How three teens used bacteria to tackle global food poverty.

How three teens used bacteria to tackle global food poverty. Ciara Judge, Emer Hickey, and Sophie Healy-Thow, high-schoolers from County Cork, Ireland discovered a bacterial treatment for cereal crop seeds that could potentially increase yields in areas stricken by famine. The three were named the winners of Google's annual global science fair for teens after they spent eleven months treating cereal crop seeds with a natural bacteria and waiting for them to grow. It turned out the team didn't have to wait very long. The bacteria helped the seeds to germinate much faster than usual and the girls are now looking to apply their method in famine-prone areas. The girls plunged into the project after Emer's mother discovered nodules on the roots of her pea plants while gardening. Curiosity led them to the classroom, where a teacher informed them about Diazotroph bacteria, which helps convert atmospheric nitrogen into a more usable form. Legumes like the pea plant in Emer's backyard are known to have a beneficial relationship with one kind of Diazotroph bacteria known as rhizobia. The students inoculated thousands of seed samples with a diluted syrup of rhyzobia. They found that, even in non-legume plants, this naturally-occurring bacteria accelerated crop germination by up to 50 percent and there are big benefits to completing the germination stage more quickly. more

Coffee and renewable energy in Central America.

Coffee and renewable energy in Central America. Turning waste water from coffee farms into biogas cuts down on pollution and provides sustainable energy.Coffee is the second most-valuable commodity in the world and in the year 2010 global consumption reached 8bn kg. However, many of us may not consider the negative environmental impact around the morning cup of coffee we rely on to start the day. Waste water generated from coffee wet-mill processing, which uses large amounts of water to remove the fruit of the seed, is often discharged untreated into the environment. This process pollutes ground water, basins and soils and affects rural communities’ drinking water, as well as local fauna and flora, and marine life in coastal areas. What’s more, it has also been discovered that coffee waste water generates a considerable amount of greenhouse gases, particularly methane. But coffee waste water is rich in organic matter, which can be used to generate energy via anaerobic decomposition.more

Agribusiness: How to stop post harvest losses.

How to reduce losses after harvesting vegetables. Agribusiness has grown in leaps and bounds  globally. over the years. The most common vegetables and fruits grown  include kale, lettuce, cabbages, potatoes, carrots, onions, cucumber, broccoli, beans, peas, avocado, mangoes, oranges and others. 

 

These fruits and vegetables tend to get damaged when being harvested, while being handled, during storage, processing, packaging, transportation and marketing. They are delicate and tend to lose water even after being harvested.  Post harvest losses.

This causes the veggies  to  lose color and  weight, affecting the appearance and therefore the market value. To reduce  post harvest losses after harvesting vegetables, consider the following points

1) Avoid exposing harvested vegetables to high and low temperatures  kale, cabbages and any other leafy vegetable are made of thin leaves that when exposed to heat dry out quickly acquiring a yellowish color with moldy spots. 

Juicy fruits  tend to dry up quicker when exposed to heat. 

Keep your fruits and vegetables in a cool, dry place with good air conditioning. MORE

Sugarcane seedling transplanter developed in Coimbatore.

Sugarcane seedling transplanter developed in Coimbatore. The Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR)- Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, and Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Coimbatore regional centre, have jointly developed and commercialized a tractor-mounted, two-row mechanical transplanter for sugarcane seedlings raised from sugarcane bud chips and single-bud setts. The transplanter is expected to reduce the cost of sugarcane cultivation by 20%, the scientists at the Sugarcane Breeding Institute have predicted.more

Canine noise aversion

The fear and anxiety associated with noise is commonly called noise sensitivity, anxiety or phobia, depending upon the types and severity of clinical signs. Noise aversion is a term used to encompass the spectrum of degrees of fear and anxiety associated with noise. The common triggers are Although noise aversion is common, dog owners often do not seek help from their veterinarians. A U.S.-based study reported that 40 percent of pet owners seek treatment from their veterinarian and 20 percent look for solutions on their own. The remaining 40 percent of dogs suffering from noise aversion do not receive any treatment. One reason may be that pet owners recognize that their dogs overreact to noise, but do not recognize that these behaviors are a demonstration of fear. Fear of noises is a normal adaptive response to a real threat, resulting in behavioral and physiological survival responses that drive the dog to seek shelter or otherwise avoid the imminent danger. However, when the fearful response to noise is persistent, exaggerated in intensity and duration and results in what appears to be an anxiety attack, this is not normal. Additionally, if left untreated, noise aversion can progress, resulting in an increased intensity of signs, aversion to other types of noises and/or development of other types of anxiety. The exact cause of noise aversion is not well understood. Some possible mechanisms include lack of habituation, stress-induced dishabituation, sensitization or social transmission.Evidence for genetic predisposition has been demonstrated in some breeds. Canine noise aversion is an animal welfare issue that impacts the human-animal bond.Treatment options have been limited and have included a multimodal approach that employed environmental management, behavioral modification and pharmacologic agents. SILEO® (dexmedetomidine oromucosal gel) is the first and only FDA-approved medication indicated for the treatment of canine noise aversion. SILEO

Happy owners might mean happier dogs.

Happy owners might mean happier dogs according to new study. The study published in PLOS ONE found that dogs and their owners influence each other's personalities and ability to cope with stress, and humans have a particularly marked effect on dog behavior. Heart rate and cortisol levels were recorded and interpreted alongside survey results, revealing that dogs are sensitive to the emotional state of their owners, and dogs may adjust their behavior in response.more

Veterinarians in Japan develop stress-monitoring device for dogs.

Veterinarians in Japan develop stress-monitoring device for dogs.A group of researchers at Osaka Prefecture University has developed a method to detect real-time stress in dogs by using a special canine heartbeat sensor. Wearable sensors transmit signals from dogs’ hearts to gadgets that allow their owners to determine whether they are relaxed or stressed out, said Shunsuke Shimamura, an associate professor of veterinary medicine at the university who heads the team behind the technique. The device could be used for knowing when dogs are in pain or having health related problems, and the use of this could lead to early detection of disease or improvement of medical treatments for dogs. more