As the global financial crisis has unravelled over the last few months and various stimulus packages have been announced, I have been very surprised at how little emphasis there has been on stimulating the agriculture sector despite continued high food prices. Short term, "stop-gap" measures are simply going to contribute to social unrest around the world.
Read the complete Far.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
CSIR and Syngenta join forces for Africa’s development
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and international crop and seed improvement specialist, Syngenta, have entered into a partnership to explore the contemporary scientific fields of biosciences and nanotechnology for Africa’s development.
Read the complete article here.
Read the complete article here.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
First-ever drought-tolerant corn now one step closer to farmers
BASF Plant Science and Monsanto Company today announced that they are a major step closer to delivering the world’s first drought-tolerant corn product to farmers. According to the companies, the product has moved into the final phase prior to an anticipated market launch early next decade. They also reported that Monsanto has submitted the product to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for regulatory clearance.
Read the complete article here.
Read the complete article here.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
What Is A Hydroponic Greenhouse?
By Jaden Sloan
Hydroponic greenhouses grant an inert mode of raising plants. Most plants that are hydroponically raised must be treated with prim attention in controlled conditions. The use of nettle is frequent on this kind of greenhouses where the grate chains the roots of the plants because no soil is worn in raising the plants. It also balances the assorted nutrients that provide the plants as liquid.
Those large commercially oriented greenhouse have automated habits to refine and publicize seeds. All the things wanted to grow the seeds are all set with automated nursing and maintenance. There are receptive sensors on the gravel that automatically turns on the pumps that contains water or other element solutions that are practical on the seeds.
Using hydroponic greenhouses gives a gardener the gain of increasing the crop total yielded in a solo return. In ordinary agriculture, he may only fabricate the normal crop garner. He may lookalike or triple the crop production by applying the methods in hydroponic farming. It should found big winner in his greenhouse by using substance fertilizers somewhat than the customary potting soil or organic fertilizers.
Steve Fox of New Mexico proposes the greenhouse gardeners should grow the production of yielded crop by extensively practicing the use of lifeless compound fertilizers. He may also avert poisoning the soil from organic substance fertilizers that kills the living microorganisms that are elemental in the pure lump of the plants. He says that these chemicals should be worn only on controlled conditions by elite hydroponic greenhouses where the destruction of the gravel beds will be avoided which are important in the for the origin backing of the hydroponically raised plants.
A guise may wonder how the food he eats comes from hydroponic greenhouses conscious that this structure used element dead fertilizer. This could upset a someone's mindset on the food that he eats. Many nutritionists have proven that these vegetables or fruits that came from hydroponic greenhouses are protected and nutritious because plants only absorb the fertilizer in an organic territory.
Daniel Arnon, a physiologist professor from the University of California have declared that the place nutrients acquired from organic composts are useful to plants when they are converted into dead status because of the function of the microorganisms to fertilize the soil. Many food scientists have studied and proved that all fertilizer rudiments should be converted first into soluble form before the roots of the conceal use it.
The usually used element fertilizers have oriented many greenhouses to feed the crops and not the soil. This may outcome to the decease of the soil because of the fracture down of the organic composition. When it comes to fertilize the soil, it is important to reminisce the decorous organic steps to feed the soil so that it will construct sufficient inorganic fertilizer required to yield more nutrients in it. The points out that organic gardening may not necessarily engender the wanted nutrients, where in organic fertilizer must be bent first to source the nutrients in the organic form.
When the qualities applies raw compound fertilizers on the soil, he may affect the soil order. Microorganisms that may have been living in the soil would assuredly die because these artificial fertilizers. The soil could no longer grow any plants save the continual use of substance fertilizers is applied.
Hydroponic gardening may not necessary the navy of the soil. The plants are fed through extort nutrient dosages to encourage their production and for earlier lump. Business minded persons are interested on this kind of method. On the other hand, the world nowadays cannot anymore accommodate the upward plead for food because of the unstoppable tumor of the world's population that is why chemicals are now widely used on many crops to persuade with the increasing petition for food bring.
Many experts attain that the use of substance solutions in crops is bad for the environment. Most of these chemical solutions are made from fuel yield that should give the qualities the conclusion that these products are pollutants. However, the near period dictate the require to accept this veracity because of the must to supply the farmers with the needed chemical solutions to produce and return more crops to sustain the production of food.
Article Directory: http://www.articlecube.com
Read about hardy roses and iceberg roses at the Types Of Roses website.
Hydroponic greenhouses grant an inert mode of raising plants. Most plants that are hydroponically raised must be treated with prim attention in controlled conditions. The use of nettle is frequent on this kind of greenhouses where the grate chains the roots of the plants because no soil is worn in raising the plants. It also balances the assorted nutrients that provide the plants as liquid.
