October 2014 Meeting
Presentations The Role of IPM in Sustainable Agricultural Practices The ‘Business’ of Scientific Research Biocontrol’s Role in Sustainability in the European Theater Venture Capital: Interest in Food and...
Read MorePlants prepackage beneficial microbes in their seeds
(phys.org) — Plants have a symbiotic relationship with certain bacteria. These ‘commensal’ bacteria help the pants extract nutrients and defend against invaders – an important step in preventing pathogens from...
Read MoreUnique waste cleanup for rural areas
(phys.org) — Washington State University researchers have developed a unique method to use microbes buried in pond sediment to power waste cleanup in rural areas. The first microbe-powered, self-sustaining wastewater...
Read MoreWhy Tiny Microbes Mean Big Things for Farming
The soil-dwelling bacteria that we walk on every day are working their way into technologies that could help feed the world. (National Geographic) — On a frigid day last February, Maren Friesen drove eight hours across...
Read MorePlant genes ID that control structure and water transport
(phys.org) — The colonization of land by the first land plants was a key step in the evolution of life on Earth. The exact circumstances of this shift, however, have not been fully explained. Taku Demura and colleagues at...
Read MoreSoil organisms may help eliminate greenhouse gases
(INRA) — Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas that is also responsible for destroying the ozone layer. France’s INRA research scientists in Dijon have shown that the ability of soils to eliminate N2O can...
Read MoreJapanese develop a ladybug that’s a biopesticide
(The Japan News) — An agricultural research center in western Japan has developed and commercialized a ladybug as a biological. The development by the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization’s Western Region...
Read MoreBiologicals remain potential game-changers for greenhouse crops
(Greenhouse Management) — When it comes to battling plant diseases in greenhouses and nurseries, chemicals remain the clear weapon of choice among greenhouse growers, though the emergence of fungicide-resistant strains of...
Read MoreScientists create first semi-synthetic organism with ‘alien’ DNA
(The Independent) — Scientists have created the first “semi-synthetic” micro-organism with a radically different genetic code from the rest of life on Earth, according to a story in the British publication The Independent....
Read MoreGood news tomato fans: Benign bug beats salmonella
(phys.org) — Scientists from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have identified a benign bacterium that shows promise in blocking Salmonella from colonizing raw tomatoes. Their research is published ahead of print...
Read MoreApril 2014 Meeting
Presentations Pests of the Northeastern US & Hints for Efficacy Trials Exploring the market perspective of biologicals (panel discussion) * Dr. David Holden, Holden Research and Consulting, Panelist * Richard Jones, Group...
Read MoreStudy unmasks key operatives in plant immunity battle
(UC Davis News Service) — Long before nations devised complex military strategies, plants had their own built-in systems for thwarting potential attacks by disease-causing microbes. Two new players in this mutual...
Read MoreInjection technique for more effective crop protection
(Phys.Org) — Injecting crop protection products into the root zone of the plant creates possibilities for effectively dealing with difficult to control pest insects. This was shown in an exploratory practical test by...
Read MoreTiny microbes to change the world of pest control
(VOA) — “That insect’s dead.” Shawn Semones holds up a little plastic cup in which a little worm-like insect lies in repose, sprouting a fine white coat of mold. That fungus not only killed the insect pest, the white coat...
Read MoreNew pheromone traps aid pecan growers
(University of Georgia) — A University of Georgia researcher is using two new traps and the beetle’s sex drive to trap and control the pest that damages the roots of pecan trees. Prionus root borers, the larval stage...
Read MoreBioinsecticide developed to help control banana pest
(phys.org) — The Chrysodeixis chalcites moth is regarded as one of the most serious pests in horticultural, ornamental and fruit crops. On the Canary Islands they can be responsible for losses of up to 30 percent in the...
Read MoreSoil microbes alter DNA in response to warning
(science2.0) — As scientists try to forecast the effects of climate change, one of the missing pieces of the puzzle is what will happen to the carbon in the soil and the microbes too. Scientists studying grasslands in...
Read MoreGrasshopper DNA helps understanding of plant-insect interactions
(phys.org) — Grasshoppers may be small, but the damages they are causing to the U.S. agriculture industry are anything but. Every year, they feed on crops and on rangelands needed for raising livestock, costing landowners...
Read MoreBacterial communities tell much about host plants
(phys.org) — Plants sustain bacterial communities in their roots that are beneficial to them. Klaus Schläppi and Paul Schulze-Lefert from the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne have shown that...
Read MoreResearchers Differentiate Between Microbial Good and Evil
(EurekaAlert!) — To safely use bacteria in agriculture to help fertilize crops, it is vital to understand the difference between harmful and healthy strains. The bacterial genus Burkholderia, for example, includes...
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