U.S. CORN PLANTING

THE CORN IN THE GROUND IS GROWING SLOWER THAN NORMAL
The U.S. corn planting pace eclipsed the trade’s expectations and jumped higher than the five-year average, according to the USDA’s Weekly Crop Progress Report.
As of Sunday, 71% of the U.S. corn crop had been put into the ground vs. a 70% five-year average and a trade expectation of 65%, according to Monday’s report.

The governmental agency noted that Minnesota’s corn planting surged 49% points to 84% completed vs. a week ago, while Iowa farmers added 33% more corn seeded to total 85% completed.

USDA pegged corn emergence at 31% vs. a 36% five-year average.

today’s report could be slightly negative for tonight’s corn market and neutral for soybeans.

“This is a little better than what I had expected. Soybean planting is right in-line with the five-year average. Spring wheat planting is at 78%, which is 5 points ahead of the five-year average. 

halloumi and hellim

halloumi and hellim

OVER the past four decades, officials negotiating an end to Europe’s oldest frozen conflict, the dispute between the internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus and the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), have had plenty to chew on. A deal now appears possible; leaders on both sides say it could come by the end of the year. Reunification hinges on a dizzying number of issues, including property, governance and the withdrawal of Turkish troops from the northern part of the island. Yet there is one area where Greek and Turkish Cypriots already see eye to eye: cheesemaking.

Love of the salty, rubbery cheese known as halloumi in the south and hellim in the north enriches the island. Last year, the Greek south exported €103m ($116m) worth of the stuff, much of it to Britain. In the TRNC, hellim made up a full quarter of all exports.

Last July the two sides filed a joint application to have the cheese declared a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) product by the European Union. This status would place halloumi and hellim on a footing with such lauded delicacies as Parma ham, champagne and Roquefort cheese, banning dairy producers outside Cyprus from using either name. A decision is expected later this year.

For Turkish Cypriot cheesemakers, however, PDO status will count for little without a peace settlement. It might allow hellim to be sold in the southern part of the island. But as Cyprus has been a member of the EU since 2004, the bloc’s laws apply only in the Greek part of the island. As a result hellim, like other northern products, remains frozen out of Europe’s single market.

Much of it ends up in Turkey, the only country to recognise the TRNC. Exports to cheese lovers in other parts of the world have to be sent through Turkish ports, where handling, storage and insurance costs all eat away at profits. “A Greek Cypriot company pays less than $2,500 for a shipping container to Saudi Arabia,” explains Candan Avunduk of Meric Sut, a Turkish Cypriot dairy producer. “We pay $6,000.”

Even in the case of a peace deal, other delays may be in store thanks to strict hygiene regulations. Meeting European health standards will probably take the local dairy sector at least three years, estimates Fikri Toros, head of the Turkish Cypriot chamber of commerce. For cheese enthusiasts in Europe, it will be worth the wait.

New toolkit for dairy ventilation

New toolkit for dairy ventilation

There are several benefits when dairy facilities are mechanically ventilated.

“You have more control of the air flow through the facility, and you can orient the barn any way you choose because you’re not dependent on prevailing winds,” the veterinarian said. “We can build facilities for more cows in less square footage which takes up less land.”

One of the major challenges with tunnel barns, is air goes in the path of least resistance.

“Air wants to flow down the alleyways, and wherever the cow is living, we see much slower air speed,”. “So we’ve gravitated back to fans over the resting space as we’ve done in naturally ventilated barns.”

One of the immediate advantages of a cross-vent barn is the air moves perpendicular to the feed lanes.

“However, at any cross alley or at the ends of barns, we see air coming out of the pens and flowing directly through the cross lanes at fast speeds,”

Baffles can be used to re-direct the air and get the fast moving air in the resting space.

“Baffles do a great job in these facilities,”

“The stall is a micro-climate within a cow barn that we have to make sure there is sufficient air flow through,” 

Dairy ventilation

Dairy ventilation

 As dairy facilities have increased in size and cows’ milk production has increased, which results in more heat generated, dairymen are looking for different options to ventilate barns.

