Till or No-till? That is the question - 28 October 2014

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Tuesday 28th October 2014.

Gemma Hyland
Editor

Till or No-till? That is the question

Welcome to my first newsletter for TheCropSite.com!

In the past week there has been a seeming U-turn on the ongoing tillage debate, with new research suggesting no-till farming is the way to go.

Conservation agriculture is currently practiced on 125 million hectares of land globally, an area nearly as big as the total US cropland.

Also this week...

It was revealed that in the two years since joining the World Trade Organization, Russia has become one of the most active members of the body dealing food safety and animal health issues – the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Committee.

Also, recent weeks have seen wetter than usual weather in the US bringing delays to soybean harvest progress.

Whereas in South America, particularly in northern parts of Brazil, drier than normal weather conditions have prevailed, which have led to significant declines in soil moisture and stalled soybean planting progress. - read more here.

Have a great week!

~ Gemma

You can follow me on Twitter @5mGemma

DVD of the Week

The Farming Year: Parts 1 & 2 DVD SET

This two part programme uses footage taken over the last five years to show the widest possible variety of tractors and machinery at work out in the fields of Britain as the seasons pass from winter through spring, summer, autumn and back to winter once again.

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This Week's Articles and Analysis

Using Microscopic Bugs to Save the Bees
For decades, honeybees have been battling a deadly disease that kills off their babies (larvae) and leads to hive collapse. It's called American Foulbrood and its effects are so devastating and infectious, it often requires infected hives to be burned to the ground.

Communicating Biodiversity to Farmers
Two metrics for informing farmers about the biodiversity on their land are presented in a recent Swiss study: average species richness and farm ‘uniqueness’. These are both easy to understand and comparable between farms, the researchers say.

Myths and Facts about Residue Breakdown
Crop residue serves an important role in physically protecting soil by preventing soil erosion during rain events or high winds. Also, crop residue plays a significant role in enhancing the soil biological community by providing sources of organic carbon and nitrogen for its energy or food needs.

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USDA Peanut Prices - 24 October 2014
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