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.....»»
New rhizobia-diatom symbiosis solves long-standing marine mystery
Nitrogen is an essential component of all living organisms. It is also the key element controlling the growth of crops on land, as well as the microscopic oceanic plants that produce half the oxygen on our planet. Atmospheric nitrogen gas is by far t.....»»
Researchers reveal how molecular roadblocks slow the breakdown of cellulose for biofuels
Cellulose, which helps give plant cell walls their rigid structure, holds promise as a renewable raw material for biofuels—if researchers can accelerate the production process. Compared to the breakdown of other biofuel materials like corn, breakin.....»»
Global meta-analysis quantifies benefits of cover crop use
For years, both scientists and farmers have debated whether the use of cover crops—plants used to cover the ground after harvesting of main crops—have a positive or negative impact on subsequent crop yield. Hundreds of studies have been performed.....»»
No One Knows How Far Bird Flu Has Spread
With little incentive for US farmers to test their cattle, and many undocumented laborers on dairy farms, the full scale of the outbreak is unclear......»»
Improved AI process could better predict water supplies
A new computer model uses a better artificial intelligence process to measure snow and water availability more accurately across vast distances in the West, information that could someday be used to better predict water availability for farmers and o.....»»
Habitats much more vulnerable for nitrogen deposition than previously thought
Nitrogen deposition is one of the four main pressures on nature in Europe. Many of the Natura 2000 sites suffer from an excessive input of ammonium and nitrate from farming, industry, traffic and households, leading to the disappearance of many plant.....»»
Hong Kong team plants seeds to safeguard legacy grains
Far from the soaring skyscrapers synonymous with Hong Kong, scientists and farmers labor in a paddy field on the city's outskirts to revive dormant rice varieties that once sprung from local soil......»»
African farmers look to the past and the future to address climate change
From ancient fertilizer methods in Zimbabwe to new greenhouse technology in Somalia, farmers across the heavily agriculture-reliant African continent are looking to the past and future to respond to climate change......»»
In south China, silkworm farmers reel from deadly floods
Hose in hand, 40-year-old Zhu Huangyi cleans a small concrete room once home to his silkworms, two thirds of which were lost in deadly floods hitting southern China this week......»»
A leader in US seaweed farming preaches, teaches and builds a wider network
Bren Smith and his GreenWave organization are helping lay the foundations for a generation of seaweed-growing farmers in the United States, while working to build a network of producers and buyers......»»
"Harvesting data": Latin American AI startups transform farming
For centuries, farmers used almanacs to try to understand and predict weather patterns......»»
The Rise of the Carbon Farmer
Farmers around the world are reigniting the less intensive agricultural practices of yesteryear—to improve soil health, raise yields, and trap carbon in the atmosphere back down in the soil......»»
Fluctuating coffee prices are putting mental pressure on Vietnamese farmers
While your invigorating morning coffee may become cheaper when there are large fluctuations in the world market price, they are a major additional psychological burden for the farmers who grow the coffee......»»
Plant sensors could act as an early warning system for farmers
Using a pair of sensors made from carbon nanotubes, researchers from MIT and the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) have discovered signals that reveal when plans are experiencing stresses such as heat, light, or attack from i.....»»
A nematode gel to protect crops in Africa and Asia
The fall armyworm is a destructive corn pest that recently arrived in Africa and Asia from the Americas and began causing major yield losses and increased use of insecticides, which pose environmental and human health risks......»»
Study finds patterns of crop-specific fertilizer-nitrogen losses, opportunities for sustainable mitigation
Nitrogen fertilizers play an essential role in ensuring global food security. However, the applied fertilizer-nitrogen, particularly that exceeding crop demand and soil N retention capacity, can potentially escape into the environment and lead to a v.....»»
Research team shows island bats are valuable allies for farmers
A new study has highlighted how bats can be valuable allies for farmers, by feeding on important agricultural pests. The findings demonstrate that encouraging bat species can be a win-win for both conservation efforts and local farmers......»»
Northern permafrost region emits more greenhouse gases than it captures, study finds
Permafrost underlies about 14 million square kilometers of land in and around the Arctic. The top 3 meters contain an estimated 1 trillion metric tons of carbon and 55 billion metric tons of nitrogen. Historically, the northern permafrost region has.....»»
Study uncovers the role of soil microbes in forest ecosystems
Assessing the function of forest ecosystems requires a deep understanding of the mechanisms of soil nitrogen mineralization. A study conducted by a team of researchers has shed light on how soil N-cycling genes drive soil nitrogen mineralization duri.....»»
Scientists discover first nitrogen-fixing organelle
Modern biology textbooks assert that only bacteria can take nitrogen from the atmosphere and convert it into a form that is usable for life. Plants that fix nitrogen, such as legumes, do so by harboring symbiotic bacteria in root nodules. But a recen.....»»