According to scientists, the reason farming has to use Neonicotinoids is to combat the many predators that are ready to pounce on corn or soybean seeds, every time they are sown in the ground. Seeds are impregnated with drugs before sowing. Photo: Scientific Beekeeping What are neonicotinoids? Neonicotinoid has been banned for use in Australia and Europe since 2013. This is a pesticide derived from nicotine (the addictive substance found in tobacco), the way to use is to dissolve in water and spray on plants. for the plants to absorb themselves, forming an artificial “immune system” to protect the crops. Neoincotinoids are thought to be effective against pests and insects, but are safe for mammals. However, because of its strong effect on insects, it also affects bees directly, reducing the number of pollinators. This pesticide is said to reduce the sperm count of male bees by up to 40%, as well as reduce their lifespan from an average of 22 days to 15 days, thus reducing the chances of male bees fertilizing the queen bee. also decreased. Besides disease, soil-dwelling pests such as helminths and larvae can also damage seeds and seedlings, along with terrestrial insects such as bean leaf beetles and aphids. seeds and saplings. Therefore, in the field of seed treatment against insects and diseases, farmers often treat seeds in combination with fungicides (IST) to help plants sprout straight and grow early. It is easy to mention some of the popular Neonicotinoid IST methods such as Imidacloprid (Gaucho, Bayer Crop Science), Clothianidin (Poncho, BASF) and Thiamethoxam (Cruiser, Syngenta)… Seth Naeve, an agronomist specializing in soybean research at the University of Minnesota Extension (USA), said that Neonicotinoid insecticides are highly water-soluble, helping to activate protection from insects. Great early season. Shawn Potter, Syngenta’s head of seed care product marketing, said that the growth of the seeds after treatment was driven in part by previous seasons. “Early seeding from a wet, cool, or both, seeds and seedlings will be exposed to various diseases. “Without seed treatment, crops could be damaged early on,” said Mr Potter. Nick Tinsley, BASF technical specialist, added: “Farmers and retailers alike can easily treat corn and soybean seeds with Neonicotinoid insecticides as well as fungicides from the company. producers to protect crops”. For decades, seed companies have treated corn with fungicides. However, IST only started to be added to the fungicide seed treatment of soybeans in the early 2000s. Studies have demonstrated that a combination of seed treatment with both fungicides and insecticides increases soybean yield per acre by 2 bushels (equivalent to 72.74 kg/0.4 ha). According to Mr. Potter, in general, each “shift” of treating soybean pest/mushroom combos will cost from 10 to 12 USD per seed unit (ranging from 80,000 to 140,000 seeds/0.4 ha). That’s because 70% of treatment costs go to pesticides, while the profit-taking rate per acre is between $16 and $17. This assumes that soybeans cost $12 per bushel and that the cost of the pesticide seed treatment is between $7 and $7.50 per seed unit. Entomologists in the Midwest and South America have also observed that the average soybean yield spike of 2 bushels per acre from this combination. “Some years are higher, some years are lower,” says Sebe Brown, an entomologist at the University of Louisiana. Responses tended to be higher in cases where soybeans were planted early, two crops, or planted after a cover crop.” Gus Lorenz, a scientist at the University of Arkansas, adds: “Companies have provided growers with insurance to maintain good standing. At current seed prices, the cost of treating seeds with pesticides is a good investment.” A synthesis of studies in a 2019 report representing agronomists and entomologists from 14 universities found that the best recorded soybean yield was an increase of 3.3 bushels per acre. after using the combined seed treatment solution. However, in some cases in Minnesota, the benefits are so small that it is argued that farmers should not be encouraged to use seed treatments or should apply them selectively. Concerns Previously, scientists believed that neonicotinoid pesticides were the main cause of the decline in bee populations and pollinators worldwide. A few years ago, the United Nations published alarming figures: In the first 10 years of the 21st century, the number of bees in the world has decreased by 85% in the Middle East, about 30% in the US and Europe. Neonicotinoids are likened to “birth control pills” for bees and reduce the population of bees. Photo: GCM Bees are the intermediate species that help pollinate more than 75% of the world’s food and fruit crops, so a decrease in the number of bees also means a reduced crop or even a crop failure. However, long-term studies by Syngenta suggest that the health effects of bees are negligible when using Neonicotinoid seed treatments to kill insects. According to Mr. Potter, what many experts agree on is that the health of bees depends on the interaction of factors such as parasites, disease, nutritional health and weather phenomena. A 2019 study published in the journal Scientific Reports detailed the effects that imidacloprid had on white-tailed deer. When imidacloprid (an insecticide that acts as an insect CNS toxin, belonging to the genus Neonicotinoids) was increased in the animal’s spleen, factors such as progeny viability, length of jawbone, body weight and visceral weight all decreased. Records show that at least 60% of white-tailed deer killed indicate the presence of Imidacloprid. According to expert Jonathan Lundgren, all insecticides can negatively impact mammals and bees. “The use of insecticides is so widespread these days that they are present in almost every growing system across the United States and are truly binding. These insecticides are affecting ecosystems in ways that we could not have foreseen.” Meanwhile, the companies that manufacture and trade in Neonicotinoid seed treatments have always denied this and asserted that “the products are safe if used according to the instructions on the label”. Compounds such as polymers coat the seeds or products like Bayer Fluency Agent Advanced to help prevent release into the environment, said Chip Graham, Bayer Crop Science’s North American director of seed development. “Initially we had really low dust levels, but these products ensure that pesticides remain on the seeds and reduce contamination levels during the growing process,” said Mr. What is the future of farming? Instead of treating seeds with neonicotinoid insecticides, Mr. Lundgren called for regenerative methods, such as tilling and changing seasons, increasing crop diversity as well as reducing pest pressure. bugs, insects. “Farmers need to understand that these seed treatments really don’t help them much,” said Lundgren. Neonicotinoid pesticides are believed to reduce bee pollinators, threatening food security. Photo: TN Meanwhile, expert Graham said that banning this seed treatment would be detrimental to farmers because “there are currently no foliar sprays to treat early-season insects as a rescue application”, so ” Seed treatment in this way is most effective to provide activity against early-season pests of maize and soybean.” Agronomist Naeve said: “They’re a good example of how the best tools we’ve ever had in agriculture, but it’s not a good idea to treat the entire soybean acreage. They can be a double-edged sword.”

