Category Archives: Agriculture

Diseases Wreak Havoc in Cassava Fields in Africa

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NAIROBI, KENYA – In Africa, demand for the cassava plant has grown significantly over the years. The continent produces 60 percent of the crop in the world. But the crop is drastically declining in East and Central Africa due to diseases that reduce production.

More than 160 million people in east, central and southern Africa depend on cassava as a stable food and a source of income.

Production of the crop has significantly dropped due to the cassava mosaic and cassava brown streak diseases.

According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization [FAO], the brown streak disease is worse since it affects the root of the crop. These two diseases are creating havoc in Africas agricultural lands.

Improvements necessary

The acting head of the FAO in eastern and central Africa, Luca Alinovi, said the agency has invested to improve the situation in the African fields, but it is not getting better.

Doing right or wrong on cassava has a huge impact on the food security of the people in this region, has such a relevance in our daily lives that we tend to forget it because it appeared in a kind of technical discussion. And I want to bring to your attention that, although it is a technical issue it requires knowledge and requires research, said Alinovi.

The head of the European Union Rural Development and Agriculture program in Kenya, Dominique Davoux, said that over the years the cassava diseases have evolved, and there is need to invest in research to fight the diseases.

We supported the cassava initially, there has been [a] stop in the support, the research slugged [lagged] behind, and the disease reinvented itself [and] propagated again. We have to re-address the issue, said Davoux.

The FAO says a minimum of $100 million is needed to support clean farm production, disease surveillance and research, and market and micro-finance development across the cassava production chain.

Experts warn failure to do so means the cassava disease likely will reach Nigeria, the biggest producer of cassava in Africa.

Irrigation And Its Importance To Agriculture In Tasmania

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Tasmania is situated in the southern part of the Australian continent, considered a splendid getaway island that boasts of untouched wilderness, thousand-year-old trees, rugged coastlines, and rushing whitewater rivers. Tasmania is capable of producing high quality farm products. Its fertile soil, temperate climate and adequate water supply complemented by developed irrigation systems, all contribute to its progressive agricultural industry. In Tasmania, agriculture plays a major part in the economy as there are other industrial sectors that also rely in agriculture.

The government of Australia is oblivious to the fact that agriculture plays a key role in their economy and for this reason, the need to closely monitor and strengthen their irrigation systems in the face of calamities like drought and natural disasters is but imperative. One third of Tasmanias 68000 square kilometers land area is attributed to the agricultural industry which is why irrigation plays an integral part in its agricultural sector.

Statistics reveal that 14,000 gigaliters or 65% of the total water consumed are used for irrigation of agricultural land in Australia. It is alarming to note that this amount of water is not efficiently used the way it should be. Here lies the importance of an efficient irrigation system so that water can be conserved and utilized for the right purpose.

The sprinkler type or overhead irrigation is the one of the most commonly used irrigation systems in Tasmania. Water is sprayed over the crops by use of sprinklers or guns attached to an elevated structure. In a solid set sprinkler system, water is fed from a pump set and runs through a row of pipes or hard hoses. This kind of sprinkler is permanently installed at strategic locations of the farm area that need irrigation.

In a travelling irrigator system, the sprinkler is attached to a wheeled mechanism and has mobility to move across the farm area to perform its irrigation function. Another type of sprinkler irrigation system is the pivot irrigation device where pieces of pipes are connected to a framework of beams holding the pipes together. The sprinkler head moves in a circular motion and water is supplied into the pivot point at the center of the circle. Of all the sprinkler irrigation systems, the centre pivot irrigation is the most widely used by farmers in Tasmania.

A more traditional type of irrigator system is flood irrigation which is considerably the least expensive of all the irrigation systems. Here, water is allowed to flow on the crops directly to the farm bed. It does not require complicated machines to irrigate farms by this means. On the other hand, in furrow irrigation, shallow water canals are hollowed out between rows to catch the water that irrigate the crops.

The importance of an efficient irrigation system is crucial to the development of the agricultural industry in Tasmania. Since agriculture is highly reliant on abundant water supply, emphasis should be given on the proper irrigation agriculture practice by means of getting the appropriate irrigation equipment suitable to the needs of the agricultural lands in Tasmania.

