Regardless of how one says 'tomato,' they all contain tomatine, a toxin in the plant's green fruit, leaves, and roots. Tomatoes produce the bitter-tasting compound -- a major plant-specialized metabolite secreted from the roots -- to defend against pathogens and foragers.
David Ortega, faculty laureate and associate professor in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, provided expert testimony to the United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry’s hearing on foreign investment in U.S. agriculture on Wednesday, Sept. 27.
Researchers mapped the locations of 1,034 proteins inside the chloroplast of the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas. This map is a spatial atlas of the chloroplast proteome—all of the proteins that the organism can produce in the algae’s structure that drives photosynthesis.
Agricultural productivity growth is crucial for ensuring food security and for meeting the nutritional needs of a growing global population while simultaneously meeting environmental goals. However, the growth of global agricultural productivity has significantly contracted and current efforts to sustainably expand production are inadequate, according to the 2023 Global Agricultural Productivity Report, or GAP Report, that was released through the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech on Oct.
As a source of protein and biodiesel for cleaner renewable energy, soybean is an important crop worldwide. But is it performing to its full potential?
Crop modification can be traced to the beginning of agriculture and human civilization. Native Americans, for example, developed corn from a wild grass called teosinte more than 7,000 years ago. Methods to increase crop resiliency and sustainability have evolved, and improved, over time.
As a potent source of protein and oil, soybeans are a vital global crop for food, animal feed, industrial applications, and biofuel production. Even minor improvements in soybean seed content can therefore have far-reaching implications for agricultural productivity and global economies.
With funding from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, University of Illinois faculty, along with an international team of scientists, is recruiting a surprising ally to make a powerful dent in greenhouse gas emissions: the cow. The team will work to re-route hydrogen atoms away from methane during the fermentation process in the rumen, toward more productive end products.
RUDN University ecologists found a parameter in satellite images that allows accurately calculating and increasing the wheat yield. Such technology helps agronomists monitor crops and make decisions.
UC San Diego engineers have devised a new solution to control a major agricultural menace, root-damaging nematodes. Using plant viruses, the researchers created nanoparticles that can deliver pesticide molecules to previously inaccessible depths in the soil.
IIASA researchers and colleagues highlight the value of integrating remote sensing and data sharing for timely agricultural information critical for food security and sustainability planning in a new paper.
The new project aims to improve the health of Albany’s urban forest and educate the next generation of local climate leaders. It is part of a $1 billion investment from the USDA’s Forest Service to expand access to trees and green spaces in communities and neighborhoods nationwide.
Sorghum bran has much higher levels of some essential amino acids and minerals needed for human health and development than a whole grain or dehulled sorghum flour, researchers from the University of Johannesburg have found.
Clubmosses (Selaginella sensu lato) emerged over 383 million years ago in the Devonian Period, predating dinosaurs. These ancient vascular plants hold significant value in unraveling land plant evolution. Presently, Selaginella stands as the sole member of the Selaginellaceae family and Selaginellales order.
RUDN University agronomists conducted field research and proved that the "green" alternative to classic fertilizers does the job just as well while being totally harmless to the environment and more accessible to farmers.
Boll weevils plagued the cotton industry throughout much of the Cotton Belt for almost a century before entomologists and producers executed one of the most successful pest eradication programs in the U.S.
Researchers propose a new way of understanding how diseases spread between animals and humans, by focusing on the effect that agriculture, ecological and sociopolitical factors have on disease emergence and transmission.
Climate change increases the need for artificial irrigation of agricultural areas. When water evaporates, however, salts remain in the upper soil layers and increase the plant’s stress.
To obtain the biggest cherry harvest, trees should be pollinated by both honey bees and mason bees. A new study led by a researcher at the University of Gothenburg shows yet another benefit of biodiversity.
With autumn set to start Sept. 23, leaf peepers won’t have long to wait for forest leaves to turn and produce spectacular color displays. The vistas to be found in Southwest Virginia are just about guaranteed to be jaw-dropping regardless of the upcoming weather.
