Amazing Facts about Photosynthesis

There's something corny about oxygen
"An average hectare of corn produces enough oxygen per hectare per day in mid summer to meet the respiratory needs of about 325 people. This means that the one million or so hectares of corn grown in Ontario produce enough oxygen for the annual respiratory needs of Ontario's 10 million residents in about 11 summer days!"

Source: Corn and Photosynthesis

Scientists devise efficient way of learning about complex corn traits

There's no "silver bullet" gene or gene region that controls so-called complex traits in maize, commonly known as corn.

Instead, in two research papers published this week in the journal Science, North Carolina State University crop scientists and colleagues show that lots of small changes in a number of gene regions affect complex traits – like flowering time or reproductive ability – in corn.

Finding out more about the mechanisms behind complex traits like flowering time – as well as even more difficult-to-map traits like yield or drought tolerance, for example – has the potential to help plant breeders build the best traits into tomorrow's corn plants, says Dr. Jim Holland, NC State professor of crop science, research geneticist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agriculture Research Service (USDA-ARS) and one of the lead authors of the Science papers.

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Newswise Science News | Corn Yield Stability Varies with Rotations, Fertility

A recent study investigated the effects of long-term cropping systems on corn grain yields, yield trends, and yield stability over the last 16 years of a long-term fertility and cropping systems experiment at the Pennsylvania State University. This study suggests that on average in a productive Central Pennsylvania soil, the yield of corn rotated with alfalfa, red clover, and timothy is modestly higher and less variable than corn grown exclusively. Read more>

Newswise Science News Corn Yield Stability Varies with Rotations, Fertility

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Syngenta Licenses Chromatin Gene Stacking Technology for Sugar Cane

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., June 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Syngenta Biotechnology, Inc. announced today that it has entered into an exclusive worldwide research and commercial license agreement for Chromatin's proprietary gene stacking technology in sugar cane.

Chromatin has developed a novel approach to gene stacking, using the plant's own DNA to deliver several genes. Under this agreement, Syngenta has obtained exclusive rights to use Chromatin's stacking technology for trait genes in all members of the genus Saccharum which includes commercial sugar cane varieties as well as energy cane, and crosses between Saccharum and other plant species. Syngenta obtained non-exclusive rights for use of this stacking technology in corn and soybean in 2007.

Sugar cane is among the top crops grown today for use in sugar production and biofuels. Syngenta offers a broad range of crop protection products for sugar cane growers and is developing a novel planting technology planned for launch in 2010 under the brand name Plene(TM) that will help reduce production costs. New trait combinations in sugar cane could offer growers additional improvements in production efficiency and yield increases.

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Syngenta Licenses Chromatin Gene Stacking Technology for Sugar Cane: "Syngenta Licenses Chromatin Gene Stacking Technology for Sugar Cane

Zucchini and squash originated in the Americas

Season SteppSpartanburg Herald-Journal
Published: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 at 4:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 at 7:18 p.m.

One of the greatest things about our area is how easily we can raise successful vegetable gardens.

Especially in economic times like these, more and more people are relying on these gardens to supplement their diets. Fresh vegetables can be expensive, and who wants to eat vegetables shipped in from South America when you can enjoy produce from your own backyard?

Last year was my first year gardening, and it flourished more than I had expected. The extreme abundance of vegetables such as yellow squash, zucchini and pattypan squash was at first thrilling, but then became monotonous. How many nights in a row could I prepare sauteed vegetables or fried squash?

This year, I’ve decided to share some of my ideas for using these wonderful vegetables in a variety of ways.

Although incredibly popular in Mediterranean cuisine, most summer squash actually originated in the Americas, making it even more at home in our gardens.

Squash was originally one of the Native Americans’ “Three Sisters.” Through the method we call companion planting, squash were grown in conjunction with maize and climbing beans. The corn provided shade for the squash and a trestle up which the beans could grow, while the beans provided the soil with nitrogen for the other “sisters.” The ground-covering squash prevented the growth of nutrient-depleting weeds, and the plant’s discarded leaves created natural mulch.

