More Stories Subscribe . Contact Us . FAQ / Help . Advertise . Disclaimer . Terms and Conditions . Cookies . Privacy Policy . Open Source . Site Map About NewScientist.com . About New Scientist magazine . Publisher Blog Copyright Reed Business Information ltd. Bad for the environment - if good for the farmer. When GM sugar beet was grown using a two-spray system to control weeds, weed biomass and seed fell by 17 and 31 per cent respectively, in comparison to conventional growing methods,...

It could be environmental with manure runoff ruining a trout stream, it could be economic relating to the type of equipment or method used to deal with the manure, and also it could impact the production of crops on land used to support the dairy enterprise. It could be environmental with manure runoff ruining a trout stream, it could be economic relating to the type of equipment or method used to deal with the manure, and also it could impact the production of crops on land used to...

All new farming methods, not just genetically modified (GM) crops, should be assessed for their potential impact on the environment, UK experts suggest. Professor Pretty added that farmers switching from food crops to grow energy crops was a current example of a significant shift in agricultural practices. He listed increases in population, greater prosperity and impacts of climate change as some of the factors that were set to change the face of farming around the world. He said without...

Besides training the farmers under the skill enhancement project 'Poolam Badi', the government established soil testing and vermi compost centres, he said. Releasing a 'fact sheet' on the three-year performance of the Congress government in agriculture sector, the minister also outlined the future plans in horticulture and sericulture besides farm segment. The government is now selecting a group of farmers below 40 years of age with minimum qualification of SSC and confer them with title...

Crop insurance from the USDA and private insurance companies won't begin to cover the losses. Moran joined Kansas wheat growers in hoping this would be the year that would cover their losses by growing a bountiful harvest to make up for five years of drought. So it is something that's going to affect obviously individual farmers but also the Kansas farm economy. Moran says the insurance is tied to the Iraq war funding bill President Bush plans to veto tomorrow. Moran says the house and...

New surveys suggest that fewer farmers in UK and Germany are opposed to planting genetically modified crops than is often believed. Surprisingly, strict opposition to GMOs was expressed by responding farmers among only 16 percent, the half of whom are producing organic goods. The study also found that besides economic aspects and personal views on GMOs, many different factors are considered by farmers in their decision on GM crops. However, representing a fairly even split in decided...

They include a major expansion of nuclear power, the use of GM crops to boost biofu-el production and reliance on technologies which critics say are unproven. Periods of very cold weather will become less common, while we will see an increase in periods of very hot weather. Global warming could lead to a return of insect-borne diseases in Britain such as malaria, and increased incidence of skin cancer caused by exposure to the sun, a government report warns today. With temperatures...

Since prices for those raw products only influenced food prices to a limited extent, bread prices might increase by less than 1 per. Europe's targets to encourage greater use of biofuels will not make much difference to retail food prices, the EU's farm chief said today. To meet the targets, the EU biodiesel industry says it will have to raise output by 15 per cent each year and rely mostly on EU-grown rapeseed and sunflower seed oils up to 2020. In January, the European Commission...

Farmers are not going to grow something they can't get a loan for- and they can't get a loan for a crop they can't insure. Leonard Stone, a Geraldine farmer, said he has planted camelina for three years, starting with 25 acres in 2005 and increasing it to 200 acres this year. This insurance, similar to that for other crops, would protect farmers financially if their crops are damaged by hail and drought. Tester said he would "encourage them to set aside a certain amount (of acreage) for...