“Generally, cows do quite well in a range of temperatures from 40 to 70 degrees,” “But cows become heat stressed at lower temperatures than humans are bothered by heat.”

In addition, the veterinarian noted, a cow that produces 120 pounds of milk will produce twice as much heat as a cow that is producing 40 pounds of milk.

With naturally-ventilated buildings, air enters through the eaves, is warmed by the animals and leaves through the ridge.

“That flow of air requires adequate interior roof slope of a minimum 1 in 4 slope,” the doctor said. “When the wind blows, that will assist that air flow by creating negative pressure around the ridge and helping draw the air out of the barn.”

As the dairy industry has expanded and dairymen have added cows to their herds, they also have built additional barns.

“That single barn on top of the hill that did us quite well with natural ventilation is challenged when we build multiple facilities because the barn down downwind will provide a shadow to the next barn,”

Help cows keep their cool

Critical for dairymen to reduce heat in facilities

Critical Elements Of Ventilation Design

fast moving air in the resting environment.
Sufficient air changes per hour to remove heat and moisture from the barn.
System should

work as well in the winter as it does in the summer.

stored grain pest this year

Keep an Eye on Stored Grain this Planting Season

With the arrival of planting season, producers need to regularly check their stored grain in order to prevent spoilage.  producers need to double the frequency they inspect their grain because this is a high risk year and the condition of stored grain could deteriorate quickly.

“Pay attention to dew point temperatures in the air.If we have a stretch of big storms, there will often be dry air afterward with dew points in the 30s and 40s. Run fans if the grain is warmer than that in order to keep gain cold as long as possible.”

Humid weather can cause grain storage problems and can become an issue if grain is not cooled. If the relative humidity is 65 percent or above, fungi and other spoilage organisms can develop. Aeration in storage bins is done to stay below 65 percent humidity in the grain mass, which helps prevent spoilage.

“If the corn is cold, occasionally water will condense on the top of the bins, so having a bin with a roof ventilator is a plus.If the water has condensed on the roof, take care of it right away with a roof fan and it won’t be necessary to aerate the whole bin with air warmer than it needs to be.”

Last fall was not a good cooling period, as temperatures were warm with relatively high dew points. More of the grain’s storage life was used up, which will mean higher risks this summer. The large carryover means that some of the 2016 crop will need to be in condition even into 2018.

Wet weather is delaying planting in some areas, but a higher moisture harvest is not currently being forecasted.

“A common misconception is if planting season is later, then harvest season will be later.It’s also a misconception that early planting means early harvest, but there is no real correlation between planting date and having wet corn in the fall. The planting date will have no predictable impact on harvest moisture, at least up to a time corn is likely to be switched out in preference to soybeans. It has everything to do with the weather in August and September.”

trump's dicision for American Soybean Association

 ASA Welcomes President Trump’s Decision to Focus on NAFTA Modernization

The American Soybean Association (ASA) welcomed an announcement from President Donald Trump late Wednesday that the United States would remain a member of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The announcement came following reports that the White House was readying an executive order to withdraw from the agreement, prompting significant concern and swift action from ASA and other farm groups that recognize the importance of NAFTA and agreements like it. Instead, the White House announced that it will engage with Canada and Mexico in a renegotiation of the major trade pact, which has significantly benefitted soybean producers.
“We are relieved by the president’s decision that the United States will work on improving the NAFTA rather than withdrawing from it, and we will continue to closely monitor negotiations as they move forward,” said ASA President Ron Moore, a soybean farmer from Roseville, Ill. “When you’re talking about $3 billion in soybean exports a year, any threats to withdraw from agreements and walk away from markets makes farmers extremely nervous. We remain supportive of efforts to modernize NAFTA and further expand access for U.S. soy in Mexico and Canada, and we look forward to working with the administration to realize these goals.”
Moore used the situation to underscore the importance of having key administration personnel like Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in place, and called on the Senate to swiftly confirm Ambassador Robert Lighthizer as U.S. Trade Representative.
“It is clear that Secretary Perdue clearly sees the link between increased access to global markets and success for American farmers,” said Moore.   “We are grateful that he was sworn in this week and had the opportunity to provide advice on the NAFTA decision.  As we move forward, it is key Amb. Lighthizer be in place at USTR. We applaud the Senate Finance Committee for its approval of his nomination, and look to the full Senate to confirm him as quickly as possible.”

