0 Have your say Agriculture has always been a key sector for Scotland, and life sciences developments have helped this crucial industry continue to anchor rural life and contribute to the wider Scottish economy. Georgina Keys, R&D Technical Consultant at Leyton, writes about advances in life sciences that are helping to revolutionise farming.Advances in life sciences in Scotland allow us to better understand intricate biochemical interplay in Scottish crops and livestock. With this greater understanding, farmers can then conduct experiments and undertake R&D projects to improve the quality of their crops and livestock. This places Scotland at the forefront of the market, as we are able to develop a strong agricultural industry with the corresponding biological knowledge. We are better able to understand the unique circumstances that improve crop yields, as well as genetic factors that can impact livestock through the work of Scottish biologists and chemists.Five … [Read more...] about Five examples of how life sciences is revolutionising farming
Farming
22 killed as farm truck overturns
A speeding truck has overturned on a potholed road in western India, killing at least 22 people, police said. Another 32 were injured in the pre-dawn accident near the city of Belgaum in Karnataka state, inspector Ashok Malage said. The victims were farm workers travelling to help harvest sugar cane. Mr Malage said 10 children and three women were among the dead. He added that the truck was speeding on a badly potholed stretch of the highway when it overturned. India has the world's deadliest roads, with more than 110,000 people killed annually. Most crashes are blamed on reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and ageing vehicles. … [Read more...] about 22 killed as farm truck overturns
20 cannabis farms found ‘every day’
More than 20 cannabis farms and factories were discovered by police every day last year as they seized drugs which could sell for £100 million on the streets, figures show. Senior police chiefs said the size and scale of the farms were reducing as criminals producing cannabis were spreading the risk and minimising losses by employing a large number of so-called gardeners to manage small sites across multiple residential areas. Over the two years since the last report by the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo), some 1.1 million plants have been seized with a street value of £207.4 million. A total of 7,865 farms were found across the UK in 2011/12, up 15% from 6,866 in 2009/10 and more than a 150% increase from the 3,032 identified four years ago, the study by Acpo found. There has been a "move back to the use of residential property" and dismantling factories was seen as "a short term solution, with missed opportunities for further investigation into potentially … [Read more...] about 20 cannabis farms found ‘every day’
£2.5bn wind farm finds new backer
Britain's biggest wind farm, planned for the middle of the Thames estuary, could be back on after a major injection of cash from the Middle East. The future of the £2.5 billion London Array wind farm has been in doubt for several months after previous backer Shell pulled out. The new backer for the project, which would have 350 turbines the size of Nelson's Column and be capable of producing enough electricity to power around a quarter of the capital's homes, is a sovereign wealth fund called Masdar. Masdar is backed by the petrodollars of the oil-rich state of Abu Dhabi. Shell, originally a 33% investor, quit the project in May over growing fears over the cost of constructing, connecting and maintaining London Array and the thousands more wind turbines the UK needs to meet its green energy commitments. Today original London Array backer E.On, the German energy giant which is one of Britain's leading power suppliers, said it had sold a part of its stake to Masdar. From now E.On … [Read more...] about £2.5bn wind farm finds new backer
25 farms infected by bluetongue
Twenty-five farms are now infected with bluetongue, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said. Deputy chief vet Fred Landeg said all the infected premises were contained in the existing control zone in the east of England, with most clustered around Ipswich, where the first case was discovered. He said restrictions preventing movement of livestock out of the control and protection zones, set up after an outbreak of bluetongue was confirmed last week, would last well into next summer. "Our strategy is to contain it in that area if at all possible," he said. Manufacturers are currently working on a vaccine, which they hope will be approved by next spring or summer and could be deployed if the disease re-emerges in the UK after the winter. But culling is not used to combat bluetongue, as the disease is spread via midges and not directly passed between livestock. Dr Landeg said colder temperatures in coming months should stop midge activity and the virus replicating, and … [Read more...] about 25 farms infected by bluetongue