Important Applications Of Edta Products In Various Industries

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EDTA is a well known chelating agent used in food and Pharmaceutical industries for preparing various formulations. It actively binds with several toxic metals like cobalt, lead, mercury that makes them inactive-nontoxic to dissolve in blood and excrete out from the body organs. Due to this property they are widely used in agriculture, horticulture, food and pharmaceuticals.
Various combination of EDTA with several minerals has increased their industrial usages. The active formation of Disodium with EDTA is used in molecular biology as an inhibiting agent. The mineral formations of EDTA contains different molecular weight and PH values applicable differently. Due to their chemical actions on human body, these EDTA products are applied widely in producing high quality crop in bulk quantity. Even minerals enrich EDTA also used in preparing human food as well for animal feeds.
Applications of Various EDTA Products
EDTA Tetrasodium is having the best cleansing property used in preparing cleansing materials, also used in agriculture to fulfill the Tetrasodium requirement of soil for better quality plantations.
EDTA Zinc is used in manufacturing zinc enrich fertilizer that is widely demanded in agriculture industry now-a-days. EDTA Zinc fulfills the requirement of Zinc to the soil and helps the crop growing well.
EDTA Copper provides the nutritional element of copper for better agriculture production. This creates a great combination while mixing with other EDTA products in fertilizer and increases the fertility of the land. Every farmer should know the content ingredient of the fertilizer while purchasing them.
The high grade EDTA Manganese is used in several fertilizers to provide the manganese to the soil. The pure EDTA manganese are pinkish color powder with minimum metal content increase the manganese level of the soil that is required for better growth of plantation and crop and ultimately gives bulk agriculture production. For more information on EDTA Manganese, Visit http://www.shivamagroind.com/?page_id=86
The role of EDTA Magnesium is quite important in fertilizer industry as it promotes the photosynthesis process in the plants, also increase the absorption value of irons in them. It stimulates the enzymes in plants for fast processing. EDTA Magnesium is one of the most important and widely demanded ingredients in agriculture industry.
EDTA Calcium is another chelating agent effectively works on metal and makes them non-toxic. The chelated calcium also used as fertilizer to increase nitrogen metabolism and gives hard structure to the plants. It also applies in healing process in pharmaceuticals and agriculture.

EDTA Ferric has also a contributing to enrich the soil with ferric, when used in fertilizer. It is good water soluble micronutrients that provides better nourishments to the plants and grow them well. Dried Ferrous Sulphate is used to stimulate the growth in animal body as well having good importance value in agriculture fertilizer to increase the crop production.
Shivam Agro Industries is a leading manufacturer of EDTA (Ethylene Diamine Tetra Acetic Acid) products including EDTA Acid, EDTA Disodium, EDTA Tetrasodium, EDTA Zinc, EDTA Copper, EDTA Manganese, EDTA Magnesium, EDTA Calcium, EDTA Ferric and Dried Ferrous Sulphate at the most affordable rates.

Hidden Wonders Of The Algarve, Portugal

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The Algarve meaning ‘the west’ is the sunny, warm coastal region along the south of Portugal. In the years since the 1960’s tourism has overtaken agriculture and fishing as the main industry and a lot of the Algarve’s charm has gone with the bleak apartment blocks and sprawling villa complexes. Even so, with a little knowledge there are certain areas that remain wild, untouched and oozing with culture and history.

Most tourists are shuttled off to the central Algarve leaving the most beautiful and unspoiled areas in the east and the west for independent tourists. In the back country only miles from the tourist destinations many villages and towns remain untouched with little known rural walks in the spring flowers and shady woods.

Most notable in the eastern Algarve is the historic city of Tavira with it’s multitude of churches and a central castle. This area is close to the Ria Formosa natural park offering miles of lagoons and barrier islands where flamingos and numerous aquatic birds live and bread. The beach at the ilha de Tavira can be reached in summer using a ferry from the centre of town or alternatively take the 20m minute walk out of town towards the island and hop on a boat that will take you across to the island. This stretch of sand is very popular with the Portuguese but continues for miles allowing for solitude even in the busy summer season.

