The benefits of crop rotation for corn and soybean

Many farmers who grow soybean and corn also integrate crop rotation strategies to avoid the continuous corn yield cost, but scientists from the US have given a new reason to use crop rotation. Evidence suggests that rotating crops increases yield and lowers greenhouse gas emissions compared to monoculture corn or soybean.
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Factsheet of the month: February 2016 – Rotation against purple seed stain in soya

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At the beginning of January, a new research centre opened in Benin, which aims to boost productivity and incomes of smallholder farmers, and create job opportunities. Researchers based at the Green Innovation Center, which has been funded by the Federal German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), will develop tools for training and improve frameworks…
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Update: Plant Health News (25 Mar 15)

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Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including early reports on the damage caused by Tropical Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu, the first carbon neutral banana farm recognised in Costa Rica and training for Citrus farmers in Ghana on the use of technology to increase yields. Click on the link to read more…
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Update: Plant Health News (11 Mar 15)

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Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including the revitalization of the banana industry in Jamaica, an assessment of the impact of climate change on agriculture and  record wheat output likely in India, despite crop damage. Click on the link to read more of the latest plant health news!
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Update: Plant Health News (25 Feb 15)

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Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including the Giant African land snails invading Cuba, the debate over GM bananas in Uganda and a new report from the World Food Programme on connecting farmers to markets. Click on the link to read more of the latest plant health news!
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Update: Plant Health News (15 Jan 15)

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Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including Crops in Brazil still suffering after last year’s drought, the Malawi farmers advised to diversify their crops and the gene that affects nitrogen fixation and yield of soybean. Click on the link to read more of the latest plant health news!
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Plant Pest Interactions: How Soybean Aphids Trick Soybean Plant Defences

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Following on from a previous blog on the interactions between soybean plants and soybean pests,  new research on soybean (Glycine max) responses to the soybean aphid (Aphis glycines) published in Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions has revealed some of the complex and fascinating interactions between pests and their plant hosts.  This recent research led by Dr Gustavo Macintosh and…
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The Soybean Gene: Scientists Discover the Key to Nematode Resistant Soybeans

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Soybean (Glycine max) is an important crop that provides a sustainable source of protein and oil worldwide in countries such as the USA, Brazil, Argentina, India and many African countries, including Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda. The soybean cyst nematode Heterodera glycines is a microscopic roundworm that feeds on the roots of soybean and is…
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