Farmers to access 81,000MT of seeds.

Farmers to access 81,000MT of seeds.The Federal Government has said about 81,000 metric tonnes of seeds are ready for deployment to farmers for the planting season. Director-General, National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC), Dr. Philip Ojo, who made this known during a virtual press conference, noted that the seeds would ensure that agricultural activities were not disrupted as a result of the lockdown imposed across the country. According to him, “The Council will ensure subsidies only to be applicable to seed purchased from NASC approved seed companies and producers, and provide certification officers and seed companies with movement tags or permits”.

Pesticides in Foods Can Harm Human Fertility.

Pesticides in Foods Can Harm Human Fertility. Pesticides are widely used chemicals that are impossible for most of us to avoid. Many people are aware that they impact weeds, insects, and fungi – as they are designed to do. But it is widely believed that they are harmless to humans at the low doses that they are exposed to through their diet. 

 However, a study published last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) suggests that pesticide residues in food may account for a large proportion of the roughly 100,000 unsuccessful pregnancy attempts in fertility clinics across North America. 

 The women in the study were grouped according to the amount of pesticides they ingested, as indicated by US Department of Agriculture data on average pesticide residue levels found in common foods. The study found that the women in the highest quartile (the 25% of women who consumed the most pesticides) had a 26% reduced chance of having a live birth than women in the lowest quartile, who consumed the least amount of pesticides. 

These findings were statistically significant. In terms of pregnancy loss (getting pregnant and miscarrying), women consuming the least pesticide had a 7% chance of miscarriage, while women consuming the most pesticide had a 34% chance of miscarriage. 

The authors believe that malfunctioning of the placenta is likely to be involved. The JAMA study, conducted by researchers based at the Chan School of Public Health and other institutions in Boston, Massachusetts, followed women receiving fertility treatments at the Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center in Boston. At the time that the women enrolled in the fertility clinic, the researchers asked them to recall their dietary consumption of a number of foods – including commonly consumed fruits and vegetables such as apples, pears, spinach, and potatoes. Skip to main content

Monsanto Loses Landmark Roundup Cancer Trial, Set to Pay USD 289 Million in Damages.

Monsanto Loses Landmark Roundup Cancer Trial, Set to Pay USD 289 Million in Damages. Monsanto has lost a landmark cancer trial in San Francisco and has been ordered by the Judge to pay over USD 289 Million in total damages to the former school groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson, a California father who has non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which was caused by Monsanto’s glyphosate-based weedkiller Roundup.

Monsanto sued small farmers to protect seed patents.

Monsanto sued small farmers to protect seed patents, report says.The agricultural giant Monsanto has sued hundreds of small farmers in the United States in recent years in attempts to protect its patent rights on genetically engineered seeds that it produces and sells, a new report said on Tuesday. The study, produced jointly by the Center for Food Safety and the Save Our Seeds campaigning groups, has outlined what it says is a concerted effort by the multinational to dominate the seeds industry in the US and prevent farmers from replanting crops they have produced from Monsanto seeds. In its report, called Seed Giants vs US Farmers, the CFS said it had tracked numerous law suits that Monsanto had brought against farmers and found some 142 patent infringement suits against 410 farmers and 56 small businesses in more than 27 states. In total the firm has won more than $23m from its targets, the report said.

GROWING VEGETABLES WITHOUT CHEMICALS.