sunflower like raincoat 🌻

Sunflower 🌻 in my kitchen garden that's look like raincoat having seven colors

Sunflower seeds are a unique food, rich in many types of essential, and sometimes hard to get, nutrients. In fact, sunflower seeds make my Top 10 List for foods rich in Sunflower seeds are a unique food, rich in many types of essential, and sometimes hard to get, nutrients. In fact, sunflower seeds make my Top 10 List for foods rich in Vitamin E,copper, B Vitamins like thiamine, phosphorus, selenium, and more.

Sunflower seeds, like nearly all types of nuts and seeds, provide a healthy source of essential fatty acids; their specific fatty acids are in the form of linoleic acid. Additionally, sunflower seeds are also an excellent source of fiber, amino acids (especially tryptophan) which make up the building blocks of proteins, B Vitamins, phytosterols, and more.

Although as a culture we have been led to believe that consuming fat can lead to unwanted weight gain, the opposite is in fact true; consuming healthy fats actually leads to a healthy cardiovascular system, a stable healthy body weight, and reduced levels of body-wide inflammation.

Healthy sources of fats like those found in sunflower seeds are actually the building blocks for cell membranes, allow your body to balance hormones, help to slow down absorption of food during meal time so that we can go longer without feeling hungry, and also act as carriers for important fat- soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.

By adding healthy sources of fats into your diet, like the polyunsaturated kind that is found in sunflower seeds, and replacing trans-fats and low-quality easily oxidized fats, you can experience multiple health benefits.

---

Sunflower Seeds History 

Sunflower seeds come from, of course, sunflowers! The yellow flowers produce small edible seeds which are gray or greenly colored and are found naturally in dark green, gray, or black shells called “husks”.

According to the National Sunflower Association, Sunflowers are actually native to North America. There is evidence that sunflowers were cultivated by native Americans as long as 3000 B.C! However, they were first discovered and taken to Europe, and then spread to Russia where they were first commercialized as a crop and harvested for their oil. It wasn’t until the late 1800’s that they were brought back to North America where they are popular for their oil, seeds, and as a beautiful addition to your garden.

Sunflower seeds are an excellent source of many vital nutrients including Vitamin E, also known as gamma-tocopherol. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that is found in many nuts and seeds, but sunflower seeds are one of the best natural sources of this antioxidant, which works hard to fight free radical damage within the body.

Sunflower seeds are most highly correlated with boosting cardiovascular health thanks to their ability to reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol and to prevent hypertension, in addition to many other positive effects like cancer prevention, less headaches and muscle cramps, improved detoxification, healthy skin, and more.

---

 Sunflower Seeds Nutrition

A ¼ cup serving of sunflower seeds provides (in value recommended values): 190 calories, 16 grams of fat, 6 grams of protein, and 4 grams of fiber

• 82% of Vitamin E
•  70% DV of copper
•  43% Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
•  34% of manganese
•  34% of selenium
•  33% of phosphorus
•  28% of magnesium
•  28% of Vitamin B6
•  20% of folate
•  18% of Vitamin B3

2nd biocontrol Asia conference & exhibition

2nd biocontrol Asia conference & exhibition
Wednesday 7th June and Friday 9th june

Royal orchid shereton hotel and tower
Bangkok, Thailand 

how to sowing square watermelon part 3

1.  how to sowing square watermelon part 3
    
   1.Choose a box to grow the watermelon in. Growing square watermelons is as easy as placing a young fruit into a square box. As the watermelon grows, it will grow into the box and grow in the shape of a cube. The mold must allow sunlight and air to pass through. To determine the size of the mold, check the seed package to find out the mature size of the fruit you're growing, and then pick a mold that’s a little smaller.
   