According to what plant scientists at the Missouri Botanical Garden (USA), the tiny purple-white flower that has just bloomed in their greenhouse has never been seen, at least by experts like them. In early May, Justin Lee, a gardener, was inspecting a group of Karomia gigas seedlings when he discovered a strange flower. This plant is related to mint and is native to Africa and is one of the endangered plants. Strange flower varieties Giống This flower less than 3cm long has pale purple ring-shaped petals, which slope down to form an arch connected to four white petals, with outstretched pistils. Mr. Lee said: “It doesn’t look like a mint flower. It looks like it’s upside down.” The mint family, Lamiaceae, usually has funnel-shaped flowers. Caregivers think the flowers may attract bees, butterflies and moths, but they may also be self-pollinating. Over the next few weeks, they expect more Karomia gigas flowers to bloom in the greenhouse, and instead of attracting insects, they will attract human hands trying to keep the species from extinction. When more flowers bloom, plants can cross-pollinate and have an extra chance of survival. Currently, only about 20 individuals of Karomia gigas are known in the wild in Tanzania. Roy Gereau, Tanzania project leader at the Missouri Botanical Garden, said it’s not uncommon for anyone to have seen flowers grow from this tree. Karomia gigas is a tall, straight-stemmed tree that can reach a height of 25 m, the branches grow about 13-14 m above the ground, making the flowers difficult to see. Karomia gigas is quite tall and is located deep in the forest. The tree is so rare that it does not have a common name in English, Swahili (the main language of Tazania) or the dialect of the area around the reserve where the tree was found. Of the more than 60,000 known tree species on Earth, Karomia gigas is among the most threatened and endangered in Africa. “As far as we know, there is no scientific record of the flower of this plant,” said Gereau. And now, when the trees bloom, conservationists believe they can keep them from disappearing. “In terms of extinction, this is a really, really good sign. We can make sure this plant doesn’t go away,” said Andrew Wyatt, vice president of horticulture at the Missouri Botanical Garden. There is still hope Growing this tree is a challenge. In the wild, Karomia gigas is highly susceptible to a fungal infection spread by insects. In September 2018, thousands of seeds were collected in Tanzania and brought to St. Louis, but only 100 seeds can be used for germination. The nursery also had to adjust soil texture, water availability and sunlight to mimic the East African environment in which the plants grew. Gardeners are finally able to grow the plants by letting the seeds germinate on wet paper towels (reducing the risk of infection), and then planting them in the potting soil. Currently, they have about 30 seedlings from seeds and one from cuttings. Creating a growing environment for this species is very difficult. “We’re debating whether they can bloom in a caring environment,” Mr Wyatt said. When there are only a few trees of this species left in the world, trying to save them and seeing them grow successfully is very emotional. “You will cherish every stage. They are like your children. You are like the housekeeper of these plants. You not only have a scientific connection, but also a love for them” – he Wyatt shared. Mr. Lee agrees: “They are like my children.” The flower helped scientists understand more about the plant, verifying it was classified correctly, and the shape suggested it was most likely pollinated by an insect. To date, they have not been able to tell if this flower structure is common to the species, or just a genetic mutation in the still young plant. “This single flower … may not be the usual flower form of the tree. This is the first flowering tree of fortune telling” – Mr. Gereau commented. The first flower was recorded. Most importantly, this helps ensure the survival of the tree. Botanists can take cuttings to propagate, but they will share the same DNA. Having genetic diversity will help ensure that plants can withstand harmful elements such as pests. “If crops don’t bloom, we have to depend on wild plants for seeds, and their survival is very low,” Wyatt said. While some species are able to self-pollinate, it is not clear whether Karomia gigas does. Mr. Lee tried pollinating before the flowers died, but said adding flowers from other plants would help create a new generation of plants that are genetically more tolerant. “I’ve chalked the flowers. But so far the self-pollination is still a big question mark. And this time we didn’t succeed. However, we have many seedlings left, if they bloom and pollinate. Cross-pollination is better for genetic diversity.” “Having a tree in bloom is a great start in a species recovery effort,” says endangered tree expert Emily Beech. Although not involved in the tree planting process in St. Louis, in 2016, Ms. Beech and Mr. Gereau and rangers searched for this tree in Tanzania. “When we got there, we didn’t see any sprouts in the forest, but the blossoming tree shows that there is still hope for this tree in the future,” she added. One step closer to reinvention Karomia gigas was discovered in 1977 in Kenya. When the last two trees here were cut down, scientists thought the species was extinct. Then, in 1993, several trees were discovered in Tanzania. From 2011 to present, Mr. Gereau and Tanzanian botanists have found more individuals in the wild. According to Mr. Fandey Mashimba, head of the seed department of the Tanzania Forest Service, about two dozen Karomia gigas trees still exist in the wild, in two forest reserves Mitundumbea and Litipo. These two reserves have the Miombo forest ecosystem – common in Central and South Africa. This is the habitat of wild animals such as gorillas, wild boar, wild buffalo and a small antelope called Dik-dik. While individuals studied in the native environment and one growing in St. Louis, their flowers are still a mystery. “We have a person in the nearest village to the reserve, he keeps an eye on them and will notify us when he notices the plants are about to flower,” said Mr. Gereau. However, when someone drove the long way through the forest and reached the tree, no flowers were found. “They’re in a reserve protected by the government, but a lot of people go there to get wood,” Mashimba said. The wood of Karomia gigas is compared to teak – a precious wood, so they have a high value. “We have trees that are still alive. We can make sure they don’t go extinct. Successful conservation of this species is possible. They are protected in Tanzania. We have a bunch of trees in the botanical garden. When we have enough seeds, we can store them in case.” Seedlings are cared for at the Missouri Botanical Garden, USA. Gereau said he does not want to transfer the plants yet, fearing they are too fragile to make it through the trip between the two continents, but his team will actively share knowledge with the Tanzanian government and botanists at the University of California, San Francisco. University of Dar es Salaam, which is conducting research on this plant. For now, a flower is a hopeful sign of what’s to come. The staff at the botanical garden at St. Louis was surprised when it quickly fell from the tree in less than 24 hours. “It withered and fell. I picked it up and used it as fertilizer,” said Mr. Wyatt.

