Plant reproduction Archives - Page 5 of 14

Caffeine gives bees a buzz that improves their memory

March 28, 2013

Scientists have shown that caffeine improves a honeybee’s memory and that helps the plant recruit more bees to spread its pollen. Publishing in Science the researchers show that in tests, honeybees feeding on a sugar solution containing caffeine, which occurs naturally in the nectar of coffee and citrus flowers, were three times more likely to

Crops

Beekeepers ask courts to ban controversial pesticides

By Carey Gillam March 28, 2013

U.S. environmental regulators are failing to protect honeybees and should immediately suspend use of some toxic insecticides tied to the widespread deaths of bees, charges a new lawsuit. “It is a catastrophe in progress,” said migratory beekeeper Steve Ellis, who maintains 2,000 hives for pollinating crops from Minnesota to California. “We have an ongoing problem

International news, Livestock, News

Manitobans boosting Filipino honey sector

By Shannon VanRaes March 16, 2013

A decade ago, there were just 5,000 hives in the entire nation,  but now honey production and demand for beekeeping training is soaring

Only a few years ago beekeeping wasn’t even recognized by the Philippine Department of Agriculture. Now it’s having trouble keeping up with demand for training. The change is partly due to the efforts of a group of Manitoba apiarists who have been visiting the Philippines in recent winters, while also inviting beekeepers from the South

Crops, Oilseeds

Study finds wild bees boost crop yields

By Victoria Paterson March 16, 2013

Wild bees and other pollinating insects can make quite a difference when it comes to crop yields, according to a new study. “Our message is not that honeybees are bad — it’s that we could do better if, in addition, we were encouraging more activity by wild insects,” said Lawrence Harder, a professor of biological

Country Crossroads

It’s time to plant pepper seeds

By Albert Parsons March 16, 2013

It might be difficult to start thinking about the outdoor garden since it still looks very much like winter. There are plants we grow outside, however, that must be given a head start if they are going to be productive during the summer because of our short growing season. Peppers are good candidates for seeding

Crops, Oilseeds

The quest is on to improve rate of canola emergence

By Daniel Winters March 7, 2013

Canola seeds may be tiny, but they don’t come cheap. That’s prompted more farmers to use row-crop precision seeders in order to get more bang for their buck. There are many row-crop seeders on the market, but the problem is none of them do a perfect job, said Pipe-stone-area farmer Frank Prince, who offered his

Crops, News, Oilseeds, Pulses, Weather

Soybean planting protocols still under investigation

By Gord Gilmour February 23, 2013

Soybean acreage is soaring in Manitoba, but some basic agronomy — such as how, when, and with what to plant the crop — is still being hammered out. Seeding dates and rates, row spacing, and post-seeding rolling practices are the focus of trials being conducted by Brent VanKoughnet of Agri Skills for the Manitoba Pulse

Crops, News

World seed banks get secure funding to protect the genetic diversity of food crops

By Alister Doyle February 12, 2013

Scientists have agreed on a $109-million plan to strengthen the world’s biggest seed banks of crops such as rice and wheat to help protect and develop new varieties resistant to climate change and other threats. The Global Crop Diversity Trust and the CGIAR Consortium of agricultural researchers said on Jan. 31 that a five-year plan

Crops, News, Oilseeds

Max out yields with shorter-season soybeans

By Daniel Winters January 17, 2013

Remember Aug. 22, 2004? For gardeners in the southwest, it is a date that shall live in infamy. And for soybean growers, it’s a reminder that in Manitoba, the first killing frost doesn’t always come in the third week of September. Farmers should keep that in mind when choosing a variety that can be crammed

Crops, News

Farmer’s privilege open to interpretation

By Shannon VanRaes January 17, 2013

A farmer’s ability to save seeds could be threatened if the Comprehensive European Trade Agreement (CETA) includes the changes to plant breeders’ rights, says the National Farmers Union (NFU). Canada’s current system of plant breeders’ rights is based on the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants Convention’s (UPOV) 1978 framework. But

Daily Network News

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures end lower

ICE Weekly: Trade progress, new data threaten to break canola’s price range

CBOT Weekly: Trade awaits USDA S/D report

Tag Archives Plant reproduction