   • Make sure there's an opening in the lid for the stem, and that there's a lid that opens, closes, and latches.
   • Glass and acrylic boxes are ideal because they allow sunlight to pass through.
   • You can also use a wooden or metal box with lots of holes in it.
   • Alternatively, you can make your own mold from wood, metal, or another material.
   • If you're stuck for molds, you can also use a concrete or cinder block for the mold, but this will not yield a perfectly square watermelon.
2. 
   
   Pick a healthy watermelon from the vine. When the watermelon fruit is still young and about the size of a softball, choose a healthy specimen to grow into a square. Look for fruit with no bruises, blemishes, holes, or insect damage. You should also look for a round fruit, since this will likely grow more evenly. 
   
   
   
   3.Place the watermelon into the mold. Open the box or mold and place the healthy fruit inside. Leave the fruit on the stem so it will continue to grow. Close the lid partway. Slot the stem into the opening in the lid. Close the lid so the fruit is inside the box but still attached to the plant by the stem. Latch the lid so the growing fruit doesn’t burst out of the box.
   

   • Place the box on the ground with the lid and stem at the top.

   
     4.Continue caring for the watermelon as it grows. Make sure it gets plenty of sunlight throughout the day, and water the plant if there's a dry spell. Watermelons have a long growing season, and the weather will need to stay between 70 and 80 F (21 and 27 C) consistently for the fruit to grow and ripen properly.
   • As the watermelon grows, the fruit will get bigger, and will eventually take on the shape of the mold.
   5.Harvest the square watermelon when its ripe. The watermelons will all mature around the same time, so you can gauge if your square watermelon is ripe by the maturity of the other fruit on the vine. To harvest your square watermelon, unlatch the lid and gently pull the watermelon out of the box.
   • A watermelon is ready for harvest when the tendrils around the stem dry out, a light patch develops on the bottom of the fruit, and the fruit sounds dull and hollow when you tap on it
     
     
     

square watermelon sowing part 2

Planting and Growing Watermelon

1. Create hills in the soil. Hills or mounds tend to drain better than flat soil, which is ideal for watermelons. Using a rake or shovel, form the soil in the bed into hills that are 1 foot (30 cm) high and 3 feet (91 cm) in diameter. Space the hills 6.5 feet (2 m) apart.
    
2.  
   Sow the seeds. Plant nine watermelon seeds in each hill. Plant the seeds in groups of three. Space the seed groups out evenly around the hill so the clusters are about a foot (30 cm) apart. To sow the seeds, simply press each seed ½ inch (1.3 cm) deep into the soil.
3. 
   
   Add a layer of mulch. Mulch is good for watermelons because it keeps the soil warm, retains moisture, and keeps weeds and pests out. Once the seeds have been planted, cover the hills with leaves, straw, or black plastic mulch,

   • If you live in a cooler climate, black plastic mulch will help keep the soil warmest as the watermelon seeds grow. 
4. 
   
   Water each week while the plants grow. While watermelon plants are in the initial growing stages, they need plenty of water. Make sure they get 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) per week as the seeds germinate, and as the plants grow, bloom, and fruit.

   • Once the fruit has formed, you can cut back on watering. Only water the plants during dry spells when there's no rain.

