http://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org provides the latest news from Wageningen University Scientists from Wageningen (NL) and Lavras (Brazil) have found the first South American plant that can be used for purifying South American soils contaminated with the heavy metals zinc and cadmium. Native plants are strongly preferred over exotic plants for this purpose as they reduce the risk of introducing an invasive species that can turn into a pest. The plant, Gomphrena claussenii, easily grows on contaminated soil near zinc mines and takes up large amounts of heavy metals in its leaves and stems. This makes it quite suitable for the purifying of South American soils. http://phys.org/news290335224.html Biology Thu, 13 Jun 2013 09:40:42 EST news290335224 (Phys.org) —Together with several partners, scientists from Wageningen UR (University & Research centre) have discovered that RLP-receptors located at the outside of plant cells and playing an important role in plant defence, join forces with other proteins present at the same location to warn the plant when a fungus attacks. This finally answers a question that has been haunting several plant scientists around the world for many years. The findings provide new leads for breeding crops with an improved defence against diseases caused by pathogenic microbes. http://phys.org/news289462101.html Biology Mon, 03 Jun 2013 07:08:29 EST news289462101 Tree cover in the tropics will likely change in surprising ways as climate change increases the frequency of extreme rainfall events, according to a study by scientists from Wageningen University published today in Nature Climate Change. http://phys.org/news289462020.html Space & Earth Mon, 03 Jun 2013 07:07:07 EST news289462020 In the coming years Africa could experience a favourable turnaround and move away from poverty. A number of historical factors that until now have hindered a rapid agrarian transition is quickly being eliminated. But there will not be a green revolution in Africa like the one we have witnessed in Asia since the 1970s. The intra-African variation in ecological conditions and historical development trajectories is too large and rapid agrarian change is likely to enhance inequality and migratory flows. That is what Professor Ewout Frankema said on 23 May when accepting the chair of Professor of Agrarian and Environmental History in Wageningen University. http://phys.org/news289116110.html Other Sciences Thu, 30 May 2013 07:20:01 EST news289116110 In a submarine, IMARES Wageningen UR researchers Erik Meesters en Lisa Becking will explore the deep reef of Bonaire, an island in the Dutch Caribbean. They aim to map the biodiversity of their research location, take samples and examine the bacteria that are found in sponges. http://phys.org/news289030526.html Space & Earth Wed, 29 May 2013 07:40:02 EST news289030526 Everybody who has tried to stack oranges in a box knows that a regular packing of spheres in a flat layer naturally leads to a hexagonal pattern, where each sphere is surrounded by six neighbours in a honeycomb-like fashion. In an article just published on-line in PNAS, researchers from Wageningen University report an exception to this rule: when small, micrometer-sized particles are placed on a curved oil-water surface, they arrange in a square pattern, as on a chessboard. http://phys.org/news288594527.html Physics Fri, 24 May 2013 06:08:57 EST news288594527 Conventional methods of agriculture and cattle-breeding cannot feed the world population. They are not sustainable, pollute the environment, are responsible for reducing biodiversity and have a damaging effect on human health. In order to guarantee food security for nine million people in 2050, there is a pressing need to intensify agricultural production. However, this will have to be done in an ecologically responsible manner, making intensive and smart use of natural ecosystem functions. Professor Pablo Tittonell shall assert this view on 16 May upon accepting the post of Professor of Farming Systems Ecology at Wageningen University, part of Wageningen UR. http://phys.org/news287911482.html Space & Earth Thu, 16 May 2013 08:24:50 EST news287911482 The large-scale production of edible insects is unavoidable in order to continue feeding the ever-increasing global population and providing them with enough animal protein. Insect farming can be compared with mini livestock farming. It is environmentally friendly, does not require much land and produces high-quality nutrients. Furthermore, as a new sector of the food industry, it will provide a livelihood for large groups of people. This is the basic message contained in the book Edible insects: future prospects for food and feed security, written by researchers at Wageningen University and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN (FAO). The book will be launched in Rome the 13th of May. http://phys.org/news287390938.html Biology Fri, 10 May 2013 08:10:01 EST news287390938 (Phys.org) —Tomatoes can contain more vitamin C if they are exposed to extra light from LED lamps while growing on the plant. This has been proven by research by Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture in collaboration with Philips. The partnership will be continued in a joint facility for research into the application of LED lamps in horticulture (IDC LED), which will be opened in Bleiswijk (NL) on 16 May. http://phys.org/news287300956.html Biology Thu, 09 May 2013 06:49:33 EST news287300956 Malaria mosquitoes go to work cautiously before landing on human skin and biting. Just before a mosquito lands, it reacts to both odours and heat given off by the human body. Researchers at Wageningen University came to this conclusion after studying images made with infrared-sensitive cameras. Their research was published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE on 2 May. http://phys.org/news287047990.html Biology Mon, 06 May 2013 09:00:02 EST news287047990 Data cannot be eaten, but giving everyone free access to information could lead to innovations that enhance the production and distribution of food, resulting in global food security. 'Open Access Data for Agriculture' was the theme of the G8 conference on April 29 and 30 in Washington. Sander Janssen, a researcher at Alterra Wageningen UR, was one of the speakers at the conference. http://phys.org/news287047965.html Other Sciences Mon, 06 May 2013 08:50:02 EST news287047965 A smart combination of different crops, such as beans and maize, can significantly cut the use of crop protection agents and at the same time reduce the need for fertilizers. Integrating ecological knowledge from nature with knowledge of crops opens up the prospect of a sustainable strategy that will increase yield per hectare at reduced environmental costs. This was the assertion of Prof Niels Anten in his inaugural speech upon accepting the post of Professor of Crop and Weed Ecology at Wageningen University, part of Wageningen UR, on Monday 22 April. http://phys.org/news286532774.html Biology Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:26:22 EST news286532774 PhD candidate Obbe Tuinenburg defended his doctoral thesis on the 15th of April, 2013. His research related to the effects of large-scale irrigation in India on the atmosphere and rainfall. One of the conclusions of this research is that a small increase in irrigation during the months directly before and after the monsoon season can give rise to increased precipitation in the same catchment basin. His doctoral thesis supervisor is Pavel Kabat. His co-supervisor is Ronald Hutjes. http://phys.org/news285410015.html Space & Earth Wed, 17 Apr 2013 09:33:41 EST news285410015 In recent decades, research into a diminutive plant, Arabidopsis thalania, which goes through daily life as a common weed, has generated a tremendous amount of knowledge. Much of the research on Arabidopsis, which has meanwhile become the most important model for plant genetic research, has been conducted in Wageningen, where this type of research began in 1962. During his career, Professor Maarten Koornneef made a substantial contribution to this field of study. On Thursday 11 April he will retire from his personal chair in Genetics at Wageningen University, part of Wageningen UR. http://phys.org/news284717440.html Biology Tue, 09 Apr 2013 09:10:55 EST news284717440 We have been to the moon several times. Next time, we may go back for a considerable period. And concrete plans for a one-way ticket to Mars have already been forged. Food will have to be grown on location. Is this a distant future scenario? Not for Wieger Wamelink, ecologist at Alterra Wageningen UR, for whom the future will begin on 2 April. He will be researching whether or not it is possible to grow plants on the moon. http://phys.org/news283677786.html Space & Earth Thu, 28 Mar 2013 08:23:14 EST news283677786