Mexican company prepares organic fungicide with chaparral extractsJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science Mexico, Sep. 12 (Notimex).- A Mexican company dedicated to the creation of biotechnological products, developed an organic fungicide with extract from the chaparral plant (Larrea tridentata), as an alternative for the control of pests in different types of crops. Bioamin scientists used the chaparral because in addition to being an endemic plant in the Mexican desert, it has fungicidal properties, explained the firm's general director, Yolanda Sanchez Salazar. As a result of the studies and experiments, the company obtained an organic fungicide with a high degree of efficiency, as well as rapidity based on quinones of chaparral extract. For his part, Juan Genaro Osuna Sanchez, marketing director of the company, said that with three days of use, some diseases of crops such as pineapple, coffee, banana, onion, tomato, can be controlled up to 95 percent. In an interview with the Information Agency of the National Council of Science and Technology (Conacyt, for its acronym in Spanish), the engineer also stressed that the product has an immediate form of action, similar to synthetic products. However, he pointed out that with Mexican innovation, the farmer can start working the crop from the first day he applies the product, "With synthetic products one can take up to four or five days to rework the crop. This the farmer sees as a benefit of cost savings due to time, " he said. The specialists agreed that this fungicide-bactericide based on extract of chaparral has several benefits, including the dose, because while this applies one to two liters per hectare, with commercial farmers come to use two to four liters. The company made a patent application for the production process and formulation of the final composition of the fungicide based on the chaparral extract. Although there are advances regarding the certifications for the legal sale of the product, they seek to obtain national and international accreditations. NTX/ICB/MAG/BBF iPhone Xs vs. iPhone Xs Max vs. iPhone Xr: Which New Apple Smartphone Is Right for You?JAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science Here's how to decide between Apple's new smartphone options Financial analyst sees Jeff Bezos’ investment as an ’emerging force’ in space, to Amazon’s benefitJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science The news of the day is all about Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ philanthropic efforts, but on the business side of things, an influential financial analyst argues that the world’s richest man is an “emerging force” with the financial muscle to advance the global space industry — and Amazon as well. In a note to investors, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas and his colleagues say Bezos’ Blue Origin venture, as well as Amazon, should be included along with Elon Musk’s SpaceX and more than 100 other firms as key participants in a commercial space race. Jonas writes that investors may want to… Read More Bubbling Bolt toasts zeroJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science Usain Bolt sprinted through thin air and sipped champagne floating on his back as he enjoyed near zero-gravity conditions in an aircraft performing stomach-lurching parabola dives. The eight-times Olympic champion grinned as he experienced weightlessness in the modified plane normally used for scientific research, but on this occasion to showcase a champagne bottle that will allow astronauts to drink bubbles in space. "I was nervous but as soon as the first one (parabola) goes you kind of go 'oh my God, what's happening'. Brett Kavanaugh Says He Would Have 'Listened' to Father of Parkland Victim if He Had Known Who He WasJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science The Supreme Court nominee also explained some of his answers on abortion CBS News Journalist Reveals on Air She Received Text Messages That Got 60 Minutes Boss FiredJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science 60 Minutes executive producer Jeff Fager was fired after sending the text German police report bitter resistance in forest activist evictionsJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science German police said Thursday that protesters bombarded officers with stones, Molotov cocktails and shots from catapults, as environmentalists living in treehouses sought to block the razing of a forest to make way for an open-cast coal mine. "Officers and vehicles were pelted with stones and Molotov cocktails. One officer was slightly hurt and a vehicle damaged," Aachen police headquarters said in a statement about the clearance in nearby Hambach Forest. Aung San Suu Kyi Says Myanmar's Rohingya Crisis Could Have Been 'Handled Better'JAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi acknowledged Thursday that her government could have better handled the violence against Rohingya Muslims in the country’s western Rakhine state. Kavanaugh contradicts White House account of credit card debt, raising more questionsJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, politics On Wednesday night, Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh offered answers for the first time to long-standing questions about his personal finances that had been prompted by significant credit-card and loan debt noted on his judicial disclosure forms. Kavanaugh’s explanation of his finances is not consistent with earlier explanations from the White House. Questions have lingered since shortly after Kavanaugh’s nomination was announced in July and reporters digging into his public record found that Kavanaugh’s financial disclosure forms showed tens of thousands of dollars of fluctuating credit card balances as well as a loan against his retirement account for the 12 years before 2017. IWC passes Brazil project to protect whalesJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science Tempers flared at the International Whaling Commission on Thursday as it voted to back a Brazilian proposal which would safeguard the marine mammals in perpetuity, after a bitter debate. The biennial meeting of the 89-nation body passed the host country's "Florianopolis Declaration" which sees whaling as no longer being a necessary economic activity. "We now have an important instrument to guide our path," said Brazil's commissioner Hermano Ribeiro. Thousands of