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Namibian.com

“We are doing our small part in making our desert bloom"

With three hectares under plastic and net Farm Shalom in the Swakop River Valley yields 40 tonnes of fresh produce every month in Namibia's unforgiving desert environment. From cold, wet and misty conditions to dusty, hot east winds that can drive the mercury up to almost 50 degrees Celsius, extremes are…

Roanoke.com

US: Riner nursery is planting for a better tomorrow

Herbs have been used as medicine for much of human history, and today one local nursery is using them to fight another widespread problem: hunger. Riverbend Nursery is setting aside a portion of sales from its “Blue Ridge Grown” line of herb, fruit and vegetable plants to donate to hunger relief…

Cow afloat

A cow from the Floating Farm, a floating farm in Rotterdam where, among other things, lettuce is also grown, temporarily found themselves in the water yesterday. An accident that was solved after almost an hour with the help of the fire brigade. This is the second time in a short time that a cow has fallen into water. Source:…

How technology can help resolve the food waste problem

While most sustainability practices focus on eradicating the negative effects of plastic on the environment, they fail to realize that food waste, while biodegradable in many cases, is also just as harmful. This has been a growing problem worldwide. Harmful Effects of food wasteA 2018 study by the Boston…

Moderate demand on ample celery supplies

Supplies of celery are plentiful in the marketplace currently. Supplies are better than they were last year at this time. Currently production is happening in Oxnard, CA but will transition to Castroville, CA by the end of the month. As for competing supplies, Florida has finished up with its production.…

Increasing early blueberry yield with hydrogen cyanamide on bud break

Highbush blueberries need sufficient chilling exposure to induce bud break and flowering, which limits their cultivation in warm areas as well as the profitability of…

Study: can the adoption of protected cultivation facilities affect farm sustainability?

Given the increasing threat of climate change to agriculture, determining how to achieve farm sustainability is important for researchers and policymakers. Among others,…

© Korn Vitthayanukarun | Dreamstime.com

Researchers trace path of light in photosynthesis

Heliobacteria, a type of bacteria that uses photosynthesis to generate energy, has reaction centers thought to be similar to those of the common ancestors for all photosynthetic organisms. Now, a University of Michigan team has determined the first steps in converting light into energy for this…

Kelp, maggots and mycoprotein must be mass-farmed to combat malnutrition

Radical changes to the food system are needed to safeguard our food supply and combat malnutrition in the face of climate change, environmental degradation, and epidemics, says a new report. Researchers at the University of Cambridge say our future global food supply cannot be safeguarded by traditional…

Green Digitalisation in tomato and cucumber production

“Over the last years, we developed several models and tools to support growers in optimizing their cultivation and to stimulate a digital transformation in greenhouse…

"Taking the lead in sustainable tray formats"

Tray sealing specialist Proseal says it is well positioned to help food producers explore options for alternative packaging materials. The company has worked closely with both tray and film suppliers to stay ahead of the demand from retailers and consumers for environmentally friendly solutions and has a…

USDA restricts PACA violators in Illinois and New Jersey from operating in produce industry

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has imposed sanctions on two produce businesses for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased…

Syngenta UK appoints new member to vegetable seed team

Syngenta has appointed Harry Twinberrow as a Technical Sales Representative to further grow the UK Vegetable Seeds Commercial Team. Harry has previously worked for Syngenta in Switzerland, with the regional Sustainable and Responsible Business Team, whilst following an industry graduate scheme. The MDS graduate…

"Our platform understands the importance of data in tacking burning issues of today"

InfiSense, a SaaS data company launched in 2019, announced that it graduated from the 2020/2021 Creative Destruction Lab (CDL-Montreal) supply chain stream program and…

US agtech company hires vice president of investor relations

AppHarvest announced Kaveh Bakhtiari will join as the company in a newly created role as VP, Investor Relations, effective May 17, 2021. In this new position, Bakhtiari will focus on developing AppHarvest’s strategic positioning and building relationships with the global investment community. Bakhtiari is…

High-tech greenhouse grows tomatoes with super-low CO2 emission

On the west coast of Finland, a five-year-old semi-closed greenhouse is stocking supermarket shelves with nearly carbon-neutral, high-quality TOV and cherry tomatoes. Agrifutura Tomaatit acquired a study of its climate footprint from LUKE (Natural Resources Institute Finland) in 2021 and despite growing…

Practices and products to control algae in greenhouses

The University of Connecticut has published a review about the biology of algae and practices and products to control it in greenhouses. Algae is one of the most common…

Rosselkhoznadzor lifts ban on import of tomatoes, peppers from two Belarusian companies

The Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance has lifted restrictions on the import of tomatoes and peppers produced by two Belarusian enterprises.…

UK: Farm levy body AHDB to axe up to 140 jobs as it winds down its potato and horticulture operations

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) plans to axe up to 140 jobs as it winds down its potato and horticulture operations. The farm levy body organization…

Joint marketing enables negotiation with food retailers at equal level

Consumers want their vegetables and fruit to be regional, fresh and aromatic. Fair prices are an important argument for farms in Bavaria. They see joint marketing as a major plus for negotiations with the food trade at an equal level. In Bavaria, the Bavarian State Institute for Agriculture (LfL) is…

Late freeze in Michigan takes first flushes of asparagus out

A series of freezing nights in the West Central region of Michigan caused the first flushes of asparagus production to be taken away. This has resulted in supplies being very light and primarily coming from Southern Michigan. “We hope supplies will gradually pick up this week,” says Tyler Hodges of…

NL: Approach for effective sustainability programs in agri-food sector

Wageningen University & Research (WUR) has developed a five-step approach that could help food-producing companies create effective sustainability programs together with supplying farmers. The approach is aimed at transparency between all parties regarding the efforts required to achieve sustainability…

China: greenhouses create oasis of vegetable fields in Tibet

Inside a greenhouse located some 4,500 meters above sea level, Yangjen walks through a field to check the growth of cucumbers, green peppers, and radishes. "In the past,…

"Positive impact on the quality of final products thanks to disinfection".

