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sustainable agriculture Archives - The Global Plant Council

Sep 06
0

Priming the future for healthy plants

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The Institute for Sustainable food hosts the International Organisation for Biological Control (IOBC)-WPRS PR-IR 2021: Priming the Future for Healthy Plants

6 – 9 September 2021

About the conference

Pleased to announce the PR-IR meeting, organised on behalf of the ‘Induced Resistance in Plants Against Insects and Diseases’ working group of the International Organisation for Biological Control. 2020 has been declared “International Year of Plant Health” by the United Nations and this meeting celebrates this significant recognition of the importance of plant health within sustainable agriculture.

IOBC PR-IR meetings provide a specialist forum for researchers on plant responses to microbial pathogens and invertebrate herbivores to exchange information and discuss the latest ideas on induced resistance. The focus will be on fundamental science, but with a view to the potential to exploit new understanding for crop protection. The meeting will cover a broad range of topics, from the mechanisms for initial perception of pests and pathogens and signalling pathways for induced resistance, to the ways in which multitrophic interactions with microbiomes and natural enemies influence the relationships between plants and their pests and pathogens. In addition to a range of invited expert speakers there will be opportunities for delegates to present talks and posters.

Mar 15
4

Fruits and vegetables as key components of plant-based diet

By | Agriculture, Blog, Fruits and Vegetables, Policy

A balanced nutritional diet rich in minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins is of vital importance for human health. Fruits and vegetables are rich sources for most of these dietary phytochemicals and micronutrients. However, today’s most common diets consist mainly of starchy staples and less of nutrient-rich foods or fruits and vegetables, particularly in the developing world. Keeping in view that the UN General Assembly designated the year 2021 as the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables.

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Feb 09
1
strawberries

New heat method kills pathogens with minimal damage to plants

By | Agriculture, Fruits and Vegetables, News, Plant Health

In the strawberry nursery industry, a nursery’s reputation relies on their ability to produce disease- and insect-free plants. The best way to produce clean plants is to start with clean planting stock. Many nurseries struggle with angular leaf spot of strawberry, a serious disease that can result in severe losses either by directly damaging the plant or indirectly through a violation of quarantine standards within the industry.

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Nov 12
1

Cover crop could solve weed problems for edamame growers

By | News

For vegetable growers, weeds can mean lost income from reduced yield and foreign plant matter contaminating the harvest. But for many crops, particularly vegetable legumes, weed management options are very limited. A new study shows early-terminated rye could be a promising part of an integrated weed management program for some vegetable legumes, including edamame.

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Nov 02
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Hand pollination increases cocoa yield and farmer income

By | Agriculture, News

Cocoa is in great demand on the world market, but there are many different ways to increase production. A research team has now investigated the relative importance of the use of pesticides, fertilisers and manual pollination in a well replicated field trial in Indonesian agroforestry systems. The result: an increase in both cocoa yield and farming income was achieved – not by agrochemicals, but by manual pollination.

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Oct 30
2

Identified a new synthetic antimicrobial peptide aptamer targeting the causal agent of grapevine downy mildew

By | Agriculture, Blog, ECRi, Fruits and Vegetables, Plant Health, Post

Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) is a crop of great economic and agricultural value throughout the world. In 2019, the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) reported that over 7 million hectares are dedicated to the cultivation of this crop, resulting in the global production of about 78 million tonnes of grape and 292 million of hectolitres of wine. However, a production of this magnitude is possible thanks to the massive use of pesticides to counteract various diseases that can affect grape yield. Indeed, pesticide applications are at the basis of intensive agriculture, as they guarantee protection from pathogens, pests and weeds. In absence of pesticide applications, farmers could experience up to 40% of production losses in a single year.

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Jun 30
1

How bacteria fertilise soya

By | Agriculture, News, Plant Science

Soya and clover have their very own fertiliser factories in their roots, where bacteria manufacture ammonium, which is crucial for plant growth. Although this has long been common knowledge, scientists have only recently described the mechanism in detail. With biotechnology, this knowledge could now help make agriculture more sustainable.

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