For centuries, apple growers in Japan’s Aomori Prefecture have been creating beautiful heirloom apples using the mojie ringo technique. The process is pretty simple, which basically means exposing the apple to sunlight for a period of time and then applying stencils to ensure that certain parts of the apple peel are discolored. Usually, mojie ringo apples are decorated with messages and symbols of good luck and prosperity, and given as gifts. Large apple varieties like Mutsu or Stark Jumbo are best suited for the mojie ringo technique, as they provide more surface area for intricate designs. The apples using the mojie ringo technique are extremely beautiful. Preparations begin in January, with a pruning operation, to ensure that the remaining flowers receive plenty of sunlight. Growers then use soft wands to hand-pollinate each apple tree flower, and then when the fruit begins to form, they are covered with a laminated plastic bag to both protect the berries from Pests just block sunlight. Keeping apples in the dark for long periods of time increases their sensitivity to light, so when they remove the plastic bags, they begin to produce anthocyanins, a component that gives the skin its red color. In the final stage of the mojie ringo process, stencils are applied over the surface of the apple to ensure that only the skin around the stencils turns red. The stencils are removed during harvesting, revealing the almost white skin underneath. Stencils need to be flexible, as the fruit continues to grow, and otherwise, the style may suffer. According to Culture Trip, the Mojie Ringo technique was perfected by Aomori farmer Haruo Iwasaki, father of Chisato Iwasaki, one of today’s most talented apple artisans. Although the mojie ringo technique may seem quite simple, it requires a lot of work and patience over the long term, and for many growers the effort and attention are insignificant economically. That’s why the old tradition is slowly fading away, only a few Aomori gardens still keep this technique. The mojie ringo technique is also very popular in China and other Asian countries under the name of “tattooing apples”.

With the Mojie Ringo technique, Japanese farmers harness the power of the sun to create beautiful apples without the use of any chemicals. This process is called apple tattooing. Basically, apple growers expose the fruit to sunlight for a period of time and then use stencil molds to shape as desired, keeping the rest of the color unchanged. Usually, the looker will decorate the Mojie Ringo apple with writings that carry messages and symbols of luck and prosperity. Large apple varieties such as Mutsu or Stark Jumbo are best suited to apply the Mojie Ringo technique. With a lot of surface area, one can create complex designs. To apply this perennial technique, apple growers start preparing in January. They prune the branches to make sure the flowers get the most sunlight Growers then use soft-bristled wands to hand-pollinate each flower. When the fruit begins to form, people cover the apple with a multi-layer plastic bag to both protect the fruit from pests and block sunlight. Keeping apples in the dark for a long time increases their sensitivity to light, so when you remove the plastic bags, apples begin to produce anthocyanins, a component that gives the skin its red color. In the final stage of the Mojie Ringo process, a printed stencil mold is placed on the surface of the apple to ensure that only the skin around the stencil turns red. Placing the stencils needs to be flexible, as the fruit continues to grow, otherwise the style may suffer. The Mojie Ringo technique was perfected by Aomori farmer Haruo Iwasaki, father of Chisato Iwasaki, one of today’s most talented apple artisans. Although the Mojie Ringo technique seems quite simple, it requires a lot of work and patience in the long run. It is also one of the reasons many growers no longer pursue this traditional look. There are only a few Aomori orchards that produce eye-catching apples.

