Feature Channels: Agriculture

Filters close
Released: 9-Dec-2013 11:40 AM EST
UF/IFAS: ‘Perfect Storm’ Needed for Salmonella to Spread in Post-Harvest Tomatoes
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

UF researchers say salmonella is more likely to spread on tomatoes only with certain tomato types and drier weather, and that's a key to curbing produce-associated outbreaks.

Released: 6-Dec-2013 11:00 AM EST
UF/IFAS Researcher to Use $500,000 Grant to Try to Make Peanuts More Drought-Resistant
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Grant will help professor research how to grow more peanut varieties that are drougt-tolerant.

Released: 4-Dec-2013 1:00 PM EST
Sea-Level Rise to Drive Coastal Flooding, Regardless of Changes in Cyclone Activity
Virginia Tech

A review of scientific studies show that sea-level rise and shoreline retreat will drive an increase in future flood risk from hurricanes.

22-Nov-2013 2:00 PM EST
Genetic Mutation Increases Risk of Parkinson’s Disease From Pesticides
Sanford Burnham Prebys

Study uses patient-derived stem cells to show that a mutation in the α-synuclein gene causes increased vulnerability to pesticides, leading to Parkinson’s disease.

Released: 8-Nov-2013 5:25 PM EST
Poultry Scientists Solve Bruised Breast Puzzle
Auburn University

Green muscle disease is a degenerative condition of broiler chickens’ minor pectoral muscles, or tenders, that causes the muscle tissue to bruise. The discolored tissue is not discovered until processing and deboning, and then it must be trimmed and discarded, costing the U.S. poultry industry an estimated $50 million a year in losses. After more than a decade of research a team of poultry scientists at Auburn University has identified a blood enzyme that could give breeders a noninvasive tool to screen birds for susceptibility to the disease.

5-Nov-2013 9:15 AM EST
Defending Food Crops: Whitefly Experimentation to Prevent Contamination of Agriculture
Journal of Visualized Experiments (JOVE)

On November 8th, JoVE, the Journal of Visualized Experiments, will introduce a new technique to aid in the development of defenses against diseases threatening food crops worldwide.

Released: 31-Oct-2013 4:15 PM EDT
In Battle Against Flies, Don’t Toss Old Bulbs
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

University of Florida researchers find old bulbs work almost as well as newer ones in helping zap bugs. This saves millions of dollars and more mercury from entering waste stream.

Released: 31-Oct-2013 2:00 PM EDT
Plant Production Could Decline as Climate Change Affects Soil Nutrients
Northern Arizona University

As drylands of the world become even drier, water will not be the only resource in short supply. Levels of nutrients in the soil will likely be affected, and their imbalance could affect the lives of one-fifth of the world’s population.

Released: 22-Oct-2013 11:00 AM EDT
Veterinary Scientists Track the Origin of a Deadly Emerging Pig Virus in the United States
Virginia Tech

An emerging swine virus, deadly to piglets, was first recognized in the United States in May. Researchers at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine have determined the evolution of the virus, which has already spread to at least 17 states.

17-Oct-2013 4:30 PM EDT
Coffman Receives Inaugural World Agriculture Prize
Cornell University

Throughout his 43-year career, Cornell University plant breeder Ronnie Coffman has sown seeds of scientific and social change across continents and generations. Now his efforts are being recognized with the inaugural World Agriculture Prize, awarded by the Global Confederation of Higher Education Associations for Agricultural and Life Sciences (GCHERA), an organization that represents more than 600 universities worldwide.

Released: 15-Oct-2013 9:50 AM EDT
New Micro Water Sensor Can Aid Growers
Cornell University

Cornell University researchers have developed a microfluidic water sensor within a fingertip-sized silicon chip that is a hundred times more sensitive than current devices. The researchers are now completing soil tests and will soon test their design in plants, embedding their “lab on a chip” in the stems of grape vines, for example. They hope to mass produce the sensors for as little as $5 each. The new sensor will benefit crop growers, wine grape and other fruit growers, food processors and even concrete makers.

Released: 10-Oct-2013 9:15 AM EDT
Wetland Restoration in the Northern Everglades: Watershed Potential and Nutrient Legacies
American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)

To most people, restoration of Florida’s Everglades means recovering and protecting the wetlands of south Florida. What many don’t realize is how intimately the fortunes of the southern Everglades are tied to central Florida’s Lake Okeechobee and lands even further north. Restoration of this northern Everglades ecosystem will be discussed at the ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Annual Meetings on Nov. 3-6 in Tampa, FL.

