ANTS MASTERED AGRICULTURE 30MILLION YEARS BEFORE WE DID.

Ants cultivated designer crops in controlled environments millions of years before humans figured out how to push seeds into the ground to grow food, scientists reported in a study Wednesday.


It has long been known that dozens of ants species tend and harvest fungi in sub-terranean farms, mostly to feed a colony’s larvae.

A few species have taken that process to the next level, modifying fungi so thoroughly they can no longer survive in the wild, much in the way some genetically altered crops consumed by humans are not viable without pesticides or other inputs.

“Over the course of millions of years, the fungus has become domesticated,” said lead author Michael Branstetter, an ant specialist at the US National Museum of Natural History.


The new research shows for the first time that some ants transitioned to this more sophisticated level of farming about 30 million years ago, probably in response to a cooling and drying climate.
“We discovered that domestication likely occurred in dry habitats in South America,” Branstetter told AFP.

“These habitats would have prevented the ant’s fungi from escaping the nest and interbreeding with other free-living fungi.”

Moisture-loving fungi evolved in wet forests, and would have been poorly equipped to survive on their own in this changing environment.

The findings, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, are the fruit of intense genetic sleuthing.

Using powerful new tools, scientists compared some 1,500 stretches of DNA in 119 modern ant species, two-thirds of them farming ants.

By identifying the non-farming ant most closely related to the fungi-cultivating species, they were able to construct an evolutionary tree going back in time.

“Higher agricultural-ant societies have been practising sustainable, industrial-scale agriculture for millions of years,” said lead researcher Ted Schultz, the museum’s curator of ants.

There may be lessons there for our own species, he added.

“They provide all the nourishment needed for their societies using a single crop that is resistant to disease, pests and droughts at a scale and level of efficiency that rivals human agriculture,” he said in a statement.

Just as humans living in a dry or temperate climate might raise tropical plants in a greenhouse, agricultural ants carefully maintain the humidity within their climate-controlled fungal gardens.
“If things are getting a little too dry, the ants go out and get water and they add it,” Shultz explained. “If they’re too wet, they do the opposite.”

Fungi, which include yeasts and moulds, are neither plants nor animals, but form a “kingdom” of their own. BY AFP.

AGRICULTURE IS AN ALTERNATIVE TO OIL SAYS OSHOFFA.

• Oyedepo Tasks Nigerians On Agric Innovations
The Pastor and Spiritual Head, Celestial Church of Christ, worldwide, Rev. Emmanuel Mobiyina Oshoffa, has assured Nigerians that the nation will certainly overcome the current economic recession so long they get connected to God.

Oshoffa, who spoke at the unveiling of the logo for the 70th Anniversary of the Church, which held at Makoko, said God loves the nation and if only Nigerians could trust in Him and believe in His sovereign power, the nation would certainly come out of the woods.

The Cleric also advised leaders to seriously consider an option to oil, which has been generally acknowledged to be agriculture. Speaking on spiritual matters and the state of the church, Oshoffa said: “Every member of the Church is called to follow the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ on love and oneness. This Church is to be one throughout the world. It is set up to cleanse the world, as well as cleanse the spirit and the body.

“Anybody who accepts that Jesus Christ is the Son of God is a true child of God, who will experience joy and peace with no darkness in his life.

In his comment, the Chairman, Central Planning Committee for the anniversary, Prophet Emmanuel Soyemi said: “We are aiming at one Church, and one leader under the leadership of Rev. Emmanuel Mobiyina Oshoffa and time has come to return to the foundation, laid by the founder, Pastor S.B.J. Oshoffa with the goal of bringing the Church back to the basics, so that the glory of God will return to it.

In the same vein, the Chancellor, Landmark University, Dr. David Oyedepo, has called for innovative thinking in product development and agricultural enterprise towards addressing food deficit in the country.

He made the call, Thursday, at the 6th Founder’s Day Anniversary of the university.  Oyedepo, who was represented by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Aize Obayan, said there was neither substitute for food nor known software for addressing food challenges, except breakthroughs in the information technology development. BY ISAAC TAIWO

NO CONFLICT OF INTERESTS ON PESTICIDE ADVICE.

