Tag: LEAF

Global team of researchers crack leaf size mystery

Posted on September 1, 2017 by - Press release

Why is a banana leaf a million times bigger than a common heather leaf? Why are leaves generally much larger in tropical jungles than in temperate forests and deserts? The textbooks say it’s a balance between water availability and overheating.

But it’s not that simple.

Research published today as a cover story in the journal Science, led by Associate Professor Ian Wright from Macquarie University in Australia, reveals that in much of the world the key limiting factor for leaf size is night temperature and the risk of frost damage to leaves.

WET Centre offers confidence, consistency, control and cost-savings

Posted on July 25, 2017 by - Press release

© NIAB-EMRReducing the amount of water needed to grow high quality full flavoured strawberries while at the same time optimising the yield of the crop is now achievable thanks to the work of the new Water Efficient Technologies (WET) Centre, developed at NIAB EMR.

The WET Centre, based at the centre for horticulture and perennial fruit crop research in Kent, has been designed to showcase the latest developments in irrigation management and moisture sensing technologies.

Scientists call on farmers to reduce reliance on pesticides

Posted on April 5, 2017 by - Press release

According to recent media reports the European Commission seems poised to ban some of Europe’s most widely used pesticides to protect bees and other pollinators, but is the move likely to have an impact on food production and security? Scientists at the James Hutton Institute have demonstrated that many farmers can reduce agrochemical inputs by using alternative pest control methods without reducing yield or quality.

Turning over a new LEAF at Christmas

Posted on November 18, 2016 by - Press release

Arriving in Waitrose branches for the first time this year are British grown Christmas trees carrying the LEAF Marque logo, meaning they have been sustainably grown with care for the countryside and wildlife that live there.

Grown by LEAF Marque certified business, Hopeman Christmas Trees Ltd in the Black Isle, a peninsula in the north of Inverness, the beautiful British Nordman Fir Trees have been produced following LEAF’s Integrated Farm Management Principles. These include measures to protect soil and water, preserve and enhance wildlife habitats, recycle waste and conserve energy.