Posts

From 2009 to 2020, sales of pesticides in Germany decreased only slightly, from about 30,000 to 28,000 tons per year. Photo: Jakob Huber/Campact Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0)Jakob Huber/Campact Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Germany, the reduction in the use of pesticides is still too slow

,
The use of pesticides in Germany decreased by less than 10 percent between 2009 and 2020. The figure raises many concerns about the spread of integrated pest management, a technique designed to reduce the use of the most dangerous chemicals
Agricultural soil in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Photo: Diane Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)Photo: Diane Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

In Canada, science and traditional practices help protect soil health

,
A University of Saskatchewan project aims to create soil health workshops with Native communities and farmers. By encouraging input reduction and diversification of crops and landscapes
Sacks of gum arabic at the market in Al Obaied, Sudan. The country is the world's second-largest producer of this resin extracted from acacia and used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Photo: Salahaldeen Nadir / World Bank Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)Salahaldeen Nadir / World Bank Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

In Sudan, gum arabic cultivation promotes soil conservation

,
As the world's second-largest producer of gum arabic, Sudan is called upon to protect acacia trees, the plants from which the substance is generated and which have always proved an effective weapon in countering desertification
Tra le forme di agricoltura mista, l’agropastorizia combina le coltivazioni e l’allevamento del bestiame. Foto: Michael Trolove Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

EU agriculture mixes strategies against climate and geopolitical shocks

,
Combining different crops and mixing agriculture with livestock and forest management makes it possible to better respond to climate challenges and current crises. From Horizon magazine, a review of two European projects
Asia contains many of the most fertile soils on the planet. PHOTO: Sasin Tipchai from Pixabay

Asia has its first ‘soil atlas’

,
It was created by the FAO Global Soil Partnership together with the Joint Research Center of the EU Commission. The tool will help to better understand the characteristics of the different soils of the continent. Among them, some of the most fertile on the planet. The food future of humanity depends on their sustainable management
Grazing may have negative effects in warmer arid areas with highly seasonal rainfall and lower biodiversity Photo: John Coppi, CSIRO Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)John Coppi, CSIRO Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)

Climate and biodiversity impact the effect of grazing on soil

,
Positive impacts of grazing on soil become negative as temperatures rise, an international research says. A more diversified vegetation presence helps offset the issue
A fungus, called Metarhizium robertsii, is reportedly able to remove mercury around plant roots. Photo: Chengshu Wang and Yuxian Xia Attribution 2.5 Generic (CC BY 2.5)Chengshu Wang and Yuxian Xia Attribution 2.5 Generic (CC BY 2.5)

Mercury pollution is not a problem (as long as we use this fungus)

,
A fungus that can break down mercury-based organic forms into less toxic inorganic substances protects plants by allowing them to survive in contaminated soils, a Sino-American study has found
MRIDA, or soil in Hindi, is an application developed to estimate carbon sequestration potential. Photo: AS Rao, ICRISAT Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0)AS Rao, ICRISAT Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0)

A new soil app from India can teach you climate-smart agriculture

,
Helping farmers and decision makers in developing climate-smart practices in soil management. That's the goal of MRIDA, the new app created in India to assess the carbon sequestration potential of different agricultural strategies
Australia is home to some of the driest soils in the world. Photo: Peripitus Own work, copyleft: Multi-license with GFDL and Creative Commons CC-BY-SA-2.5 and older versions (2.0 and 1.0)Peripitus Own work, copyleft: Multi-license with GFDL and Creative Commons CC-BY-SA-2.5 and older versions (2.0 and 1.0)

Australia set to establish a national soil database

,
Starting from 2023, the new platform promoted by the government agency CSIRO will provide information on essential features such as climate change adaptation, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity
Sustainable agriculture made a crucial contribution to the development of the Maya society. Photo: Diego Delso Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)Diego Delso Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Sustainable agriculture was crucial for ancient Maya’s society

,
Proper soil and agricultural management enabled the growth of settlements originating in southern Mexico in ancient times, environmental DNA study by U.S. researchers has found