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And Now, the Rest of the World

Posted:
June 15, 2009 06:00 AM PDT
AGnet NEWS

Macomb, IL(WIU Ag Dept.)- As we see corn and soybean plants growing, on their journey to harvest, it is easy to forget that millions of corn and soybean acres outside of both Illinois and the United States are also starting on that journey.

The US produces not quite half of the world's corn. China is the world's second leading producer, but their total corn production is only about half of the US. As much corn is grown in Brazil as in Europe, but Brazilian exports are 5 times larger. This season, production in the US and Europe will be down slightly from previous years. However, it is what is happening in the US that is key to world corn prices. Most of the US corn crop remains here - about 40% is used to feed livestock, another 40% is used for food and industrial purposes, including ethanol, and the remaining corn is available for export. While exports take a relatively small amount of the US corn crop, those export amounts are extremely important to the world. Over the past several years, US corn has provided nearly 60% of the world's corn exports. In large part, it is US corn that drives world markets.

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New food miles policy to bear down on horticulture sector

Workers at the Horticulture Crops Development Authority pack baby corn for export . Fresh produce exporters are likely to feel the heat from new policy.

By Allan Odhiambo (email the author)
Posted Monday, June 22 2009 at 00:00

Fresh produce exporters could face new hurdles as the European Commission embarks on crafting new policy regulations on the controversial carbon foot prints concept that aims at curbing environmental pollution.

“Stakeholders have proposed further EU schemes particularly in the environmental sphere, such as product of high-nature value farming,” the Commission said in a latest notice to the EU Parliament as well as the economic and social committee.

But in what is expected to cause jitters among players in the local horticulture industry, the commission revealed it would particularly rein in on policies on the management of products shipped in from far flung areas amid concerns that such shipments contributed to global warming.

"The Council has asked the Commission to look at labelling options in the complex area of carbon footprint,” the EC said in its communication.

Though the debate over carbon footprint/food miles concept has gradually fizzled out, the subject in 2007 rattled players in the Kenyan horticulture industry amid concerns that it threatened to lock out local producers from key markets especially in Europe.

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St. Louis students learning agriculture to plant urban farm with Science Center's help

By Associated Press
4:02 AM CDT, June 18, 2009

ST. LOUIS (AP) — They may be city kids, but a group of St. Louis students are creating a farm.The youths, who are members of Future Farmers of America, will plant their urban farm outside the St. Louis Science Center.Crops to be planted Thursday include corn, cotton, soybeans and tomatoes. Vegetables harvested from the farm will be donated to St. Louis-area food banks.The students from Clyde C. Miller Academy will plant the crops with help from the St. Louis Science Center and representatives from biotech business Monsanto.The urban farm will also be used during the Science Center's "SciFest" event in October, when programs will be given on farming and plant science.

Corn supply demand

In it's monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Report, released this week, USDA projects that corn demand in the 2009/2010 marketing year will surpass production by 525 million bushels. For the marketing year that begins Sept. 1, USDA estimates corn usage at 12.3 million bushels. The result will be a significant drop in storage stocks.

While the new crop growing season is barely underway, USDA officials predict a 11.9-billion-bushel corn crop, down 155 million from last month's estimate. The reason is late planting and wet conditions in the Eastern Corn Belt, particularly Illinois and Indiana. It is expected to drop the national average yield to 153.4 bushels or by 2 bushels per acre.

Corn ending stocks for 2009/2010 are now projected to be 1.1 billion bushels. That's 100 million below the 2008/2009 projection. USDA cut feed and residual use for 2009/2010 by 100 million bushels this month based largely on reductions in meat and poultry prodcution.
The average corn price for the new marketing year is pegged at $3.90 to $4.70 per bushel. That compares to $4.10 to 4.30 for 2008/2009.

Read more: Corn supply demand