The assertion by Professor Dave Goulson (Farmers could slash pesticide use without losses, research reveals, 6 April) cannot go unchallenged. He says that pesticides are massively over-used because farmers are advised by agronomists working on commission to sell products.


The Agricultural Industries Confederation represents the majority of businesses that supply both agronomy advice and crop protection products to UK farmers. Farmers can elect to pay separately for agronomy advice and crop protection products. Farmers also have access to information from agrochemical manufacturers as well as independent agronomy research organisations – much of it free online. In many instances, those delivering advice do not receive commission.


The UK crop protection industry is focused on ensuring optimum, rather than maximum, use of crop protection products to ensure the farming industry delivers safe, wholesome and affordable food. It is a legal requirement that agronomists selling crop protection products are highly trained and kept up to date with agronomic developments to deliver advice to ensure efficient production and environmental protection. NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.

YOUNG MIDWESTERN FARMERS WANT TO GROW SUSTAINABLE FOOD BUT THEY NEED HELP.

On a recent chilly afternoon, Natasha Hegmann, 28, and her husband, Pete Kerns, 27, tended the fire of a giant copper boiler holding some 250 gallons of maple sap. The sap had flowed into the boiler overnight through a series of pipes from nearby trees. Turning the gooey sap into syrup will take days.

A native Iowan, Hegmann worked at a number of local community farms before her and Kerns set up their own, Turkey River Farms, in 2015 to grow vegetables in warmer months and harvest maple sap during the winter. The couple thought about farming in other states but ultimately decided to stay in Iowa because of the support given by Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI), a 32-year-old nonprofit that aims to attract new and young farmers to the field and teach them to grow food organically. The group offers workshops and a program that gives funds to match the money saved by new farmers over a period of time.

“PFI has been huge for us,” Hegmann says. “It’s actually part of the reason that we chose to settle and start our farm in Iowa.”

For decades, the midwest  has boasted the highest concentration of farms in the US, and is also a crucial agricultural region, both for local food production and food that is exported. Today, midwestern states, particularly Iowa, are the second leading producers of crops and livestock behind California, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) census. This says a lot about the midwest’s potential for being the next sustainable food production hub in the US.

But here’s the trouble: statistically, young people just aren’t that into farming. In the most recent USDA agricultural census, new farmer numbers dropped by around 20% between 2007-2012, with the majority of farmers falling somewhere between the ages of 55-64, consistent with a 30-year trend. The culprits of this trend: a diminishing ability to subsist on farming income, an increase in debt needed to farm and general rural poverty.

Young people are leaving the midwest faster than anywhere else. “Farming is also not on the typical list of ‘hot’ careers for twenty-somethings, and the barriers to entry can seem daunting,” says Gary Adamkiewicz, assistant professor of Environmental Health and Exposure Disparities at Harvard University.

One of the biggest roadblocks for beginning farmers is land access. Land costs continue to climb and, despite the enormous land transference to come as older farmers retire – 70% of the nation’s farmland over the next two decades – most of it may not end up in the hands of willing young farmers but in the hands of property developers.For farmers just cutting into the market, starting small, and wanting to grow sustainably, the odds are not great. Large farms have the scale, money and freedom to use synthetic pesticides and fertilizers to maximize yields. Organic farming, on the other hand, can be more profitable but takes more land to grow the same amount of food as conventional farming. Farmers are limited in the types of chemicals they can use to get rid of pests and nurture crops, and organic certification is long and expensive. The USDA requires farmers to demonstrate organic practices for three years before they can be certified – but farmers are not allowed to increase the prices of their products during this time to be on par with other organic produce.

Hannah Breckbill has faced these challenges. The 29-year-old owner of Humble Hands Harvest near Decorah, Iowa, runs a two-woman operation growing organic vegetable produce. “Access to capital is a lot harder with unconventional agriculture, but the capital needs are not a lot less,” she says. Her biggest challenge? Land. “I’ve been able to manage that through creative means, renting and borrowing from landowners who had a few acres to spare. Now I’m finally buying my own land, and that had to happen by creative means too: lots of people in my community gifting me with substantial amounts of money and capital.”

