011A shift away from traditional coffee-growing techniques may be increasing the severity of an outbreak of 'coffee rust' fungus that has swept through plantations in Central America and Mexico, according to a University of Michigan ecologist who studies the disease (University of Michigan/ ScienceDaily Feb. 12, 2013). Sun, 17 Feb 2013 09:45:45 -0500 http://www.cropsreview.com/earthworm.html40d29487c9f93625a776b2b5adb9e84aCharles Darwin has long ago studied the behavior of the burrowing earthworm. This page summarizes his observations and provides other information. Sat, 16 Feb 2013 21:21:56 -0500 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Benefits-of-Bt-Corn-Go-Beyond-Rootworm-Resistancef36d2fe6295f4e216786e874ed0f1055Engineered to produce the bacterial toxin, Bt, "Bt corn" resists attack by corn rootworm, a pest that feeds on roots and can cause annual losses of up to $1 billion. But besides merely protecting against these losses, the Bt trait has also boosted corn yields, in some cases beyond normal expectations. So what makes it so successful? (American Society of Agronomy/ ScienceDaily Feb. 6, 2013). Mon, 11 Feb 2013 09:51:43 -0500 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Sugar-Influences-the-Onset-of-Flowering-Only-When-Light-Age-and-Energy-Conditions-Are-Right-Do-Plants-Flowerb20d5898782e5ae492d398ea9e1e91d9Only when light, age and energy conditions are right do plants flower (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft/ ScienceDaily Feb. 6, 2013). Mon, 11 Feb 2013 09:38:44 -0500 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Newly-Discovered-Plant-Structure-May-Lead-to-Improved-Biofuel-Processing9fb949a08cd09ad0fbea36eae565d105When Li Tan approached his colleagues at the University of Georgia with some unusual data he had collected, they initially seemed convinced that his experiment had become contaminated; what he was seeing simply didn't make any sense (University of Georgia/ ScienceDaily Feb. 5, 2013). Mon, 11 Feb 2013 09:22:03 -0500 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Planting-Trees-May-Not-Reverse-Climate-Change-but-It-Will-Help-Locallyd51a3e39d61effd900a054afad28d5f3Afforestation, planting trees in an area where there have previously been no trees, can reduce the effect of climate change by cooling temperate regions, finds a study in BioMed Central's open access journal Carbon Balance and Management. Afforestation would lead to cooler and wetter summers by the end of this century (BioMed Central Limited/ ScienceDaily Feb. 1, 2013). Sun, 3 Feb 2013 08:05:18 -0500 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Some-Plants-Are-Altruistic-Too-New-Study-Suggestsd8d7f27b1ba371f43a74240ee9135a2fWe've all heard examples of animal altruism: Dogs caring for orphaned kittens, chimps sharing food or dolphins nudging injured mates to the surface. Now, a study led by the University of Colorado Boulder suggests some plants are altruistic too (University of Colorado at Boulder/ ScienceDaily Feb. 1, 2013). Sun, 3 Feb 2013 07:56:17 -0500 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#How-Plant-Communities-Endure-Stress0c9e8665829dd2e700fca9fa2cc60b13The Stress Gradient Hypothesis holds that as stress increases in an ecosystem, mutually supportive interactions become more significant and negative interactions, such as competition, become less so. The idea has been hotly debated but is now backed by a review of hundreds of studies co-authored in Ecology Letters by Mark Bertness, professor of biology at Brown, who first formally proposed the hypothesis in 1994. The time has come, he said, to test its application and predictive value (Brown University/ ScienceDaily Jan. 30, 2013). Sun, 3 Feb 2013 07:14:31 -0500 http://www.cropsreview.com/plant-nutrition.html6f1f99840a8c36f93e8e6b71d252476eShort review of what is plant nutrition. Also provides some notes relevant to the development of the mineral nutrient theory. Fri, 1 Feb 2013 20:43:09 -0500 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Fighting-Back-Against-Citrus-Greening7f29f16b884da48b29c881578d54e899U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists in Fort Pierce, Fla. are helping citrus growers and juice processors address the threat posed by Huanglongbing (HLB), a disease that is costing the citrus industry millions of dollars each year (USDA/Agricultural Research Service/ ScienceDaily Jan. 25, 2013). Sun, 27 Jan 2013 22:00:48 -0500 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Breakthrough-How-Salt-Stops-Plant-Growth782a7f030a9e83050e754be3e8a8f455Until now it has not been clear how salt, a scourge to agriculture, halts the growth of the plant-root system. A team of researchers, led by the Carnegie Institution's José Dinneny and Lina Duan, found that not all types of roots are equally inhibited. They discovered that an inner layer of tissue in the branching roots that anchor the plant is sensitive to salt and activates a stress hormone, which stops root growth. The study, published in the current issue of The Plant Cell, is a boon for understanding the stress response and for developing salt-resistant crops (Carnegie Institution/ ScienceDaily Jan. 23, 2013). Sun, 27 Jan 2013 21:47:39 -0500 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Plant-Water-Demands-Shift-With-Water-Availability734920f6cdb847305da0bcb412cd3c60Plants can adapt to extreme shifts in water availability, such as drought and flooding, but their ability to withstand these extreme patterns will be tested by future climate change, according to a study by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists and their cooperators (United States Department of Agriculture - Research, Education and Economics/ ScienceDaily Jan. 22, 2013). Sun, 27 Jan 2013 21:15:43 -0500 http://www.cropsreview.com/crop-farming-blog.html#Global-Plant-Diversity-Still-Hinges-On-Local-Battles-Against-Invasives-Study-Suggests30c0c1e11b9f2a5e430dd5d247877ad4In Missouri forests, dense thickets of invasive honeysuckle decrease the light available to other plants, hog the attention of pollinators, and offer nutrient-stingy berries to migrating birds. They even release toxins to make it less likely native plants will germinate near them (Washington University in St. Louis/ ScienceDaily Jan. 17, 2013). Mon, 21 Jan 2013 07:20:45 -0500