8-Oct-2013 10:50 AM EDT
Discovery Should Save Wheat Farmers Millions of Dollars
McGill University

The global wheat industry sometimes loses as much as $1 billion a year because prolonged rainfall and high humidity contribute to grains germinating before they are fully mature. This phenomenon, known as pre-harvest sprouting or PHS, has such important economic repercussions for farmers around the world that scientists have been working on finding a solution to the problem for at least a couple of decades. Findings by a McGill team now suggest that the solution may lie not with genetics alone, but rather with a combination of genetic and epigenetic factors.

Released: 8-Oct-2013 11:00 AM EDT
Scientists Battle Herbicide Resistance
Mississippi State University, Office of Agricultural Communications

Mississippi has the dubious honor of having more documented glyphosate-resistant weed species than any other state. Mississippi State University scientists are leading the charge in the fight against glyphosate-resistant Italian ryegrass with a research-based plan of attack.

Released: 7-Oct-2013 3:00 PM EDT
Irrigation, Water Conservation Issues Are High MSU Priorities
Mississippi State University, Office of Agricultural Communications

Mississippi State University researchers and Extension Service professionals are addressing the complex challenges of preserving the state’s water supply through several studies and outreach initiatives.

Released: 3-Oct-2013 10:00 AM EDT
Improving Water Security with Blue, Green, and Gray Water
American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)

With limited water and an increasing number of people depending on it, water security is tenuous. But integrated water management plans using “blue,” “green,” and “gray” water can increase water security. At the annual meetings of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America on Nov. 3-6, 2013, speakers will address what those colors mean and why those waters are vital.

Released: 1-Oct-2013 4:15 PM EDT
Protecting the Weedy and Wild Kin of Globally Important Crops
American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)

As more and more people recognize the importance of the wild relatives of crop plants to agriculture and food security, interest in cataloging and conserving these plants is building around the world. At the annual meetings of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America on Nov. 3-6, 2013, two speakers will describe the latest efforts to identify and protect the wild relatives of domesticated crop plants both in the United States and abroad.

Released: 30-Sep-2013 5:00 PM EDT
ASU Researchers Developing Sustainable Ways to Manage Locust Outbreaks Worldwide
Arizona State University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Locust swarms may seem like a distant chapter from history, but these devastating insects still present a major threat in today’s world. A team of scientists from Arizona State, Colorado State, McGill and Yale universities are launching a new collaborative project to learn how human behavior, market forces and ecological systems interact over time to affect the outcomes of locust swarms.

Released: 27-Sep-2013 9:50 AM EDT
The Brown Revolution: A Sustainable Response to the Global Food Crisis and Viable Options for the Small Scale Farmer
American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)

The Brown Revolution-rebuilding soil ecology-is helping farmers feed communities. The methods restore land depleted from overuse, and are easily replicated in various geographic areas.

Released: 26-Sep-2013 12:00 PM EDT
Antibiotic Resistance in Agricultural Environments: A Call to Action
American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)

Antibiotic resistant (ABR) pathogens are an emerging, critical human health issue. ABR has been found in soils dating back for millennia. Current research illustrates the need for considering natural, background resistance in soils in any scientific study examining the effects of antibiotics on the environment.

Released: 25-Sep-2013 11:00 AM EDT
Poisonous Mushrooms Pose Danger as More People Forage for Locally Grown Food, Rutgers Experts Say
Rutgers University

Nationwide, thousands are sickened—some seriously—and many die after consuming mushrooms they picked in the wild that they did not know were poisonous. Rutgers experts explain how to keep people and animals safe.

Released: 24-Sep-2013 11:00 AM EDT
Time to Rethink Misguided Policies That Promote Biofuels to Protect Climate
University of Michigan

Policymakers need to rethink the idea of promoting biofuels to protect the climate because the methods used to justify such policies are inherently flawed, according to a University of Michigan energy researcher.

Released: 23-Sep-2013 1:15 PM EDT
Modifying Rice Crops to Resist Herbicide Prompts Weedy Neighbors’ Growth Spurt
Ohio State University

Rice containing an overactive gene that makes it resistant to a common herbicide can pass that genetic trait to weedy rice, prompting powerful growth even without a weed-killer to trigger the modification benefit, new research shows.

Released: 20-Sep-2013 7:00 AM EDT
Virginia Tech Researchers Reveal Why Traumatized Trees Don't 'Bleed' to Death
Virginia Tech

Researchers from Virginia Tech, the Georg-August University of Gottingen, Germany, and the Jackson Laboratory of Bar Harbor, Maine, have used a special type of microscope to discover how “check valves” in wood cells control sap flow and protect trees when they are injured.

Released: 17-Sep-2013 11:00 AM EDT
Urban Agriculture: The Potential and Challenges of Producing Food in Cities
American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)

In light of their many benefits, urban gardens are popping up across the nation. But the challenges growers face must be understood and addressed if urban gardens are to become widespread and even profitable.