Over the last 5 years, Stannuco nursery has seen a strong improvement in the vitality of its crops. The general hygiene of the company is very good and, in addition, extensive water analyses showed that the water quality was of the highest level. With these achievements, they win the Huwa-San Water…

France: Photovoltaic solar power plant to protect asparagus from the cold

In Mallemort (Bouches-du-Rhône department), Laurent Chabert grows asparagus in a photovoltaic greenhouse of 3 hectares. The crops are therefore protected from the cold, as the greenhouse serves to limit temperature gaps within the structure. “The outside temperatures dropped to -5°C but stayed above 0°C…

US (TX): DFW Airport is turning passengers’ food into fertilizer to achieve carbon neutrality

According to airport calculations, DFW's terminals generate about 32,000 tons of solid waste a year. And the airport says about a quarter of that trash is organic waste, or food, which isn’t really waste.“Food is the single largest item in the American waste stream,” said Lauren Clarke, founder and CEO…

New pepper family member in chocolate color called "Chocolonely"

Now that the Dutch pepper-growing season is in full swing, the entire color mix of Sweet Palermo pointed peppers is available once again, including the eye-catching chocolate-colored ‘Chocolony’. Last year, vegetable breeding company Rijk Zwaan released a video showcasing the unique color mix of its…

Wireless radio systems to remotely monitor greenhouses

With a technology that does not need to be connected to the electrical grid, greenhouse activities can be managed, monitored and programmed. This is possible thanks to LoRaWAN, a wireless radio system that communicates data over long distances without the need for an Internet connection. Luca Occhipinti showing…

UV-disinfection already possible from 1 cubic meter per hour

Never too much or too little, that's what UV water disinfection is all about. Including with the new Aqualux Slim Fit with a capacity of 1 cubic meter per hour. With this new UV disinfectant, producer Artechno also makes it possible for growers with a small greenhouse, laboratory or cultivation area to…

“Plastic rigid and flexible packaging solutions brought significant change in way goods are packed”

The European plastic packaging market is expected to grow again, as demand for flexible plastic packaging is increasing from both food and non-food sectors. Innovation has…

Tax deductions for Canadian growers

Most of the tax rules that apply to Canadian small business owners also apply to farmers and agricultural producers. There are however some expenses, tax deductions and write-offs that apply specifically to income earned through agricultural activities that will help lower your tax bill. Expenses, tax…

French cooperation grows with and thanks to stone wool slab

French tomato grower Anne-Claire Goyer has been working with Cultilene substrate slabs and cubes for many years and is very happy with the results. She finds that Exact Air and RootmaXX complement one another perfectly and also speaks very highly of the support and added value Cultilene provides.…

Organic pak choi grown in good Dutch soil

Dutch organic farmer, Gert van Brakel, has just sold his last organic pak choi. Lovely large, weighty organic pak choi from good 'Dutch clay soil'. The grower showed that on Dutch TV last week. Earlier this year, a TV crew from a Dutch broadcaster visited Gert. An image from that TV broadcast. Cucumber In the…

How do I determine the number of fans in a greenhouse?

To calculate the number of fans in a greenhouse, it is important to have three basic factors available. With these basic factors, Vostermans Ventilation can calculate the number of fans step by step. Basic factorsGreenhouse dimensions: Start by calculating the volume of the entire greenhouse and make a note…

Kids in NYC food deserts continue hydroponic farming education at home

Teens for Food Justice (TFFJ), a nonprofit with a mission to ensure that all New Yorkers have access to fresh and healthy food through youth-led, school-based hydroponic farming, is helping kids living in NYC's food deserts continue growing nutritious produce and engaging with food justice content during…

Photograph: Encarni Pindado/The Guardian

Guardian puts agriculture workers in the spotlight: "vital workers, but poor"

In the piercing midday heat of southern Texas, farmhand Linda Villarreal moves methodically to weed row after row of parsley, rising only occasionally to stretch her achy back and nibble on sugary biscuits she keeps in her pockets. In the distance, a green and white border patrol truck drives along the…

What are the main drivers of innovation today?

During yesterday's Bayer ForwardFarming webinar, Jan de Ruiter was one of the speakers. Jan is Sector Banker Agricultural at ABN Amro. He kicked off the live panel discussion…

ALPS

Excess motion in CEA facility maintenance and how to eliminate it

How does it occur in a greenhouse or indoor facility maintenance and how can one eliminate it? What is excess motion in maintenance? Excess motion is unnecessary movement within a facility. In maintenance, excess motion can occur while inefficiently moving about the facility to perform regularly…