Square watermelon sowing part 1

Part One of Three:
Getting the Garden Bed Ready

1
Select the right location. Watermelons need a few things to grow properly, including lots of space and plenty of sun. A good location to plant watermelon vines is an open area that gets lots of direct sunlight throughout the day.
Watermelon vines can reach 20 feet (6 m) in length.[1]
2
Prepare the soil. Watermelons are heavy feeders, so it’s important to amend the soil with lots of nutrients a few weeks before planting. They also need well draining soil. Add some aged compost, manure, or seaweed to the garden bed and till it into the soil. Use compost specifically if you want to ensure your soil drains well.
The ideal pH for watermelons is between 6 and 6.8.[2]
3
Warm the ground with black plastic. Watermelons seeds need warm soil to grow, and if you live in cooler or northern climates, you should warm the soil a couple weeks before planting to ensure it heats up enough. Cover the garden bed with black plastic, and lay some rocks along the perimeter to keep the plastic from blowing away.[3]
You can either use large sheets of black plastic from a gardening store, or you can cut open black garbage bags and use those.
4
Pick the right time to plant. The soil temperature must reach at least 70 F (21 C) before you can plant watermelon seeds. You should also wait until at least two weeks after the last frost, otherwise the seeds won’t sprout.[4]

Square ⬜ shape 🍉 watermelon

How to grow a square ⬜ shape 🍉 watermelon

Watermelons are a tasty summer fruit that you can grow at home in your backyard. In Japan, a tradition has started where people grow ornamental watermelons that are completely square, and you can do this as well with your own backyard watermelons. All you need are a few simple tools and some patience, and you'll have delicious square watermelons of your own in no time.

krishi karman award

krishi karman award

         The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has selected Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and Tripura for the Krishi Karman awards for their record performance in the production of food grains during 2015-16. Apart from these states, Meghalaya would get commendation prize for total food grain production and would be given a cash award of Rs 1 crore. Tamil Nadu has been chosen in large category (production more than 10 million tonnes), Himachal Pradesh in medium category (1 to 10 million tonnes) and Tripura in small category (less than 1 million tonnes). Tamil Nadu had produced 130 lakh tonnes of foodgrains in 2015-16, which is the highest in the last five years. In terms of yield in foodgrains, the state managed to get a yield of 3.38 tonnes per hectare as against the all-India average of 2.028 tonnes per hectare, which is 67% more than the national average. The state had adopted an “innovative, eco-friendly integrated pest management” to achieve this feat. In addition, government interventions like post-harvest management, disbursal of subsidies and integrated soil health management were also taken into account by the agricultural ministry. Tamil Nadu will receive a sum of Rs 5 crore for the award. Tamil Nadu had already bagged the award thrice in 2011-12 for highest food grains production, in 2013-14 for highest pulses production and in 2014-15 for highest coarse cereals production. Tripura has been selected for the Krishi Karman Award 2015-16 for a commendable increase in food grain production in small category states. The state produced 825,000 tonnes of food grain in 2016. The state would also receive a cash award of Rs five crore. Tripura gets this national award for the second time. The state targets to produce 935,000 tonnes of food grain in 2017

The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has selected Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and Tripura for the Krishi Karman awards for their record performance in the production of food grains during 2015-16. Apart from these states, Meghalaya would get commendation prize for total food grain production and would be given a cash award of Rs 1 crore. Tamil Nadu has been chosen in large category (production more than 10 million tonnes), Himachal Pradesh in medium category (1 to 10 million tonnes) and Tripura in small category (less than 1 million tonnes). Tamil Nadu had produced 130 lakh tonnes of foodgrains in 2015-16, which is the highest in the last five years. In terms of yield in foodgrains, the state managed to get a yield of 3.38 tonnes per hectare as against the all-India average of 2.028 tonnes per hectare, which is 67% more than the national average. The state had adopted an “innovative, eco-friendly integrated pest management” to achieve this feat. In addition, government interventions like post-harvest management, disbursal of subsidies and integrated soil health management were also taken into account by the agricultural ministry. Tamil Nadu will receive a sum of Rs 5 crore for the award. Tamil Nadu had already bagged the award thrice in 2011-12 for highest food grains production, in 2013-14 for highest pulses production and in 2014-15 for highest coarse cereals production. Tripura has been selected for the Krishi Karman Award 2015-16 for a commendable increase in food grain production in small category states. The state produced 825,000 tonnes of food grain in 2016. The state would also receive a cash award of Rs five crore. Tripura gets this national award for the second time. The state targets to produce 935,000 tonnes of food grain in 2017.

