AgClips
Recent AgClips
Universities call for increased funding for ag research
Brownfield | Posted onJune 20, 2016 in Agriculture NewsFour prominent ag research universities in the Midwest have joined the call for more federal funds supporting food and ag science. Purdue University, Iowa State University, The University of Nebraska at Lincoln and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have joined the Supporters of Agriculture Research Foundation in seeking more research dollars, saying the growing population has demonstrated a need for sustainable food production.
Status of Aquaculture in U.S.: The Working Waterfront,
California Aquaculture | Posted onJune 20, 2016 in Food NewsLiving Ocean Productions has posted a new film “The Working Waterfront” — which aims to educate consumers about the current status of aquaculture in the United States — on YouTube. The 25-minute video looks at four fish farms in different areas of the US. The farmers discuss several topics including the challenges to growing a robust US-based aquaculture community. Over 90% of the seafood Americans eat is imported from overseas, and half of that amount is from aquaculture. Lack of a consistent permitting processes
The Weather-Predicting Tech Behind $62 Billion Monsanto Bid
Bloomberg | Posted onJune 20, 2016 in Agriculture NewsA self-driving John Deere tractor rumbles through Ian Pigott’s 2,000-acre farm every week or so to spray fertilizer, guided by satellite imagery and each plot’s harvesting history. The 11-ton behemoth, loaded with so many screens it looks like an airplane cockpit, relays the nutrient information to the farmer’s computer system. With weather forecasts and data on pesticide use, soil readings, and plant tissue tests pulled by various pieces of software, Pigott can keep tabs on the farm down to the square meter in real time without ever leaving his carpeted office.
Dead Zones & Drinking Water: an Update on the DMWW Lawsuit
Farm Doc Daily | Posted onJune 20, 2016 in Agriculture NewsThe potential trial on the Des Moines Water Works (DMWW) lawsuit against three drainage districts in Iowa over nitrates in the drinking water has been delayed until June 2017. The lawsuit is currently in the motion stage. The Drainage Districts are seeking summary judgment against DMWW's claims under the Clean Water Act. This article continues the series on water quality issues for farming with a review of the arguments for and against summary judgment. The motion asks for a decision by the judge as a matter of law.
New Genetic Engineering Method Called Promising — And Perilous
NPR | Posted onJune 20, 2016 in Agriculture NewsA powerful new technique for changing genes in insects, animals and plants holds great promise, according to a report from an influential panel of scientists. But the group also says it's potentially very dangerous. Even so, scientists should continue conducting experiments using this approach inside laboratories, the report urges. And the panel endorsed the possibility of conducting very controlled studies of creatures altered with a gene drive outside laboratories.
Petition asks DEA to quit treating industrial hemp like marijuana
Capital Press | Posted onJune 20, 2016 in Federal NewsA Portland attorney and a Southern Oregon environmentalist are asking the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to take industrial hemp off the federal government’s list of controlled substances. The petition is the latest move by people who believe industrial hemp could be a viable agricultural crop if the federal government didn’t classify it as an illegal drug. They have long contended hemp can be used to make food, medicine, clothing, lotions, construction material, oils and other products. Some states, Oregon among them, allow licensed hemp cultivation but keep it tightly controlled.
Farmers seek attorney fees in Oregon GMO litigation
Capital Press | Posted onJune 20, 2016 in Agriculture NewsFarmers who won a lawsuit invalidating a ban of genetically engineered crops in Oregon’s Josephine County are now seeking $29,000 in attorney fees from the ordinance’s supporters. A state judge struck down the county’s prohibition in May, holding that Oregon law pre-empts local governments from restricting biotech seeds.
Peabody paying former Obama mentor up to $75,000/month to help fight EPA
SNL Financial | Posted onJune 20, 2016 in Energy NewsCoal producer Peabody Energy Corp plans to pay Harvard University law professor Laurence Tribe — once a mentor to President Barack Obama — up to $75,000 per month to help fight the Clean Power Plan as the company works through a bankruptcy. Tribe said he will provide legal advice, research and analysis to Peabody for litigation against the U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan. Tribe estimates Peabody will disburse to him at least $435,000 in 2016: $25,000 in May; $17,500 in June; $17,500 in July and from August 2016 to December 2016, $75,000 per month.
Under 40HP Tractors Still the Bright Spot in U.S. Ag Tractor and Combine Sales
AEM | Posted onJune 20, 2016 in Agriculture NewsIt was more of the same in May for U.S. retail sales of ag tractors and combines, with under 40HP tractors leading the way and sales of larger tractors and combines continuing to lag, according to data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. U.S retail sales of farm tractors under 40HP were up 9.4 percent in May 2016 compared to the same time period last year, and up 15.5 percent January through May.
Cost of Clean Energy Seen Nosediving Into the Next Decade
Bloomberg | Posted onJune 20, 2016 in Energy NewsThe cost of renewables technology is set to keep falling into the next decade, boosting the economic case for clean energy, according to an industry group. The average cost of electricity from a photovoltaic system is forecast to plunge as much as 59 percent by 2025, according to a report Wednesday by the International Renewable Energy Agency. The technology last year produced energy that was already 58 percent cheaper than it was in 2010. Government policy can also play a role in reducing borrowing costs for project developers.