Root-farming gophers might be our closest agricultural relatives
Although you'll probably never see them, you can spot them by the tell-tale mounds of sandy soil dotting a field: pocket gophers. Beneath your feet, the gophers continuously create and remold a labyrinth of winding tunnels hundreds of feet long......»»
Scientists explore how indoor vertical farming could help future-proof food demand
To make sure everyone eats well in our crowded world, we need to innovate. Vertical farming systems, which grow plants intensively in an indoor setting, could be part of the answer—but to use them on a large scale we need to overcome key problems,.....»»
Previously unknown Neolithic society in Morocco discovered: North Africa"s role in Mediterranean prehistory
Archaeological fieldwork in Morocco has discovered the earliest previously unknown farming society from a poorly understood period of northwest African prehistory......»»
Human urine could be used as eco-friendly crop fertilizer: Study
Bacterial communities in soil are as resilient to human urine as synthetic fertilizers—making recycling the bodily fluid as a fertilizer for agricultural crops a viable proposition, according to a new study......»»
California cracks down on another Central Valley farm area for groundwater depletion
California water regulators are cracking down on a second farming area in the San Joaquin Valley for failing to take adequate steps to curb overpumping that is depleting groundwater, causing the land to sink and damaging a canal that transports water.....»»
Colombia"s Inirida flower: from "weed" to emblem for UN meeting
When Ruben Dario Carianil began cultivating the unusual, pointy Inirida flower in the Colombian Amazon ten years ago, his relatives made fun of him for growing "weeds.".....»»
Simulated construction of plant-based fish meat with composite structure via 3D printing
To date, about 90% of fish resources worldwide have already reached their sustainable fishery limit. Meanwhile, intensive farming and aquaculture contribute to significant environmental pollution and degradation. To address both the challenges of lim.....»»
Scientists seek a balance between crop production and protecting the environment
Scientists at the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory (NPARL), in Sidney, Montana, completed a study that shows the use of continuous cropping systems can better sustain crop yields while reduc.....»»
Harnessing nature"s rhythm: Piezocatalysis for organic pollutant degradation
With the rapid growth of industrial and agricultural activities, water bodies are increasingly contaminated with harmful organic pollutants such as dyes, antibiotics, and bisphenol A. Traditional methods like adsorption, chemical treatments, and biol.....»»
Farming soybeans after soybeans, a rarity in Iowa, gets a closer look
In most of Iowa's fields, three out of every four acres, farmers rotate annually between planting corn and soybeans. Barely any fields see soybeans year after year, a practice discouraged by expert advice and practical experience......»»
Komodor Klaudia identifies the root cause of issues in Kubernetes
Komodor announced Klaudia, a GenAI agent for troubleshooting and remediating operational issues, as well as optimizing Kubernetes environments. Integrated within the Komodor Kubernetes Management Platform, Klaudia simplifies and accelerates root-caus.....»»
Brazil"s farmers fret over fires and drought
Sugarcane farmer Marcos Meloni is still haunted by his battle last month to fight the flames on his land, as the double-edged disaster of fires and drought hits Brazil's agricultural sector hard......»»
Researcher looks at economic impact of reduced humanitarian assistance in East Africa
When humanitarian assistance is reduced, the impact can extend from the household level to the broader local economy, according to a study led by Anubhab Gupta, assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics......»»
Report: Most consumers are unfamiliar or only slightly familiar with regenerative agriculture
Many members of the public lack familiarity with the farming methods known as regenerative agriculture, according to the August 2024 Consumer Food Insights Report (CFI)......»»
DNA demethylation boosts tomato resistance to gray mold, study finds
Postharvest decay in fruits, primarily caused by pathogenic fungi, remains a major obstacle to agricultural sustainability and food security. Despite advances in fungicides and storage technologies, losses remain substantial, especially in developing.....»»
Ancient DNA from Rapa Nui (Easter Island) refutes best-selling population collapse theory
Rapa Nui or Te Pito o Te Henua (the navel of the world), also known as Easter Island, is one of the most isolated inhabited places in the world. Located in the Pacific, it lies over 1,900 km east of the closest inhabited Polynesian island and 3,700 k.....»»
The profound impact of COVID-19 on China"s agricultural carbon emissions
As global climate warming becomes increasingly severe, scientists are delving deeper into greenhouse gas emissions across various industries. Recently, a study from Duke Kunshan University and Yangzhou University on the changes in China's agricultura.....»»
Jellyfish under attack: Study uncovers parasitic spillover of a burrowing sea anemone
Many marine organisms, like sea anemones, struggle to spread across the ocean, especially if they lack long, mobile larval stages. Unlike their jellyfish relatives, sea anemones do not have a medusa stage, making their dispersal challenging. Their on.....»»
Farming at the edges of nature reserves is helping exotic species invade New Zealand, finds study
Native shrublands were once common across the Canterbury Plains, but over time, conversion of land to other uses, including irrigated pasture, has contributed to their gradual decline. Now, a new study by scientists at Manaaki Whenua—Landcare Resea.....»»
Hubble and Chandra find supermassive black hole duo
Like two Sumo wrestlers squaring off, the closest confirmed pair of supermassive black holes have been observed in tight proximity. These are located approximately 300 light-years apart and were detected using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the Ch.....»»
Deep imaging techniques reveal that galaxies are much much bigger than previously thought
If this galaxy is typical, then the study, published today in Nature Astronomy, indicates that our galaxy is already interacting with its closest neighbor, Andromeda......»»