Dawn: Energy experts believe that seaweed holds enormous potential as a biofuel alternative to coal and oil, and US-based scientists said Thursday they have unlocked the secret of turning its sugar into energy.

The team at the Berkeley, California-based Bio Architecture Lab engineered a form of E. coli bacteria that can digest the seaweed’s sugars into ethanol. – Reuters Photo

A newly engineered microbe can do the work by metabolizing all of the major sugars in brown seaweed, potentially making it a cost-competitive alternative to petroleum fuel, said the report in the US journal Science.

By Zahra Ali, The Express Tribune

The number of apartments is growing with increasing population. More buildings usually means less green spaces and a greyer city.

Living in an apartment must not keep you away from having a healthy green space.

Nonetheless, living in an apartment must not keep you away from having a healthy green space. Even small spaces such as a balcony can become a rewarding and refreshing garden of your own. All you need is some planning.

Science daily: The practice of "topdressing" athletic fields with sand has been used by turfgrass professionals for years. Topdressing is essential to maintaining safe and healthy turf, and using porous sand allows the turfgrass system to retain the necessary pore space for adequate drainage, even in heavy foot traffic.

This image shows sand topdressing being applied to research plots at one-quarter inch topdressing depth. (Credit: Photo by Alec Kowalewski)

By Ahmad Fraz Khan, The Dawn InpaperMagzine

With both federal and provincial assemblies entering final year of their term, agriculture as a sector seems to have slipped further down their priority list.

The current session of Punjab Assembly, which is now in its fourth week, reflects antipathy that the provincial government has developed towards the sector.

The mannerism of the debate shows how seriously the highest legislative and policymaking body in the province, comprising more than 70 per cent of farmers and their representatives, take matters related to agriculture. The run is now how to politically secure seat for next general elections rather than spare time for more tedious matters. - File photo

By Adnan Younis, University of Agriculture Faisalabad Pakistan

Hortist: Gladioli are herbaceous perennials with long, sword-like leaves and tall spikes of showy, colorful flowers. Numerous cultivars have been bred with extended vase life, floral novelty, or extended flowering periods. Recent focus has included transformation for potential creation of a genetically modified organism (GMO) cultivar. Most of the Gladiolus spp. are originally from South Africa, although they are widely distributed to as far north as Russia and into the Mediterranean. Winter-hardy species from Russia include G. imbricatus and G. palustris. It has been reported that several species are adaptable to cultivation. Modern G. hybrids are derived from S. African species. Modern gladioli are primarily grown as summer-growing cut flowers and tender annuals.

There are several environmental factors that affect the winter hardiness trait, including low temperatures, variable snow/ice cover, low light periods, and secondary invasion by pathogens. Winter hardiness is a necessary trait for herbaceous perennials growing in northern climates and is important for floriculture crops as well as consumers. Underground storage organs in geophytes, e.g., corms, bulbs, tubers, rhizomes, etc., allow herbaceous perennials to survive cold winters. The underground structure of perennial Gladiolus is a corm or fleshy storage stem from which shoots and roots grow. Gladiolus is a genus that has not been studied to any great extent in the area of winter hardiness. Most or all cultivars are ‘non-hardy’ in Minnesota and other northern latitudes.

The DAWN Pakistan Agri Expo is set to be Pakistan’s largest agricultural exposition, bringing together participation from all business sectors directly or indirectly involved with agriculture. It will present a rare opportunity to assess the potential of Pakistan’s agricultural market, enabling participants to develop partnerships with the key players that are driving this sector forward.

The Nation: The fruit exporters have stressed the need for exploring new markets for kinnow export, as was done in case of mango last year, to boost the exports of this mandrain fruit.  “Currently Pakistani Kinnows (Mandarin) are mainly exported to UAE, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Iran on commission basis and we cannot afford to export kinnow every year to these main four markets only,” CEO Harvest Tradings, Ahmad Jawad said.

Business Recorder: Owing to quality and standard crop yield, Pakistan has sufficient potential to penetrate in the world apple market but needs to develop this industry properly.

"The world apple export market forms the volume of around 5 million tones per year with France, Chile, Belgium, USA and Netherlands sharing the major chunk," said Chief Executive Officer of Harvest Trading, Ahmad Jawad.

By Manzoor Ali, Tribune

Tribune: A small street in the Qissa Khawni Bazaar in Peshawar hosts the city’s claim to a horticulturalist’s dream. Translating to Flower Street, the city’s flower business was based here until a few years ago, when shops began to close down amid changing trends.

By Anthony Gucciardi, Contributor of Natural News

NaturalNews: Biotech giant Monsanto has been genetically modifying the world's food supply and subsequently breeding environmental devastation for years, but leaked documents now reveal that Monsanto has also deeply infiltrated the United States government. With leaked reports revealing how U.S. diplomats are actually working for Monsanto to push their agenda along with other key government officials, Monsanto's grasp on international politics has never been clearer.

Veganism has some stylish new spokespeople -celebs like Bill Clinton, Katie Holmes and Portia de Rossi

Khaleej Times: WALK INTO PURE Food on Manhattan’s chic Irving Place and back into its spacious, luxurious garden, and you might spot actress Katie Holmes. Or Alec Baldwin and his new girlfriend, whom he met at the restaurant.

Tribune: Former Punjab governor Lieutenant General (Retd) Khalid Maqbool has underlined the need for modernising the agricultural sector to cope with global challenges and ensure food security, which will become a common feature in future due to food shortages in the world.

GCUF Vice Chancellor Dr Zakir Husain stressed the need for an awareness campaign to educate people about poisonous food and malnutrition. PHOTO: FILE/REUTERS

By Charles Choi, LiveScience Contributor

Sticky underground leaves help a Brazilian plant to capture and digest worms, a hitherto unknown way for carnivorous plants to catch victims, scientists find.

The rare plant Philcoxia minensis is found in the tropical savannahs of Brazil, areas rich in biodiversity and highly in need of conservation. Although some of the plant's millimeter-wide leaves grow above ground as expected, strangely, most of its tiny, sticky leaves lie beneath the surface of the shallow white sands on which it grows.

The carnivorous plant, Philcoxia minensis resides in Serra do Cabral, Minas Gerais, Brazil (A), has some of its tiny leaves above ground (B), though most reside belowground (C & D) where they snag wormy snacks for the plant, helping the plant digest its meals.
CREDIT: Rafael Silva Oliveira, PNAS

Fresh Plaza: Intensive botanical explorations for taxonomic studies on the members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae) in India by V.P. Thomas and M. Sabu of the University of Calicut, have resulted in the discovery of an interesting species of Amomum (Cardamom) from Silent Valley National Park on the Western Ghats of Kerala. The ginger family consists of 53 genera and over 1,200 species, many of which are widely used as spices, for medical purposes, or simply for decoration. Amomum Roxb. is the second largest genus within the Zingiberaceae, comprising about 150-180 species, including several types of cardamom. Widely distributed in Southeast Asia, the genus is represented by 23 species in India, mostly restricted to North-East India, South India and the Andaman-Nicobar Islands.

The News: Pakistan’s kinnow export target of 300 million tons for this year seems difficult to achieve due to the hurdles created by the customs authorities, an exporter said on Thursday.

The Co-chairman of All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association (PFVA) told The News that exporters suffered a loss of $10 million on export of kinnow, as shipments were delayed because of complete checking of consignments. “In many consignments planes left and cargo was not taken,” he said.