Science on the Land
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Recent Posts
- How genetic modification is done: 1. Agrobacterium
- Biotechnology in Action
- New contact details
- Neonic makers might pay for research about neonics on the land
- A neonic that’s bad news for birds
- Hello Ms Truss
- Goodbye Mr Paterson
- Séralini’s rat-feeding trial (part 5)
- New Séralini study shows Roundup damages sperm
- America’s dwindling diversity
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Category Archives: ecology
Neonic makers might pay for research about neonics on the land
Here in Europe, three insect-killing neonicotinoids are under a temporary ban. During the ban our UK Government is welcoming new research. It’s now become known that pesticide manufacturers might fund some of this research. Vested interests! Last year my fellow … Continue reading
Posted in agriculture, ecology, horticulture, knowledge transfer
Tagged arthropod, Bayer, brassica, bumblebee, Europe, finance, Heath_David, honeybee, hymenopteran, insect, insecticide, law, neonicotinoid, oilseed, Paterson_Owen, pesticide, plant_dicot, pollination, rapeseed, research, seed dressing, Syngenta, Truss_Elizabeth, wild bee, wild pollinator
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A neonic that’s bad news for birds
Here in Europe, three insect-killing neonicotinoids are under a temporary ban. One of the banned neonics is called imidacloprid. Six months into the neonic ban, here’s new science about imidacloprid and insect-eating birds in the Netherlands. The chemical and biotech … Continue reading
Posted in agriculture, ecology, horticulture, knowledge transfer
Tagged apple, arthropod, Bayer, bird, crop, DDT, ecosystem, Europe, European Food Safety Authority, history, imidacloprid, insect, insecticide, insectivore, invertebrate, knowledge, law, pest control, pesticide, plant_dicot, poison, pollution, research, seed, seedling, soil, sugar beet, tomato, vertebrate, water, wildlife
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Hello Ms Truss
Our new UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is Elizabeth Truss. Er… who? She’s been working for improvements to education, very important, yes, but I haven’t seen much to suggest that she knows anything about the … Continue reading
Goodbye Mr Paterson
Here in Britain, our Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs has been Owen Paterson. Not any more! Today, in a Cabinet reshuffle, Mr Paterson’s been sacked. I wonder who’ll take his place. Whoever that person is, I … Continue reading
Syngenta withdraws application to use banned pesticide linked to bee harm
argylesock says… I’m not sure which neonic Syngenta wants to bring back here in Europe. Maybe all of the three which are temporarily banned: clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam. [Edit] Soon after this story broke, I’m feeling cynical about it. Maybe … Continue reading
Posted in agriculture, ecology, horticulture
Tagged arthropod, Bayer, brassica, bumblebee, canola, clothianidin, commodity crop, conservation, crop, Europe, honeybee, hymenopteran, imidacloprid, insect, insecticide, law, National Farmers Union, neonicotinoid, oilseed, pesticide, plant_dicot, politics, pollination, rapeseed, seed dressing, sowing, Syngenta, thiamethoxam, trade, Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, wild bee
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Seed banks in soil
Chris at woodlands.co.uk tells us about ‘soil seed banks’. Growers and farmers know very well how seeds can live in soil, ready to germinate when conditions change. This can be wonderful, terrible or both. Chris’s article stirs an old seedbank … Continue reading
Posted in agriculture, ecology, horticulture, knowledge transfer
Tagged bog, bryophyte, conservation, ecosystem, farmer, gardener, habitat restoration, keystone species, landscape, mining, moss, plant_dicot, plant_monocot, seed, seedbank, soil, wetland
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Roundup weedkiller and Roundup Ready crops
The world’s most popular weedkiller is called Roundup. It’s used in gardens, on farms and in public places. Many of the world’s most popular genetically modified (GM, genetically engineered) crops are called Roundup Ready. You can spray these crops with … Continue reading
Posted in agriculture, ecology, horticulture, knowledge transfer
Tagged Africa, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, America, Asia, bacterium, Bayer, biotechnology, crop, Europe, farm, garden, genetic modification, glyphosate, herbicide, herbicide resistance, history, International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications, Monsanto, patent, pesticide, pesticide resistance, plant_dicot, plant_gymnosperm, plant_monocot, Roundup, Roundup Ready crop, Syngenta, trade, weed
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Gardens for wildlife
Here in Britain the gardening season looks good so far. Here’s an article about gardening for bees and other wildlife. Untidy gardeners like me are good gardeners for wildlife. It’s now a year since hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) bred in my … Continue reading
Posted in ecology, horticulture, miniculture
Tagged apiculture, arthropod, breeding, bumblebee, clover, conservation, ecosystem, Europe, flower, foraging, fruit, garden, gardener, green manure, hedgehog, herb, hibernation, honeybee, hymenopteran, insect, invertebrate, leaf, mammal, nest, plant_dicot, rat, salad, vegetable, vertebrate, weed, wild bee, wild food, wild pollinator, wildlife
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