Updated...
With news from the Chancellor's, George Osbourne, spending review, the Farmer's Weekly state that Defra will have its budget cut by 29%. Defra states that the schemes that are of greatest benefit to the environment will be given priority, which includes an 80% increase for HLSS. More details can be found at this page on the Farmer's Weekly Interactive website. They can also be followed using Twitter, their twits can be followed at http://twitter.com/FarmersWeekly
Other sources of the Spending Review and how it may affect the REM include Saffrey Champness, Smiths Gore and LandlordZone.
Saffrey Champness states that the "HMRC has been spared large scale cuts and that £900 million will be allocated to stamping out tax evasion and fraud". It is suggested that "voluntarily providing full and frank disclosure to the Revenue will always drastically reduce penalties payable". Saffrey Champness has a timetable of events for Land Agents Tax Update, see here.
Smiths Gore has produced a four page document summarising the structure of the Spending Review (covering the period 2010/11 to 2014/15) in order to reduce the £120 million a day in debt interest. Their findings include "an average cut of 19% per government department; following the abolition of the RDAs the government will introduce a regional growth fund worth £1.4 billion between 2010-2014...which the private sector, public-private partnerships and Local Enterprise Partnerships can bid for projects...the planning process as a whole from national to local level will be reformed and will be published in the Decentralisation and Localism Bill; 150,000 affordable homes will be built by 2014/2015; Defra's cuts (as described above) may mean closer communication between the Environment Agency, the Forestry Commission and Natural England; £2 billion to be spent on flood defences; the RDPE is cut by 33%; Defra to reduce red tape but will ask farmers to bear the cost of animal welfare and disease prevention; trials of increased broadband in four areas (Cumbria, Herefordshire, Highlands and Islands and North Yorkshire); £30 billion on transport which will include some rural improvements; a green investment bank supported by £1 billion of public sector money". A fuller summary of the spending review and a list of saved and scrapped quangos is listed here.
A handy review for Landlords, from LandlordZone may be found here with either a guide in Flash (required) or in pdf (required) can be downloaded.
This blog is for information and interest only and I cannot be held responsible for the content or lack of content on the site or if the information has been removed. If anyone can find any more information, please link to reports or pages in the comments section, thank you.
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
London Plane tree pathogens and honey
An introductory note to accompany the first post of blog for aspiring rural estate managers and associated employment. This blog is for information and interest only and I cannot be held responsible for the content or lack of content on the site or if the information has been removed.
Plane trees (Platanus spa.) are commonly found in towns and cities due to their tolerance of water shortage and their ability for their bark to absorb particulate pollutants and shed the bark. An advisory note (No. 7, 2008) "Problems on Plane Trees" from the Research Agency of the Forestry Commission explains that studies in Germany found an ascomycete fungus Splanchnonema platani (anamorph: Macrodiplodiopsis desmazieresii) which causes the dieback of the London plane (Platanus x hispanica.
This has been expanded upon by an article in the Independent (11/10/2010) by Cahal Milmo describes the new disease, see above, that is also named Massaria which is infecting plane trees. It is a fast spreading pathogen that infects the v-shaped section of each branch and it can strip the bark from larger branches. It can affect the canopy shape and the fact that the disease can kill individual branches, as well as trees with branches of up to 20 centimetres in diameter, and this does pose a threat and risk to public safety.
The aforementioned Pathology Advisory Note lists three other pathogens that affect plane trees, these include:
Ceratscystis fimbriata f. platani is a wilting pathogen that strains the xylem, induces severe wilting and eventually tree mortality.
Phellinus punctuates causes cankers on the bark before developing intense white rot in both sap and heartwood.
Inonotus hispidus, is a basidiomycete that creates rusty brown fruit bodies blackish, long, narrow cankers.
All these pathogens have health and safety implications and with the potential changes in climate and the increase in imported tree stock could lead to an increase of these pathogens.
More information from the Research Agency of the Forestry Commission can be obtained from here.
Honey can be used as an antibacterial substance that can be applied to skin wounds, this site explains in greater detail how this is done.
" Subrahmanyam (1991) suggests that honey is effective for treatment of burn wounds because: 1) It prevents infection because of its antibacterial or bacteriostatic properties (i.e., inhibits the growth of both Gram- negative and Gram-positive bacteria). 2) It provides a viscous barrier to fluid loss and wound invasion by bacteria thus preventing infection. 3) It contains enzymes which may aid the healing process by promoting tissue formation. 4) It absorbs edema fluid (pus) thereby cleaning the wound. 5) It reduces pain and irritation and eliminates offensive smell."
Plane trees (Platanus spa.) are commonly found in towns and cities due to their tolerance of water shortage and their ability for their bark to absorb particulate pollutants and shed the bark. An advisory note (No. 7, 2008) "Problems on Plane Trees" from the Research Agency of the Forestry Commission explains that studies in Germany found an ascomycete fungus Splanchnonema platani (anamorph: Macrodiplodiopsis desmazieresii) which causes the dieback of the London plane (Platanus x hispanica.
This has been expanded upon by an article in the Independent (11/10/2010) by Cahal Milmo describes the new disease, see above, that is also named Massaria which is infecting plane trees. It is a fast spreading pathogen that infects the v-shaped section of each branch and it can strip the bark from larger branches. It can affect the canopy shape and the fact that the disease can kill individual branches, as well as trees with branches of up to 20 centimetres in diameter, and this does pose a threat and risk to public safety.
The aforementioned Pathology Advisory Note lists three other pathogens that affect plane trees, these include:
Ceratscystis fimbriata f. platani is a wilting pathogen that strains the xylem, induces severe wilting and eventually tree mortality.
Phellinus punctuates causes cankers on the bark before developing intense white rot in both sap and heartwood.
Inonotus hispidus, is a basidiomycete that creates rusty brown fruit bodies blackish, long, narrow cankers.
All these pathogens have health and safety implications and with the potential changes in climate and the increase in imported tree stock could lead to an increase of these pathogens.
More information from the Research Agency of the Forestry Commission can be obtained from here.
Honey can be used as an antibacterial substance that can be applied to skin wounds, this site explains in greater detail how this is done.
" Subrahmanyam (1991) suggests that honey is effective for treatment of burn wounds because: 1) It prevents infection because of its antibacterial or bacteriostatic properties (i.e., inhibits the growth of both Gram- negative and Gram-positive bacteria). 2) It provides a viscous barrier to fluid loss and wound invasion by bacteria thus preventing infection. 3) It contains enzymes which may aid the healing process by promoting tissue formation. 4) It absorbs edema fluid (pus) thereby cleaning the wound. 5) It reduces pain and irritation and eliminates offensive smell."
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