DNA barcoding can be used to determine dietary preference, telling us how species can co-evolve when resources are limiting.
Tag: Ecology
Ecological Theories, Meta-Analysis, and the Benefits of Monocultures
How do we go about increasing agricultural crop yields? As long as human populations are increasing, this is the primary challenge we face in agriculture. We must do this without threatening our ability to produce food in the future, and,…
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Ecosystems are not smart, we are.
In my recent post Don’t mimic nature on the farm, improve it, I argued that we should cast aside the ideas of “balance of nature” and “nature knows best” in designing farming systems. There is no reason to “follow nature’s lead”…
Don’t Mimic Nature on the Farm, Improve it
Behind many efforts to make agriculture more sustainable is the idea that our farming systems need to be more like nature. According to agroecologist Miguel Alteri, “By designing farming systems that mimic nature, optimal use can be made of sunlight,…
Herbicide Resistant Johnsongrass: Coming soon to a farm near you!
Written by Matt DiLeo Pioneer and K State are jointly releasing a set of new herbicide resistant sorghum varieties, which will incorporate resistance to ALS and FOP herbicides. Ironically, these non-genetically modified varieties invoke one of the classic bogeymen of anti-GM…
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Polycultures in Modern Ag?
Written by Matt DiLeo The September issue of CSA news has a nice (open access) article entitled: "Do polycultures have a role in modern agriculture?" Some key caveats: * While diverse plant mixtures have been associated with many benefits, high…
Real leadership leaves Friends of the Earth. Unfortunately, they still need it.
Finally, accept certain campaigns are not winnable, and simply drain resources. Absolutist positions do not hold up for the majority. Because of climate change, this probably includes total opposition to nuclear power and GM products globally. Focus instead on the…
Read More Real leadership leaves Friends of the Earth. Unfortunately, they still need it.
Nature and human activity are inextricably intertwined — in the Anthropocene
Nothing affects global food security as much as synthetic nitrogen fertiliser. Nothing underlines the inadequacy of organic farming for meeting current food and feed demand while sparing forests as much as the global accounts on the nitrogen cycle that is an essential…
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What Everyone Needs to Know about the Economics and Politics of Food, and Even More
The Economics of Food: How Feeding and Fuelling the Planet Effects Food Prices.(Link to Amazon entry)Patrick Westhoff. FT Press ( Financial Times, Pearson Education Ltd), New Jersey 2010.ISBN – 10: 0 – 13 – 700610 – 1ISBN – 13: 978…
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