Released: 17-Sep-2013 9:30 AM EDT
Virginia Tech Researchers Help People in Remote Africa Respond to Diarrheal Disease
Virginia Tech

Researchers with Virginia Tech and the University of Florida undertook a study of diarrheal disease outbreaks in Botswana that relied only on the use of a simple questionnaire and existing hospital staff and infrastructure.

Released: 13-Sep-2013 5:00 PM EDT
Model Organism Gone Wild​​
Washington University in St. Louis

Some wild clones of social amoebas farm the bacteria they eat, but this is a losing strategy if nonfarming amoebas can steal the farmers’ crops. To make the strategy work, the farmers also carry bacteria that secrete chemicals that poison free riders. The work suggest farming is complex evolutionary adaptation that requires additional strategies, such as recruiting third parties, to effectively defend and privatize the crops, the Washington University in St. Louis scientists say.

26-Aug-2013 7:00 AM EDT
New ‘Heroes of Chemistry’ Developed Products That Improve Health and Protect Food Supply
American Chemical Society (ACS)

The scientists responsible for four inventions that affect the lives of millions of people around the globe will be inducted into the highly prized scientific “Hall of Fame” today as the latest Heroes of Chemistry chosen by the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.

Released: 4-Sep-2013 2:00 PM EDT
Wheat Research Indicates Rise in Mean Temperature Would Cut Yields
Kansas State University Research and Extension

Wheat producers know that growing a healthy, high-yielding wheat crop takes skill and hard work. Quality drought-tolerant varieties that are resistant to pests and disease are important. And cooperation from Mother Nature in terms of temperature and precipitation doesn’t hurt, either. To quantify the impact of genetic improvement in wheat, disease and climate change over a 26-year period, a team of researchers at Kansas State University examined wheat variety yield data from Kansas performance tests, along with location-specific weather and disease data.

Released: 3-Sep-2013 3:00 PM EDT
Ease of Access Improves Fruit and Vegetable Consumption
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist

A new study from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center shows that community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs may be a feasible approach for providing fresh fruits and vegetables to under-resourced communities.

Released: 27-Aug-2013 3:55 PM EDT
Profiles in Sustainable Food Technology
Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)

The world population is slated to reach nine billion by the year 2050 and with the demands of a growing population comes the need for a sustainable food supply. The August issue of Food Technology magazine published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) includes an article about the SAI Platform (Sustainable Agriculture Initiative), a global initiative helping food and drink companies achieve sustainable production and sourcing of raw agricultural materials.

23-Aug-2013 6:00 PM EDT
Study Forecasts Future Water Levels of Crucial Agricultural Aquifer
Kansas State University

A study focuses on future availability of groundwater in the High Plains Aquifer. It finds that if current irrigation trends continue, 69 percent of the groundwater stored in the aquifer will be depleted in 50 years.

26-Aug-2013 7:00 AM EDT
Substance That Gives Grapefruit Its Flavor and Aroma Could Give Insect Pests the Boot
American Chemical Society (ACS)

The citrus flavor and aroma of grapefruit — already used in fruit juices, citrus-flavored beverages, and prestige perfumes and colognes — may be heading for a new use in battling mosquitoes, ticks, head lice and bedbugs thanks to a less expensive way of making large amounts of the once rare and pricey ingredient, a scientist said here today at the 246th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society.

26-Aug-2013 7:00 AM EDT
Progress and Challenges for Reinventing Food Packaging for Sustainability
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Nature has provided the food industry with the perfect packages to imitate in the drive to embrace a new genre of sustainable packaging material, according to a presentation on the topic here today. Speaking at the 246th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, Sara Risch, Ph.D., said that new packaging materials must meet the criteria for being sustainable without sacrificing the security, freshness and visibility of the food inside.

26-Aug-2013 7:00 AM EDT
New Weapons on the Way to Battle Wicked Weeds
American Chemical Society (ACS)

A somber picture of the struggle against super-weeds emerged here today as scientists described the relentless spread of herbicide-resistant menaces like pigweed and horseweed that shrug off powerful herbicides and have forced farmers in some areas to return to hand-held hoes. The reports on herbicide resistance and its challenges to modern agriculture were part of a symposium at the 246th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society.

26-Aug-2013 7:00 AM EDT
Scientific Symposium Today on Healthful Antioxidants in Plant-Based Foods
American Chemical Society (ACS)

With millions of people tailoring their diets to include more healthful antioxidants — and these “polyphenols” getting tremendous attention among nutritionists, food scientists and physicians — the world’s largest scientific society today is holding a symposium on that topic today at the 246th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society.



close
1.90064