News & Highlights

News & Highlights. Here you can submit information on agrometeorological issues, happenings and other news in agrometeorology. [Send items you might have to the Web Editor.]

Establishing an agrometeorological network in the Kurdistan region of Iraq — Last modified March 02, 2010 14:10

By Dr. Mohammed Aziz Saeed, [Edited by Kees Stigter, 1/3/’10]. Since the beginning of history, farmers and agricultural sectors have been concerned with the impact of climatic parameters and their hazards on agriculture production. Utilizing meteorological elements for improving and developing agricultural production will have high positive effect on income of marginal framers and on the economy and infrastructure of any region.

We felt people outside global-change research were not clear about the scale of changes scientists are witnessing. The index is a response to these concerns. — Last modified December 21, 2009 11:06

Sybil Seitzinger, executive director of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP), a research network of 10,000 scientists, on the group’s move to take four key indicators to develop the world's first climate change index as a useful tool for policy-makers. It was launched at the UN climate change talks in Copenhagen, where talks remain deadlocked, with developed and developing nations at odds over who should cut emissions, how deep the cuts should be, and how much aid should go to poor countries.

Update from Climate Change Challenge Program (CCAFS) on the eve of COP15 — Last modified December 16, 2009 09:28

I would like to brief you on progress with the CGIAR-ESSP Challenge Program for Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS).

Gene Identified that Allows Rice to Grow in Flood-Prone Areas — Last modified November 30, 2009 10:55

A joint research team comprised of the Nagoya University Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Kyushu University, the National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences and Riken Plant Science Center announced on August 20, 2009, that they had succeeded in identifying the gene and molecular mechanism that enable deepwater rice to survive sudden flooding without drowning.

New Model Estimates Nitrogen Outflow and Water Pollution from Food Production and Consumption — Last modified November 30, 2009 10:53

The National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences (NIAES) of Japan announced on August 18, 2009, that it had developed a broad-based model to extensively estimate changes in nitrogen circulation due to the production, trading and consumption of food, and the influence on water quality.

Japanese Company Unveils System to Grow Trees and Bushes on Walls — Last modified November 30, 2009 10:50

Takenaka Corp., a leading Japanese construction company, unveiled on July 31, 2009, its new panel system that allows the use of a much wider variety of plants, even bushes and trees, than the usual vines used to cover the walls of buildings for greening purposes.

Indian award for Prof. Varshneya and associates for astrometeorological paper — Last modified November 06, 2009 13:17

An award, namely "Sipani Krishi Anusandhan Farm Award 2009" was conferred by Trustees of Asian Agri-History Foundation, Secunderabad (India), for a Best Research Paper entitled "Forecasting and Validation of Rainfall for Barshi in Maharashtra Based on Astro-meteorological Principle of Rainfall Conception" authored by Prof. M.C. Varshneya (VC, AAU, Anand), Nanaji Kale (Executive Trustee, Shri Yogiraj Ved Vijnana Ashram, Barshi), Prof. V.B. Vaidya (Assistant Professor of Agril. Meteorology, AAU, Anand), Dr. Vyas Pandey (Professor and Head, Dept. of Agril. Meteorology, AAU, Anand) and Shri. P.V. Kane (Retd. Chief General Manager, NABARD, Mumbai and associated with Shri Yogiraj Ved Vijnana Ashram, Barshi M.S.) which was published in Asian Agri-History, 13(3):189-196.

Total green roof and green wall area created in 2008 equivalent to 58 soccer fields — Last modified October 20, 2009 12:24

The survey indicated that vegetation was planted on approximately 33.6 hectares of rooftop space and 7.5 hectares of wall surface, equivalent to 47 and 11 soccer fields, respectively, during 2008.

Godrick Khisa wins Justus von Liebig Award for World Nutrition 2009 — Last modified October 19, 2009 08:51

Godrick Khisa, a Farmer Field School specialist from Kenya, has received on the occasion of the World Food Day today, the Justus von Liebig Award for World Nutrition 2009.

Derk Rijks has been knighted by Her Majesty the queen of the Netherlands as “Ridder in de Orde van Oranje Nassau” — Last modified September 11, 2009 14:20

Dr. Derk Rijks (Ferney Voltaire, France), former Chief of the WMO Agrometeorology Division in Geneva (1981 – 1993), has been knighted by Her Majesty the queen of the Netherlands as “Ridder in de Orde van Oranje Nassau” for his work after his retirement in the refugee camps of Chad.