Breckbill says that she’s spent almost $100,000 on Humble Hands Harvest since starting the operation in 2013. Her first year required around $12,000 to run the farm on land she didn’t have to buy at the time. Later, the eight acres she is on now cost $40,000 – some was gifted, some was through a $20,000 loan from her uncle. Electricity cost a further $10,000 and the greenhouse a little over $8,000. Operating costs are roughly around $10,000 per year, not counting labor costs.
Fortunately for Breckbill and other young farmers in the midwest, organizations like PFI help relieve the burden. The Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (Moses) is a nonprofit formed in 1999 that aims to help out farmers in the upper midwest with resources, workshops, and education on all sorts of farming-related subjects, from fieldwork to financial.

The nonprofit’s biggest contribution: an annual educational farming conference, held in Wisconsin. This year’s event, held in February, drew 3,100 attendants hailing from 49 different states and six foreign countries; 44% of them designated themselves as new or beginning farmers (in other words, farming less than ten years) – a rise from the 42% since 2016. Moses designates specific workshops for new farmers as part of its New Organic Stewards program, including education on topics from practical sustainable farming skills to financial tools.There’s also the Land Stewardship Project (LSP), a Minnesota nonprofit that provides training workshops and courses throughout the state for new farmers, designed to help equip new farmers with business planning skills so they can then run their own profitable agricultural businesses.

According to LSP, farm startup costs tend to average around $60,000 (whether for livestock, a diversified crop of vegetables, or fruits) and may include greenhouses, electricity, coolers for food storage, tractors, equipment, fencing and more. Planting orchards or a mix of vegetables tends to have much higher startup costs, even when on smaller acreage; livestock is relatively lower, even on land close to 50 acres. However, this number does not include the price of land, which varies widely depending on location.

More than 600 farmers completed a beginner’s farming course in the first 16 years of the nonprofit’s initiative, according to LSP. There’s also a two-year mentorship program that pairs new farmers with established and profitable farms in the area. Breckbill happened to benefit from LSP’s programs. “I did my first business planning through LSP, and I continue to work with them,” she says.The beginner’s farming course has even formed its own nationwide collaborative, spawning its own website and splinter programs that model the original program piece-for-piece in South Dakota, North Carolina, Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri

To address the problem of land, an Iowa organization called Sustainable Iowa Land Trust, or Silt, was established 2014. Modeled closely after other land trusts around the country, the nonprofit protects land purchased or donated to the trust with conservation easements, which are legal agreements that prohibit the land from being developed for business use other than farming.

As a result of placing the land in conservation easement, its value is depreciated – due to it no longer being on the market for development – making it an affordable lease option for new farmers. Silt also helps with organic certification and doesn’t allow farmers to grow high cash conventional crops, such as corn for ethanol – just food. “We set a higher bar in our easements than almost any land trust,” says Suzan Erem, president of Silt.

Erem feels a sense of urgency about carrying out Silt’s mission. “We have a window of opportunity, but if young people don’t keep stepping up to do this labor intensive, somewhat risky form of farming, none of us will have any choices left.”

Adamkiewicz at Harvard agrees. “Last year, the USDA announced a series of initiatives aimed at cultivating the next generation of farmers, including mentoring and loan programs. We need more investments like these.

“We need to train this next generation who are trying to make a difference while dealing with some of the stresses already put on farmland by conventional agriculture.” BY ADRAIN WHITE.

KWARA ASSEMBLY INTERVENES AS PEST INVADES FARMS.

The Kwara State House of Assembly has enjoined the state government to draw the attention of the federal government to the invasion of farms by pests in the state, with a view to collaborating with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in combating the problem.

This is part of the resolutions of the House while considering a motion titled “Invasion of Crop Farms by Pests in Kwara State” sponsored by a member representing Kaiama/Kemanji/ Wajibe Constituency Ahmed Ibn Mohammed.

Reading the resolutions of the House, the Deputy Speaker, Mathew Okedare who presided over the sitting, said the need became imperative, in view of the huge loss of farm produce due to the invasion.

The Legislature equally urged the state government to assist the affected farmers, through provision of pesticides to forestall reoccurrence in the State.

