Category: Agriculture

Satellite start-up promises ultra-fast internet to remote Asia-Pacific, NZ locations

The Pacific Islands, remote parts of rural New Zealand and poor but populous parts of eastern Indonesia and Papua New Guinea are target markets for a new satellite-based project that its backers say will bring low-cost, ultra-fast broadband to areas that are too expensive to reach by cable. The brainchild of Christian Patouraux, a Belgian-born, Sydney-based entrepreneur with a 22-year career in satellite projects, the Kacific Broadband Satellites initiative owes part of its success to the equity funding efforts of boutique Wellington investment and advisory firm, Caniwi Capital, which has helped raise more than US$20 million in equity for the US$147 million project.

Scientists grow potato under Mars-like conditions in Peru

Potatoes on Mars? Scientists are reporting promising results growing the tuber under conditions that mimic the Red Planet in an experiment in Peru linked to US space agency NASA. “Preliminary results are positive,” the International Potato Center said this week after a potato grew under simulated Mars atmospheric conditions in an experiment in Lima.

Texas lawmakers say more study needed before “hog apocalypse”

Two bills from Texas lawmakers – state Rep. Lynn Stucky, R-Denton, and state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin – would require state agency or university research before the use of lethal pesticides on wild pigs. The legislation comes after outcry from Texas hog hunters and meat processors over state approval of a new feral hog poison called Kaput, which they say would hurt their businesses and contaminate other game animals and livestock.

Ultra-fast internet promised to remote locations

The Pacific Islands, remote parts of rural New Zealand and poor but populous parts of eastern Indonesia and Papua New Guinea are target markets for a new satellite-based project that its backers say will bring low-cost, ultra-fast broadband to areas that are too expensive to reach by cable. The brainchild of Christian Patouraux, a Belgian-born, Sydney-based entrepreneur with a 22-year career in satellite projects, the Kacific Broadband Satellites initiative owes part of its success to the equity funding efforts of boutique Wellington investment and advisory firm, Caniwi Capital, which has helped raise more than US$20 million in equity for the US$147 million project.

It’s official: Potatoes can grow on Mars

An experiment simulating conditions on Mars demonstrated that the hearty tubers can thrive even under the harsh conditions on the Red Planet. Two years after a humble potato patch co-starred in “The Martian,” scientists have found that fictional astronaut Mark Watney’s strategy for surviving on the Red Planet could actually work.

Study reveals how potatoes could grow on Mars

Experiments to grow potatoes in the harsh soil of the southern Peruvian desert have revealed new promise for their ability to thrive on Mars. The dry soils in the Pampas de La Joya desert are the closest thing on Earth to the conditions of the red planet, and so far, researchers have found the potatoes are able to tolerate the environment.

Epicrop rakes in $3.2 mln

Lincoln, Nebraska-based Epicrop Technologies Inc , an agricultural biotech company, has raised $3.2 million in Series A funding. The investors were TechAccel, North Forty Ventures, Nelnet, Speedway Properties and Allen & Company .

Engineering Practices for Agricultural Production and Water …

With contributions from international experts from India, Russia, China, Serbia, and USA, this book presents a selection of chapters on some of these emerging practices, focusing on soil and water conservation and management; agricultural processing engineering; water quality and management; emerging agricultural crops; renewable energy use in agriculture; and applications of nanotechnology in agriculture. Soil and Water Conservation and Management.

Coast Lines, March 5, 2017: Beekeeping basics offered Saturday

The Aptos History Museum presents “Transcending Kitty Hawk; The Real Story of Flight as an Intriguing Slice of Local History” 3-4:30 p.m. Saturday, at the Rio Sands Hotel community room, 116 Aptos Beach Drive. This is the story of John Montgomery whose inventions in aeronautics led to world famous aircraft flights in Aptos and San Jose in 1905.

Ag Secretary Keeping Busy For Remainder Of Term

He’s only got a bit more than 10 months left before a new governor takes office and could appoint someone else to the position. “I am going to remain pedal to the metal, full speed ahead in promoting Virginia agriculture and forestry,” he promised, “whether domestically or abroad.”

Biomass Boiler Market Driven by Growth and Forecast 2016 – 2024

The rising awareness regarding the use of biomass as a suitable low-carbon and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels such as coal for the generation of power and heat is the key driver of the global biomass boiler market. Developed as well as developing economies across the globe have ramped up their efforts for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, of which finding ways of minimizing reliance on fossil fuels and switching to carbon-neutral fuels such as biomass is an important step.

Plain Bearing Market: Key Trends and Opportunities 2016 – 2024

Plain Bearing Market: Snapshot The plain bearing market has been growing at a steady pace due to the increasing demand for motor vehicles, oilfield machinery, and construction work. A wide range of equipment used in the energy, aerospace, railways, automotive, farm and gardening, construction, and oilfield sectors make extensive use of plain bearings.