Musk cows in Greenland. Photo: Caff The habitat of animals in the Arctic has an area of ​​​​about 7 million square kilometers with an extremely cold, dry climate, strong winds in each season. The species living in this environment have adapted to survive and thrive in the harsh environment. But the climate crisis has taken a toll on their survival, according to the report on Arctic Terrestrial Biodiversity, published by the Arctic Flora Conservation Working Group (Caff. ) belongs to AC. “Climate change is a major driver of change in terrestrial ecosystems in the Arctic and is likely to increase the magnitude of the impact, multidimensional, and unpredictable,” the report said. above said. The temperature in the Arctic is increasing at twice the rate of the rest of the world. This situation leads to extreme weather events that cause southern species to move north and spread pathogens among species inhabiting the area. During the AC ministerial meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland on Thursday, a report assessing the status and development trends of Arctic species was released for the first time, following a five-year assessment. Caff’s 2017 on Marine Biodiversity. This report draws on decades of biodiversity monitoring in the area to provide an overview of the changes that have occurred here. In some parts of the Arctic, the number of important pollinating flies has decreased by 80% between 1996 and 2014. Photo: Caff At the Zackenberg research station in northeastern Greenland, scientists have found that important species such as pollinators have reduced their populations by 80% between 1996–2014. This data reflects the disparity between the timing of flowering of plants and pollinator activity caused by climate. The researchers also found that more than 50% of the 88 species of seabirds surveyed had declined in number, and up to 20% of the species were severely reduced. “On the Arctic tundra, seabirds are the most diverse group of birds,” said Paul Allen Smith, biologist and avian expert who contributed to the report. It is also estimated based on different climate scenarios that 80% of seabird species living in the high Arctic could also lose most of their habitat and breeding grounds in the next 50 years. Photo: Caff With reindeer herds migrating from Russia to Alaska, Ms. Christine Cuyler, an expert and consultant of the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, said: “The number of reindeer individuals is always fluctuating, changing irregularly and there is a change in the number of reindeer individuals. abundance cycle”. “But in some cases, the amplitude of the fluctuation is tending to increase. Now, we are seeing fluctuations in the number of these species falling beyond historical records,” Ms. Cuyler pointed out. The majority of forest reindeer populations and species migrating to the Arctic tundra have declined in recent years. The Bathurst reindeer herd alone, which stretches from Canada’s Northwest Territories to Nunavut, has declined by 98% between 1986 and 2018. Ms. Cuyler said a number of factors that make this animal unable to survive the winter could be responsible for this decline, including the depletion of the main food source, snowfall, insects. pest infestation,… Rising temperatures in the Arctic also cause new pathogens to emerge that adversely affect the health of some species. In 2012, an outbreak of erysipelas, a bacterial infection that affects the skin, killed about 150 musk cows on Banks Island. “Bacteria are present all over the world, but when it comes to the Arctic, it’s completely unusual,” Cuyler said. “It usually won’t work in areas with low temperatures, cold climates. Things are changing as the Arctic is warming.” Furthermore, due to global warming climate change, mammal species are moving north. It is likely that the condition will become a source of parasites and new diseases, directly affecting species living in the area. The report also shows some facts about species that migrate to the Arctic, such as: red foxes compete with and even kill arctic foxes for lairs. In Alaska, brown bears are also competing for muskox habitat. “What’s happening is completely different from before and it’s devastating,” Cuyler said. As species move north, terrestrial ecosystems in the Arctic will increasingly shrink. “Extreme weather events – wildfires or devastating insects – will have systemic consequences for many years in the Arctic,” said Niels Martin Schmidt, a researcher at Aarhus University and also a researcher at Aarhus University. participants reported, emphasized. Sapphire According to The Guardian

Mr. Vien Long Binh was still diligently researching hybrid rice until the last days of his life. Photo: CNS. The following article by Christina Jiang- a Chinese international student studying in the UK about the merits of professor-academician Yuan Longping, was published in 2019 in the newspaper. The Oxford Scientist. Jiang wrote: A few weeks ago, on October 1, 2019, something quite strange happened in my house: Our whole family had dinner next to the TV screen! It was the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, in 1949, after years of conflict and political instability. While we were reviewing the parade that morning and the gala dinner that lasted until midnight, my parents and grandparents started talking about Chinese history and culture. In 1973, Mr. Vien Long Binh was the first to develop hybrid rice and achieved hybrid dominance in rice. Hybrid dominance is where progeny hybrids of two different parents are produced with difficulty but are more productive and grow faster. The conversation eventually turned to the Chinese, especially scientists, who are quite famous at home, but barely known abroad. I felt very ashamed when I realized that out of all the names they were mentioning, I didn’t recognize any though sure, I had vaguely heard of them but couldn’t remember any. what. The great merit of agronomist Vien Long Binh helped the once-poor and most populous country in the world overcome hunger. Photo: CRI. The conversation continued until everyone talked about a special man: Vien Long Binh. Again, I don’t know what he did, but after listening and learning more about him, I understand why the people of this country respect him so much. When you start thinking about scientists, what do you usually think of? For me, those are big fields like physics, chemistry or medicine. And Mr. Vien here works in an industry that I didn’t even realize was considered science. He is an agronomist, a scientist active in the field of agriculture. Whether he did not cure a rare disease or discover fundamental truths about the universe, I think what he has achieved is equally important. Due to the self-pollinating nature of rice plants, hybridization is considered impossible because self-pollinating species have to undergo a long process of selection. Thus, all the inferior traits are removed and only the superior ones are left, which is detrimental to hybridization. But Mr. Vien Long Binh proved this wrong. He used a male sterile wild rice variety and produced a rice that was up to 20% more productive. Since then, its productivity has continuously increased. Currently, 50% of rice in China comes from agronomist Vien Long Binh’s hybrid varieties and produces 60% of the country’s total rice production. An estimated 300 billion kilograms of the rice varieties created by Mr. Vien have been planted in the past 20 years, and its yield growth alone is more than enough to feed an additional 60 million people. “Father of hybrid rice” Vien Long Binh cut his hair at a familiar salon in Trường Sa, Hunan province. Photo: Global Times. Those who have been interested in China’s long history of development will see why the topic of hybrid rice has attracted so much attention and become such a big deal. And that is also what prompted Mr. Yuan Longping to embark on his research career in response to one of the greatest disasters of the 20th century, the greatest famine in China. The disaster that left at least 36 million people starved to death began in 1959, when the Great Leap Forward was unleashed with misguided policies and natural disasters, leading to a food shortage crisis. on a nationwide scale. Although he has been working and producing results since the 1970s, it is only in the past 20 years that Mr. Vien Long Binh’s efforts have been recognized to a higher level. He was awarded the World Food Prize in 2004 and the Confucius Peace Prize in 2012. In 2019, at the age of 89, he continued to work, devoting his life to developing rice with higher yields and more difficult growing conditions. There are varieties that can grow in very arid conditions in Africa and may even one day grow in salt water. Hybrid rice varieties have since been grown in many countries in Africa, the Americas and Asia, providing food for areas at risk of famine. Because of his contribution, Mr. Vien was dubbed the “Father of Hybrid Rice” by the Chinese media. In the world’s most populous country, there are now at least four famous landmarks and a university named after him. Professor-academician Yuan Longping born on September 7, 1930 is a famous Chinese agronomist, known for creating the first hybrid rice varieties in the 70s of the last century. He won the China Preeminent Science and Technology Prize in 2000, the Agriculture Prize and the 2004 World Food Prize. Before his death, he was still the leader of the China National Hybrid Rice Research and Development Center. He is also a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a former associate of the US National Academy of Sciences. Mr. Vien Long Binh also served as chief advisor to FAO in 1991.