Whole orchard recycling is an alternative process for disposing of trees at the end of their productive lives. Researchers are studying how this process may also help improve nitrogen in soils. Hear a microbiologist explain whole orchard recycling on the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory's Bonding Over Science podcast.
A new type of analysis suggests that droughts in Ohio were more severe from 2000 to 2019 than standard measurements have suggested.
In a report released from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, researchers say New England is where a majority of food tech pioneers are flourishing.
With severe weather systems becoming more constant across the country, a team of multistate agricultural researchers found in a new study that grain bins need to be carefully scrutinized for structural safety, soundness and engineering integrity.
The sun and the sea – both abundant and free – are being harnessed in a unique project to create vertical sea farms floating on the ocean that can produce fresh water for drinking and agriculture.
Texas A&M AgriLife has expanded the reach of its beef cattle expertise with two international initiatives led by a professor in the Department of Animal Science in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Purdue University’s College of Agriculture has joined the International Phytobiomes Alliance as a sponsoring partner, both organizations announced today.
The fall armyworm (FAW), scientifically known as Spodoptera frugiperda, has long posed a threat to the global agricultural sector due to its insatiable appetite for crops. Originating from the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, FAW is notorious for damaging over 350 plant species, including staples such as corn, rice, and wheat.
As the Earth’s human population grows, greenhouse gas emissions from the world’s food system are on track to expand. A new study demonstrates that state-of-the-art agricultural technology and management can not only reduce that growth but eliminate it altogether by generating net negative emissions – reducing more greenhouse gas than food systems add.
It seems intuitive that forests would provide better habitat for forest-dwelling wildlife than farms.
Many Ukrainian farmers are raising hogs for the first time, converting cheap grain into needed meat. An Iowa State University swine health expert is helping Ukrainian farmers safely navigate the war-driven pivot to pork with a series of online workshops.
A research team at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign suggests gut microbe communities may be responsible for variation in extracting benefits of broccoli and other brassica vegetables. With a new grant from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the team plans to identify which microbes maximize the benefits of these vegetables.
As climate change continues to pose severe challenges to ensuring sustainable food supplies around the world, scientists from McGill University are looking for ways to improve the resilience and nutritional quality of potatoes.
Artificial roosts for bats come in many forms, but a new conservation practice and policy article from researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign suggests the structures haven’t been studied rigorously enough and may harm bats in some scenarios.
A warfarin-based toxicant has been shown to be an effective option for landowners in the control of feral hog numbers and damage on their property, according to a study by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.
After comparing 90 varieties of spelt with 9 varieties of modern, common wheat, a study by the UCO concluded that the marked heterogeneity characterizing the nutritional compounds of the different varieties makes it impossible to state that one species is healthier than the other.
Researchers inoculated oilseed rape plants with a species of fungus that is known for its ability to combat pest insects.
When Virginia Tech and Purdue kick off a much-anticipated football game on Sept. 9, it will not be the only time the two universities share a field.
The ivory palm tree, also known as tagua, is endemic to the Chocó-Darien region on the Pacific coast of South America. Two studies from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (PUCE) explore the ecosystem services provided by tagua in coastal Ecuador.
A new analysis from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has identified the top factors accounting for yield variability in processing sweet corn (used for canned and frozen products), including one within the control of processors.
A new review in Pathogens suggests micro- and nanoplastics in agricultural soil could contribute to antibiotic-resistant bacteria with a ready route into our food supply.
Cross-pollinated soybeans offer potential for researchers to introduce new crop improvements, improve farmer’s harvests and provide forage for pollinators.
Given the expected surge in worldwide demand for staple crops by 2050 due to population growth, higher individual incomes, and increased biofuel usage, the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices is crucial to meet this demand.
A new study, published in Environmental Research Letters, finds that standalone solar photovoltaic irrigation systems have the potential to meet more than a third of the water needs for crops in small-scale farms across sub-Saharan Africa.
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