Measuring nutrition in crops using satellites
With many people around the world suffering from various forms of malnutrition it's important that the absolute basics such as rice, soya and wheat are as nourishing as possible. Research shows that the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission and the Italian P.....»»
Global teabag study shows warming temperatures may shrink wetland carbon sinks
A major global study using teabags as a measuring device shows warming temperatures may reduce the amount of carbon stored in wetlands......»»
The farm fires helping to fuel India"s deadly air
Blazing flames light the sky as Indian farmer Ali Sher burns his fields to clear them for new crops, a common but illegal practice that is fueling deadly pollution killing millions......»»
A more accurate indicator for measuring the visibility of scientific journals
Researchers from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), Universidad de León (ULE) and São Paulo State University (UNESP) in Brazil have developed an indicator that is more robust, clear and fair than "impact factor," which has been widely used fo.....»»
Artificial intelligence finds previously undetected historical climate extremes
There are over 30,000 weather stations in the world, measuring temperature, precipitation and other indicators often on a daily basis. That's a massive amount of data for climate researchers to compile and analyze to produce the monthly and annual gl.....»»
New transformer-based AI model enhances precision in rice leaf disease detection
Rice is one of the world's most essential food crops, but its production is constantly threatened by leaf diseases caused by pathogens such as fungi, bacteria, and viruses. These diseases, which manifest as spots or blotches on leaves, can severely i.....»»
Fuji apple study finds genetic mechanisms behind high-yield trees
Apples rank among the world's most valuable fruit crops, with production spanning more than 100 countries. Some apple trees naturally develop into what farmers call "spur-type" varieties—compact trees that are more productive and easier to maintain.....»»
Researchers create high-resistant starch rice by impaired amylopectin synthesis
Rice is one of the most important staple crops and an excellent starch-provider. Resistant starch (RS) has shown beneficial effects on diabetes, weight management and inflammatory bowel disease......»»
Molecular morphers: DNA-powered gels shape-shift on command
Johns Hopkins engineers have developed gel strips that change shape when given chemical instructions written in DNA code. These "gel automata," measuring just centimeters, can grow or shrink, transforming from one letter or number to another when tri.....»»
"e-Drive": New gene drive reverses insecticide resistance in pests... then disappears
Insecticides have been used for centuries to counteract widespread pest damage to valuable food crops. Eventually, over time, beetles, moths, flies and other insects develop genetic mutations that render the insecticide chemicals ineffective......»»
Gabon forest elephant forays into villages spark ire
In heavily forested Gabon, elephants are increasingly wandering into villages and destroying crops, angering the local population who demand the power to stop the critically endangered animals in their tracks......»»
Iron-clad defense: How microbes shield tomato crops from bacterial wilt
Ralstonia solanacearum is a soil-borne pathogen that devastates tomato and other Solanaceae crops globally. Traditional chemical controls have proven inadequate and environmentally damaging......»»
Superior photosynthesis abilities of some plants could hold key to climate-resilient crops
More than 3 billion years ago, on an Earth entirely covered with water, photosynthesis first evolved in ancient bacteria. In the following millions of years, those bacteria evolved into plants, optimizing themselves along the way for various environm.....»»
Bioeconomy in Colombia: DNA analysis shows a vital shellfish in decline
Along Colombia's Pacific coast, a small shellfish called piangua has been a crucial part of local communities for generations. This humble mollusk is a vital source of income and nutrition for many coastal residents. As a regional resource that can b.....»»
Collaboration key to ultimate genotypes in plants and livestock, say researchers
University of Queensland researchers are setting the agenda for breeding high yield, heat tolerant and disease-resistant crops and low emission cattle with excellent feed conversion efficiency as they search for the ultimate genotype......»»
Populations overheat as major cities fail canopy goals
A new study led by RMIT University in Australia measuring access to nature for eight major global cities found most still have inadequate canopy cover, despite access to an abundance of trees......»»
Bee alert: Pesticides pose a real threat to more than 70% of wild bees
A new study reveals alarming risks that pesticides pose to ground-nesting bees, which are crucial for pollination and food production. As agriculture increasingly relies on pesticides to protect crops, the unintended consequences for these essential.....»»
NASA satellites reveal abrupt drop in global freshwater levels
An international team of scientists using observations from NASA-German satellites found evidence that Earth's total amount of freshwater dropped abruptly starting in May 2014 and has remained low ever since. Reporting in Surveys in Geophysics, the r.....»»
A lot of people are mistaking Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites for UAPs
"We were able to assess that they were all in those cases looking at Starlink flares." SpaceX's Starlink Internet satellites are responsible for more and more public reports of un.....»»
Targeted glucosinolate conversion: How kohlrabi tissues produce health-promoting compounds
A research team at the Leibniz Institute for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (IGZ) has analyzed how glucosinolates, health-promoting plant compounds, are broken down within various tissues of the kohlrabi plant......»»
Water under Threat, Wooden Satellites and a Mud Bath for Baseballs
Droughts in 48 of 50 U.S. states, evidence of microplastics mucking up wastewater recycling and the science of a baseball mud bath in this week’s news roundup......»»