Pacific walruses again herd up on Alaska coastJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Thousands of Pacific walruses have again gathered on the northwest shore of Alaska as the Chukchi Sea approaches its annual sea ice minimum. Gunman Kills Five People Including His Wife in Southern California RampageJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science A gunman killed five people, including his wife, before turning the gun on himself as a Kern County sheriff’s deputy closed in The End Is Near for Haider alJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science Violent protests in the southern city of Basra have dashed the prime minister's hopes of a second term A surge of volunteers and political newcomers hopes to make Pennsylvania blue againJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, politics Buoyed by strong poll numbers and a state Supreme Court decision calling for redistricting the state’s gerrymandered congressional districts, Pennsylvania Democrats are cautiously optimistic about the midterms. Veteran '60' Minutes EP Jeff Fager Out at CBSJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science Longtime “60 Minutes” executive producer Jeff Fager is stepping down, effective immediately. Mexican company prepares organic fungicide with governor extractJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science Mexico, Sep. 13 (Notimex).- A Mexican company dedicated to the creation of biotechnological products, developed an organic fungicide with extract from the governor plant (Larrea tridentata), as an alternative for the control of pests in different types of crops. Bioamin scientists used the governor because in addition to being an endemic plant in the Mexican desert, it has fungicidal properties, explained the firm's general director, Yolanda Sánchez Salazar. As a result of the studies and experiments, the company obtained an organic fungicide with a high degree of efficiency, as well as rapidity based on quinones of governor extract. For his part, Juan Genaro Osuna Sánchez, marketing director of the company, said that with three days of use, some diseases of crops such as pineapple, coffee, banana, onion, tomato, can be controlled up to 95 percent. In an interview with the Information Agency of the National Council of Science and Technology (Conacyt, for its acronym in Spanish), the engineer also stressed that the product has an immediate form of action, similar to synthetic products. However, he pointed out that with Mexican innovation, the farmer can start working the crop from the first day he applies the product, "With synthetic products it can take up to four or five days to rework the crop. The farmer sees this as a benefit of cost savings due to time, "he said. The specialists agreed that this fungicide-bactericide based on extract of governor has several benefits, including the dose, because while this applies one to two liters per hectare, with commercial farmers they come to use two to four liters. The company made a patent application for the production process and formulation of the final composition of the fungicide based on the governor extract. Although there are advances regarding the certifications for the legal sale of the product, they seek to obtain national and international accreditations. NTX/ICB/MAG/JCG Goats airlifted out of park into other Washington forestsJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science SEATTLE (AP) — Helicopters and trucks are relocating hundreds of mountain goats from Olympic National Park in an effort officials said will protect natural resources, reduce visitor safety issues and boost native goat populations elsewhere in Washington state. US judge delays grizzly bear hunts in Rockies 2 more weeksJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A U.S. judge on Thursday delayed for two more weeks the first grizzly bear hunts in the Lower 48 states in almost three decades, saying he needed more time to consider if federal protections for the animals should be restored. Roche boss says Brexit and curbs on drug use pose threat to UK scienceJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science With only six months to go until the United Kingdom is due to leave the European Union, the highly regulated pharmaceuticals industry still does not know exactly how medicines oversight will function. Severin Schwan, chief executive of the world's biggest maker of cancer drugs, said in an interview that Europe was already slower than the United States to approve new medicines and there are fears the UK might fall further behind, jeopardizing investment. "The UK would get markedly less competitive and less interesting for the industry as a life science hub," he told Reuters. We must stop the relentless march of pests that attack cropsJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science In the space of two years, a tiny caterpillar species has taken a giant bite out of the African economy. Now prevalent in more than 40 countries, the voracious fall armyworm, which feeds on and destroys staple food crops such as maize and sorghum, is reported to have cost African farmers more than £10 billion. This voracious pest has reached India and, given, that it can travel up to 100 km in one night neighbouring countries should expect an invasion. This pest is unfortunately here to stay – fighting it will be a marathon, not a sprint. The first step to combating invasive pests and diseases is to recognise that they can travel across borders. The bacteria xylella fastidiosa, for example, has travelled from the United States to France, southern Italy and Spain, wreaking havoc on vineyards and olive groves. Visitors to these countries are being urged not to bring back flowers in their luggage for fear of inadvertently unleashing an outbreak in the UK. Local efforts alone will not stop the spread of invasive pests and diseases. There has to be effective regional and global coordination to track these invaders and quickly mobilise defences across countries, and even continents. An example of a successful international approach in tackling devastating diseases is the case of maize lethal necrosis (MLN), transmitted to plants by insects in Africa. The virus first appeared in Kenya in 2011, and was subsequently reported in various eastern African countries. In heavily infected areas, up 90 per cent of crops had to be destroyed. For a smallholder farmer, the ability to tackle