All the news

• How grapevine downy mildew travelled the world
  

  Hopes have been raised of efficient breeding for grapevines resistant to downy mildew, alongside the better design of quarantine regulations, following the work of French scientists who have unpicked the arrival of the North American disease in Europe and its subsequent spread around the world.

• COCOREADO website goes live
  

  The COCOREADO website has now gone live, giving internet users the opportunity to learn more about the Horizon 2020 project which will be “connecting consumers and producers to rebalance farmers’ position”.

• CABI launches new invasives website
  

  CABI has launched a new easy-to-use website dedicated to taking action against invasive species. The website is designed to help users learn more about the “devastating economic, environmental and social impacts invasive species have and what we can do to manage them.”

• Agroecology ‘helps tackle zoonoses’
  

  In addition to its better known advantages, taking an agroecological approach to crop protection can reduce the risk of the emergence of viral zoonoses, according to a study published by CIRAD researchers in the Science of the Total Environment journal.

• Weed threat ‘greater than ever’
  

  A combination of factors means that crops are now more vulnerable to weeds than before the introduction of herbicides, according to a UK study. Researchers have exploited data from the world’s longest-running agricultural experiment, Rothamsted Research’s Broadbalk wheat trial, to highlight the threat posed by weeds.

• Diverfarming: Latest newsletter now available
  

  The latest newsletter from the Horizon 2020 Diverfarming project is now available. The project is seeking a major shift in European agriculture through crop diversification and a rational use of resources and, accordingly, the newsletter brings readers up to date with the concrete steps taken in some of its work across six countries.

• 2021 Joint Call: Circularity and climate change
  

  A total of around €16 million has been provisionally reserved for the 2021 Joint Call from four ERA-NETs. ERA-NETs aim to increase substantially the share of funding that Member States dedicate jointly to challenge-driven research and innovation agendas and this year’s call addresses ‘Circularity in mixed crops and livestock farming systems with emphasis on climate change mitigation and adaptation’.

• Key intercropping event: March 23
  

  The final conference of the ReMIX project is to be held online this month. A joint effort from the ReMIX and DIVERSify projects, ‘Intercropping to boost agroecology in European agriculture’ will run from 09:15 to 16:45 on March 23.

• Online conference: Landscape 2021
  

  Organisers have set a deadline of March 15, 2021, for papers and posters for Landscape 2021 - Diversity for Sustainable and Resilient Agriculture, an online conference being held from September 20 to 22 this year. Registration for participation in the conference, including the possibility of signing up for a series of masterclasses, opens on May 1 this year.

• DiverIMPACTS: Catch up with latest videos!
  

  The DiverIMPACTS project has recently added two new videos to its YouTube channel, bringing the total number available to 15. One video focuses on organic and soil conservation farmers who are working together in the Wallonia region of Belgium, while the other focuses on crop grazing with sheep in the same area, for the benefit of both arable producers and livestock farmers.