I have a chance to chat with Prof. Dr. Bui Cong Hien , former lecturer of Biology Department, University of Natural Sciences, VNU, leading entomologist in Vietnam about 10 years ago. At that time, he was retired and was dreaming with his friends to open a gallery of paintings made from insects. At the age of 80, Prof. Dr. Bui Cong Hien is still working hard. After a few years, I had the opportunity again follow GS.TS. Bui Cong Hien visit the artificial butterfly farming model in Ba Vi (Hanoi) made by himself. During those meetings, he told me about the insect world, about the benefits of insects and his predestined relationship with insects. He said, when he was still a student, he studied at the Department of Physics, Hanoi University (now Hanoi National University). He said that at that time his knowledge of insects was very little. Most of the time the teacher assigns a topic to do it. he did “Study on the phototropism of insects”, “Biology and ecology of the rice weevil (Sitophilus oryzae)” all suggested by the instructors. “Later, when I was retained as a teaching staff, I was assigned to the insect group of the Department of Invertebrates, Department of Biology. When going to work as a PhD student in the GDR, following the advice of Prof. Dao Van Tien, I chose the direction of research on Insect Physiology, a very bony research direction. Maybe I have a predestined relationship with insects, so insects chose me,” he wittily shared. He said, from that fate, he focused on researching insects in many directions such as insect pests, applied entomology, pheromones of insects, insects in Vietnam and prevention of harmful insects. , insect resources in Vietnam and valuable insects… From these studies, the benefits of insects he called “gold mines”. He affirmed that with more than 1 million species and living in all habitats, there is no creature that is attached to humans, being both “enemies” and “friends” like insects. Although small, the insect world is both “romantic” and “realistic”. Insects can kill people, but they also create jobs that feed millions. He asked the question: if insects were not present on the planet, how would humans live when the earth was filled with dead animals and plants; when the fruit is not pollinated… Sad because Vietnam is wasting gold mines Prof. Dr. Bui Cong Hien said, when studying insects, he discovered that many people call insects “insects” implying that insects are harmful species. Insects are “guilty” to humans. But that makes up less than 1% of the more than 1 million species. In fact, we are “a worm that upsets the whole pot of insect soup”. Prof. Dr. Bui Cong Hien said, we don’t know how to mine gold from insects. He said that insects bring 10 benefits to nature and 15 benefits to humans such as making food, beautifying, improving soil, pollinating plants… Especially Vietnam is a country with high biodiversity, with a large number of insects. However, we do not yet know how to mine gold from insects. Currently, according to GS.TS. Bui Cong Hien, in our country, the conservation and exploitation of insects, especially those in the wild, are rarely studied. “I had the opportunity to go through the market in Dien Bien, and saw the sale of worms and bees… I feel so sorry. Because people spontaneously exploiting insects have been both “victims” of poverty and backwardness, and “criminals” of biodiversity destruction”, he confided. “Why not research and help them breed these objects into farms to harvest and process valuable products like some countries have done. Why in many countries there are companies trading insects, but in Vietnam, they only sell at the market like hundreds of years ago. Earlier this year, the EU allowed the farming of mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) as food for humans, while in Vietnam only selling mealworms for ornamental birds,” he added. Plans at the age of 80 Currently, Prof. Dr. Bui Cong Hien has turned 80. However, he still cherishes many plans. The gallery made from insects in the past could not open for many reasons, but now he is still determined to do it. Nutritious nuggets from insects that he used to make successfully in the past, with recipes and designs available, he did not want to give up halfway. “I raised the issue with the Department of Culture, Tourism and Sports and the Bac Ninh Museum. In my opinion, besides traditional Dong Ho paintings, there should be Dong Ho paintings from butterfly wings to enrich folk paintings. Now I’m waiting for funding,” he revealed. The famous entomologist also said: Currently, he has researched and completed the process and technology of insect breeding, and the technology of making nutritious nuggets from insects. What he wishes is that there are businesses and entrepreneurs who realize the value of supporting insects, or invest in building a project to breed and exploit a few specific insect species. He said he is willing to transfer the technology. Invite readers to watch the video: Dangers of using weight loss foods online. Source: VTV24.

