Vessels are seen as they await inspection under the Black Sea Grain Initiative, brokered by the UN and Turkey, in the southern anchorage of the Bosphorus at Istanbul on Dec. 11, 2022. (File photo: Reuters/Yoruk Isik)

Black Sea grain deal expires after Russia quits

United Nations says the move would "strike a blow to people in need everywhere"

United Nations/Moscow | Reuters – A deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine’s grain for the past year expired on Monday after Russia quit and warned it could not guarantee the safety of ships in a move the United Nations said would “strike a blow to people in need everywhere.” Moscow suggested that […] Read more

Vessels are seen as they await inspection under the Black Sea Grain Initiative, brokered by the UN and Turkey, in the southern anchorage of the Bosphorus at Istanbul on Dec. 11, 2022. (File photo: Reuters/Yoruk Isik)

Russia rejects bank compromise as Black Sea grain deal expiry looms

Collapse of deal could aggravate global food crisis

Reuters — Russia on Tuesday restated a demand for its state agricultural bank to be reconnected to the global SWIFT payments system to avert the collapse of the Black Sea grain deal, and said it would not accept a reported compromise proposal. With 13 days remaining until the expiry of the deal, which has allowed […] Read more

A farm worker unloads Ukrainian-made fertilizer from a truck on April 5, 2022 to use on a wheat field near the village of Yakovlivka, outside Kharkiv, after it was hit by an aerial bombardment. (Photo: Reuters/Thomas Peter)

Ukraine faces lack of herbicides, pesticides for spring seeding

About a third of needed chemicals reported to be at hand

Kyiv | Reuters — Ukrainian farmers, which have already started the 2023 spring sowing, have only around 35 per cent of the herbicides and pesticides they need, analyst APK-Inform quoted on Monday official data as showed. The Russian invasion has left Ukraine seriously short of finances, seeds and crop protection products, which could have a […] Read more


Key mechanisms uncovered for sustainable ammonia production

Key mechanisms uncovered for sustainable ammonia production

Science Notes: Research expands on previous production efficiency efforts

Ammonia is an essential ingredient in many fertilizers for food production, but its primary production method is energy and fuel intensive. But a University of Central Florida (UCF) research team, with collaborators at Virginia Tech, are working to change this by increasing the efficiency of a more sustainable method. The researchers recently published critical findings […] Read more

There is an ever-growing demand for more food production, but many of the methods and tools needed to meet this demand can have negative consequences for the climate.

Editorial: Shaping a new green revolution

The term ‘green revolution’ was first coined in 1968 by William S. Gaud, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, to reflect the technology transfer initiatives that led to increased crop yields and production after the Second World War. By the late 1960s, farmers in developed countries had adopted and incorporated high-yielding varieties of […] Read more

“When we think about disease management, pest management, integrated pest management, we’re monitoring and assessing all season long. Why aren’t we doing that with nitrogen?” – Deb Campbell.

Lowering emissions without sacrificing profits

Nitrogen strategies that meet grower and government needs

Nitrogen fertilizer is a cornerstone of crop production. It’s also become a hot political topic, with market volatility, emission reduction demands, geopolitics and a slew of other factors keeping it in the headlines. While nitrogen prices remain high, there are strategies growers can employ to reduce nitrogen use without sacrificing profits or yields. Several researchers […] Read more


Edible mealworms in a wooden spoon

French insect-based ingredients maker Ynsect to expand in North America

U.S. plant would use Ardent Mills' flour milling byproducts

Paris | Reuters — French company Ynsect said on Tuesday it had signed deals to build insect ingredient production sites in the United States and in Mexico as the firm kicks off what it says will be the world’s largest insect farm. Ynsect breeds mealworms that produce proteins for aquaculture, livestock, pet food, fertilizers and […] Read more

The big question is whether chemical application can distort floral cues and modify behaviour in pollinators like bees.

Fertilizers change how bumblebees ‘see’ flowers

Science Notes: Findings suggest the number of bees that visit a flower may be reduced

A new paper in PNAS Nexus, published by Oxford University Press, indicates that fertilizers and pesticides can change the way bees ‘see’ a flower, and this reduces the number of bees that visit a flower. Flowers produce a diverse range of cues and attractants to insects that promote feeding and pollination. Bees use colour, sun and magnetic […] Read more