Researchers find Zika RNA in Brazilian A. albopictus mosquitoes.

Researchers find Zika RNA in Brazilian A. albopictus mosquitoes.Researchers detected fragments of Zika virus RNA — but not live virus — in Aedes albopictus mosquitoes collected in a Brazilian state hit hard by the recent Zika outbreak. A different mosquito, A. aegypti, has been the primary vector for Zika and the main driver of the recent outbreak in the Americas. In the United States, the range of A. albopictus is far greater than that of A. aegypti. This results mean that Aedes albopictus may have a role in Zika virus transmission and should be of concern to public health, this mosquito is found worldwide with a wide range of hosts and has adapted to colder climates. The role of this mosquito in Zika virus transmission needs to be assessed. more

Malaria hospitalizations in US more common.

Malaria hospitalizations in US more common than realized. A new study has shown that Malaria hospitalizations in the United States are more common than previously thought, possibly due to increased travel to regions where the disease is endemic. The study published in in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, suggests that as more infected travelers return to the U.S., clinicians must develop strategies to combat the potentially fatal disease. It appears more and more Americans are traveling to areas where malaria is common and many of them are not taking preventive measures, such as using anti-malarial preventive medications and mosquito repellents, even though they are very effective at preventing infections. The researchers searched hospital records in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database for malaria-related hospitalizations from 2000 to 2014. They estimated that there were 22,029 malaria hospitalizations in the U.S., with an average of 1,469 cases per year, during that period. Men accounted for about 60% of patients with malaria. Blacks made up 52.5% of patients, whites 24%, Hispanics 6.3%, Asians and Pacific Islanders 5.9% and Native Americans 0.9%. The disease-causing species was known in 52.9% of cases. Plasmodium falciparum — which is known to cause a strong majority of severe and fatal cases — accounted for 72.9% of those. An estimated 4,823 (22%) cases were deemed severe malaria. The most common complication was renal failure (9.6%), followed by severe anemia (7.2%), cerebral malaria (4.3%), acute respiratory distress syndrome (4.1%) and jaundice (3.7%). One hundred eighty-two (0.8%) patients died in the hospital. more

Managing mental health and well-being of farmers .

Mental health and well-being of farmers . The general well-being of farmers and farmhand affect productivity directly or indirectly and this must be addressed to boost productivity and ensure adequate health care for farmers. 

 Farmers, farm family members, farmer representatives, safety professionals and people working on farms or living around farms all have a role to play in the health and safety as a poor mental health affects a person’s ability to cope with and manage their lives, particularly during personal change and life challenges. 

 People living and working in farms and agricultural premises in remote areas are more likely to suffer higher levels of loneliness and social exclusion more so than their urban counterparts. Farmers are under a lot of pressure, especially with high cost of feed and production generally and the state of the nation putting many under severe stress resulting in ill health and reduced production capacity. Farmers are under pressure because of financial threat as many sourced loans from banks, many are not insured and very many are operating below capacity . 

Farmers are also stressed because of lack of social support, anxiety and work stress as every farmer in a group are trying to stay afloat leaving little or no room for empathy or emotional intelligence. Farmers are also anxious especially when it comes to their crops or animals,thinking about pest invasion,sudden death or other unforeseen disasters,leading to unnecessary worry cycle that can kill the farmer,collapse the farm or lead to depression. 

Health and safety on farms are an aspect of safety codes on site,but now farmers health and wellbeing should be part of safety code to help farmers strike a balance and lead peaceful lives . 

 Seminars on mental health and well-being of farmers will help keep farmers and farms running for a long time and ensure food security.

How to avoid pitfalls when reseeding.

