Scotts Miracle Gro will phase out neonicotinoids in its garden care lineup by 2021. Study results on the chemical are varied, as far as the severity of its contribution to the decline of the bee population. In fact, many have concluded there is no clear link between neonicotinoids and the honey bee syndrome known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). [node:read-more:link]
Federal data show that the number of banks and credit unions across the country willing to handle pot money under Treasury Department guidelines issued two years ago has jumped from 51 in March 2014 to 301 last month.
More than three years into Washington's legal pot experiment, a large majority of businesses are paying taxes electronically, a sign of better access to bank accounts. The state is even poised to require electronic payments unless the shops can show a good reason to pay in cash. [node:read-more:link]
The company doesn't seem too keen on old-school GMOs anymore. Fraley accompanied us to the biotechnology wing of the research center, the first stop on our tour. Strikingly, we didn't hear a peep about the GM wonder crops that the industry used to claim were just around the corner: corn that grows well in drought conditions, say, or thrives with minimal amounts of nitrogen fertilizer. [node:read-more:link]
There has been a "sea change in the last five years, led by forward looking companies",particularly in the clothing, food and drink industries. [node:read-more:link]
Use of antibiotics in animal production is leading to clustering of antibiotic-resistant genes says a US research team. [node:read-more:link]
As much as 90% of Florida’s citrus acres are infected with the citrus greening disease. According to a report from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, citrus greening, also known as HLB and huanglongbing, has also infected 80% of Florida’s citrus trees.The survey, conducted in March 2015, represents the first grower-based estimates of the level of infection in Florida and the effect it is having on the state’s citrus operations. [node:read-more:link]
The U.S. government is hoping an expert panel will be the next best thing to a crystal ball in helping predict what the future of biotechnology holds. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS) in Washington, D.C., yesterday held the first public meeting of a new committee of academic and industry researchers, tasked with forecasting what biotechnologies will emerge in the next 5 to 10 years, and what new types of risk they might pose to the environment or human health. [node:read-more:link]
Merrin Macrae, Associate Professor at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada opened a conference sponsored by the Michigan Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society and Michigan State University Extension in East Lansing on March 4, A Matter of Balance: Systems Approaches to Managing the Great Lakes Landscapes. [node:read-more:link]
The green tractor trundling across a Manitoba field with an empty cab looks like it’s on a collision course with Matt Reimer’s combine—until it neatly turns to pull alongside so he can pour freshly harvested wheat into its trailer. The robot tractor isn’t a prototype or top-of-the-line showpiece. It’s an eight-year-old John Deere that the 30-year-old Mr. Reimer modified with drone parts, open-source software and a Microsoft Corp. tablet. All told, those items cost him around $8,000. [node:read-more:link]
S. Kidman and Co has named a new Chinese-Australian consortium as the preferred buyer for most of its iconic cattle station holdings. The sale cannot proceed without the approval of the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) and the Treasurer Scott Morrison, who has extended the time available for his consideration of the sale beyond the expected July election. South Australia's Anna Creek Station, which is adjacent to the rocket testing range at Woomera, is not included in the sale. The value of the deal is $370.7 million. [node:read-more:link]
