There was a moment, about 20 years ago, when farmers thought that they’d finally defeated weeds forever.
Biotech companies had given them a new weapon: genetically engineered crops that could tolerate doses of the herbicide glyphosate, also known by its trade name, Roundup. Farmers could spray this chemical right over their …
Africa is a bit of an anomaly as far as agriculture is concerned. On the one hand, it has 65% of the world’s available uncultivated arable land, and it has the potential to feed the world. However, a country such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which has …
Millions of people depend on bananas. However, their cultivation is very vulnerable to diseases and the effects of climate change. There is a pressing need for a new more resistant banana variety. To this end, on Monday, 8 April the Belgian University, KU Leuven, and Bioversity International signed an agreement. …
Cattle are a mainstay for many smallholders but their farms are often on degraded lands, which increases cattle’s impact on the environment and lowers their production of milk and meat. Researchers at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) have shown that Brachiaria grass species can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cattle …
As our global population continues to grow and the climate becomes hotter and drier and resources become scarcer…. we need both food and fresh water to survive, but growing food demands significant fresh water as well. Our efforts to ensure both food security and ample fresh water supplies are intertwined, …
Director general Eliud Kireger said the recycled seeds yield less than the newer hybrid seeds which the organisation has produced.
Research done by Karlo indicated that only 47 per cent of farmers were using the recommended seeds while fertiliser was being applied at 40 per cent of the accepted rates. Read …
Current GMO regulation is crippling advancements in sustainable development and food security, according to agricultural economist Matin Qaim, who told FoodNavigator he is optimistic EU law can be adjusted to be ‘more science-based’.Read more …
Tunisia, South Korea and African Development Bank yesterday signed a deal to establish a training centre for drones used for data collection to the enhance management of agricultural projects.
Tunisia’s Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fishery, Samir Taieb, said the project will help collect data for agricultural projects, following up …
B4FA Fellow Michael Ssali writes:
Successful banana farming begins with proper choice of the location for growing the crop, according to Constance Itungu, a crop technician at Kamenyamiggo National Agricultural Research Organisation (Naro) station in Lwengo District.
Requirements “Bananas grow better in well drained loamy and fertile soil,” she says. “The area should …
Plant scientists are looking for ways to help plants withstand infection. One of the best ways is to find plants that seem to have their own resistance. You might know individuals who never get a cold or flu – their immune systems seem to manage infections better than others. It’s …
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