Automated drones could scare birds off agricultural fields
In the future, cameras could spot blackbirds feeding on grapes in a vineyard and launch drones to drive off the avian irritants, then return to watch for the next invading flock. All without a human nearby......»»
NASA image reveals the colorful palette of Brazil"s São Francisco River
This Dec. 27, 2023 image of the São Francisco River in southeast Brazil showcases the range of vibrant colors in the area including blues, reds, greens, and yellows. Much of the unvegetated land, such as unplanted fields and unpaved roads, appears i.....»»
Transforming satellite imagery: Innovative fusion method for precision agriculture
Remote sensing plays a vital role in monitoring agricultural landscapes, yet current satellite sensors often struggle with the trade-off between spatial and temporal resolution......»»
City birds found to be carriers of antimicrobial resistant bacteria
Research led by scientists at the Ineos Oxford Institute for antimicrobial research at Oxford University has found that wild birds such as ducks and crows living close to humans, for example in cities, are likely to carry bacteria with antimicrobial.....»»
Why cricket’s latest bowling technique is so effective against batters
Wind tunnel experiments show how the ball's transverse spin impacts pressure fields. Enlarge / Some cricket bowlers favor keeping the arm horizontal during delivery, the better to trick the batsmen. (credit: Rae Allen/CC BY 2.0).....»»
"Killer robots" are becoming a real threat in Africa
The use of drones in the Sahel, a region of Africa that has been plagued by violence driven by jihadist insurgency for much of the past decade, has become a real problem. In April, for example, Al Qaeda's affiliate in the Sahel, Jama'at Nusrat al Isl.....»»
Scientists develop a unique approach to conserve the monarch butterfly
The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus L.) is one of the most widely popular butterfly species in North America. We are accustomed to seeing its beautiful orange wings with black-veined outlines flying in gardens and wildflower fields during the sum.....»»
Expansion of agricultural land threatens climate and biodiversity, land-use model finds
By 2030, global cultivation areas are expected to expand by 3.6%, increasing global agricultural production by 2%. This projection comes from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the Organization for Economic Cooperat.....»»
Research shows that glossy black-cockatoos prefer to feed from trees growing in acidic soils
Glossy black-cockatoos are seed-eating birds that feed almost exclusively on the cones of drooping sheoak trees. However, counter-intuitively, they select trees that grow on the poorest soils found on ancient sedimentary rocks......»»
Huge gas fields under a coral reef—will a rejection on environmental grounds stop Woodside"s Browse project?
For decades, Australia's largest independent oil and gas company, Woodside, has eyed off a prize: the largest known unconventional gas fields in the nation......»»
Editing for resilience: CRISPR/Cas9 boosts potato stress resistance
Scientists have made a significant breakthrough in agricultural biotechnology by using CRISPR/Cas9 to edit the potato genome, resulting in plants with increased resistance to both biotic and abiotic stresses. This innovation could lead to a new era o.....»»
How feeding birds may be polluting local environments
New research led by an NAU alumnus shows that backyard bird feeders, although put out with the best of intentions, is changing the chemistry of local ecosystems, including introducing a potentially harmful amount of phosphorus into the environment......»»
Researchers calculate up to a billion birds may die in the US each year due to collisions with windows
A team of ornithologists from the Fordham University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the NYC Bird Alliance, Inc, and the Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology has found evidence that far more birds are killed by window collisions than previo.....»»
The link between fuzzy images and quantum fields
Mathematical solutions to thorny quantum problems can be found more quickly by exploiting the correspondence between the statistical methods used in deep learning and techniques for implementing quantum simulations, a team led by a RIKEN researcher h.....»»
Unlocking the secrets of salt stress tolerance in wild tomatoes
As our climate changes and soil salinity increases in many agricultural areas, finding crops that can thrive in these challenging conditions is crucial. Cultivated tomatoes, while delicious, often struggle in salty soils. Their wild cousins, however,.....»»
Drone flights and 3D scans: Scientist uses cutting-edge tech to protect Madagascar"s vulnerable forests
In a new study published today in the journal Plants, People, Planet, scientist Jenny Williams from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, highlights how the use of drones can help curb the loss of Madagascar's biodiverse forests through illegal deforestati.....»»
Disaster plant pathology: Solutions to combat agricultural threats from disasters
An often-overlooked component of natural and human-driven disasters is their potential to affect plant health and thus food security at domestic and international scales. Most disasters have indirect effects on plant health through factors such as di.....»»
Plants offer fruit to insects to disperse dust-like seeds, botanist discovers
Fruit exist to invite animals to disperse the swallowed seeds. A Kobe University research team found that plants targeting insects rather than birds or mammals for this service are more common than previously thought. These plants produce dust-like s.....»»
Nanomaterials may enhance plant tolerance to high soil salt levels
Soil salt concentrations above the optimal threshold for plant growth can threaten global food security by compromising agricultural productivity and crop quality. An analysis published in Physiologia Plantarum has examined the potential of nanomater.....»»
New Yorkers are warned from the skies about impending danger from storms as city deploys drones
Gone is the bullhorn. Instead, New York City emergency management officials have turned high-tech, using drones to warn residents about potential threatening weather......»»
Data protection is poor for African farmers who use digital services: Kenya and Ghana cases highlight gaps
Across Africa, agricultural producers are turning to digital solutions to get information about farming methods, market access or financial services. By 2022, there were 666 of these solutions operating on the continent, the highest number among all.....»»