October 2020 - CID Bio-Science

Influence of Environment on Plants

There is no denying the importance of light for the growth of plants; however, there are many other environmental factors—such as temperature, moisture and nutrient availability, and soil type–that also influence plant growth. These factors do not act in isolation and are, many times, correlated. So, it is interesting to see how light works in… Continue reading…

Detecting Salinity Stress in Crops

Salinity inhibits growth and development in crops. Due to the extent of damage salinity causes to agriculture, it is identified as a major threat to food production. Therefore, practices to deal with the effects of salinity on crops are receiving a lot of attention. To be able to provide proper recommendations that are also sustainable,… Continue reading…

Irrigating with Saline or Seawater

Currently, agriculture uses seventy percent of the freshwaters, globally. Available freshwater sources will not be enough to increase food production to feed growing populations in the coming decades. Therefore, there is a concerted effort to grow crops with seawater. Hence, scientists are investigating the various challenges involved in growing plants with saline water. These include… Continue reading…

Upcoming Webinar: Made in the Shade- How 11 Research Studies Cleverly Use Canopy Analysis to Measure Crop & Forest Health

Special guest researchers Brendon Anthony of Colorado State University and Derek Godwin of Oregon State University, along with our application scientists Eric Munoz-Garcia and Galen George review 11 studies that have used canopy analysis for everything from typhoon effects to pruning! Here is a quick look at some of what will be covered: How pruning… Continue reading…

Aiming to Optimize Irrigation Levels

With irrigation being used in many spheres of life and food production methods getting diversified, it is not surprising that research on this topic is getting more specialized. Procedures for analysis, which were restricted earlier to big institutions, need to be widely available so that their reach is extended and science will benefit from more… Continue reading…

Adapting Production to Drought

Many parts of the world face water shortage and drought. As a result, farms and orchards are losing their capacity to produce food. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), drought cost the world 29 billion USD in 2018; therefore, it is imperative for governments, crop consultants, and farmers to be proactive. Technology is… Continue reading…

Digging Deep for New Irrigation Methods

Irrigation is essential to increase food production. However, competing needs and increasing drought makes water for irrigation scarce. Therefore, new methods and strategies are continuously being tested by scientists to improve food production, accompanied by better water use efficiency. This article will examine how modern field tools are helping in this venture. Irrigation Methods According… Continue reading…

Made in the Shade: How 11 Research Studies Use Canopy Analysis [Webinar Recording]

A couple weeks ago we hosted a webinar that looked at real research studies using canopy analysis in a variety of ways! We were joined by two special guest researchers that talked about their own work using our CI-110 Plant Canopy Imager. It was great to see so many different ways canopy imaging is used-… Continue reading…

How Good is Wastewater For Irrigation?

Water use is increasing at twice the rate of the population, and many places on earth are reaching the limit of their capacity to supply water. Agriculture that uses 70% of the water withdrawn can be a part of the solution to this problem. Using reclaimed water for agriculture is one of the possibilities. More… Continue reading…

Growth Regulators and Bio-stimulants Boost Plant Growth and Yield

We are currently faced with the task of increasing food production for a growing population with little additional land. Agriculture already uses 37% of land area and converting more forests to farms can further exacerbate environmental problems, so strategies, such as the use of bio-stimulants and plant growth regulators, could be a possible solution to… Continue reading…