a devastating pest or disease means a significant difference between profit or loss The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (known by its Spanish acronym CIMMYT) mounted a rapid response, first establishing an MLN screening facility in Naivasha, Kenya in 2013. We have screened more than 125,000 maize varieties over the last five years for MLN resistance and released 19 resistant varieties in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. This, alongside other efforts, has undoubtedly helped to stop the disease in its tracks, with no further spread in the last four years to any other country in southern or west Africa. In 2011, CIMMYT predicted that a mysterious disease known as wheat blast could devastate South Asia. Sure enough, in 2016 the disease struck seven districts of Bangladesh, killing all crops in some areas. Over a billion people in Bangladesh rely on wheat as a staple crop, and the crop is grown on 13 million hectares of land. Conservative estimates put losses at between $180 and $350 million in South Asia. Key facts | Fall Army Worm Thanks to early action by CIMMYT and partners wheat blast-resistant varieties, fortified with zinc for added nutrition, were rolled out to farmers in record time. The strain known as BARI Gom 33 was tested for resistance to wheat blast in field trials in Bolivia and Bangladesh and in greenhouse tests by the USDA Agricultural Research Service laboratory at Fort Detrick, Maryland. For a smallholder farmer, the ability to tackle a devastating pest or disease means a significant difference between profit or loss; a good livelihood or a poor one. While it is unlikely major crops will be wiped out entirely such pests delay food production leading to a hike in food prices, shortages and unrest. The United Nations recently reported that more and more people around the world are going hungry: this highlights how we must work together to stop the relentless march of pests and diseases like the fall armyworm, maize lethal necrosis and wheat blast. Dr Boddupalli Maruthi Prasanna is director of CIMMYT’s global maize programme Newsletter promotion - global health security - end of article Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security Experts urge digital preparedness ahead of FlorenceJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science Cyber experts warn residents in Hurricane Florence's path that with each passing hour, the window of opportunity to protect your home, your workplace and your family is narrowing. China May Meet Russia for War Games, But That Doesn’t Make Them AlliesJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science While China is willing to play in a show of force led by Russia, its future depends more on good relations with the U.S. and E.U. European Commission President on the Strengthening of Europe's External BordersJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science The European Union will deploy 10,000 armed border guards to tackle unlawful migration by 2020, the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker announced in a speech on Wednesday. Pope Francis Authorizes Investigation of West Virginia Bishop Over Sexual Harassment ClaimsJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science The Pope also announced he had accepted Bishop Michael Bransfield's resignation Why Obama didn’t act on Russian election interference benefiting TrumpJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, politics The former president "shrunk from action" against Vladimir Putin, Yahoo News' Michael Isikoff says. Amid trade fight, Canada returns to its roots in opposition to USJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, world As President Trump threatens the “ruination” of Canada in renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Canadians are not only surprised, but angered. Old complexes about the Canadian-American relationship, one that has been among the most peaceful in the world for two bordering countries, are resurfacing. South Sudan's midwives, boosted by aid, wonder how long donors will deliverJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, world It was July 9, 2011, and just outside the walls of the maternity ward at the largest public hospital in the city, a country was being born. As Dr. Alice Pityia scrambled through her rounds, the wails of the newest citizens of the world’s newest country mixed with the cheers of the crowd outside. Salva Kiir, offered another, after the man who had been their president for all of 20 minutes. The best way to curb illegal migrationJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, world Of all the migrants apprehended along the Southwest border of the United States so far this year, some 43,000 – the largest share – have come from Guatemala. As recent events in Guatemala show, the mass exodus from the Central American country will end only when the people there can elect a government that reflects their values, enabling the kind of trust and integrity that can prevent corruption and violence. In recent years, Guatemala seemed to be heading down that path. NASA has a new, foldable heat shield, and it could be part of a manned Mars missionJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science A manned mission to Mars is (very) slowly coming together for the folks at NASA. There's a lot of incredibly specific planning that goes into a mission to another planet, and Mars will give scientists and engineers a long list of challenges to overcome, but there's one thing that no planet-hopping expedition could do without: a heat shield.
Mankind doesn't have a whole lot of interest in visiting planets without atmospheres — at least not yet — and when a spacecraft makes its descent to a new planet's surface they'll have to deal with the intense friction between the ship and the various gasses that surround the planet. With all that in mind, NASA debuted an entirely new kind of heat shield this week, and it might be a perfect fit for future missions to Mars and beyond.
As Reuters reports, the new heat shield is called ADEPT, which stands for Adaptable Deployable Entry Placement Technology. That's just a very fancy way of saying that it's a heat shield that physically unfolds when needed. The shield, which would be situated on the front of a spacecraft as it enters a planet's atmosphere, opens like a flower and blocks the intense heat from damaging or destroying the ship itself.
