The future of humanity may depend on organic farming.

The future of humanity may depend on organic farming. Prince Charles has warned that the ‘very future of humanity’ may depend on organic farming. Speaking as he celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Soil Association in London, the heir to the throne insisted that eco-friendly practices, which had once seemed so controversial, were now backed by ‘sound science’. He warned that they may be our only hope of reversing the drastic damage being caused to the environment, which could see large swathes of farmland destroyed forever ‘within sixty harvests’. Charles, who has long practiced organic farming himself as well as being an advocate of it. source

A new strain of rice resistant to drought has been produced.

A new strain of rice resistant to drought has been produced. Scientists at the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS) have developed strains of rice that are resistant to drought in real-world situations. This study published in Plant Biotechnology Journal, reports that transgenic rice modified with a gene from the Arabidopsis plant yield more rice than unmodified rice when subjected to stress brought by natural drought. T The study was carried out in collaboration with researchers from the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in Colombia and the Japanese International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) in Japan.

Genetic engineering tool produces antioxidant-rich purple rice.

Genetic engineering tool produces antioxidant-rich purple rice. A new study documented in the journal Molecular plant shows that researchers in China have developed a genetic engineering approach capable of delivering many genes at once and used it to make rice endosperm, which is the seed tissue that provides nutrients to the developing plant embryo. T This produce high levels of antioxidant-boosting pigments called anthocyanins. The resulting purple endosperm rice holds potential for decreasing the risk of certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other chronic disorders.

How to stop wasting vitamins and trace elements in animal feed.

Modern nutrition knowledge allows nutritionists to tailor vitamin and trace mineral supplementation to actual animal requirements, adjusting safety margins to real field conditions. Vitamins and trace minerals are routinely added in almost every commercial feed for all animal species, making their manufacturing, distribution, marketing and sales a global industry worth billions. Although their cost is relatively small, most would argue it is less than 2 percent of total feed cost; it is not insignificant — especially in an industry that often records losses instead of profits. Thus, every prudent nutritionist would be wise to constantly evaluate the vitamins and trace minerals added, their most efficient form and, of course, their payback in terms of animal productivity and health. The recent report of the National Research Council’s Subcommittee in Swine Nutrition (2012) repeats the findings of the previous version (1998) that there is still considerable lack of meaningful research concerning the actual vitamin and trace mineral requirements of pigs. The relevant publication for poultry dates from 1994, which makes it 20 years old now, and rather of academic interest only. On the other hand, poultry breeder recommendations are nothing more than educated guesses, based on their desire for their genetics to always perform at top speed. Therefore, more research is needed to fill this gap in our knowledge of vitamins and trace minerals, but funding is usually diverted to more trendy topics or additives. The most common trace minerals added to diets are iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), iodine (I) and selenium (Se). Although several other trace and ultra trace minerals (e.g., chromium, cobalt, boron, vanadium) have an established physiological role, their dietary essentiality cannot be easily proven because they are required at extremely low amounts. Interestingly, soybean meal and phosphates contain enough iron, copper and manganese to more than cover requirements for some animal classes without further supplementation, even in low-phosphorus diets without phytase. Furthermore, most common diets contain enough copper for most animals. The only real concern in trace mineral supply is with iodine and selenium, especially when animals consume feedstuffs grown in selenium-poor areas. Clearly, little thought has been given to body stores later in life as sources of micronutrients before slaughter. One such example is vitamin B12 that requires at least 5 years to be totally depleted — clearly finishing animals do not require B12 until their last days! Furthermore, the role of microbial synthesis and intestinal absorption of vitamins of microbial origin has been overly underestimated — a prime example is rabbits that can benefit from the recycling of their cecal contents. Other species also consume feces (however disgusting we might consider it), and clearly animals housed in galvanized cages have different requirements in zinc than those in pasture or traditional pens.more

Vitamin D's role in livestock health.

