Nandi farmers using ‘Kangara’ to treat foot and mouth disease.

Nandi farmers using ‘Kangara’ to treat foot and mouth disease.Nandi farmers have devised a new way to control the deadly foot and mouth diseases (FMD) in their livestock by using ‘kangara’, a mixture of molasses and maize flour from which chang’aa, a traditional home-brewed spirit; popular in Kenya is distilled. 

The kangara is fed to cows, goats or sheep with the virus and within four days, the livestock is cured. see

Giving agriculture a global do-over could feed nearly a billion more people.

Giving agriculture a global do-over could feed nearly a billion more people. Globally optimizing which crops we grow where cuts water use and feeds more people. As the human population grows and the human middle class grows in developing countries, we are going to need more. More food, more meat, more energy and producing more is going to require more resources. Since we are just about tapped out of the resources required for food production—namely water and land—we are going to have to figure out how to use these limited resources as efficiently as possible. A number of suggestions have been made to try to achieve this, from the lower tech—like curbing animal consumption and minimizing food waste—to the higher tech, like planting GMOS that might improve yields, developing better fertilizers, and maximizing irrigation efficiency. A new analysis in Nature Geoscience offers up one more: switching what we grow where.

Tomatoes with enhanced antioxidant properties created with genetic engineering.

Tomatoes with enhanced antioxidant properties created with genetic engineering.New research has identified a new strategy to simultaneously enhance health-promoting vitamin E by ~6-fold and double both provitamin A and lycopene contents in tomatoes, to significantly boost antioxidant properties.

How to calm your bitch during heat.

How to calm your bitch during heat. A simple way to calm a dog down during heat is to make them sleep a lot. The easiest way to get a dog to sleep more is to exercise them more than usual, or if you can’t do more exercising, make sure it is more intense than what you normally engage in. A bitch at this period needs extra attention,so shower her with loads of attention.A bitch in heat, especially during her first seasons, is a little shattered and anxious about everything she is experiencing. Her body is clearly changing and so is her mood which is regularly swinging. During this difficult period, she may seek more love, or perhaps less. Adapt to her but offer her a lot more attention than your normally do. Hugs,gentle stroking and petting are treats for female dogs in season. Be around and give a little pat every now and then. When dogs are going for a walk, whether it lasts 10 minutes or 1 hour, feel calmed and usually go for a quick nap. This is why you should perhaps add another walk while cutting the duration of the other ones. You’ll see that your bitch will go to sleep after each walk. Keeping her indoor is another method.If you do not want to go for an extra walk for these two or three weeks she is in heat for, you can keep her indoor and come up with exciting training sessions. Studies have shown that mental stimulation is as tiring as physical exercising. The use of interactive toys will provide mental stimulation. Mental stimulation is amazing way to tire your dog out and it works and it can come in different forms and different shapes. Dog puzzle toys allow your dog to be fully stimulated and intellectually engaged. Put a treat in it and you’ll keep your dog busy figuring things out for a long while. If you’ve got a dog who is not into these toys or gives up very easily, try to come up with homemade innovative games. Creating a Sense of Calmness as she feels a little lost and experiences different changes within herself, your bitch needs to feel like besides her, everything else is the same (if not calmer.) Avoid loud noises such as from TV and stereo, and also tell kids to lower their voices and make sure her little kennel is peaceful.

GRADING UP IN DOG BREEDING.

GRADING UP IN DOG BREEDING. In dog breeding, grading up is a strategy where the breeder invests in a very high quality dog in order to be bred with a more average partner, drastically improving the next litter. When the same great specimen is constantly being bred to the best progeny from each litter, the overall quality of each upcoming litter becomes homogeneous and high. Grading up is the practice of investing in an exceptional dog, and then mating it with an average bitch usually a daughter or other closely related female. Many times, specific traits are bred for and the bloodline is continued to being improved upon by using inbreeding or linebreeding at each generation.After just a few generations of grading up, the overall quality of the progenies drastically increases However, grading up dogs is most definitely considered a type of inbreeding. Therefore, it is a double-edged sword that could be disastrous for all the upcoming litters. Linebreeding, including grading up, are very powerful tools that can make or break a bloodline. The advantage of grading up is also how cost-effective it is. Indeed, you are investing into one quality specimen, generally a stud, when the alternative would require you to always organize the mating of one of your dog to a champion, setting you back from thousands of dollars each time. Add on to that the initial cost of the high-quality specimen you would need to purchase, too.GRADING UP IN DOG BREEDING.

How to choose a puppy from a litter.

How to choose a puppy from a litter. Select active,strong and healthy pups only. The selection should also be based on purpose of purchase,is it a pet,a working dog or a guard,no matter your reason healthy pup is the goal,so ensure all vaccinations and routine medications are up to date. Weight versus age ratio compared to others in the pack is also important,so also is the socialization and vocalization.

CANINE GENETICS & HEREDITY.

CANINE GENETICS & HEREDITY. Its important to understand the parents'influence on any litter and canine genetics and heredity are what makes everything possible.Genetics are the foundation of all heredity and if you want to replicate or remove specific traits from dogs, you have to understand the mechanisms behind genetics and heredity in dogs. Selective dog breeding is supervised by humans and can be the best way to improve a breed.