Feature Channels: Agriculture

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Legumes, sunflower seeds consumed by many

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Patricia Bernal, a Ramón y Cajal researcher at the Department of Microbiology of the University of Seville's Faculty of Biology, is working with the bacterium Pseudomonas putida, a biological control agent found in the soil and in plant roots and which, as such, has the ability to protect plants from pathogen attacks (organisms that cause diseases) also known as phytopathogens.

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Late frosts caused millions of dollars in losses for orchards. Scientists at Michigan Technological University investigate the genes that tell trees when to bud out and blossom, which enables scientists to modify or select crop varieties more resilient to late frost, warming winters, diseases and pests.

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From blocking pure light to shading the soil, cover crops prevent weeds in many ways

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To minimize negative impacts of agriculture on biodiversity and related ecosystem services, "biodiversity-friendly" management is needed. Why scientific results are rarely translated into agricultural practice could be explained by their different perceptions of agricultural biodiversity, according to the results of a recent survey of European scientists and farmers.

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Crop Science Society of America to hold Seed Week celebration

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Large areas of forests regrowing in the Amazon to help reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, are being limited by climate and human activity.

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Steinacher recognized for his leadership and commitment helping farmers achieve sustainability.

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Plastomics, Inc. and Evogene Ltd.’s Ag-Seed division announced a collaboration agreement targeting novel insect control traits for soybean. .

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Journalists may now apply for press credentials for the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society, one of the largest scientific conferences of the year. The meeting will be held online April 5-30.

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The popular stevia sweetener comes from a tropical crop. New research is helping find the varieties that can grow in colder climates.

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Why are “ghost forests” filled with dead trees expanding along the mid-Atlantic and southern New England coast? Higher groundwater levels linked to sea-level rise and increased flooding from storm surges and very high tides are likely the most important factors, according to a Rutgers study on the impacts of climate change that suggests how to enhance land-use planning.

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Using NASA satellite images and machine learning, researchers with The University of Texas at Austin have mapped changes in the landscape of northwestern Belize over a span of four decades, finding significant losses of forest and wetlands, but also successful regrowth of forest in established conservation zones that protect surviving structures of the ancient Maya.

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Researchers at The University of South Australia have successfully tested a system that can monitor soil moisture using just a standard camera and an AI algorithm. The system holds huge potential as a simple, affordable solution for smart agriculture, allowing for automated, precision irrigation.

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A team led by a Boyce Thompson Institute researcher has identified genes enabling peaches and their wild relatives to tolerate stressful conditions – findings that could help the domesticated peach adapt to climate change.

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Since 2013, a mysterious phenomenon has been killing apple trees across North America, leaving growers panicked and scientists bewildered. The phenomenon has been named rapid apple decline for its sudden onset, which causes apple trees to quickly deteriorate and die. Now, two Cornell University scientists are on a mission to track down its cause.

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Manure improves soil and microbe community

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With the help of a dedicated group of University of Georgia researchers, Extension agents and volunteer enthusiasts, Georgia’s lost apple varieties are making a comeback.

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Soil fertility remains low due to removal of radioactive soils

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A new study has shown that gentle streams of water carrying sound and microscopic air bubbles can clean bacteria from salad leaves more effectively than current washing methods used by suppliers and consumers.

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Researchers uncover natural disease resistance in chickpeas as a harmful pathogen develops resistance to fungicide.

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Researchers reporting in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry have explored how lipids –– fatty molecules abundant in cheese, meats, vegetable oils and other foods –– interact with grape tannins, masking the undesirable flavors of the wine compounds.

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One year after COVID-19 rapidly transformed university learning, professors reflect on tools for resiliency.

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The production of autogenous vaccines to fight individual strains of the virus that causes porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome depends on the ability of scientists to isolate the virus, but sometimes that’s a tricky process. A new study from an Iowa State University researcher shows that a new cell line may offer a better alternative to the cell line most commonly used to isolate the PRRS virus. But the vast majority of vaccine producers use the established cell line, and it remains to be seen how readily they might adopt the use of a new one.

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Keeping backyard chickens was already on the rise, and the hobby has become even more popular during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, a University of Georgia researcher cautions that the practice has risks not just for chickens, but for wildlife and people as well.

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Three microbes are used to break down antinutritional factors and increase digestibility of soybean meal, an important source of protein for animal feed.

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Raspberry muffins are in our future.

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Gene editing technology will play a vital role in climate-proofing future crops to protect global food supplies, according to scientists at The University of Queensland.

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Tohoku University researchers have produced cellulose nanofiber (CNF) synthesized silk naturally through a simple tweak to silkworms' diet.

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Many climate models focus on scenarios decades into the future, making their outcomes seem unreliable and problematic for decision-making in the immediate future. In a proactive move, researchers are using short-term forecasts to stress the urgency of drought risk in the United States and inform policymakers' actions now.

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An animal scientist studying relationships between insulin and milk production in dairy cows has received a three-year, $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

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Climate services are vital tools for decision makers addressing climate change in developing countries. Science-based seasonal forecasts and accompanying materials can support climate risk management in agriculture, health, water management, energy, and disaster risk reduction. But in East Africa, natural resource managers have been slow to use climate information services, partly because they are difficult to understand and may not feel relevant for their local planning purposes. A new study published by the journal Risk Analysis suggests that one way to encourage policymakers in East Africa to use climate services more often is to appeal to the motivational factors that influence their professional actions on climate change.

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The second study published in as many months has identified another reason to add more mushrooms to the recommended American diet.

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Experiments testing the ability of ultraviolet light to stop the spread of a costly virus for pork producers has shown promise, according to an ISU research team. Ultraviolet light analyzed in experiments irradiates aerosolized droplets of the virus that causes porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome. The researchers hope to scale their experiments up to a size comparable to pork production facilities.

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If you want to learn how to farm successfully and grow crops, here’s a novel place to turn to: The UND Department of Space Studies. Then again, this advice might be a tad limited, given that not many are aspiring to grow crops on asteroids millions of miles from Earth. But UND Assistant Professor of Space Studies Sherry Fieber-Beyer is. And in fact, she’s one of the first in her field who’s seriously looking into such an idea.

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S&T released today the ASF Master Question List (MQL), a comprehensive resource that provides an up-to-date authoritative summary of publicly available information about the virus to promote coordinated research and improved emergency response preparedness.

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Radishes can be used as biofumigants and break up soil

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Most Chinese working in the cities return to work today after a 7-day public holiday of Spring Festival.

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For thousands of years, farmers have worked to perfect their crops. Today, scientists use the latest advances to improve the foundation of civilization — our seeds.

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A pioneering study of U.S nitrogen use in agriculture has identified 20 places across the country where farmers, government, and citizens should target nitrogen reduction efforts. The 20 nitrogen "hotspots of opportunity"--which appear on a striking map--represent a whopping 63% of the total surplus nitrogen balance in U.S. croplands, but only 24% of U.S. cropland area. Nitrogen inputs are so high in these areas that farmers can most likely reduce nitrogen use without hurting crop yields.

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Iowa State University researchers received a $1 million grant to study how manure management systems in livestock production may give rise to antibiotic resistance. Human, animal and environmental health interact in complex ways that influence the pace at which antibiotic resistance spreads, and the researchers hope their work will shed light on these connections.

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For the first time, an international team of scientists have developed cassava displaying high-level resistance to cassava mosaic disease (CMD), cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) as well as higher levels of iron and zinc.

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Soil aeration and water infiltration among benefits ants provide

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An international group of leading fertiliser and soils experts have published a major review of the status of the toxic heavy metal cadmium in agricultural systems around the world.