But few people know that inside the factory campus is also home to 600,000 bees. And every day, the bees are still rushing around in search of honey, living at the same pace as the production of supercars equipped with powerful V12 engines. Are the bees living in the Lamborghini factory responsible for helping the engineers here research to design models that inherit the aerodynamics from animals and insects as often seen in the history of the automotive industry? paint the world? A worker wearing protective gear with the Lamborghini logo checks honey at the beekeeping area in the factory Reality is not like that. On the occasion of May 20 every year chosen by FAO as World Honeybee Day, Lamborghini supercar company is also pleased to announce the latest count results of the population of bees in its factory which has reached 600,000. Back in 2016, the Italian supercar maker kicked off a biomonitoring project with the construction of eight beekeepers in the Lamborghini park at the Sant ‘Agata Bolognese factory. To date, the number of beekeepers has increased to 12 and it has an important task in understanding how the environment surrounding the plant affects the habitat of humans as well as insects. And bees, with their random behavior of pollinating in the process of collecting honey, will give quite accurate results on environmental quality. At certain times, entomologists associated with the Lamborghini factory will test the quality of honey and wax to assess environmental quality. Currently, the green trend in the auto industry is almost the target of many famous car manufacturers. Not only planting more trees, expanding static space, but some factories like Ford also increase waste water reuse or produce car accessories from recycled materials. As for beekeeping to assess the quality of the factory environment like Lamborghini, Bentley has recently learned and launched a similar project last year. Dinh Quy (according to Carscoops) Invite readers to collaborate, send news about the Department of Motor Vehicles by email: otoxemay@vietnamnet.vn. Appropriate content will be posted. Thank you!

Therefore, eating watermelon helps prevent cancer, improve the heart, reduce muscle pain, improve digestion….
However, to choose a watermelon with a juicy and ripe red taste, not everyone knows. You can refer to the ways below to choose delicious standard pickles! Shape To choose a delicious watermelon, you can first observe the shape of the watermelon. When buying melons, you should choose the ones that have a round shape, matching head and tail. These are evenly ripe melons. As for the large and small tail fruits are often unripe and not delicious. Melon stalks Unlike other fruits, when buying people choose a fruit with a fresh stem, especially with watermelon, you should choose fruit with a withered stem because those are juicy fruits. If the stalk is green, it is possible that the melon was picked early and not yet ripe, and will not have the highest sweetness. Juicy melons will have a small, withered stalk, the more curly the better. Weight When choosing watermelons, pick them up and feel the weight. If you see a watermelon that is smaller and heavier, and holds it firmly in your hand, it is an old, succulent fruit, so it is very sweet. If the melon is lighter than your estimate, do not choose it because it may be a thick, spongy, unappetizing melon. Melon with stinging bee marks When buying melons, you should choose fruits with brown stains or bee stings because those are the fruits that have been in contact with the pollinator of the flower many times. The more pollination, the sweeter the melon. Melon bottom The bottom of the melon is the part of the melon that comes into contact with the soil during growth. Delicious melons will have a yellow (or cream) bottom. Besides the color, you need to observe whether the bottom is recessed or not. If the bottom of the melon is concave, the deeper it is, the sweeter it is. Melon peel The watermelons have a round and glossy skin, especially the black stripes (on the body of the melon) clearly show that the melon has a thin skin, red flesh. Test it by gently pressing the peel with your hand, if it feels firm and firm, it’s a delicious melon. And if the hand feels soft, it may be because the melon has been damaged inside due to being dropped or bumped during transportation. Based on the sound of slapping watermelon When buying melon, many people often clap their hands on the melon. When patting, if it makes a thud sound, that melon is old, delicious, and sweet. If it makes a popping sound, it’s an unripe melon, but it’s rotten inside, and you shouldn’t buy it. Xiao Bao (Synthetic) Photo: Collectibles

The 37-year-old man said that in his small garden, there are some plants that his family used to grow in the past, such as water lilies and begonias. That helps him remember his family, remember his childhood when looking at the garden. The person who nurtured his love of gardening was his grandmother. From a young age, he and his grandmother planted fruits and vegetables for the family. Later, when she died, he planted peach, apple, and plum trees in her memory. Later, life in the city did not have much green space but only a concrete yard, so he tried to change to have a greener environment. Ken Sparks’ garden has a variety of fruits and foods such as corn, carrots, mustard greens, squash, beans and tomatoes. He also grows some herbs and herbs such as African green basil, mint, interspersed with some flowers such as sunflower, lavender, and jasmine. The man who loves trees shared: “My favorite plant is sunflower. They are tall, sturdy, beautiful colors in addition to the traditional yellow. In Los Angeles I can grow them all year round, the tree attracts tourists. pollinators are essential for fruit development. Sunflowers also have the ability to clean contaminated soil.” Some fresh pictures of Ken Sparks’ garden. According to Ken Sparks, there are many creative ways to plant a garden and make use of space. You can plant in high beds or grow in pots, boxes. Some plants only need a small area to grow. You should choose crops according to the season. In California, cool-weather plants are planted in the fall, winter, and early spring, and hot-weather plants are planted in the summer. Examples of cool-weather crops are lettuce, peas, greens, spinach, summer crops are corn, beans, zucchini, and tomatoes. “Gardening is about experimentation, and sometimes I plant out-of-season plants to see if they work,” says Ken Sparks. One of the reasons Ken Sparks loves gardening is because, he says, the taste of fresh, home-grown foods is much better and safer than store-bought. Having your own garden is also a therapy to help you relax and enjoy life. “It’s amazing when you plant seeds, grow plants and reap the rewards after the crop. You can also know exactly where your meals come from. I grow organically and do not use pesticides.” Ken Sparks said. For him, the whole garden is a wonderful space, a place to provide food for his family and also helps him remember his childhood. Hoang Dung (translation summary)