Meet Fairtrade farmers at Exeter Library’s Fairtrade Fortunes…

Exeter Library’s Business and Intellectual Property Centre is offering people the chance to meet two Fairtrade farmers from Ghana and a local jeweller at its Cocoa producers Isaac Baidoo and Veronica Mintah from Kuapa Kokoo, a cocoa farmers’ co-operative, will be talking about their businesses and revealing how Fairtrade has impacted their lives in West Africa. Local jeweller, Erin Cox, will also speak at the event, talking about her bespoke handmade jewellery and why she chose to source Fairtrade materials, including precious metals and stones, as well as detailing the process surrounding Fairtrade use within business.

Hedge Funds Grow More Bullish on Corn as Surplus Eases

The glut of corn that’s been plaguing Midwest growers is finally starting to ease, and hedge funds are betting that will help spark a rally for prices. U.S. corn inventories are set to drop before the 2018 harvest as farmers curb plantings and demand stays robust, the Department of Agriculture said Friday.

It’s time for Canada to drop tariffs on Internet imports

Since the 1940s, farmers in Canada and the United States have been able to ship tractors and tractor parts across the border without paying a dime in duties. Free trade in tractors at a time when agriculture was a critical North American industry? What a sensible idea, and evidence of the strong ties of friendship, commerce and economic common sense that have long existed between our two countries.

Floods that saturated Louisiana also damaged its seed rice

Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain says he’s temporarily relaxed certification requirements to ensure farmers can buy enough seed for a chance at a good crop. Farmers will have to buy more of some lots to make up for the problem, but sellers will discount the price to make up for it, department seed programs director Lester Cannon said Tuesday.

Arctic Apple could be Litmus test for future of GM foods, Rabobank analysts suggest

When the Arctic Apple hits select store shelves this month as one of the first products genetically modified for consumers’ benefit, it will serve as a line in the sand for the tug of war between the non-GMO movement and the future of food innovation. Okanagan Specialty Fruits, which developed the non-browning apple, will test consumers’ willingness to purchase produce that has been genetically modified specifically for their benefit – rather than for farmers as a pesticide and herbicide resistant plant – in 10 stores in the Midwest beginning this month.

FEATURE-Cartoons and calendars help Bolivian farmers dampen fire risk

A mix of high-tech satellite data and brightly colored cartoons is helping subsistence farmers around Riberalta in Bolivia’s northern Amazon pick the best time to burn off their land and reduce the risk of uncontrolled blazes, as persistent drought makes wildfires a hot issue in Latin America. “Fire is a real problem with these communities – it’s something they’re very concerned about,” said Veronica Ibarnegaray, program director at Bolivia’s Fundacion Amigos de la Naturaleza , explaining that slash-and-burn farming for crops and cattle is largely to blame.

Is AI the new spokesperson for your business?

AI has been named as one of the most important emerging trends in business technology for 2017 in a report by Accenture, but are we ready for it? The report, Technology Vision, is a yearly look at the biggest trends in business for the coming year. The 2017 iteration has named AI as one of the principle changes that will shape the landscape in business for years to come.

Illinois lawmakers propose biotech tax credits

The legislation, introduced by Republican state Sen. Chapin Rose of Mahomet and Democratic state Sen. Andy Manar of Bunker Hill, would provide incentives to produce and sell new renewable products made from biomass and other renewable sources, the Herald & Review reported. “We have leading biotechnology companies, large and small, that are leading research and development efforts on these innovative products, and we have critical mass in infrastructure to produce and transport these renewables around the world,” Manar said.

Low demand, disease shrivel orange crop

Things keep getting worse for citrus growers in Florida, where crop disease and slowing demand continue to threaten what used to be a signature industry in the sunshine state. The state’s orange crop is poised to shrink to what could be the smallest harvest in five decades, according to Judy Ganes-Chase, president of J. Ganes Consulting in Panama City, Panama.

China urges cornbelt regions to offer subsidies to boost use -sources

Feb 8 Beijing is urging regional authorities in the nation’s top four corn producing regions to offer subsidies to livestock feed companies, the latest move to boost demand for a bumper crop, according to a source briefed on the matter. The country’s State Administration of Grains and the Ministry of Finance issued a joint document dated Jan. 13 outlining the recommendations to northeastern regions of Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning and Jilin, according to the source and local media.

CropIn Technology on Road to Become the Backbone of Crop Insurances,…

CropIn Technology on Road to Become the Backbone of Crop Insurances, to Benefit Over 25 Million Farmers in India by 2018 A 6- Year – Young Startup is now Betting Big on its Data Algorithms Fuelled by ‘ Farm Insights and Artificial Intelligence ,’ to Create Holistic Solutions for Crop Loan and Farm Insurances, to the Root Level Farmers in CropIn Technology Solutions , a Bengaluru-based startup is now on an onslaught of initiatives to implement the benefit of Agriculture Technology to the last mile. After securing the Series B funding, CropIn Technology is now investing toward its AI by developing a new product called SmartRisk.

Scientists find crop-destroying caterpillar spreading rapidly in Africa

Scientists tracking a crop-destroying caterpillar known as armyworm say it is now spreading rapidly across mainland Africa and could reach tropical Asia and the Mediterranean in the next few years, threatening agricultural trade. In research released on Monday, scientists at the Britain-based Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International said the pest, which had not previously been established outside the Americas, is now expected to spread “to the limits of suitable African habitat” within a few years.