News (Page 232)

A world-first study by Australia’s Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) has found eating an organic diet for a week can cut pesticide exposure in adults by 89%.   In a release, lead investigator Dr Liza Oates said a few studies examining how organic diets affected pesticide levels in childrenContinue Reading

Scot Nelson and Richard Manshardt, scientists with the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources(CTAHR), have created a new citizen science app for iOS and Android users that tracks what they believe to be the declining incidence of papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) in the Honolulu area, as well as aContinue Reading

Anyone who purchased organic mangoes in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Jersey or Texas since mid-April needs to check their source.   The mangoes were shipped to retailers and distributors in limited quantities only to those five states. The recall notice did not say where the mangoes were grown.   SanContinue Reading

DAVAO CITY — A government-run school in Davao del Sur is putting up a P7-million banana center to address the need to develop indigenous banana varieties and produce crops on a 30-hectare farm.   Dr. Irvin C. Generalao, president of the Southern Philippines Agri-Business and Marine Aquatic School of Technology,Continue Reading

The northern province of Phayao is planing to hold its annual event to promote its local agriculture and craft products. The event, dubbed “Lychee and other best things of Phayao” will be held between 16 to 25 of May in an open field adjacent to Phayao’s main transport terminal. DuringContinue Reading

Fruit specialist, William Daga Avalos, stated that Peru had nearly tripled its starfruit hectares in the last thirteen years.   He indicated that, according to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, there were 100 acres of the product in 2000 and 282 hectares in 2012.   In thatContinue Reading

Continuous summer showers for the past couple of weeks in several parts of Kerala have salvaged mangosteen, nutmeg and cocoa crops which have flowered late this year. In other places, the severe dry spell has inflicted heavy damage to the crop that flowered earlier.   Growers in Konni and ThiruvallaContinue Reading

At Patco greengrocer’s on the Romford Road in east London, there has been a run on Indian mangoes. Boxes cradling a dozen yellow-orange fruits packed in straw, some oozing aromatic juices indicating peak ripeness, have been flying out of the store.   “Customers who usually buy one box a weekContinue Reading

With the growing threat of Panama Disease’s Tropical Race 4 (TR4) in the planet’s top banana-growing regions, Ecuador’s Biotechnology Research Center (CIBE) has begun to develop control measures against the deadly fungus, Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense.   “Ecuador is the largest banana exporter in the world. The introduction of thisContinue Reading

Pineapple production in Costa Rica has increased by 42 per cent in the past five years, rising from 1.68m tonnes in 2009 to 2.36m tonnes in 2013, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. The product is the country’s third biggest export behind integrated circuits and bananas.   MuchContinue Reading

In delving into the mysteries of the deadly citrus greening, or huanglongbing (HLB) disease, University of Florida (UF) researchers have made a surprising discovery.   Although citrus greening enters trees through their leaves, researchers have discovered that the disease attacks roots long before the leaves show signs of damage –Continue Reading