Tech companies are raising hundreds of millions of dollars, including backing from agriculture heavyweights like Bayer AG, to develop farm products that use living things like microbes and seaweed to nourish crops and lessen the need for synthetic fertilizer. Microbes, including fungi and viruses, have been available for decades as treatments to protect plants from […] Read more
Tag Archives climate change — page 8
Farmers test microbes to nourish crops as climate pressure grows, costs rise
Soil biologicals are getting a lot of attention and research money
Opinion: Carbon tax exemptions needed
Bill C-234, a private member’s bill that would exempt more farm fuels from the carbon tax, promises to meet some of the federal government commitments made when the price on carbon was originally planned. It is superior to a government-initiated bill, C-8, now being considered in Parliament. In the initial plans to put a price […] Read more
Resilience in variable conditions critical for Ontario corn hybrids
Claims suggesting better management and climate change are the main drivers of higher corn yields are, if true, likely only relevant in ideal conditions
A recent study published by University of Lincoln Nebraska (ULN) researchers suggests today’s high corn yields are a direct result of better management and changes in, rather than improved genetics. Not everyone is convinced. According to Liz Lee, professor of plant breeding and genetics at the University of Guelph, the lack of stresses considered, time […] Read more
Soybeans have a role in climate smart agriculture
Research priorities will focus on increasing yields and reducing climate impact
Soybean production could play a significant role in meeting not only economic, but also environmental sustainability goals. Soybean researchers are already pivoting to try to meet the language set out by federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) Ministers of Agriculture last November, including greater focus on carbon impacts. Why it matters: Industry stakeholders are looking to […] Read more
Federal government looks at climate impact of organic
AAFC officer says a coordinated approach is needed among governments
Organic agriculture is not mentioned specifically in the Canadian government’s Climate Action Plan but an officer with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) says she and her colleagues are working to understand how some countries have pinpointed organics as part of their response to climate change. “We have to change the way we’re measuring success,” said […] Read more
Farming for the climate
U.S. growers embrace cover crops while eyeing low-carbon future
Illinois farmer Jack McCormick planted 350 acres of barley and radishes last fall as part of an off-season crop that he does not intend to harvest. Instead, the crops will be killed with a herbicide before McCormick plants soybeans in the same soil. The barley and radishes will not be used for food, but Bayer […] Read more
Opinion: Cattle production victim of widespread story telling
Glacier FarmMedia – Cows aren’t the new coal and they aren’t the new Tesla. Catchy as a recent Time Magazine headline, “Cows are the new coal”, may have been, it isn’t true. But it does fit nicely into a well-crafted and biased narrative that now plagues the cattle industry. Carbon is used by plants to […] Read more
Dairy farmers can adapt to climate change
Science Notes: Warming climate worsens nutrient pollution but lengthens growing season
Dairy farmers in the northeastern region of North America are facing a warming climate that exacerbates nutrient pollution but lengthens the growing season. However, they can reduce the environmental impact of their operations and maximize revenues by double cropping and injecting manure into the soil, rather than broadcasting it. That’s the conclusion of a team […] Read more
Last year was world’s sixth-warmest on record, U.S. scientists say
Heat content of oceans at record level, NOAA says
Reuters — Last year ranked as the sixth-warmest year on record, causing extreme weather events around the world and adding to evidence supporting the globe’s long-term warming, according to an analysis on Thursday by two U.S. government agencies. The data compiled by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA also revealed that […] Read more
Ireland looks to seaweed in quest to curb methane from cows
While there’s lots of interest in the method, it’s years away from mass production
Reuters – Scientists are combing Ireland’s west coast for seaweed to feed to cattle and sheep after research showed it could stop them breathing out so much climate-warming methane. The project, co-ordinated by a state agriculture body, is tapping into the country’s growing seaweed harvesting industry, which is seeking new markets as it revives centuries-old […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