According to the planting experience of households in Phuoc Vinh commune, Ninh Phuoc district, custard-apple is quite well adapted to sandy soil as well as hot and dry local climate. Plants are easy to care for, resistant to many types of pests and diseases, cost less to buy fertilizers and fertilizers. After nearly three years of care, custard-apple harvested the first fruit, the average weight per fruit from six ounces to more than 1 kg. When ripe, fruit is very fragrant, sweet taste, chewy flesh, few seeds, less cracking when ripe, so it is easy to harvest and transport. Trees are propagated by grafting method. During the care process, it is necessary to provide enough water to irrigate the plants, especially in the dry season, to prevent weeds, mealybugs and thrips. In order for the tree to produce beautiful fruit and to limit pests and diseases, growers need to carry fruit since the fruit is as big as a chicken egg, and at the same time use a support tree so that the custard-apple tree will not break its branches when the fruit is large. The initial investment cost (including seeds, fertilizers, plant protection products) to plant a sao of custard-apple is about 10 million VND, about 80 to 100 trees / pole. Usually three years after planting, the Queen soursop gives fruit, the time from flowering to fruit harvest is about 5 months. Each tree gives harvest from 30 to 40 kg / crop and increases gradually as the tree grows. After harvesting is complete, it is necessary to prune, create canopy, fertilize and supplement nutrients so that the plants begin to flower for the next season. Queen custard apple has a purchase price of two to three times higher than that of our custard apple, about 60 to 70 thousand dong / kg; On holidays, Tet the selling price is higher. It is known that Ninh Thuan currently has nearly 18 hectares of new varieties of custard apple and more than 341 hectares of custard apple. In order to improve the production efficiency for the people, the Provincial Agricultural Extension Center is implementing seedling support programs, training on intensive farming techniques of Empress Soursop in the direction of VietGAP, guiding techniques for watering. saving, pollinating flowers, ways for plants to flower off-season, fruit wrapping techniques, preserving fruit after harvest to provide quality products to the market.

The orchid varieties, no matter how unique they are, cannot be confirmed that they are “mutant orchids”. Photo: internet. Orchids, the reason for having an amazing variety of designs, colors, and fragrances today is because it is the product of genetic mutations that have been around for thousands of years. Genetic mutations include mutation mutations and recombinant mutations. Mutant mutations can be genetic mutations (loss, addition, replacement of nucleotides pair) or chromosomal mutation (fragment, repetition, inversion, transition, polyploid). The cause of mutation is natural agents such as radiation, ultraviolet rays, heat shock, herbicides … Recombinant mutations are new combinations of genes that have been rearranged in the offspring to create New and different style compared to parents, grandparents, old grandparents. This is due to the independent dissociation, the cross-exchange of the chromosomes. For orchids and other pollen plants, insects (bees, butterflies) also contribute to diversity when pollinating from one plant to another, from one variety to another. Thanks to the genetic variation that they Lan Orchidaceae becoming one of the largest family of plants in the world, with about 28,000 natural species and 100,000 hybrid species; The number of species and genera of orchids has continuously increased over time (Vietnamese Wikipedia). According to the book Vietnamese orchids of Tran Hop (1998) our country has about 137-140 genera, including over 800 species of wild orchids. However, it is impossible to confirm that a certain orchid species detected or collected in the forest was created by mutation or recombination. Adding the tail “mutant spread” is arbitrary. Photo: internet. In fact, the majority of orchids in our country are collected from natural forests or imported for farming. In the country, there is no announcement about orchids created by mutation method. Flower Research Center – Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute, the leading flower agency has started to select and create new orchid varieties by crossbreeding and mutating, but the results are also new at the beginning. Therefore, someone lucky to discover a beautiful and rare orchid variety in the forest or accidentally bought a rare orchid branch at the Buoi market – Hanoi for example, they could give it a name, but adding the tail “mutant spread” is arbitrary. The question is why a group of people intentionally added the tail “mutant spread” and massively propagated and promoted, sold millions and billions of money per eye and bud, while still not knowing how beautiful the face of the flower was. have buyers? Because, there are many people who think or try to explain that the new “mutant orchid” is beautiful, strange, unique than an orchid variety due to hybrid “recombination” or “normal orchid” … tendon “mutation” has hit on the psychology of curiosity, lightheadedness, gullibility of ignorant people. In a nutshell, a series of “mutant orchid” varieties are being propagated and widely advertised, with tens and hundreds of billions of deals is unusual, absolutely no scientific and practical basis, only can say this is a bold game “cheats”. The sensational way of calling “mutation” has hit the curious, light-hearted, gullible mentality of ignorant people. Photo: internet. Actually, the law also has provisions to limit this situation. The Law on Crop Production in 2018 requires that new varieties must be disclosed (name, origin, difference …) before being circulated in the market, however this regulation will not take effect until 2022. In addition, the Intellectual Property Law 2009 stipulates to grant protection to owners of new orchid varieties, even if new varieties are searched, discovered in the forest or collected from orchid collections, if proven. The new variety that is truly different from other orchids has been widely known to the market. However, in order for the law to come to life, apart from the State need to pay more attention to the trees that we have long considered as “secondary”, when there is a market, it becomes “main”, the flower producers and traders. True orchids need to gather, expose the tricks of doing business that are dishonest, not transparent, to build a very promising orchid industry in our country.