Mohammed had while raising the motion, narrated the ordeal of the affected farmers since last year, pointing out that most of them took bank loans to embark on the farming and appealed to  the house to call on the relevant authority to wade in with a view to finding enduring solutions to the problem.

Other members who spoke on the motion among other things identified the causes and called for appropriate pro-active measures, from the state government to tackle the problem once and for all. BY ROMOKE W. AHMAD.

VEGETABLE FARMERS DENY GETTING SUPPORT FROM ANAMBRA GOVT

Contrary to claims by the Anambra State government of supporting the local farmers towards the exportation of vegetables worth billions of dollars to foreign countries, farmers in the state have denied receiving any financial support from it.  

This shocking revelation came during a recent media tour by journalists in the state on the various projects being undertaken by the state government to mark the third year of Willie Obiano’s administration.
 
Those who spoke to Daily Trust in Ogbaru, one of the farm locations, said they had never received any incentives from the government, adding that they were unaware of the exportation of their goods to foreign countries.
  
The farmers said they got patronage from customers from neighboring states like Delta, Rivers, Imo and within the state.

A farmer, Mrs Onyejiaka Nzediegwu, said she raised money to prepare her farm for the production of vegetable, adding that she spent over N50,000 to procure seedlings, till the land and other labour during the last farming season. 


“My farm yielded about 40-60 bundles per day during harvest and we received customers from Delta, Rivers, Imo and within Anambra,” she said.

According to Nzediegwu, the farmers operated through a union called ‘Otu ukwu-orji’, comprising of several farmers, mostly women.

Another farmer, Mrs. Chinyere Chigbada, corroborated Nzediegwu that the farms relied on their individual efforts and had not felt any government presence in the farms.  
She said she took a loan of N150,000 to buy the vegetables and pepper sidings used during the last farming session. BY EMMA ELEKWA.

FAKE FERTILISERS SURFACE AS PRICES REMAIN HIGH IN MARKETS.

With the rain-fed farming season setting in, prices of fertilisers, one of the major agro inputs, are still high in markets in many parts of the country. 

This is just as the Anambra State Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanization, Processing and Export raised alarm over the circulation of uncertified agricultural inputs, mostly fertilisers, allegedly brought into the state by unscrupulous individuals. 

It listed the fake agricultural inputs to include substandard fertilizers, rice seedlings and insecticides. 

A statement from the ministry warned farmers, registered cooperative societies and others associated with the agricultural value chain against the purchase and usage of such fake inputs.

It said it is cooperating with law enforcement agencies to identify and prosecute those responsible. 

The statement also warned that uncertified use of such inputs would be checked as Anambra soil has been tested and certified with specific input requirements to maintain safe and healthy farms

Access to fertiliser has been one of the major problems confronting farmers in the country as its price is usually beyond the reach of the ordinary people, especially those in the rural communities.

Previous government’s interventions have also failed to address this challenge as they usually come late, sometimes close to the harvest period.

To address the situation, the present administration set up a special taskforce called the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative, which aimed at not only crashing the price of the commodity but making it accessible to the ordinary farmers across the country.

Recently, the initiative, anchored by the Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN), an association of all fertiliser producers and suppliers in the country, said it had begun the distribution of the farm input to farmers.

FEPSAN’s President, Mr. Thomas Etuh, said, “Delivery of finished products has started to arrive some states and agro dealers.’’ 

He told journalists that one million metric tonnes of NPK fertilizer (the national demand) will be accessed by farmers for the 2017 rain-fed farming season, adding that “the price has been pegged at N5,000 from the factory and N5,500 from dealers to farmers.

When Daily Trust visited some markets across the country recently, it was discovered that farmers buy other brands as the FGN’s N5,500 NPK fertiliser was in limited supply. 

In Funtua, Katsina State, which has one of the blending plants for the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative, some brands of NPKs in the market (Magic) go for N7,300 and TAK Agro, N7,300. 

The Urea brand produced by Notore is sold at N7,700 and the brand by Indorama at N7,500. 

This, though is a bit lower than what it was sold in 2016 (N9,000-N11,000) respectively.

Report from Sokoto says fertilizer (Urea) goes for N8,000 per 50kg and NPK N6,500. 

In Benue, where one of the blending plants is located, the product is sold at between N5,500 and N7,500 at the open market depending on the brand.