What makes this so special is that, up until now, heat shields were static components of a spacecraft. The entire rest of the spacecraft typically has to be built with the heat shield in mind, and that puts some serious limits on how a manned ship could be designed. With a deployable shield, the ship can essentially be whatever its designers want it to be, and the shield can be deployed to do its job whenever it's needed.
NASA tested the new heat shield this week, launching its test rocket from New Mexico and monitoring the deployment of the shield as the rocket made reentry. The group hasn't offered much in the way of details as to how the test went, but that information will be released once NASA has a chance to examine the hardware that made it back to Earth. Roscosmos and NASA chiefs discuss mysterious space leakJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian space agency's chief has talked to his NASA counterpart about a mysterious leak at the International Space Station, Roscosmos said Thursday. Aung San Suu Kyi Backs The Jailing of Two Reuters JournalistsJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi has backed the court order that sentenced two Reuters journalists for reporting on the Rohingya crisis. 'Raise ambition level' in climate change fight: UN weather chiefJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science Countries need to dramatically hike their ambitions in the fight against climate change, the World Meteorological Organization said Thursday, warning that the planet will soon be locked in a cycle of relentless warming. "The ambition level has been too low," WMO chief Petteri Taalas told reporters in Geneva, warning that the world is on track this century to see three to four times greater temperature rises than the stated objective in the 2015 Paris agreement. World leaders who signed the agreement committed to a series of measures to limit global temperature rises to less than 2.0 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) overall and to below 1.5 degrees by the end of the century. A Vehicle Attack in Central China Has Left 11 People Dead and 44 InjuredJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science Authorities said the attack was deliberate but terrorism appears to be ruled out Live coverage: Hurricane FlorenceJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, politics The massive storm is bearing down on the Carolina coast. Trump's conspiracy theory on Puerto Rico death toll makes even Florida Republicans squirmJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, politics Republican candidates in Florida distance themselves from the president's latest conspiracy theory. Missouri town gets new newspaper, The Uranus ExaminerJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, odd news URANUS, Mo. (AP) — Cue the giggling: A small Missouri town has a new newspaper called The Uranus Examiner. Activists Raise Over $1 Million to Pressure Sen. Susan Collins to Oppose Brett KavanaughJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science Collins called the fundraiser a "bribe" to get her to vote against Kavanaugh 'Doesn't Get Much More Symbolic Than That.' Bald Eagle Lands on Fire Truck During 9/11 CeremonyJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science A moment of striking serendipity was captured in a now viral video Tuesday when a bald eagle landed atop a Minnesota fire truck that was part of a ceremony commemorating the 9/11 terrorist attacks. 'I Work 3 Jobs And Donate Blood Plasma to Pay the Bills.' This Is What It’s Like to Be a Teacher in AmericaJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science In states blue, red and purple, teachers have risen up to demand increases in salaries, benefits and funding for public education. FoodShot launches investment vehicle to improve agtech and food systemsJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science The future of farming has a tough row to hoe, as the global population is projected to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050. New strains on the food supply created by this growth will come to test the very business models that large producers and distributors have deployed in the past to address similar challenges. The newly launched investment platform represents a partnership between a number of important players in the food and agtech space, including Rabobank, Mars, The Rockefeller Foundation, Generation Investment Management, Armonia and Acre Venture Partners, among others. Scientists investigate icy streams for survival cluesJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science A team of scientists has embarked on a four-year quest to discover what beyond water the world loses when glaciers melt. "It's time for us to find new ways to face this unprecedented environmental change," said Tom Battin, academic director at EPFL who will coordinate the project and lead the research, speaking to reporters by the Rhone glacier now covered with reflective white sheets to help slow its melting. Too often and too rapidly we go from glacier loss to sea level rise. NASA posts amazing video of Hurricane Florence from spaceJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science NASA has posted a stunning video of Hurricane Florence from the International space station as it continues to barrel towards the Carolinas. British companies, academics excluded from EU Galileo space project if noJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science British companies and academics will be excluded from the future development of the European Union's Galileo space project if the country leaves the bloc without a deal in March 2019, according to a series of technical notices published on Thursday. President Trump Calls Response to Puerto Rico's Hurricane Maria an 'Unsung Success'JAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science “The best job we did was Puerto Rico, but no one would understand that" Heckuva job, Trumpie: President hails 'incredibly successful' response to Puerto Rico hurricaneJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, politics President Trump paused at a Tuesday briefing to reflect on his administration's response in Puerto Rico to Hurricane Maria. Trump pushes conspiracy theory denying Puerto Rico hurricane death tollJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, politics The president claims that few died in Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria, contradicting the U.S. island’s own official count. Live updates: Hurricane FlorenceJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, politics The massive storm is bearing down on the Carolina coast. Everything to Know About the iPhone Xs' New Camera FeaturesJAY GORY, MANAGING EDITOR, science Photographers will love this camera |