Having a passion for planting trees and seeing that on the hot terrace, she decided to cover the green for shade. She went to the online tree planting associations to learn from experiences. “I chose to grow melons because my family likes to eat and this plant gives fruit fast,” she said. A corner of the garden on the terrace of Ms. Ngoc Anh. At first, Ngoc Anh bought seeds at the supermarket and planted about 20 foam boxes, watering them manually. But when she gave the fruit, she found that the melon was very light and could only be used for drinking water. Besides, the manual watering took her a lot of time. “In the morning, I struggled on the terrace to water, pollinate flowers… In the afternoon, I ran home from work to pollinate and was scolded by my family for being too“ mortal ”, she said. After that, Ms. Ngoc Anh decided to find different varieties of melons (Vietnam, Japan, and Korea) to sow seeds. At the same time, she also designed the rig to save area and labor effort. “I consulted on the internet, then measured and bought materials and asked my husband to help with the assembly. Because it is self-made, the cost is quite cheap and in just about a week, the staging for planting trees has been completed ”. “If you plant plants in a foam bin, the water that flows out will seep into the terrace floor. A few seasons later, thanks to the suspension system, we overcame this situation while saving area and time for watering and fertilizing. The garden is always clean, the tall truss system looks more beautiful, ”she added. Currently, her terrace garden has more than 100 pots of melons of all kinds such as melon, green melon, watermelon … Each type she planted 2, 3 rows to eat not to get bored. In addition, she also took care of dozens of pots of roses, purple corn, bitter melon and fruit trees, grapes, apples … In addition to fruit trees, she also planted a lot of roses. “I usually spend 2 hours in the morning taking care of the garden. When it comes to the stage of pollination and fruit hanging, I have to get up earlier because I am afraid I will not have time to go to work at the company “, she said. “The garden does not have many bees and butterflies and many different fruits, so I am afraid of bees, butterflies pollinate all the time, so I self-pollinate. After that, I wrapped it to avoid the golden flies, then left hanging … “. In the first few cases, Ms. Anh shared, regarding fertilizers, she used chemical fertilizers. After that, she learned how to grow organic. Currently, she composts fish manure by herself, banana manure (for sweet fruits), custard-apple fertilizer … After that, she runs it on the watering system so that the plants can be absorbed regularly and save time on fertilizing the garden. “I think the matter of nutrition and the way of care will determine the outcome. Nutrition for plants in each stage will also be different, ”she said. In order to have large, well-rounded melons, Ngoc Anh has a secret that is to focus on collecting pollen for melons when the tree has grown from 10 to 12 leaf axils, usually keeping only one fruit on the tree. This season is the main season so she planted more than 100 melons, normally she sows about 40, 50 trees. “Every half a month, I grow new varieties of melons to have melons to eat all year round. Depending on the variety, about 60 to 90 days can be harvested, ”she said. Vegetables and fruits harvested from the garden were too much, the family could not eat them all, Ms. Ngoc Anh brought to her friends, colleagues, relatives … At weekends, she spends all of her time in the garden weeding and cleaning. Her husband supported his wife to plant trees, but when he saw that she was too passionate about the garden, he joked: “Wife cares more about trees than husband.” “You want me to plant less to have time to relax and rest,” she added. See more pictures of Ms. Ngoc Anh’s garden: The garden has all kinds of melons. The results obtained after each melon crop. Ms. Ngoc Anh also planted dozens of persimmons Purple corn and suffering.

The Japanese honey apple (also known as the sun apple) is one of the most expensive apple varieties in the world. In Vietnam, Japanese honey apples are sold for up to 1.5 – 2 million VND / kg.

In the country of the rising sun, honey apples are grown entirely according to organic technology, meticulously from care to collection.

Japanese honey apples are grown mainly in the Aomori region, which is considered the capital of delicious apples.

Winter is the time when growers clean the trunk of the apple tree, cutting dry branches for the best growth.

Spring comes, when the apples begin to bloom, it is time for growers to add nutrients to the plants. The grower will carefully remove the flower clusters on the branches so as not to disturb the rest of the flower.

For the most effective natural pollination, they even kept bees in the apple orchard.

In the summer, apples start to bear fruit. Each branch usually has 5-6 apples.

At this point, the grower continues the pruning, leaving only one fruit on the branch. This helps the tree concentrate nutrients, the apple will be sweeter.

Next fall, the whole orchard of red and ripe apples looks good.

They test each apple on the tree for appearance standards and then harvest.

The soil analysis, pesticide residue analysis, radioactivity … are done carefully to ensure the quality of the apple honey wall. Photo courtesy of: Noal Farm, Aomori Apple

Video: Autumn red ripe apple orchard. Source: Youtube