MAX FACTS
growing tips, news and trivia
Dealing with Drought
An Orange County farmer believes he may have discovered the farming method of the
future after his crops began thriving while using much less water than usual. It’s a method
that could help combat drought in California. Farmer Erik Cutter says it may be possible to
revolutionize the way food is grown through water and land-conscious hydroponic farming.
With a hydroponic set-up, the farm is divided into two parts. The first part uses hydroponics
to grow plants without using soil. The second part uses “organic soxx”, which are long tubes
of recycled sock material that combine with a drip irrigation system to save water. This type
of farm can be built on any empty space that nobody is using. Erik calls hydroponic farming
an urban solution as opposed to a global solution.
(Source: losangeles.cbslocal.com)
MAXFACTS
Growing tips, news and trivia
Wasted Calories
The USDA has determined that the food waste in the United States equals 141 trillion calories
down the drain, so to speak, or 1,249 calories per capita per day. To come by estimates
of all the food that was harvested but never eaten, researchers crunched the latest
available data from 2010. This lost food encompasses all of the edible food
available for consumption, including food that spoils or gets contaminated by mold
or pests. It also includes food discarded by retailers because it’s blemished,
and the food left on our plates. All told, 133 billion lbs. of food was lost in
2010, which is 31% of the country’s total food supply. Some amount of food
waste will always be inevitable, but the study’s authors argue that there’s
tremendous opportunity to decrease food loss. “Economic incentives and
consumer behavior will be paramount in reducing food loss,” they write.
(Source: npr.org)
Herbicides to Boost Edamame Production
Two herbicides recently approved for use on edamame plants are welcome additions to the battle
against weeds in production of the crop, which is growing in popularity in the United States, says
a University of Illinois crop sciences researcher and USDA-ARS ecologist. The herbicides
imazamox and fomesafen, both used on soybeans for years, were recently registered
by the Environmental Protection Agency for use on edamame beans. Marty Williams
says this is good news for producers because not only do these herbicides
add two new modes of action in edamame-approved products, but they are
also the first post-emergence herbicides with activity on broadleaf weeds.
“Right now, hand-weeding costs can exceed $500 per acre, so more
cost-effective weed management tools are critical,” he says.
(Source: aces.illinois.edu)
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Maximum Yield USA | May 2014