Those large commercially oriented greenhouse have automated habits to refine and publicize seeds. All the things wanted to grow the seeds are all set with automated nursing and maintenance. There are receptive sensors on the gravel that automatically turns on the pumps that contains water or other element solutions that are practical on the seeds.
Using hydroponic greenhouses gives a gardener the gain of increasing the crop total yielded in a solo return. In ordinary agriculture, he may only fabricate the normal crop garner. He may lookalike or triple the crop production by applying the methods in hydroponic farming. It should found big winner in his greenhouse by using substance fertilizers somewhat than the customary potting soil or organic fertilizers.
Steve Fox of New Mexico proposes the greenhouse gardeners should grow the production of yielded crop by extensively practicing the use of lifeless compound fertilizers. He may also avert poisoning the soil from organic substance fertilizers that kills the living microorganisms that are elemental in the pure lump of the plants. He says that these chemicals should be worn only on controlled conditions by elite hydroponic greenhouses where the destruction of the gravel beds will be avoided which are important in the for the origin backing of the hydroponically raised plants.
A guise may wonder how the food he eats comes from hydroponic greenhouses conscious that this structure used element dead fertilizer. This could upset a someone's mindset on the food that he eats. Many nutritionists have proven that these vegetables or fruits that came from hydroponic greenhouses are protected and nutritious because plants only absorb the fertilizer in an organic territory.
Daniel Arnon, a physiologist professor from the University of California have declared that the place nutrients acquired from organic composts are useful to plants when they are converted into dead status because of the function of the microorganisms to fertilize the soil. Many food scientists have studied and proved that all fertilizer rudiments should be converted first into soluble form before the roots of the conceal use it.
The usually used element fertilizers have oriented many greenhouses to feed the crops and not the soil. This may outcome to the decease of the soil because of the fracture down of the organic composition. When it comes to fertilize the soil, it is important to reminisce the decorous organic steps to feed the soil so that it will construct sufficient inorganic fertilizer required to yield more nutrients in it. The points out that organic gardening may not necessarily engender the wanted nutrients, where in organic fertilizer must be bent first to source the nutrients in the organic form.
When the qualities applies raw compound fertilizers on the soil, he may affect the soil order. Microorganisms that may have been living in the soil would assuredly die because these artificial fertilizers. The soil could no longer grow any plants save the continual use of substance fertilizers is applied.
Hydroponic gardening may not necessary the navy of the soil. The plants are fed through extort nutrient dosages to encourage their production and for earlier lump. Business minded persons are interested on this kind of method. On the other hand, the world nowadays cannot anymore accommodate the upward plead for food because of the unstoppable tumor of the world's population that is why chemicals are now widely used on many crops to persuade with the increasing petition for food bring.
Many experts attain that the use of substance solutions in crops is bad for the environment. Most of these chemical solutions are made from fuel yield that should give the qualities the conclusion that these products are pollutants. However, the near period dictate the require to accept this veracity because of the must to supply the farmers with the needed chemical solutions to produce and return more crops to sustain the production of food.
Article Directory: http://www.articlecube.com
Read about hardy roses and iceberg roses at the Types Of Roses website.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Agriculture
Not a particularly specific blog posting but something I thought I would throw out into the ether.
I had an interesting interview with Jon Maguire the Chief Investment Officer of a UK fund management company called Cru. Scanning some of the news sites, I see that Maguire and Cru have raised a few hackles in SA and the UK.
Whether people like them or their investment methodology is not of any particular consequence to me. However I did want to touch on one of the comments he made.
One of the sectors they believe provide some great opportunities are the African agricultural sectors. "Farming" will never hold the appeal of high finance or technology, but the reality is there will always be mouths to feed, there is a global shortage of food (i.e. plenty of demand for the product) and with banking on the back foot agriculture is one of the areas where they are seeing some opportunities.
They've invested in places like Malawi, where farming is a relatively low cost investment.
With the global economy facing a massive downturn, food remains a highly defensive industry in which to be in - as they say when things go pear shaped there are always two sectors you can rely on - Food and Beer!
Would be interesting to hear from other entrepreneurs and investors about issues for or against the South African / African agriculture sector as a viable industry to consider.
I had an interesting interview with Jon Maguire the Chief Investment Officer of a UK fund management company called Cru. Scanning some of the news sites, I see that Maguire and Cru have raised a few hackles in SA and the UK.
Whether people like them or their investment methodology is not of any particular consequence to me. However I did want to touch on one of the comments he made.
One of the sectors they believe provide some great opportunities are the African agricultural sectors. "Farming" will never hold the appeal of high finance or technology, but the reality is there will always be mouths to feed, there is a global shortage of food (i.e. plenty of demand for the product) and with banking on the back foot agriculture is one of the areas where they are seeing some opportunities.
