World demand for pesticides is projected to increase 2.9 per cent per year to US$52 billion in 2014, according to latest research. These gains will reflect a reversal of the substantial declines registered in 2009, caused in part by a precipitous price drop for glyphosate, the leading herbicide product.
Crops
Wet and dry rice processing methods
Rice can be grown within a wide range of environmental conditions and by utilising a broad spectrum of different agronomic techniques. Differences in cultivation practise largely hinge on the amount of water required and the way in which it is harnessed and used. Similarly, the way in which rice is processed after harvest depends on whether water is used in ‘wet’ or ‘dry’ rice processing.
Sweetpotato: Coming of Age
From being ‘a poor mans crop, sweetpotatoes today is perceived as a commodity of high commercial value and importance for a variety of reasons including its varied utility and broad adaptability.
Disease management for sustainable cocoa production
Cocoa is prone to plant pathogens, especially Phytophthora which thrives on high humidity and surface wetness. Phytophthora causes two-dimensional disease in cocoa as Phytophthora pod rot and Phytophthora stem canker. Phytophthora pod rot is traditionally controlled by sprays of fixed copper fungicide including cuprous oxide.
Rice hybrid to meet rising demand
"Rice is the most important staple food for more than half of the world’s population," said DuPont CEO Ellen Kullman. Indeed, rice has been the most commonly used food grain for most people in the world since ancient times and between 1961 and 2002, worldwide per capita consumption of rice increased by 40 per cent.