February 26, 2009
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Soil & Groundwater Newsletter February 26, 2009 |
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| This Week´s Featured News Stories |
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Saving wheat crops worldwide
In a paper published in the prestigious journal Science, scientists from CSIRO Plant Industry, the University of Zurich and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center have identified a wheat gene sequence which provides protection against leaf rust, stripe rust and powdery mildew. “Genetic disease resistance is highly desirable in plants as it is more environmentally friendly and profitable than strategies like spraying pesticides,” says a senior principal research scientist at CSIRO Plant Industry, Dr Evans Lagudah. “The newly identified resistance gene product – known as Lr34 transporter ... |
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Soil carbon storage is not always influenced by tillage practices
The practice of no-till has increased considerably during the past 20 yr. Soils under no-till usually host a more abundant and diverse biota and are less prone to erosion, water loss, and structural breakdown than tilled soils. Their organic matter content is also often increased and consequently, no-till is proposed as a measure to mitigate the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration. However, recent studies show that the effect of no-till on carbon sequestration can be variable depending on soil and climatic conditions, and nutrient management practices. Researchers at Agriculture ... |
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