Traditional farmer’s greatest problem in vegetable production is the high cost of inputs like fungicides, pesticides, herbicide, and many others. They cannot avoid these things because of different insect pests and diseases that attacked leaves and fruits of vegetables. Now, in the new generation of Philippine Atovi Technology, insect pests, fungus, virus, bacteria and weeds, are things of the past. Very costly fertilizer will not be a problem anymore. With the technology, vegetable seeds, hybrid or not, germinate much earlier, more retained flowers, more fruits, firm and heavier produce, crispier, better tasting and much safer to eat vegetables. With the experience of users, seed germination can only take 3 days at the most. This means fast growth and much shorter period to harvest. How to use the technology on Leafy Vegetables: Seeds must be soaked first in water with the technology for two and a half hours (2 ½ hrs.) before sowing it. Dilution: 1 tbsp Atovi : 1 liter of water. The dilution can be used many times for soaking. If there’s excess mixture (water & atovi), it can be used to condition the soil where it will be planted. Just water the planting hole with the said mixture. For two (2) weeks, spray Atovi every afternoon (preferably 5pm). Dilution: 2 tbsp. Atovi : 1 Gallon of Water (4 liters). Transplant after 2 weeks, and maintain the application of Atovi every late afternoon weekly and stop one (1) week before harvest time, using the same dilution stated in No.2 . For plots, be sure to cultivate the soil one (1) week before transplanting for good soil aeration. Much better results can be achieved if manure (fecal waste) from animals taking Atovi will be used as organic fertilizer during land preparation. If not, one can use ordinary animal manure to incorporate in the soil, but transplant only after 2 weeks. In any case, don’t forget to spray Atovi on the plot, to energize the beneficial bacteria in the soil, exterminate harmful microorganisms and insect pests, eradicate weed seeds, and achieve the 3-week organic soil state. In spraying, as much as possible make sure to wet the underside of leaves, and or, water the plant base/root zone. How to use the technology on Fruiting Vegetables : Seeds must be soaked first in water with the technology for two and a half hours (2 ½ hrs.) before sowing it. Dilution: 1 tbsp Atovi : 1cup of water. The dilution can be used many times for soaking. If there’s excess mixture (water & atovi), it can be used to condition the soil where it will be planted. Just water the planting hole with the said mixture. For two (2) weeks, spray Atovi every afternoon (preferably 5pm). Dilution: 2 tbsp. Atovi : 1 Gallon of Water (4 liters). Transplant after 2 weeks, and maintain the application of Atovi every late afternoon weekly and stop one (1) week before harvest time, using the same dilution stated in No.2 . For plots, be sure to cultivate the soil one (1) week before transplanting for good soil aeration. Much better results can be achieved if manure (fecal waste) from animals taking Atovi will be used as organic fertilizer during land preparation. If not, one can use ordinary animal manure to incorporate in the soil, but transplant only after 2 weeks. In any case, don’t forget to spray Atovi on the plot, to energize the beneficial bacteria in the soil, exterminate harmful microorganisms and insect pests, eradicate weed seeds, and achieve the 3-week organic soil state. In spraying, wet the underside of leaves, plant base/root zone and the fruits. How to use the technology on Root crops: For land preparation: cultivate well the soil one (1) week before transplanting for good soil aeration. Much better results can be achieved if manure (fecal waste) from animals already taking Atovi will be used as organic fertilizer during land preparation. DO NOT use fresh manure from animals not taking Atovi, for it would result on harmful bacteria and fungus development in the soil. Spray Atovi on the planting hole to energize the beneficial bacteria in the soil, exterminate harmful microorganisms and insects. story culled from materials of Atovi network.

Burbank and biotechnology.

Sir Burbank is famous for his numerous new plant varieties he produced by crossing different strains and specie. He is publicly acclaimed for his spineless cacti varieties. The work of Burbank is based mostly on Darwin's theory that in every plant/animal there are variations.He reasoned that genes are selected randomly during breeding,but that in the DNA of plants/animals there are many variations and combination. Burbank worked on various species and produced numerous new species that were bigger, juicy and very colorful.The work on genes,species is now more advanced now with BIOTECHNOLOGY.. The various techniques applied in biotechnology makes selection of desirable traits very easy and the recombination into another specie to produce a new variant.The use of biotechnology is indeed the key to food security.The production of new variant of plants/animals that are resistant to diseases,pest and harsh environment resulting in better variants.This new variants grows rapidly,are bigger and more juicy.These new variants mature fast thus shortening harvest time and are usually large in size commanding high market value.This indeed is a world of possibilities,creating new strains and breeds to feed the ever increasing population. Biotechnology is vital to food security and sustainability.