Fungus that eats fungus could help coffee farmers
Coffee rust is a parasitic fungus and a big problem for coffee growers around the world. A study in the birthplace of coffee—Ethiopia—shows that another fungus seems to have the capacity to supress the rust outbreaks in this landscape......»»
Research hints at how fungus farming ants keep their gardens healthy
"Weed early and often" is the key to a productive garden. Interestingly, certain species of ants are also avid gardeners, a practice they've refined over 50 million years. They too weed their underground fungus gardens, but how they know what to weed.....»»
Cover crops contribute to soil health, study shows
Worldwide, farmers are being challenged with a variety of issues, including growing populations, a changing climate and soil degradation, among many others. To combat these challenges, researchers are looking for solutions and have begun to focus the.....»»
Carbon mitigation payments can make bioenergy crops more appealing for farmers
Bioenergy crops such as miscanthus and switchgrass provide several environmental benefits, but low returns and profit risks are barriers for investment by farmers. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign shows that carbon mitigat.....»»
New study reveals willingness of papaya farmers in Kenya to reduce pesticide use
A new study published in the CABI Agriculture and Bioscience journal has revealed a willingness of smallholder papaya farmers in Kenya to reduce their chemical pesticide use to fight the papaya mealybug (Paracoccus marginatus)......»»
Tempest in a teacup: Physicists make breakthrough in creating turbulence
Turbulence is all around us. It's in the swirl of coffee and milk in a latte, unfurling along the wings of airplanes and the sides of cars, churning the blood in your heart after the valve snaps closed. Yet we still don't fully grasp all of its rules.....»»
Best Keurig deals: Get perfect coffee every time for $70
Nothing beats the convenience of having your own Keurig machine. Get one on the cheap with these Keurig deals......»»
Afghan farmers despair as locusts plague precious crops
Hundreds of thousands of locusts have descended on crops in northern Afghanistan, under the helpless gaze of farmers and their families already stalked by famine......»»
Canadian Prairies farmers try to adapt to a warming world
Following repeated droughts, Canadian farmers are trying to adapt to a new era in agriculture marked by a warming world—including by trapping snow in their fields, planting heat-resistant crops and seeding earlier in the season......»»
Space Farmers of the Future May Grow Fungi, Flies and Microgreens
Here’s how the winners of NASA’s Deep Space Food Challenge are making food out of thin air.....»»
Vaccine against deadly chytrid fungus primes frog microbiome for future exposure
A human or animal's microbiome—the collection of often beneficial microorganisms, including as bacteria and fungi, that live on or within a host organism—can play an important role in the host's overall immune response, but it is unclear how vacc.....»»
Uber Eats will let you pick restaurants using less terrible packaging
Uber Eats is aiming to cut down on plastic waste in food deliveries by 2030. Announced on Thursday, customers ordering delivery through the Uber Eats app will be able to specifically search for cafes and restaurants that use less terrible, "reusable,.....»»
Seaweed farming may help tackle global food insecurity
To help solve hunger and malnutrition while also slowing climate change, some farmers could shift from land to sea, suggests a recent study from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. The study was published in Globa.....»»
Birds and bats enhance yields for cacao farmers in northern Peru, study finds
Healthy bat and bird populations don't only help to keep the endangered tropical dry forests of northern Peru in equilibrium. For the region's farmers of cacao—the main ingredient in chocolate—these predators are worth almost $1,000 per hectare o.....»»
New digital tool enables farmers" decisions for sustainable agriculture
A new "digital decision support tool" enabling the transition towards more diversified and sustainable agricultural systems has been developed by an international team of researchers from Germany, France, and Czech Republic......»»
Fertilizer study reveals opportunities for increased profitability for mango farmers in Southern Vietnam
Researchers from the Griffith Asia Institute (GAI) have proven that lower application rates of fertilizers do not affect the yield or quality of two mango varieties in Southern Vietnam......»»
Scientists identify fungal proteins responsible for suppressing host plant immunity from infection
While infectious fungal plant diseases relentlessly wreak havoc on many crops, they are also picky when choosing their hosts. Each fungus generally exhibits a specific host range, but the mechanism of this specificity has not been well understood......»»
Pathogenic fungus found to infect dung beetles in Australia
A locally found pathogenic fungus, Beauveria australis, has for the first time been observed infecting imported dung beetles in Australia......»»
How a fungus sidesteps a plant"s defense mechanism
RIKEN scientists have discovered how a parasitic fungus renders harmless a powerful anti-fungal compound produced by some plants. As well as providing a fascinating glimpse into the ongoing arms race between plants and parasites, the finding could be.....»»
How much nitrogen does corn get from fertilizer? Less than farmers think
Corn growers seeking to increase the amount of nitrogen taken up by their crop can adjust many aspects of fertilizer application, but recent studies from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign show those tweaks don't do much to improve uptake ef.....»»
Thousands of delivery robots to join Uber Eats
Following a successful pilot in LA, Uber and Serve Robotics have announced an additional 2,000 delivery robots for Uber Eats in locations across North America......»»