They've invested in places like Malawi, where farming is a relatively low cost investment.
With the global economy facing a massive downturn, food remains a highly defensive industry in which to be in - as they say when things go pear shaped there are always two sectors you can rely on - Food and Beer!
Would be interesting to hear from other entrepreneurs and investors about issues for or against the South African / African agriculture sector as a viable industry to consider.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Sustainable production of fruit and vegetables
Consumers are increasingly inquiring about the ecological and social conditions under which their food is produced. Moreover, the focus is no longer on the quality alone. The availability of high quality food is also assuming greater importance. There is a trend to the more sustainable production of food, particularly in the case of fresh fruit and vegetables. But what does “sustainable production” actually mean?
Together with the REWE Group, BASF is developing a concept for the sustainable production of selected fruit and vegetable varieties
BASF Crop Protection has been one of the partners of the “Best Alliance” initiative for sustainable contract cultivation. The REWE Group set up the project in order to shape the procurement and cultivation of fruit and vegetables more responsibly. The “Alliance of the Best” is based on close cooperation with partners from agriculture, service providers, manufacturers of crop protection active ingredients and agricultural advisory services as well as with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as independent competence partners.
This successful cooperation is now being extended: With the joint development of a concept for the sustainable production of selected fruit and vegetable varieties, BASF’s sustainability experts are supporting the REWE Group in implementing a sustainable procurement strategy within the “Best Alliance” brand.
In order for consumers and other interest groups to better understand what is meant by the sustainability of the products, it is necessary to establish clearly defined criteria and standards.
The requirements regarding fruit and vegetables of the “Best Alliance” brand involve three areas: The optimized use of crop protection active ingredients and adherence to defined environmental and social standards. For a product to be able to bear the “Best Alliance” brand in the long term, it is essential that there is a continuous improvement in all three fields.
Eco-efficiency analysis for assessing sustainability
Apart from the defined basic criteria, investigations are being carried out to determine how the eco-efficiency analysis can be used in future as a central control tool in connection with “Best Alliance”. By identifying the adjusting lever for sustainability and permanent optimizations together with the producers and the supply chain, an improvement process is being installed that at the same time involves the verticalization of REWE’s procurement chains in the case of fruit and vegetables in the form of contract cultivation. “A clear commitment to sustainable production within the “Best Alliance” brand is an important and consistent step for REWE. It is crucial to implement more comprehensible criteria in the sense of ecological and social responsibility”, says Guido Siebenmorgen, head of the strategic purchasing of food in the REWE Group.
The method developed by BASF and certified by the German Technical Inspection Organization (TÜV) assesses the economic and ecological effects over the whole life cycle. It identifies the crucial adjusting levers for improving a product’s sustainability along the value adding chain. In this way, all participants in the procurement chain are involved in the improvement process. Similar products or processes can be compared using the eco-efficiency analysis. “Only if all the influences are taken into account in their entirety, can the best balance be found between the requirements of industry, society and the environment”, says Klaus Welsch, Vice President for BASF’s Crop Protection business in Europe
Under the motto “Living Food Quality Together”, BASF is continuing to extend its partnerships with the food value chains in various countries and crops.
Sustainability in BASF’s customer relations
The issue of sustainability is playing an important role for more and more customers. Therefore, in connection with the Success initiative – added value through sustainability – BASF supports customers in implementing sustainability in their business processes. Thanks to its many years of experience, BASF is in a good position regarding the sustainability issue: Only at the beginning of September was BASF chosen as the top chemical company in the most important sustainability index in the world, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI World). For example, the climate strategy, environmental and social reporting and the development of innovative and eco-efficient products were the decisive factors for this distinction. In the DJSI World, of the 2500 companies of the Dow Jones Global Index, the leading ten percent of each sector are listed in the area of sustainability.
Together with the REWE Group, BASF is developing a concept for the sustainable production of selected fruit and vegetable varieties
BASF Crop Protection has been one of the partners of the “Best Alliance” initiative for sustainable contract cultivation. The REWE Group set up the project in order to shape the procurement and cultivation of fruit and vegetables more responsibly. The “Alliance of the Best” is based on close cooperation with partners from agriculture, service providers, manufacturers of crop protection active ingredients and agricultural advisory services as well as with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as independent competence partners.
This successful cooperation is now being extended: With the joint development of a concept for the sustainable production of selected fruit and vegetable varieties, BASF’s sustainability experts are supporting the REWE Group in implementing a sustainable procurement strategy within the “Best Alliance” brand.
In order for consumers and other interest groups to better understand what is meant by the sustainability of the products, it is necessary to establish clearly defined criteria and standards.
