Much of the U.S. is experiencing drought conditions, but this doesn't stop mosquito season. Although there has not been significant rainfall, mosquitos and West Nile Virus are still an issue that horse owners should be aware of. Some ways to protect horses from the West Nile Virus include vaccinating your horses, hanging high-powered livestock fans and getting rid of as much standing water as possible. Lastly, minimize your horses' exposure...
Methane traps 80% more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, and while a cow is digesting food, they burp and methane is released into the atmosphere. Dairy farms make up a large portion of this methane, but they have been researching ways to control this for years. They have finally found a way to measure the amount of methane in the atmosphere at these dairies using drones so they have an accurate reading of how much methane dairies...
Citrus growers came together at an event in Lake Placid, FL to discuss the potential of bamboo as a commercial crop that can be grown on marginal grove land until a solution to Huanglongbing (HLB) is found. The young bamboo shoots are nutritious and popular with consumers as well as the lumber and wood products that it offers. Another good use is carbon sequestration, this is when carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and held in a solid...
From 2019 to 2020, greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 4% according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Agriculture only represents 10% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the whole nation, this number is very low compared to other sectors in the economy. AFBF President, Zippy Duvall, said, "The most recent numbers show America’s farmers and ranchers are dedicated to feeding America’s families while remaining...
Agricultural cooperatives have been warned by the FBI about ransomware attacks are more likely to happen during planting and harvest seasons. “Cyber actors may perceive cooperatives as lucrative targets with a willingness to pay due to the time-sensitive role they play in agricultural production,” FBI states. Some ways to mitigate these attacks include regularly backing up data and installing updates, software, and firmware as soon as they...
For years there have been rumors of extremely high levels of pesticides on fresh produce that make it unhealthy to eat, this is actually a myth. Looking at the highest amount of residue found in the "dirty dozen" it was found that the levels are so low, that a child could eat thousands of servings of fruits and veggies and not have any health effects. Actually, most non-organic produce has such low levels of pesticides, that it could actually be...
As many know, the forestry industry has been experiencing skilled labor shortages as many of the logging contractors and machine operators are set to retire in the near future. A solution to this problem is virtual training for this heavy machinery so a younger workforce can be trained without using the actual equipment. CM Labs has partnered with Tigercat to offer a virtual training of its harvester and forwarder simulator training packs....
Stormwater detention ponds were created to remove 80% of phosphorus, nitrogen and suspended solids from bodies of water, but research shows that they only remove 50% or less. Most often people use the words "detention" and "retention" interchangeably, but these words mean two different types of ponds. Detention ponds hold water all year round, while retention ponds are empty until it rains and they fill up with water. These ponds are normally...
In the past few weeks, there have been reports of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in the Midwest and northern parts of the country. According to Alabama Poultry and Egg Association's CEO, Johnny Adams, the disease is not being spread from farm to farm due to good bio-security. The disease is being spread by wild birds in parts of the U.S. and in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Canada. Bird owners should be reviewing their biosecurity...
Specialty crops like almonds and other nuts, berries, fruits and vegetables have honey bees to thank for more than 15-billion in added crop value. Funding from the Plant Protection Act has helped the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Plant Protection and Quarantine Program, PPQ, launch a survey that will gather data on bees to better understand the threatening factors of bees and how to take action to protect them and the many...