Read more at: http://currentaffairs.gktoday.in/month/current-affairs-2017-april

Current Affairs 2017 - April Current Affairs 2017 (April) with Latest Current Affairs for Banking, SSC, CLAT, UPSC, State PCS, IBPS and other Competitive Examinations. Current Affairs Today – April 2017 with news summary on current events of national and international importance. Enter Your Email Address To Subscribe Current Affairs Daily Digest, Daily Quiz and other updates on Current Affairs: Email Address Union Cabinet approves policy guidelines to allow state entities to directly borrow bilateral loans April 19, 2017No comments The Union Cabinet has approved the policy guidelines to permit financially sound State Government entities to borrow directly from bilateral ODA (Official development Assistance) partners for the purpose of implementing vital infrastructure projects. The approval is subject to fulfilment of certain conditions and all repayments of loans and interests to the funding agencies. As a corollary to the new decision, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has been permitted to borrow directly from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan for implementation of Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) project. Present guidelines At present, external assistance from bilateral and multilateral sources is received by the union government for: projects/programmes in the Central sector; projects executed by Central Public Sector Undertakings; on behalf of the State Governments for State sector projects/programmes implemented by the State Governments and/or local bodies and public sector undertakings. The existing guidelines prohibit State Government from borrowing directly from external agencies. In addition, the amount borrowed by the state governments would become a part of their FRBM (Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management). Salient highlights of new guidelines The State government which gets the loan will furnish guarantee for the loan and the Government of India will provide counter guarantee for the loan. The state entities can directly approach bilateral agencies and the funding would not fall under state FRBM target. The eligibility criteria for state entities would be a revenue of over Rs 1,000 crore. In case of infrastructure projects, the cost criteria will be Rs 5,000 crore. Need Major infrastructure projects of several State entities have huge funding requirements, and borrowing of the State Governments for implementing such projects exhausts their respective borrowing limits. Therefore, it was considered necessary to facilitate direct borrowing by the State Government entities from bilateral external agencies. As per the new guidelines, State entities can directly borrow and repay the loan without burdening the State exchequer. Tags: External Assistance • FRBM • Infrastructure Investments • MMRDA • MTHL • National • States Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and Tripura chosen for Krishi Karman Awards, 2015-16 April 19, 2017No comments The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has selected Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and Tripura for the Krishi Karman awards for their record performance in the production of food grains during 2015-16. Apart from these states, Meghalaya would get commendation prize for total food grain production and would be given a cash award of Rs 1 crore. Tamil Nadu has been chosen in large category (production more than 10 million tonnes), Himachal Pradesh in medium category (1 to 10 million tonnes) and Tripura in small category (less than 1 million tonnes). Tamil Nadu had produced 130 lakh tonnes of foodgrains in 2015-16, which is the highest in the last five years. In terms of yield in foodgrains, the state managed to get a yield of 3.38 tonnes per hectare as against the all-India average of 2.028 tonnes per hectare, which is 67% more than the national average. The state had adopted an “innovative, eco-friendly integrated pest management” to achieve this feat. In addition, government interventions like post-harvest management, disbursal of subsidies and integrated soil health management were also taken into account by the agricultural ministry. Tamil Nadu will receive a sum of Rs 5 crore for the award. Tamil Nadu had already bagged the award thrice in 2011-12 for highest food grains production, in 2013-14 for highest pulses production and in 2014-15 for highest coarse cereals production. Tripura has been selected for the Krishi Karman Award 2015-16 for a commendable increase in food grain production in small category states. The state produced 825,000 tonnes of food grain in 2016. The state would also receive a cash award of Rs five crore. Tripura gets this national award for the second time. The state targets to produce 935,000 tonnes of food grain in 2017.