How to avoid pitfalls when reseeding.Reseeding is expensive, but when done correctly it can pay for itself in two years – which is a very quick return on investment.Germinal’s Dr. Mary McEvoy highlights some of the most common pitfalls to avoid when reseeding. Avoiding these will give a much better chance of successful establishment of a high-performing sward for years to come. 1)Poor Kill Of Old Sward :Desiccation or killing off of the old sward is an essential first step when reseeding and the only opportunity you will have to control grass weeds in the sward. It also presents an ideal opportunity to destroy difficult weeds such as docks, thistles and other grass weeds. Using the top rate of glyphosate, as per the product label, and a high water volume is essential to achieve successful dessication of the old sward. About seven-to-10 days after spraying the sward should be grazed/cut tightly to minimize the surface trash. Allow the product adequate time to work. For min-till operations, the recommendation would be 16-to-20 days from spraying to cultivation. This will ensure the herbicide has adequate time to translocate to the roots and kill the plant in its entirety. 2) Poor Seedbed Preparation; Cloudy Seedbed A cloudy seedbed occurs as a result of cultivating too soon after spraying the old sward. Therefore, allowing adequate time for the herbicide to kill the roots is essential to ensure the roots are destroyed – and will avoid clods in the seedbed. For min-till, as explained above, this can take 16-20 days. continue

Funding opportunities for agricultural projects.

Funding opportunities for agricultural projects. International Tropical Timber Organization — Freezailah Fellowships 2017. ITTO makes grants through the Freezailah Fellowship Fund for training opportunities, demonstration tours, participation in conferences and workshops, preparation of technical papers, and post-graduate degrees. Grants up to US$10 thousand are in support of sustainable tropical forest management. Applicants are young and mid-career professionals in ITTO’s member countries; most grants are to individuals in the developing countries. The next application deadline is 20 June 2017. Apply New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre — Postdoctoral Fellowship in Livestock Emissions Research Deadline: 30 Jun 2017 The government of New Zealand sponsors LEARN as a program to build international capability in livestock emissions research. The government of New Zealand sponsors LEARN as a program to build international capability in livestock emissions research. LEARN currently invites applications for postdoctoral fellowships of one to two years from technical staff and scientists in developing countries who will work with New Zealand colleagues Applicants need the collaborative support of a New Zealand host organization, which will administer the funds. Expressions of interest (EOI) can be submitted at any time during the year, and full applications must be submitted by 30 June. apply U.S. Department of State — ADAPT Africa. The ADAPT-Africa project aims to increase actions needed at national- and subnational levels in African countries to attract investment that builds resilience to climate change. Interested organizations are expected to propose activities according to their organization’s strengths and experience. The relevant countries are Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia. Eligibility for funding extends to U.S. non-profit NGOs and for-profit organizations, non-profit organizations in other countries, educational institutions, and public international organizations. The closing date is 22 May 2017 more

Agronomics: Crowdfunding

Agronomics: Crowdfunding. Thinking of starting an agribusiness? think outside the bank, crowdfunding is the new seed capital,consider the resources on your computer before running to a local lender or cutting into your savings or resorting to bank loans. Crowdfunding sites grant access to a world of potential investors willing to fork over capital in hopes of future rewards, such as bottles of honey, discounted CSA shares, or behind-the-scenes farm tours. While launching a campaign is free, most sites take 4 to 9 percent of the total amount raised and charge credit card processing fees. Find the right platform. Kickstarter.com provides the most reach with 900,000 daily unique visitors —and the highest likelihood that your page will get lost in the crowd. The ag-specific barnraiser.us has a relatively meager 900 daily visitors, but all are interested in supporting growers, artisan food producers, and the like. In fact, campaigns on the site reach their goals at twice the rate of those on other platforms. Nurture your network. No matter which site you choose, it’s unwise to assume that strangers will stumble across your page. The vast majority of online backers know the person they’re supporting. In 2015, Colin McCrate, founder of the Seattle Urban Farm Company, secured $30,000 on Barnraiser to construct four new greenhouses. “Most of the people who donated were already in our community,” he says, “so I wish I’d spent more time on the front end, building that up. We might have been able to raise even more.” Focus on your customer base, growing e-mail lists and your social media presence. continue

AFAN Wants Tractors, Other Implements For Hire.

AFAN Wants Tractors, Other Implements For Hire. The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Edo chapter, has called on the state government to provide tractors, bulldozers, graders and other farm implements for farmers in the state to hire. The state Chairman of AFAN, Chief Emmanuel Odigie, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Benin. Odigie said the association was willing to pay an agreed amount to the state government on a monthly basis for the use of the equipment if provided. He said “the idea is to enable our members to hire them at affordable rates to prepare farmlands and construct roads leading to the farms.“Our investigation revealed that farm produce waste away in the farms due to inaccessible and deplorable state of our farm roads. “If the roads were graded, farmers would evacuate their produce and avoid the waste,” he said. continue