Feature Channels: Agriculture

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Tropical forests are being cleared for agriculture and other uses at alarming rates. While scientists say it is essential to protect old-growth forests and stop further deforestation, studies by an international team of tropical ecologists — including Clemson University professor Saara DeWalt — showed that naturally regrowing forests recover surprisingly fast and can play a role in climate change mitigation.

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Cotton futures are at a 10-year-high and a Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service economist says growers should look at pricing some of their 2022 production if they haven’t already and locking in input costs now if they can.

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Retrieving struvite from wastewater reduces the amount of phosphorus entering the environment, replaces mined phosphorus

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Madagascar is the most important country for vanilla production – the fragrant ingredient that is a favourite flavour for ice cream, cakes and cookies.

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A computer modeling study conducted by Iowa State University scientists show how the emissions of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide have increased from soils over the last century. The newly published research found the expansion of land devoted to agriculture since 1900 and intensive fertilizer inputs have predominantly driven an overall increase in nitrous oxide emissions from U.S. soils.

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The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center announced today that Armando Bravo, PhD, has joined as Assistant Member and Principal Investigator.

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Fusarium is one of the most important fungal plant pathogens, affecting the cultivation of a wide range of crops.

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Recovered phosphorus from wastewater can be reused on farmland

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Campus gardens and farms help address basic needs across the CSU by providing fresh produce for students.

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A new paper published in January by Buffalo State College’s Robert J. Warren II, associate professor of biology, and Stephen Vermette, professor of geography and planning, puts a spotlight on how climate change is affecting fruit growers in the Great Lakes refugia, and what it may mean for the growers going forward. The paper, titled “Laurentian Great Lakes Warming Threatens Northern Fruit Belt Refugia,” was published in the International Journal of Biometeorology.

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The amount of poultry in European diets isn’t conducive to an optimal circular food system, which prioritizes crops that produce healthy foods while reducing or reusing waste streams, new Cornell University research finds.

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One out of three people in a large survey showed signs of exposure to a pesticide called 2,4-D, according to a study published today by researchers at the George Washington University. This novel research found that human exposure to this chemical has been rising as agricultural use of the chemical has increased, a finding that raises worries about possible health implications.

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Droughts occurring at the same time across different regions of the planet could place an unprecedented strain on the global agricultural system and threaten the water security of millions of people, according to a new study in Nature Climate Change.

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Scientists share best practices for testing seed quality and breaking dormancy

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New research from the University of Georgia has shown, for the first time, that compounds used to fight fungal diseases in plants are causing resistance to antifungal medications used to treat people.

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The Danforth Center announced the establishment of the Danforth Technology Company (DTC), a wholly-owned C Corporation to facilitate the creation of startup companies from technologies developed by Danforth Center scientists.

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Scientists have long hypothesized that climate change, by intensifying stressors like drought or wildfires, would make an ecosystem more vulnerable to invasive plants. Those invasive plants may in turn alter the environment in ways that amplify the impacts of climate change, explained Luke Flory, a professor of ecology in the UF/IFAS agronomy department. A new long-term field study conducted by Flory’s lab offers the first experimental evidence to support this hypothesis.

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Modern agriculture has to produce more food than ever to feed our growing plant, which requires the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides to meet demand. These widespread practices are expensive for farmers while also contributing to climate change through emitting greenhouse gasses.

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Research for this ingredient in traditional St. Patrick’s Day dish

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An international team of researchers have found that strictly protecting global land area for conservation could have an adverse impact on human health and food security in some parts of the world.

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Iowa State University scientists have harnessed gene editing to peer back through thousands of years of domestication to learn about teosinte, the wild ancestor of modern corn. The research allows for genetic comparisons and could lead to more resilient crops.

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Tourism is an important economic driver of the world’s economy, providing a significant contribution to the income of many countries.

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A new, internet-connected lighting system for greenhouses could sharply reduce a farmer’s electrical bill, according to a study by University of Georgia researchers.

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A new study, led by CABI scientist Dr Elizabeth Finch, is the first to investigate the impacts of swidden agriculture on ant communities across the full degradation gradient, highlighting the utmost importance of the conservation of existing closed canopy forests.

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Preliminary research focuses on biochar application to two evergreen tree species

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New research from the University of Delaware examines how staple grains can be used as an effective food group for dietary shifts that can be culturally appropriate as well as environmentally sustainable.

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Farmers who have used a three- or four-crop rotation system for more than 10 years are most likely to reap the benefits of improved soil health and higher yields.

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A new study found a steep decline in the development of forest and agricultural land from 2000 to 2015 compared to the previous two decades, which resulted in a broad shift towards denser development patterns throughout the U.S. A primary culprit was rising gas prices.

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Hemp is going to be a game-changer across many industries, from building and construction to agriculture, all while reducing our carbon footprint, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is leading the way in making that a reality.

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New research looks at why the diversity of soil microbes matter

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South Dakota State University researchers are partnering with Sicangu Community Development Corporation and the Rosebud Economic Development Corporation to increase enrollment in science courses and to encourage students to pursue careers in science and agriculture.

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A new study from Iowa State University scientists could help to breed more resilient crops as well as shed light on mechanisms that play a critical role in plant growth. The study focuses on how phenotypic plasticity, or the way a given trait can differ as a result of environmental conditions, influences the growth of sorghum.

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Corn, soybeans play big roles in creating biofuel

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WVU's College of Law and Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design will work with the USDA to research and review the government agency's Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program.

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Legalization of marijuana in California has helped some financial institutions in the state increase their assets at the same time many banks, feeling stifled by federal regulations, deny services to licensed growers, manufacturers and retailers, a new study shows.

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Crops aren’t the only ones fighting to adapt to climate change. Weeds are too, and new research can help us identify their strengths and plan for them.

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Using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, scientists have genetically created a method to reverse insecticide resistance. Their gene replacement strategy offers a new way to fight deadly malaria spread and reduce the use of pesticides that protect valuable food crops.

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Russian biologists have studied strains of the plant pathogenic fungus Rhizoctonia solani, which causes diseases in potatoes and other plants. Among them, three particularly dangerous strains to be not susceptible to the common fungicide pencycuron and can survive at high temperatures.

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A new Cornell University-led project will accelerate the application of a proven biotechnology to enhance food and nutritional security in Bangladesh and the Philippines while protecting the health of farmers and the environment.

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The word ‘honeydew’ sounds benign, but the sugary waste product of aphids can promote growth of bacteria that are highly virulent to the pests, according to a new Cornell University study.

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Elliott Kellner, PhD, has joined the Center as Senior Program Manager. As part of the Innovation Team, Kellner manages the Danforth Center’s Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2) and Center for AgTech and Location Science Technologies (CATALST) programs.

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The Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service, IBM and the AgStack Foundation, a Linux Foundation project, are working together to provide farmers around the world educational information on how to grow crops sustainably.

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