In Kano, which has two blending plants (in Madobi and Kano) the input costs between N6,500 and N7,500 also depending on the producer.

Findings by our reporter at Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, showed that NPK, Urea and Phosphorus brands of fertiliser cost N8,000 each per 50kg bag.

A fertiliser dealer, Ahmed Shehu, said they were finding it difficult to access the commodity.

In Kaduna metropolis, a 50kg bag of NPK fertiliser is currently being sold at N9,500 in the open market, while Urea is sold at N7,500.

    

Agro dealers’ concerns  

But agro dealers are concerned that transporting fertilizer from blending plants to distant areas might shoot the cost for them beyond the tagged price.

Speaking with journalists recently in Abuja, the National President, Agro Dealers Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Kabiru Umar Fara, said delivering the fertilizer to the nooks and crannies of the country at the same price will pose a huge challenge for them.

“The blending plants in the country are not evenly distributed. Some states don’t have blending plants. The margin for the agro dealers is going to be very tight because if I want to buy Golden fertiliser for farmers in my areas, Golden fertiliser is in Lagos. I will spend N500 per bag to bring it here (because of farmer preference), which means I have nothing left as gain.

“Until FEPSAN and the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative think of how to subsidise the transportation, some states, local government areas and farmers will not get the product,” the agro dealers’ president said.

The dealers called on the Federal Government to revisit transportation and logistics costs. BY HUSSEIN YAHAYA.

AMERICAN FARMERS: STEWARDS OF THE LAND.

Farmers understand that the soil is their most important investment, and operating a profitable farm starts with enhancing soil health so the land can readily absorb moisture and nutrients. As stewards of the land, farmers also recognize that water is the most precious natural resource, and they are committed to do all they can to improve water quality and reduce nutrient loss.

To assist farmers in achieving sustainability goals, nearly every U.S. corn-producing state has established a nutrient loss-reduction initiative to provide farmers additional resources and tools designed to reduce nutrient leaching and denitrification.

Nutrient-reduction strategies in Iowa and Illinois, for example, outline pragmatic, integrated approaches for reducing nutrient load discharges from wastewater treatment plants, in combination with targeted practices designed to reduce loads from nonpoint sources such as farm fields.

“The Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy (NLRS) is a framework for using science, technology and industry experience to assess and reduce nutrient loss to Illinois waters, and ultimately, the Gulf of Mexico,” says Jean Payne, president of the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association (IFCA).

“Illinois NLRS builds upon existing programs to optimize nutrient utilization. The initiatives promote increased collaboration, research and innovation among the private sector, academia, nonprofits, wastewater agencies, municipal water works, and state and local government."

In addition to the many conservation practices farmers have long been putting to effective use on their lands, several in-field practices — including the use of nitrification inhibitors like N-Serve® and Instinct® nitrogen stabilizers — are among the recommendations that have proven effective.

“Nitrification inhibitors are an important component of in-field recommendations. N-Serve has a long, documented history of effectively reducing nitrogen loss through leaching and denitrification,” Payne says. “Part of our message to farmers is to use these products because they help keep the product in the ammonium form longer, which means it remains in a nonleachable state for a longer period after application.” BY DOW AGROSCIENCES.

MANAGING PESTS: MANAGING PESTS IS VITAL TO PROTECTING YOUR INVESTMENT.

There’s a plethora of yield robbers hiding in the soil waiting for the right conditions to attack your crops. With high production costs, it’s critical to protect the seed. Soybean seed prices have risen over 50% since 2003, says Alison Robertson, Iowa State University Extension plant pathologist.
“You want every seed to germinate and become a productive plant,” she says.

Plant stand can be impacted by a number of issues, but some of the most common pests aren’t taken seriously throughout the countryside.

Soybean cyst nematodes (SCN) are a widespread issue, but there’s a lack of awareness and concern for the microscopic roundworm that is the industry’s biggest yield robber, says Greg Tylka, Iowa State University plant pathologist.

“SCN can outlast any soybean farmer,” says Tylka.
SCN-infested fields can have 50% or more yield loss, he explains. It can cause 30% yield loss without showing any visual symptoms.