Read more at: http://currentaffairs.gktoday.in/month/current-affairs-2017-april

Krishi Karman awards were instituted in 2010-11 by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to reward the best performing States in the production of foodgrains and individual crops of Rice, Wheat, Pulses and Coarse Cereals. Totally, eight awards are given, including three for the States with highest foodgrains production in three identified categories-large, medium and small, and five awards are given for highest production under each of the crops Rice, Wheat, Pulses, Coarse Cereals and Oilseeds

Krishi Karman awards were instituted in 2010-11 by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to reward the best performing States in the production of foodgrains and individual crops of Rice, Wheat, Pulses and Coarse Cereals. Totally, eight awards are given, including three for the States with highest foodgrains production in three identified categories-large, medium and small, and five awards are given for highest production under each of the crops Rice, Wheat, Pulses, Coarse Cereals and Oilseeds.

Read more at: http://currentaffairs.gktoday.in/month/current-affairs-2017-april

Krishi Karman awards were instituted in 2010-11 by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to reward the best performing States in the production of foodgrains and individual crops of Rice, Wheat, Pulses and Coarse Cereals. Totally, eight awards are given, including three for the States with highest foodgrains production in three identified categories-large, medium and small, and five awards are given for highest production under each of the crops Rice, Wheat, Pulses, Coarse Cereals and Oilseeds.

Read more at: http://currentaffairs.gktoday.in/month/current-affairs-2017-april

Krishi Karman awards were instituted in 2010-11 by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to reward the best performing States in the production of foodgrains and individual crops of Rice, Wheat, Pulses and Coarse Cereals. Totally, eight awards are given, including three for the States with highest foodgrains production in three identified categories-large, medium and small, and five awards are given for highest production under each of the crops Rice, Wheat, Pulses, Coarse Cereals and Oilseeds.

Read more at: http://currentaffairs.gktoday.in/month/current-affairs-2017-april

extend the life of easter lilies

1. Keep the plant moist. it is important to make sure the plant does not get too wet or too dry. If it is overwatered the plant will be standing in water, and if it doesn’t get enough water, it will begin to wilt.

2. Make sure to set the plant near a window where it can get a decent amount of sunlight. The plant will be OK in normal house temperatures, which will help the blooms last longer

3. Lilies can be put outside in their containers, but if temperatures reach the freezing point or there is a strong rainfall that will beat down on the plant’s leaves, it should be brought back inside.

4. After the chances of a freeze or frost have passed, Easter lilies can be planted outside. They should be planted in a spot where they will get both partial shade and partial sunlight. When putting them in the ground, Easter lilies should be planted to their soil line.

INDIAN APOLIS

INDIAN APOLIS

Besides the Easter bunny and eggs stuffed with candy, one of the other things that is associated with the Easter season is Easter lilies.

Matt Maxwell, the manager of Crossroads Greenhouse, which is leased by Heartland Growers, said Easter lilies are known for their white flowers and sweet fragrance and are a native plant of Japan.

“When the flower opens up, it is very fragrant. For me, when I smell an Easter lily, I think of spring,” he said.

Maxwell has been the manager of Crossroads Greenhouse for 27 years, and when Heartland Growers began leasing the greenhouse in 2006, he and his employees began growing 40,000 Easter lilies each year. When they are ready, they are shipped to Heartland Growers to be distributed.

“We grow Nellie White Easter lilies, which is the most common variety. There are a few other varieties of lilies that some growers have, but Nellie White is the standard Easter lily plant,” Maxwell said, adding that there are not that many Easter lily growers left.

He said the same amount of lilies still are being grown each year, but larger growers are just growing more since the number of growers is down, which is why most operations focus on growing Nellie White lilies.

The greenhouse grows the Easter lilies from bulbs, which they get every year in December from a place in Northern California.