In the west the city of Lagos is a popular destination and with good reason. The city has an important history as it is was from here that the Portuguese began their expeditions along the coast of Africa in the age of discovery. Lagos now has a completely pedestrianised centre within the old town that is surrounded by the castle walls. There are many shops, excellent restaurants serving fish and in the night Lagos is notorious for its bar scene. Don’t miss the market on Saturday mornings where you can purchase regional specialities and freshly harvested fruit and vegetables before heading down to the fish market for the days catch. Walk along the cliffs out to the Ponta da Piedade (Mercy Point) with it’s lighthouse or go swimming on the little known nudist beach at Praia do Carnavial.

The mountains of Monchique are easily reached by car from anywhere in the western Algarve. The Caldes de Monchique are therapeutic thermal baths and the area is ideal for a stroll in the wooded hills or down by the bubbleing stream. Drive out to the village of Marmallate or climb to the top of the mountain where you can take in views of the whole of the Algarve coastline and enjoy the refreshing cool mountain air. Many local shops offer locally produced hams and varieties of ‘Medronho’ (a brandy made from the Arbutus fruit that symbolises frienship) as well as hand made craft items. Restaurants either side of the main road offer up freshly grilled chicken, Piri Piri style.

After Lagos the Algarve coastline continues west towards Sages and the region once called “the end of the world” as little was known of what lay beyond the waves. Resort towns such as Praia da Luz with it’s arced bay and black rock headland give way to the natural park of Costa Vincentina where many more secret beaches can be discovered especially along dirt tracks west of Vila do Bispo. Atlantic rollers meet a wild landscape of immense natural beauty. Popular with surfers the beaches at low tide have waves that collapse on themselves again and again and sitting on the beach on a sunny afternoon undisturbed by the modern world listening to the roar in the background while looking out into the abyss one can see how sailors were captivated to venture forth to discover what lay beyond.

Looking for Agriculture Jobs Online

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While searching for any job, the most important thing that matters is your own dedication towards your objective. In the past few years, agriculture has emerged as a major destination for growth-oriented job opportunities. This is the reason why a large number of individuals are searching for jobs in agriculture. Searching for agriculture employer sites for jobs in agriculture can be a daunting task. This is due to the fact that most of the recruiters are located at different parts of the globe which makes it difficult for the individuals to get access to a large number of agriculture jobs in UK.

There are various employer jobs boards and they are of extreme importance as most agriculture jobs posted on employer job boards are not posted anywhere else. So, searching for these employer job boards must be part of your agriculture job search project.

Another way to look for numerous job opportunities is to search them online. In the past few years, internet has emerged as a major source for people looking for jobs in any field. There are thousands of agriculture jobs posted all across the internet. A large number of agriculture jobs are found on employer sites, job boards, recruiter sites and few sites particularly focusing the agriculture field.

The job titles for the agriculture career field differ greatly based on experience and education level. In case if you’re looking agriculture job opening such as department of agriculture jobs or looking to start a new career in agriculture, the online job site is especially for you.

A good job website help you where to find the hidden agriculture jobs that exist all over the internet. At any particular moment of time, there are thousands of jobs get posted all over the internet. In order to find information about these entire job postings, take the help of a professional job site for you.

On using the website, you can be linked to all kinds of jobs in agriculture and other related jobs. You can also find the most sought after department of agriculture jobs. Internet has made it extremely easy for individuals to get access to various agriculture jobs posted anywhere on the internet. Doing it yourself can be a daunting task for you. Recruiters in the agriculture field fall into different categories such staffing, retained search, permanent placement, and temporary placement. The various job positions under agriculture field may include Agriculture Credit Analyst, Agriculture Associate Buyer, Agriculture Manager, Production Supervisor, Food Processing, Agriculture Clerk, Senior Agriculture Analyst, Audit Manager, Agriculture Assistant, and Agriculture Supervisor.

Jobs in agriculture and Jobs in horticulture