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Monthly Archives: July 2017

Harmony and collaboration for better food and farming

A leading advocate of organic farming is urging proponents of sustainable agriculture to come together with research scientists to establish a joint strategy group that could present a united front to benefit food production and the environment.

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New research tackles global food shortages with new government funding

Helping North Africa become self-sufficient for protein needs, and reusing by-products of cocoa production in South East Asia are just some of the research projects that have received Government funding to tackle global challenges. The work to address food sustainability, being investigated across departments including Food and Nutritional Sciences and Agriculture, Policy and Development at the University of Reading, […]

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WET Centre offers confidence, consistency, control and cost-savings

Reducing the amount of water needed to grow high quality full flavoured strawberries while at the same time optimising the yield of the crop is now achievable thanks to the work of the new Water Efficient Technologies (WET) Centre, developed at NIAB EMR. The WET Centre, based at the centre for horticulture and perennial fruit […]

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Sustainable water use in Africa

Lancaster University leads a ground-breaking project working with African researchers and entrepreneurs to address the urgent need for safe, sustainable water use in Africa The £6.8M project, part of the UK Government’s Global Challenges Research Fund, aims to build capacity within Africa to carry out and translate high quality research into the new products, processes and […]

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Global issues to be tackled in ambitious research programme

An academic from the University of East Anglia (UEA) is part of a consortium that has won a £6.5m grant to look at food security in India. The funding, announced today by Minister of State for Universities and Science Jo Johnson, has been awarded by Research Councils UK as part of its Global Challenges Research Fund. The £225 […]

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Data from amateur naturalists can improve quality of predicted disease distributions

A new study concludes that members of the public can accurately report disease outbreaks affecting our native trees and that by combining their findings with official survey effort better quality predictions of disease distributions can be made.

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Blueberry growers advised to remain alert about recently detected pest

The blueberry aphid, Ericaphis scammelli, has been detected during routine aphid surveys by Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA) and is thought to be widespread across Scotland. It is also known to occur in other parts of the United Kingdom and Europe. The pest can be found more on some cultivars than others with highest infestation levels between […]

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Plants use calcium to convey internal warning of attacking aphids

Scientists at the John Innes Centre have discovered how plants send internal warning signals in response to attack by aphids. They found that when the insect feeds on a leaf it triggers the plant to admit calcium into the damaged cells. This small flux of calcium prompts the plant to signal that an attack is […]

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Major funding for new crop sciences research centre at NIAB in Cambridge

The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has announced funding for the creation of a new Cambridge Centre for Crop Science (3CS), developed by the University of Cambridge in collaboration with NIAB. The new centre will provide a major boost to the University and NIAB’s existing research initiatives around global food security.

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Waitrose strengthens Fairtrade commitment by extending scheme to 100% of its tea

Waitrose has today announced it will be extending its commitment to Fairtrade produce by making 100% of its own-label tea Fairtrade certified by October 2017. This will mean all 46 Waitrose tea products will be Fairtrade, which clearly symbolises to customers that the tea farmers are benefiting from good working conditions, a fair deal and […]

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