New technologies are opening up new opportunities and investment in early stage agricultural companies is springing to life. One sign is a new "accelerator" to assist fledgling agricultural companies. Its backers include Bayer and Syngenta and some venture capital firms that typically focus on pharmceuticals, not farms.
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A new mechanism that enables plants to regulate their flowering in response to raised temperatures has been discovered by researchers. The finding could potentially lead to the development of technology allowing us to control the physiological response of plants and mitigate the impacts of warming temperatures. [node:read-more:link]
Farmers, landowners and farm policy makers voiced their concerns for increased land values and high tax rates at a time when farmers are facing historically low farm incomes. The Government Accountability and Oversight Committee heard eight testimonies and received an additional five written testimonies in favor of reform of the Current Agricultuire Use Value (CAUV) formula during a second hearing of House Bill 398 [node:read-more:link]
The image of a mad scientist injecting corn with a syringe full of DNA does not accurately portray the use of genetically modified organisms. Most transgenic work takes place in a laboratory with intensive attention to detail, says a professor at Purdue University. Peter Goldsbrough, professor of botany and plant pathology, talked about GMOs during an Extension event in Martinsville. “There’s a lot of misinformation and lack of knowledge about GMOs,” he said. “My goal is to try and help explain and answer questions and see where we’re going next. [node:read-more:link]
Webinar on April 4, 2016 covering recent developments with right-to-farm laws. Webinar features Tiffany Lashmet with Texas A&M and Ashley Ellixson and Paul Goeringer with University of Maryland. [node:read-more:link]
In a stunning turn of events, the City Council early Wednesday rejected Prestage Foods of Iowa’s proposal to build a $240 million pork processing plant in Mason City. Its plan was to hire more than 1,700 workers over the next four years but it met with protests from citizens concerned about environmental and quality-of life issues.The vote was a 3-3 tie with council members Travis Hickey, Janet Solberg and Brett Schoneman voting in favor of a development agreement with the company and Alex Kuhn, Bill Schickel and John Lee voting against. A tie vote on a motion represents a loss. [node:read-more:link]
A new report by AgriBank projects livestock, dairy, and egg sector margins to continue adjusting downward from record levels set in 2014. The report on 15 Midwest states called the egg industry “the largest percentage loser” due to bird flu and record high prices. However, the report says the turkey industry is rebounding as flocks are rebuilt, and prices remain high. AThe report did say weather remains a wildcard as the transition to La Niña from the historically strong El Niño could bring major drought conditions across the Corn Belt region late in the coming growing season. [node:read-more:link]
A commercial flock of about 39,000 turkeys in Jasper County was destroyed after some of the birds tested positive for avian flu, a spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Agriculture said Tuesday. [node:read-more:link]
There has been an unusually high number of bloat problems among cattle in southwest Missouri.
"Some of those cattle deaths were posted by veterinarians, and frothy bloat was found to be the cause," said Cole.
Clover is very evident in most pastures this year. This follows a tremendous amount of common white or ladino clover in 2015.
"Some farmers report the clover is so dense it is crowding out their fescue, ryegrass, and orchardgrass," said Cole. [node:read-more:link]
The 2016 Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey, which show another year of growth in the stock of the Chesapeake Bay crab population and bodes well for a better harvest this year. The survey indicates a bay-wide crab population of 553 million, a 35-percent increase over last year. This is the fourth highest level in two decades, and builds on last year’s 38-percent boost in abundance. [node:read-more:link]
