Shining Light on Farm & Food Policy for 20 Years. Monday, October 07, 2024

ARTICLES

UAV Technology

Tech startups seek to revolutionize farming, boost bottom lines

Washington, Oct. 25, 2017 - When retired California citrus grower and XTB Laboratories founder and President Ted Batkin explains the inner workings of orange tree RNA, his voice echoes with pride. His burgeoning UC Davis-based agtech company may soon revolutionize the way farmers approach management of the elusive and destructive citrus greening disease, allowing early detection and potentially saving growers millions.


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corn

Organic farming advocates examine ways to combat fraud

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11, 2017 - Organic farming advocates, including the Organic Trade Association (OTA), organic grain distributors and university extension programs, are taking steps to reduce organic fraud, including new traceability methods, and create a more robust U.S. organic grain supply.
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Soil Health

Cover crops gain momentum, but fall below targets

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2017 - Farmers from Maryland to Illinois are turning their soil into a kind of sponge and absorbing the benefits: Planting cover crops such as cereal rye and varieties of radish during harvest season can simultaneously enhance the soil and increase yield. New studies support what farmers and agronomists have been saying for years – that cover crops reduce nutrient runoff, improve soil health and, most important for farmers, increase yields.
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Livestock hauler

Livestock haulers push back on DOT’s ‘Hours of Service’ rule

WASHINGTON, September 27, 2017—Livestock haulers have lost discretionary control over their livelihoods and risk endangering the lives of the animals they transport because of a one-size-fits-all Department of Transportation Hours of Service (HOS) rule and the Electronic Logging Device that aggressively monitors it, industry experts and agricultural groups say.
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