This will be a welcome reversal after the 20% decline in consumption over the past decade, sector chairman David Stacey said at the AICs annual fertiliser dinner in London last night. The upswing in demand reflected significant rises in the value of farm commodities, including a near doubling of wheat prices and a 60% rise in milk prices, he said. Too often unsubstantiated claims of pressure groups make the headlines, while hard facts such as the report by the European Fertiliser...

Any shortage of this key phosphatic fertiliser at this stage can jeopardise the production prospects of wheat, among other rabi crops. While the wheat harvest could be hit by a DAP shortage, also at stake is the much-needed balance in the use of plant nutrients, which usually tends to tilt in favour of nitrogen (urea) To compound the problem, the domestic production of DAP has been relatively low this year due to policy uncertainties and problems in procuring phosphoric acid. The...

Monday, October 29, 2007 Davao Sur organic rice spreads like wildfire MAGSAYSAY, Davao del Sur -- Putting down her "garab" or harvesting knife for a short rest, Juanita Boliva, 36, scans the wide open rice fields of Bala village, as far as her eyes can see. Monday, October 29, 2007 Davao Sur organic rice spreads like wildfire MAGSAYSAY, Davao del Sur -- Putting down her "garab" or harvesting knife for a short rest, Juanita Boliva, 36, scans the wide open rice fields of Bala village, as far...

The district does not use dried sludge fertilizer in its Milorganite brand unless it contains less than 1 part per million of the chemicals. Pedro Col n (D-Milwaukee), chairman of the district's 11-member policy-setting commission, said energy prices have increased for everyone in recent years. Most of the remaining increase would be spent on the enhanced care required under the new contract to be given MMSD's aging sewage treatment plants, regional collection sewers and other facilities....

Other culprits are out there, such as nematodes, disease problems and chemical or fertilizer injury, but those mentioned at the outset take center stage. Their management is currently dependent on chemicals (insecticides) and enhanced by sound cultural practices. So systems that were poorly designed, broken or otherwise malfunctioned resulted in large swaths of desiccated and dead grass in yards and along roadways. The culprits are mainly a combination of excessively dry weather, chronic...