Maxwell said one of the greatest challenges of growing the plant is the date that Easter takes place each year.

Food & Agri Update

Food & Agri Update: Caspian signs MoU with NAARM
November 30, 2016

On Nov 28, Caspian signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a-IDEA, the technology business incubator promoted by the National Academy for Agricultural Research Management (NAARM), with the support of the Department of Science & Technology, GoI.
The mission of a-IDEA is to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in agriculture in India. They provide incubation and acceleration services, capacity building, as well as assistance with technology and regulation.
Caspian makes debt and equity investments in Food & Agribusiness companies. We have invested across various supply chains including organic products, dry commodities, fruits & vegetables and dairy. Our investee companies also include input providers, technology and infrastructure providers for the Food & Agri supply chain.
Caspian and a-IDEA will leverage on synergies in the Food & Agri space and collaborate to build and improve methodologies and systems to help innovative Agri startups scale faster and become investable. With a combination of a-IDEA’s incubation and capacity building expertise and Caspian’s investment experience, we hope to spur high quality entrepreneurs on to building value, attracting investment and leverage.

high-tech toolbox for Agriculture

It's a high-tech toolbox that is also leading to a battle between U.S. states for research funding earmarked for farming.

Farming states may not be making semiconductors or writing software code, but research in soil conservation, pesticides and genetics is geared toward innovation in the farm fields and is every bit as cutting edge in its own way as anything coming out of Silicon Valley.

Some of Silicon Valley's biggest trends are also capturing the attention—and dollars—of the biggest players in the agricultural sector.  paid close to $1 billion earlier this year to acquire Climate, a Silicon Valley–funded start-up working in data analytics and predictive analysis.

For the first time in its eight-year history, CNBC's Top States for Business has included agriculture research dollars (both federal and state) within its innovation ranking—and the competition is every bit as fierce as in other technology niches.

Read MoreAmerica's Top States for Business: Which state will lead in 2014?

Despite any misconceptions to the contrary, embracing new technology has been a staple of farm life.

Even when it came to the 'new' technology of the landline telephones in the 1920s, more farmers had them than the public at large, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

"I love that people think agriculture is a late adopter to technology," said Steve Lucas, president of SAP Platform Solutions, a software firm that provides data platforms for agriculture machine maker John Deere. "But the truth is different, and we're seeing bigger innovations than ever before, and the agriculture industry is jumping in," he said.

The recent advances have been starting at the bottom of the supply chain, said Derek Yach, executive director of the Vitality Institute.

"We have better seeds, better forms of plant breeding, better soil nutrients and increased yields of crops," said Yach, who is a former senior vice president of global health and agriculture policy at PepsiCo.

"And it's really just getting under way now," he said.

R&D money 'not enough'

Every year, the states are granted around $7 billion by the government—specifically the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Science Foundation—to develop new technologies for agriculture. There is also some private funding.

However, the competition for those dollars is very tough, said Mark Rieger, dean of the University of Delaware's college of agriculture and natural resources.

"We could use more money than what's available now," said Rieger. "But it would be better if we could have more private funds so we're not so dependable on the government."

States leading the way when it comes to research and development programs in agriculture include California, Michigan, New York, Florida, North Carolina, Illinois, Nebraska, Indiana, Virginia and New Jersey.

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To get government funds, many states must often team up with each other and with local universities on agriculture projects.

Some of the tech advances in agriculture being used or on the drawing board include:

• Telematics, or satellite-generated maps of crop fields, known as precision farming.
• Soil and crop sensors.
• High-flex tractor tires to ease weight across fields.
• GPS navigation for farm machinery.
• Precision navigation for better water distribution.
• Robotic picking machines and tractors.
• Drones for crop mapping and monitoring.
• Research for soil nutrient replacement.
• Chemical and mechanical treatments to process manure and discharged water from livestock.

hi its time to give time and tech to agriculture