Vertical Farms (PHOTOS): The Future Of Sustainable Farming?

By dana.bucur Comment Closed
Author:  Gazelle Emami Via: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/16/vertical-farms-photos-the_n_499924.html#slide_image The idea for vertical farming was born in 1999 in a Columbia University classroom when Dickson Despommier, a professor of environmental sciences and microbology, offhandedly mentioned the idea to his students. Inspired by the idea, Despommier and his class made the first outline of a vertical farm in 2001, and created the website verticalfarm.com to chronicle their research. The benefits of vertical farming are, according to Despommier, manifold. First of all, it would protect crops from weather-related failures due to floods, droughts and pests. Secondly, it would help fight climate change. How so? Despommier argues that a major reason our climate is changing is because of the depletion of forests, that are often cleared out for crops. If forests were able to regrow where crops now exist, it would lessen carbon dioxide emissions. One of the largest motivators for vertical farms is overpopulation. According to New...
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Look at the big picture

By dana.bucur Comment Closed
Author: HELENA BOGLE Via: http://www.farmonline.com.au HYDEN farmer Kent Mouritz said the biggest issues which struck farmers last year were the low grain prices, high input costs and low yields. Mr Mouritz spoke at the recent crisis meeting held in Kulin. "We can't handle all three at once, which was proved last year," Mr Mouritz said. "To get out of the crisis, it has to rain, the input costs have to come down and we need an average grain price." Mr Mouritz spent $450,000 on fertiliser and chemicals for his 5000 hectare program last year, which was 40 per cent more than usual. "It was a very poor start to the season and very staggered - there was no real weed germination due to no reasonable rain event," he said. "The staggered germination of ryegrass, radish and barley grass made it harder to kill the weeds; therefore we had to spend more money on chemicals. "The crop only...
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Temperatures are rising over land and sea

By dana.bucur Comment Closed
Some critics argue that the global record of land surface temperature over the 20th century could be to some extent corrupted by heat from towns and other factors. There is a clear warming, though, if a lesser one, in two other records made independently; that of the temperature of the oceans' surface waters and of the night time air temperature over the oceans. While the larger warming over land could in part reflect some error of procedure, though that is not proven, the trends all have the same shape. Source: The Economist on-line http://www.economist.com/daily/news/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15748082&fsrc=nwl ...
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Official presentation of CEPW – European Center for Premium Winter Wheat

By dana.bucur Comment Closed
On February 23, 2010 was held in Constanta, Romania official presentation of the European Center for Premium Winter Wheat. Along with famous actors of Constanta regional market, Mr. Mihai Berca, Professor and PhD and Mr. Ernst Grosslerher have brought to the attention of all those present some details on Premium varieties and modern farming techniques. Premium wheat varieties are grown in countries that stretch along the Danube and beyond, as it can be seen in the map above. A noteworthy detail is that Probstdorfer varieties are varieties developed in the Pannonian Plain in conditions similar to those in Romania. They hold in their genomes over 80% genoplasma Bezostoia, variety which was inexplicably abandoned in Romania. Mr. Grosslerher has mentioned that Romania presents a huge agricultural potential, only if we judge in light of the fact that his home country, Austria, where drought conditions are much harsher than those in Romania, productions...
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Mr. Mihai Berca, Professor and PhD, is one of Romania’s great people.

By dana.bucur Comment Closed
~ Author: Dana Bucur ~ His professional, scientific, teaching and research activity has long ago exceeded the borders of this country.  He took his doctoral degree in agricultural sciences in 1972, being the youngest PhD holder in Romania. He attended specialty courses in Germany, Austria, France and in 1991 he was awarded the  “Romanian Academy Laureate” title for his work “Efectele reziduale ale erbicidelor ” (Herbicide Residual Effects) published in 1986. In November 2006 he got the award “Petru S. Aurelian” for his book “Teorie si practica in biotehnologii genetice” (Theory and Practice in Genetic Biotechnologies) granted by the Academy of Romanian Scientists. In March 2008 the Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences “Gheorghe Ionescu-Sisesti” awarded the decoration “Meritul Academic” (Academic Merit) to PhD Professor Mihai Berca for his scientific activity and for promoting the technical progress in the rural environment. PhD Professor Mihai Berca is an associate to the following professional organizations: • President of the National Society for Plant Protection • President of the Romanian Society for Weed...
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Ordinance no 14 – Financial measures for regulating State aid to farmers, starting with 2010

By dana.bucur Comment Closed
On January 30th 2010 was published Ordinance No. 14 issued by the Romanian Government on the financial arrangements for regulating State aid to farmers, starting with 2010. From the agricultural business enterprises investments, agri trading or livestock farming  to agri associations or consolidation (aggregation) of land all these areas are well covered by different types of State aids....
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TRANS-EUROPA – AN AUTHENTIC PARTNER, LEADER IN ROMANIA

By dana.bucur Comment Closed
~ Author: Dana Bucur ~ From acquiring the self propelled vessels for transporting cereals, fertilizers etc on the Danube River, up to conditioning and storage facilities, TRANS EUROPA Group (http://www.teu-group.ro) clearly distinguishes itself from other companies through the quality of its services being on the first place in the 2009 Top of Galatz Small and Middle Sized Companies. Under the same aegis of management three business units work together: •    TRANS EUROPA PORT S.A. Galatz •   AGROPORT S.A. •   TRANS EUROPA S.A. These three companies are strategically placed in the East and South-West of Romania covering one of the most important Romanian business areas, area bordered by the Danube River, from Galatz to Braila (East of Romania) and up to Drobeta Turnu Severin (South-West of Romania), thus, the agricultural producers, inputs suppliers etc, can dispose of the hole range of commercial and port services. Hereafter, a short presentation of the three companies: TRANS EUROPA PORT S.A. Galatz, founded in 1996, with branches in Galatz, Braila and Drobeta...
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