crops

New research in Nature Climate Change  provides evidence that rising temperatures are likely to increase crop losses as warmer soils favour the growth of pathogenic soil fungi species. Researchers led by the Global Centre for Land-Based Innovation at Western Sydney University sampled more than 235 locations with ecosystems that range from forests and croplands to … Continue reading Rising temperatures likely to increase damage caused by plant pathogens →

Winter crop production is forecast to fall by 3 per cent in 2019–20 to 29.4 million tonnes, down 13 per cent from the production forecast in September. ABARES acting executive director, Peter Gooday, said the revised forecast reflected early spring conditions that were poorer than expected in most cropping regions, particularly in Western Australia and southern … Continue reading Winter crop production to fall →

New wheat variety Havoc will make a substantial jump in hectares at Allan Griffith’s Carnamah farm this season, going from a modest trial in 2018 to half the wheat program in 2019. Griffith, who grows wheat, barley and canola at 2400-hectare property, Dunromin, said the increase was due to Havoc’s quick maturity and high yield. … Continue reading New Havoc wheat jumps from trial to 50 per cent of program at Carnamah →

A new study indicates that the global narrowing of diversity in crop types present major challenges for agricultural sustainability across the world. The study, carried out by an international team of researchers led by University of Toronto assistant professor Adam Martin, used data from the U.N.’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) to look at which … Continue reading New study examines the dangers of crop monocultures →

Researchers have pioneered a new method to rapidly recruit disease-resistance genes from wild plants for transfer into domestic crops, a technique which could revolutionise the development of disease-resistant varieties for the global food supply. The technique called AgRenSeq was developed by scientists at the John Innes Centre in Britain working with colleagues in Australia and … Continue reading Study establishes new method of developing disease-resistance in crops →

Equinom, a seed tech start-up, is combining natural breeding techniques with proprietary algorithms to produce high-functioning, non-genetically modified organism (non-GMO) seeds that have a superior nutritional profile while also boosting crop yield. The cutting-edge technology creates a next-step ecosystem directly connecting food companies to the supply chain, in turn bringing greater transparency and paving the … Continue reading Planting a smarter seed →

Australia has experienced one of the driest autumns since records began, more than 100 years ago, leading to poor crop growth. It’s not unusual to experience dry conditions in early autumn, with a normal winter crop possible if a rain break arrives by mid-June. But, continued dry conditions in July are contributing to one of … Continue reading Dry weather in Australia significantly impacting crops →

For decades, American agriculture has been a paragon of productivity, churning out record crops at a steady clip. We have exported both our farm products and our way of farming around the world, and global production has risen relentlessly. Yet now there is concern that even this is not enough. The United Nations projects that … Continue reading We don’t need to double world food production by 2050 – here’s why →

Researchers have developed a revolutionary new crop protection technique which offers an environmentally-friendly alternative to genetically-modified crops and chemical pesticides.

A group of scientists, engineers and IT specialists have teamed up to provide knowledge transfer to farmers and other decision makers in the food and feed chains.