This common soybean nemesis lives approximately 24 days per generation and produces three to six generations per season. Each female produces more than 200 eggs and is mated by more than one male, explains Tylka. To top it off, the eggs can remain dormant for more than 10 years in the soil.

Management

Different tools are available to manage the pest. Following are three strategies that Tylka recommends.

Mix up your rotation.  “We have to keep growing soybeans, but in the years that you don’t grow soybeans, SCN numbers will drop,” says Tylka.

Nonhost crops like corn can lower SCN populations. Population densities drop annually when nonhost crops are planted and should be considered a management tool. Still, corn-after-corn can’t eliminate populations, says Tylka.

SCN eggs will hatch in three different groups. Most eggs will hatch the next year regardless of a host crop growing. The next group will hatch when a host is grown, but the last group is dormant and won’t hatch for years, says Tylka.

Plant resistant varieties. Not all SCN-resistant soybean varieties are the same. Each source of resistance possesses four or more genes for SCN resistance, but each source allows for a low level of SCN reproduction. The scientific definition of SCN resistance is supporting no more than 10% reproduction, says Tylka.

SCN populations are becoming resistant to the main resistance gene, PI 88788.

“We’re seeing yields decrease. It’s biological and economical forces at play,” says Tylka. Despite the increasing resistance, resistant varieties with PI 88788 are still yielding relatively well.
Until additional sources of resistance are developed, the resistance will continue to decrease, says Tylka.
 

Treat seed if your field has a history of SCN. “Seed treatments for SCN are a wonderful addition to the toolbox,” says Tylka. However, they aren’t intended to replace resistant varieties. Instead, use seed treatments in combination with other management strategies.

Corn Pests

Monitor your cornfields during the growing season and watch the weather to see which diseases will be favorable. Cultural practices can help to manage diseases like northern corn leaf blight (NCLB), says Robertson.

Spores can survive in residue or on host weeds, says Robertson. In addition to selecting seed that scores highly for NCLB resistance, cultural practices such as rotation, residue management, and weed management can help you stay ahead of this disease, says Robertson.

The Disease Triangle

“A lot of our research is focused on understanding the disease triangle,” says Iowa State University Extension plant pathologist Alison Robertson.

“There are three factors that need to be present for a disease to occur,” she says. “There has to be a host, favorable environment, and pathogen.”

Picture one on each side of a triangle. While many pathogens can be present in a field, they won’t cause a disease unless there is both a host and the ideal environment for that specific disease.

Knowing which conditions that different seedling diseases favor allows you to manipulate the conditions at planting to prevent certain seedling diseases.

Pathogens that decrease soybean stands include Pythium, Phytopthora, Rhizoctonia, and Fusarium, says Robertson. Seed treatments are necessary to protect stands when the soils are cold and wet soon after planting, says Robertson.

In 2017, seed treatments would benefit farmers who plant early or when a cold front is imminent, Robertson notes.

Another consideration should be field history, says Robertson. If you know certain fields are riddled with diseases, seed treatments might be worth the extra investment. KACEY BIRCHMIER.

BENUE GOVT TO PURCHASE 250 TRUCKS OF FERTILIZER FRO FARMERS.

The Benue State Government will purchase of 250 trucks of assorted fertilizer for this year’s cropping season at the cost of N385.5 million.


This was disclosed by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Hon. Lawrence Onoja Jnr after  the State Executive Council meeting presided over by its Chairman, Governor Samuel Ortom at the Benue Peoples House, Makurdi.

The fertilizer will be sold to farmers at rates highly subsidized by the Ortom administration.

Council also approved the purchase of 60 tractors as first tranche for the State Ministry of Agriculture which would be sold to interested individuals and groups such as cooperative societies, to boost the agriculture sector.

It also approved the award of contract for additional works on the 20 kilometer Abuku-Jingir-Tyogbenda-Wombo-Ugah-Iortsor road under construction in Buruku Local Government Area of the state.

The contract which is valued at N1.3 billion covers the construction of the bridges initially omitted in the bill of quantities.

The State Executive Council also approved the payment of claims owed contract Staff of Benue Internal Revenue Service, BIRS, between June 2014 and June 2016. BY benue.com.ng