Vitamin D's role in livestock health.Vitamin D plays a significant role in bone metabolism, controlling how much calcium and phosphorus are released or absorbed from bones.Vitamin D may be described as the sunlight vitamin because it is formed naturally in the skin of animals exposed to ultraviolet light. In most cases, with enough sunlight, animals can cover their full needs in vitamin D only by biosynthesis. However, this is not always the case because natural biosynthesis is ineffective and variable as it depends on a great number of conditions. It is also a very slow process, which is one of nature’s ways to protect animals living outdoors from vitamin D toxicity. Biosynthesis of vitamin D is greatly dependent on the duration of exposure to sunlight. Its intensity and quality is also very important as is the age of the animal. For example, in northern climates like Germany, during the winter months there is practically no ultraviolet sunlight. This means there is very little if any biosynthesis of vitamin D, and supplementation is required even for animals raised outdoors. In contrast, it is evident that in Spain, for example, there is little need for vitamin D supplementation for animals raised totally outdoors, especially during the summer months of intense sunlight. The picture is quite different for animals raised indoors. Even though some facilities might have windows, these are invariably either too small or too dirty to allow sufficient sunlight to reach all animals housed in the building. This means biosynthesis of vitamin D will be inadequate and highly variable. As such, the feed of all animals raised indoors should always be supplemented with enough vitamin D to fully cover their needs, disregarding natural biosynthesis. This supplementation is usually provided through the vitamin premix. more

Changes in pig diet mitigates greenhouse emissions.

Changes in pig diet mitigates greenhouse emissions. A new research has shown that inclusion of agroindustrial by-products in pig feed can reduce the nitrous oxide emissions (N2O) of the slurry used as manures up to 65%. The research undertaken by Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) and Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) shows that the inclusion of agroindustrial by-products in pig feed can reduce the nitrous oxide emissions (N2O) of the slurry used as manures up to 65%. The aim of the study carried was to influence the ingredients of pig diet to modify the composition of slurry used as manures and to assess the possible variations on N2O emissions. Nitrogen fertilizers, organic or mineral, are responsible for most of the N2O emissions from agricultural activity. This gas has a heating potential 300 times higher than CO2, this is the reason why it is essential to develop mitigation strategies. N2O emissions are mainly caused by microbiological processes known as nitrification and denitrification. When a nitrogen fertilizer is added to the soil, it increases its microbiological activity by activating both processes that at the same time they depend on factors such as such as climatic, edaphic and field management. Researchers from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid y Universidad Politécnica de Valencia have focused on the beginning of the chain, where the animal by-products are produced and then are revalued as fertilizers. Two by-products typical from the Mediterranean region were selected to carry out this study, orange pulp and carob. These by-products were added into commercial diets of pigs in substitution of cereals, being respectful with the balance that these diets require to satisfy the animal needs. It was proved that, without a doubt, the excreted components through feces and urine (slurry), for example nitrogenous fractions, lignin, phenolic compounds, etc., varied according to diet. Slurries were used as fertilizers on agricultural soils cultivated with ryegrass, a forage plant used as food for livestock. more

Climate change data is being transformed into beautiful, haunting symphonies.

Climate change data is being transformed into beautiful, haunting symphonies. Data sonification is being used to evoke the sounds of a climate in crisis.What is the sound of a dying planet? Translating hard facts into feeling is the issue of our age - and it is the task Climate Symphony have appointed themselves. A collective of artists and scientists, the London-based team are inspiring action by transforming climate change data into music. Ten years ago, old-school graphs and text-based data were the only way to communicate the growing problem of climate change. But when it comes to inspiring action, a relentless march of charts can disengage many. For Leah Borromeo, co-founder of Climate Symphony, it became clear a different approach was needed. Data sonification is the process of transforming numerical data into sound. Corresponding sounds are mapped onto specific data points and as each section of a dataset evolves the technique can be used to create a complex musical piece. It can mark change over time, rises and falls in specific factors and trends within a certain field.more