The requirements regarding fruit and vegetables of the “Best Alliance” brand involve three areas: The optimized use of crop protection active ingredients and adherence to defined environmental and social standards. For a product to be able to bear the “Best Alliance” brand in the long term, it is essential that there is a continuous improvement in all three fields.
Eco-efficiency analysis for assessing sustainability
Apart from the defined basic criteria, investigations are being carried out to determine how the eco-efficiency analysis can be used in future as a central control tool in connection with “Best Alliance”. By identifying the adjusting lever for sustainability and permanent optimizations together with the producers and the supply chain, an improvement process is being installed that at the same time involves the verticalization of REWE’s procurement chains in the case of fruit and vegetables in the form of contract cultivation. “A clear commitment to sustainable production within the “Best Alliance” brand is an important and consistent step for REWE. It is crucial to implement more comprehensible criteria in the sense of ecological and social responsibility”, says Guido Siebenmorgen, head of the strategic purchasing of food in the REWE Group.
The method developed by BASF and certified by the German Technical Inspection Organization (TÜV) assesses the economic and ecological effects over the whole life cycle. It identifies the crucial adjusting levers for improving a product’s sustainability along the value adding chain. In this way, all participants in the procurement chain are involved in the improvement process. Similar products or processes can be compared using the eco-efficiency analysis. “Only if all the influences are taken into account in their entirety, can the best balance be found between the requirements of industry, society and the environment”, says Klaus Welsch, Vice President for BASF’s Crop Protection business in Europe
Under the motto “Living Food Quality Together”, BASF is continuing to extend its partnerships with the food value chains in various countries and crops.
Sustainability in BASF’s customer relations
The issue of sustainability is playing an important role for more and more customers. Therefore, in connection with the Success initiative – added value through sustainability – BASF supports customers in implementing sustainability in their business processes. Thanks to its many years of experience, BASF is in a good position regarding the sustainability issue: Only at the beginning of September was BASF chosen as the top chemical company in the most important sustainability index in the world, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI World). For example, the climate strategy, environmental and social reporting and the development of innovative and eco-efficient products were the decisive factors for this distinction. In the DJSI World, of the 2500 companies of the Dow Jones Global Index, the leading ten percent of each sector are listed in the area of sustainability.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Scratchboard Art wins Award at Kirstenbosch Exhibition
Scraperboard art is an interesting art form. The image is scratched into the medium, rather than painted on in the traditional manner. The medium itself consists of a sheet of board, which is coated with white chalk (clay). It is then sprayed (overlaid) with a matt black ink.
To create the image, the artist uses a sharp, (usually arrow-shaped) metal instrument, to scratch away the black surface and reveal the white area. The medium allows for intricate detail, sharp contrast, and a wide range of textures. Depending on the intent of the artist, several areas may be cleared out for layering with watercolours, airbrush or acrylics. These layers are then scratched off one by one to create different shades of colour that blend into and highlight certain parts of the image. This technique can yield an image that appears remarkably lifelike.
From the 9th of September, the artist, Solly Gutman, who lives in Cape Town will be exhibiting at the Kirstenbosch Biennale which is an exhibition of botanical art focusing on flora indigenous to Southern Africa where selected artists from South African and abroad will be exhibiting. It is the 2nd time that Solly has been invited to exhibit and we are hoping that it will introduce people to the Scraperboard/Scratchboard medium.
The artist commenced working in the Scraperboard medium in 1968, and this has remained his exclusive medium. Solly Gutman has a love of early Cape Town & the surrounding areas and he has previously done work for the Robben Island Group and held numerous exhibitions around Cape Town. You can find out more about this medium on the following website - www.scraperboardart.co.za
Source: SanePR
To create the image, the artist uses a sharp, (usually arrow-shaped) metal instrument, to scratch away the black surface and reveal the white area. The medium allows for intricate detail, sharp contrast, and a wide range of textures. Depending on the intent of the artist, several areas may be cleared out for layering with watercolours, airbrush or acrylics. These layers are then scratched off one by one to create different shades of colour that blend into and highlight certain parts of the image. This technique can yield an image that appears remarkably lifelike.
From the 9th of September, the artist, Solly Gutman, who lives in Cape Town will be exhibiting at the Kirstenbosch Biennale which is an exhibition of botanical art focusing on flora indigenous to Southern Africa where selected artists from South African and abroad will be exhibiting. It is the 2nd time that Solly has been invited to exhibit and we are hoping that it will introduce people to the Scraperboard/Scratchboard medium.
The artist commenced working in the Scraperboard medium in 1968, and this has remained his exclusive medium. Solly Gutman has a love of early Cape Town & the surrounding areas and he has previously done work for the Robben Island Group and held numerous exhibitions around Cape Town. You can find out more about this medium on the following website - www.scraperboardart.co.za
Source: SanePR
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