Drought and frost batter vital potato crops in Bolivia
Dozens of furrows lie barren in a dusty field on the Bolivian highlands. It should be replete with potato plants ready for harvest, but a deadly combination of drought and frost proved too much for the crop......»»
El Niño disasters: Governments know what"s coming, but are unprepared. Here"s what must change
Drought disasters in southern Africa are mainly attributed to a lack of preparedness, inadequate response and mitigation and poor risk reduction measures. With little to no preparation for drought disasters, such as the failure of the staple maize cr.....»»
The role of interfacial amino acids in shaping bio-electronic communication between proteins
Proteins are vital for facilitating charge transport (CT) chain reactions, both within individual proteins and between proteins. Understanding CT in proteins is crucial for biological processes and the development of bioelectronic devices. While prev.....»»
Researchers reveal impact of brassinosteroid and sugar signal on wheat grain size regulation
Grain size plays a central role in determining wheat yield, and precise regulation of grain development has emerged as a key strategy for increasing yields in several staple crops such as rice and maize. However, the genetic basis and potential molec.....»»
Q&A: Archaeologist"s fieldwork finds movement of crops, animals played a key role in domestication
Archaeologist Xinyi Liu at Washington University in St. Louis teamed up with Martin Jones of the University of Cambridge to write a new paper for the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that explains how recent research is connecting the.....»»
UK"s summer 2022 drought provides warning for future years, say scientists
The UK will be increasingly tested by more droughts like 2022, emphasizing the importance of being prepared for similar extreme weather in future, say scientists who have analyzed that summer's events......»»
Effective data management plays vital role for smallholder sheep and goat breeding programs
Sheep and goat breeding plays a vital socioeconomic role in the agricultural sector across Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) and beyond, providing valuable resources such as meat, milk, and wool. However, insufficient or ill-adapted bree.....»»
Quantum computing progress: Higher temps, better error correction
Amazon, IBM, and traditional silicon makers all working toward error correction. Enlarge (credit: vital) There's a strong consensus that tackling most useful problems with a quantum computer will require that the compute.....»»
Satellite data shows how drought changes wildfire recovery in the West
A new study using NASA satellite data reveals how drought affects the recovery of western ecosystems from fire, a result that could provide meaningful information for conservation efforts......»»
Israel"s war budget leaves top scientists in limbo
Israeli scientist Ellen Graber has spent years researching ways to save chocolate crops from climate change. But with the government slashing spending to fund the war in Gaza, her project is one of hundreds now hanging in the balance......»»
Citizen scientists contribute vital information about 35 seahorse species
Thanks to diligent observers, seahorses, those enigmatic and charismatic fish, are not only being discovered in new habitats and expanded geographic ranges, they are also being found at new ocean depths. While their capacity for male pregnancy has lo.....»»
Researching the spread of drought and its potential negative impacts
It is important for water management to understand how drought spreads. In a new study, researchers from the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF show that in every third case, atmospheric drought is followed by low water levels. More ra.....»»
Sprinklers and drip irrigation help Iraqis beat drought
After four years of drought, Iraqi farmer Mohammed Sami was about to abandon his father's parched land, but then a water-saving irrigation system revived his crops and his hopes......»»
Batter up (or not): Pro baseball players with longer contracts don"t always work as hard
Major League Baseball's opening day is March 28, and chances are, some players will be working a bit harder this season than others......»»
Improving root senescence recognition with a new semantic segmentation model
Roots play a vital role in plant health, adapting to environmental changes and indicating crop growth. However, studying root senescence is challenging due to difficulties in obtaining clear in situ root images. Traditional methods are limited, and w.....»»
The US may catch a spring break on weather. Forecasters see minimal flooding and drought for spring
The United States can expect a nice spring break from past too rainy or too dry extremes, federal meteorologists predicted Thursday......»»
Climate change disrupts vital ecosystems in the Alps
Reduced snow cover and shifting vegetation patterns in the Alps, both driven by climate change, are having major combined impacts on biodiversity and functioning of ecosystems in the high mountains, according to new research published today......»»
Apple boss Tim Cook launches charm offensive in vital market
Apple chief Tim Cook is spending a few days in China, one of the tech company’s most important markets and a major manufacturing hub for its products......»»
Q&A: British champagne production overtaking French? How the shifting seasons are playing havoc with our crops
Spring equinox is fast approaching, on 20 March, but the changing seasons are playing havoc with UK wildlife and crops. This comes after England and Wales had their warmest Februarys on record, according to the Met Office......»»
Across oceans and millennia: Decoding the origin and history of the bottle gourd
In a fascinating dive into the past, a team of researchers from the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) and USDA has uncovered intriguing details about the origins and spread of the bottle gourd, one of the oldest domesticated crops......»»
New study calls for inclusion of death education in school curriculum
A new study is calling for a significant overhaul in the way education about human death is approached within schools, advocating for its inclusion as a vital component of the curriculum......»»