New FAO DG takes office
Reading Time: 2 minutesROME: Qu Dongyu (pix) marked his first day in office on Aug 1 as Director- General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations by outlining some of his priorities, including stepping up global efforts to achieve Zero Hunger and spearheading initiatives that focus on making agriculture more sustainable. Qu began by greeting […]
Is Malaysia ready to face agri challenges through gene technologies?
Reading Time: 2 minutesIN RECENT months Malaysians have been experiencing a spike in vegetable prices, some more than 100 per cent. For an example, the price of tomatoes has gone up from RM3 per kg to RM6. Although there are multiple factors that influence price of food crops, one reason is the low farm production. Our golden crop, […]
Mozambique to gain from GM maize
Reading Time: < 1 minuteTHE use of genetically modified (GM) maize could increase crop yield by up to 50 per cent, according to a study conducted by the Mozambique Agricultural Research Institute (IIAM). Maize is considered to be one of the most important crops in the country. Pedro Fato, lead researcher at IIAM, reported that the GM seeds have […]
Study shows potential for reduced methane from cows
Reading Time: 2 minutesAN international team of scientists has shown it is possible to breed cattle to reduce their methane emissions. Published in the journal Science Advances, the researchers showed that the genetics of an individual cow strongly influenced the make-up of the microorganisms in its rumen (the first stomach in the digestive system of ruminant animals which […]
Mustering a milder mustard
Reading Time: 2 minutesTHE mustards, broccolis and cab- bages of the world share a distinct and bitter taste. Some consider the flavor of cruciferous plants their strongest attribute. But even in India and China, where Brassicas have been cultivated for more than 4,000 years, scientists have sought to tone down the chemical compounds responsible for their pungent flavor. […]
Study: Cigarette butts hamper plant growth
Reading Time: < 1 minuteNEW research has discovered that cigarette butts – the most common form of litter on the planet – significantly reduce plant growth. Led by academics from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and published in the journal Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, the study is the first to show the damage that cigarette butts can cause to plants. […]
Changing my community through science communication
Reading Time: 3 minutesBY HABIMANA JEAN CLAUDE IT IS Saturday morning in southern Rwanda. Nyiramana’s face is drenched in sweat as she plants maize in her two-acre family farm. She expects to make a decent profit this season given she got the seed at a bargain. A couple of weeks later, Nyiramana’s hope begins to dwindle. The rains […]
Would you eat GM food if you understood the science behind it?
Reading Time: 2 minutesJONATHAN MCPHETRES, a newly minted PhD in psychology from the University of Rochester, admits he’s “personally amazed” what we can do with genes, specifically genetically modified food — such as saving papayas from extinction. “We can makes crops better, more resilient, and more profitable and easier for farmers to grow, so that we can provide […]
Turning fish waste into bioplastics
Reading Time: 2 minutesWHILE most of us know that fish contains a high protein content, it is however difficult to imagine that protein in fish waste could be a “starter fodder” to produce bioplastics. The idea of deriving plastics from fish protein first begins with unravelling the protein’s structure. Dr Ku Marsilla Ku Ishak, a lecturer from Polymer […]
Groot gets World Food Prize
Reading Time: 2 minutesDUTCH seed man Simon N Groot (pix) was awarded the World Food Prize Laureate. The announcement was made at a ceremony at the US Department of Agriculture on June 10. Groot won the award for empowering millions of smallholder farmers in more than 60 countries to earn greater incomes through enhanced vegetable production – benefitting […]