ECPA stresses science should underpin, not undermine, innovation
Speaking at a major event in Brussels today on Innovative Agriculture Jean-Charles Bocquet, Director General of the European Crop Protection Association (ECPA), called for a stronger role for science in EU decision making. Opening the event, organised by Politico and sponsored by the ECPA, Bocquet said “We have to stop this trend [for political decisions] […]
Wheat genome sequencing gets major boost
The International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC) announced today the production of a whole genome assembly of bread wheat, the most widely grown cereal in the world, significantly accelerating global research into crop improvement. The project consisted of producing a whole genome assembly of the bread wheat variety Chinese Spring based on Illumina short sequence […]
Global animal production becoming more sustainable by using less concentrate feed
Reducing the proportion of animal feed grown on crop land would have a positive effect on the availability of food and important environmental indicators such as greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen surplus. A new study led by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, which was published in the scientific journal of the Royal Society Interface, […]
Vital soil saving techniques being trialled as International Year of Soils comes to an end
As World Soil Day on 5th December 2015 marks the ending of the International Year of Soils, it is reassuring to know that scientists will still be working to find solutions to protect our soils. 2015 was declared ‘International Year of Soils’ by the United Nations in order to raise awareness of the profound importance […]
Honeybees’ buzzing can shed light on queen’s fertility, study finds
The buzzing of bees can provide beekeepers with crucial information about the fertility of the queen in the hive, according to a new study which could play a key role in helping to preserve honeybee colonies. Research led by scientists at Nottingham Trent University focused on developing a way to remotely monitor the ‘brood’, […]
New dairy project to transform data use on farm
Innovation for Agriculture has been awarded a Horizon 2020 grant for its project proposal ‘ 4D4F – Data Driven Dairy Decisions for Farmers ’. The project brings together 16 partners from 9 EU countries spread from the Baltics to the Mediterranean and from West to East. The project will investigate the technologies that are available […]
Storage advance may boost solar thermal energy potential
Engineers at Oregon State University have identified a new approach for the storage of concentrated solar thermal energy, to reduce its cost and make it more practical for wider use. The advance is based on a new innovation with thermochemical storage, in which chemical transformation is used in repeated cycles to hold heat, use it […]
Valoya LightDNA simulates natural outdoor light for plants
Valoya, a leading provider of advanced plant lighting systems, worked with Microsoft Corp. to create next generation of state of the art lighting system, using Valoya’s advanced LED lights, Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Azure Internet-of-Things (IoT) technology. The solution Valoya created, helped by the collaboration with Microsoft, is a novel solution for simulation of natural […]
Discovery about new battery overturns decades of false assumptions
New findings at Oregon State University have overturned a scientific dogma that stood for decades, by showing that potassium can work with graphite in a potassium-ion battery – a discovery that could pose a challenge and sustainable alternative to the widely-used lithium-ion battery. Lithium-ion batteries are ubiquitous in devices all over the world, ranging from […]
