Human-induced deforestation is causing an increase in malaria cases.

Human-induced deforestation is causing an increase in malaria cases.A new study of 67 less-developed, malaria-endemic nations finds a link between deforestation and increasing malaria rates across developing nations. Nearly 130 million hectares of forest -- an area almost equivalent in size to South Africa -- have been lost since 1990, according to a recent report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. A new study of 67 less-developed, malaria-endemic nations titled, "Anthropogenic forest loss and malaria prevalence: a comparative examination of the causes and disease consequences of deforestation in developing nations," published in AIMS Environmental Science, led by Lehigh University sociologist Dr. Kelly Austin, finds a link between deforestation and increasing malaria rates across developing nations. Malaria represents an infectious disease tied to environmental conditions, as mosquitoes represent the disease vector. Deforestation, Austin notes, is not a natural phenomenon, but rather results predominantly from human activities, or anthropogenically.

Chocolate production linked to increased deforestation in poor nations.

Chocolate production linked to increased deforestation in poor nations.Newly published research focuses on the link between cocoa exports and deforestation in developing nations. Every year, more than five million family farms in countries such as Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Indonesia and Brazil produce about four and a half million tons of cocoa beans, according the World Cocoa Foundation. Ghana and the Ivory Coast supply more than 70 percent of the world's cocoa. Cocoa, much like coffee, is an export product consumed almost entirely in developed nations such as the United States. Yet the beans, which are used to make chocolate, are almost exclusively grown in less-developed nations such as West Africa, Asia, and Central and South America -- countries that on average have extremely small demand for the product they depend on for their livelihoods. There are a number of social, economic and environmental inequalities that arise in the production of this luxury crop. Evidence of human trafficking and child slave labor have been found in the supply chain, according to a 2010 investigation

A better way to wash pesticides off apples.

A better way to wash pesticides off apples.Polishing an apple with your shirt might remove some dust and dirt, but getting rid of pesticide residues could take a little more work. Researchers now report in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, that washing apples with a common household product -- baking soda -- could do the trick for residues on the surfaces of the fruit. The use of pesticides can help increase crop yield, but concerns over their potential effects on human health have been raised over the years. Washing could be one effective strategy to clean pesticides off produce, and it is standard practice in the food industry. But some of the plant-protecting compounds that get absorbed by fruits and vegetables might not be easily removed using current cleaning methods. Lili He and colleagues wanted to find out which washing method can most effectively reduce pesticides.

The advent of 'green' cattle.

The advent of 'green' cattle.Implications of livestock farming on climate change should not be drawn from aggregate statistics, reveals a study based on a new method of carbon footprinting for pasture-based cattle production systems that can assess the impacts of individual animals. The new method, developed by a team from the University of Bristol and Rothamsted Research, records the environmental impact of each animal separately before calculating the overall burden of a farm. Existing methods of carbon footprinting are primarily designed to quantify total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of a particular farm, and are therefore unable to provide information on environmental performances of specific animals. The ability to identify "green" cattle within a herd -- cattle that produce lower emissions per kilogram of liveweight gain -- promises more sustainable farming, they report in the study

Disease identification app to boost food security in Africa.

Disease identification app to boost food security in Africa.A team of researchers that has developed an app which will allow small-scale farmers in Africa to identify cassava diseases has won a US$100 000 (R1,4 million) grant to expand the tool for use on other root, tuber and banana crops. The international team comprises scientists from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Nigeria, Pennsylvania State University in the US, the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture in Colombia, the International Potato Centre in Peru, and Bioversity International, headquartered in Italy. According to IITA’s James Legg, one of the leaders of the project, the team generated more than 200 000 images of diseased cassava crops in coastal Tanzania and farms in western Kenya, in order to develop an artificial intelligence algorithm that can automatically classify five cassava diseases. The app is being field-tested in Tanzania. The team is also developing a mobile spectrophotometer that diagnoses different viral diseases, even in healthy looking plants.

Do your homework before starting tomato production.

Do your homework before starting tomato production.Producing tomatoes is expensive and can make or break a farmer. If you plan to grow this crop, first do your homework and investigate its economic viability. Establishing a packing facility or refurbishing a shed to accommodate the necessary cleaning, grading and packing equipment can be very expensive. Other major costs include the poles and wire or twine needed to support the plants, as well as the price of seed, irrigation infrastructure, fertiliser and crop chemicals. In other words, you have to reach deep into your pocket before there is even a hint of profit.Then there’s the choice of tomato variety that best suits your purposes. There are two main kinds of tomatoes according to growth type: determinate and indeterminate. Indeterminate These varieties continue growing until restricted. Although they generally produce a higher yield, they are more expensive to cultivate than determinate varieties are. The stakes or poles must be higher and will need more string or wire. You need more labour to train up the plants and for pruning. The crop must be irrigated for longer. Harvesting also continues for a longer period, but this might suit some.

Commercial buffalo breeding: ‘It’s not just for the rich’.

Commercial buffalo breeding: ‘It’s not just for the rich’.Over the years, buffalo breeding has evolved into a sound industry that has contributed to the conservation of the species.The Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer), a subspecies found in Southern and East Africa, is the largest of the African buffalo species. The African forest buffalo (Syncerus caffer nanus), common in the forest areas of Central and West Africa, is the smallest. Syncerus caffer brachyceros occurs in West Africa and Syncerus caffer aequinoctialis is found on the Central African savannas.Breeding ‘disease-free’ buffalo from ‘disease-positive’ parent stock is a relatively recent breakthrough in Southern Africa. Dr John Condy, a veterinarian at the then Rhodesian veterinary department, deserves credit for this pioneering work. In 1985, he built up a herd of ‘disease-free’ buffalo by catching and rearing calves before they were old enough to become carriers of the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus. This far-sighted approach laid the foundation of commercial buffalo breeding in South Africa,