Shrub willow as a bioenergy crop
Renewable energy demand and consumption is at an all-time high in the United States......»»
Uncovering the 150-year history of Japanese beer barley breeding
Barley is a staple crop with several applications, acting as a source of food, livestock feed, and an ingredient for malt brewing. Originally disseminated from China and the Korean Peninsula about 2,000 years ago, all Japanese barley cultivars were s.....»»
Wild "super pigs" from Canada could become a new front in the war on feral hogs
They go by many names—pigs, hogs, swine, razorbacks—but whatever you call them, wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are one of the most damaging invasive species in North America. They cause millions of dollars in crop damage yearly and harbor dozens of patho.....»»
Wearable sensors for advanced plant phenotyping
In response to increasing global food demands, improving crop yields through efficient phenotyping is imperative. Optical imaging-based phenotyping has markedly progressed plant breeding and crop management, yet encounters limitations in spatial reso.....»»
Flowering in "Honeycrisp" apple shows that spurs are semiautonomous organs
Irregular flowering and biennial bearing are challenging in many apple (Malus × domestica) cultivars such as "Honeycrisp." Apple flowering is influenced by many factors including crop load, fruit weight, seed number, and bourse shoot length. However.....»»
Biodiversity modeling advances to improve predictions of nature"s contributions to people
People depend on nature in a multitude of ways. Crop pollination, pest management, storm buffering, and carbon capturing are all part of nature's contributions to people (NCP). But these contributions are subject to change—species that make vital c.....»»
Bloom times vary in Malus species due to floral development rate
The domesticated apple (Malus ×domestica) is an economically valuable crop and an important source of nutrients and calories throughout temperate regions of the world. Fruit production is directly influenced by bloom time, which is a highly heritabl.....»»
Review article shows key role of Brazil in research on sugarcane for bioenergy
Publications on sugar cane have increased exponentially since 2006 worldwide, and Brazil has had more articles published on the topic than any other country in the period, according to a review in BioEnergy Research......»»
Recycled phosphorus fertilizer reduces nutrient leaching, maintains yield
A promising new form of ammonium phosphate fertilizer has been field-tested by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers. The fertilizer, struvite, offers a triple win for sustainability and crop production, as it recycles nutrients from wa.....»»
Revolutionizing plant disease diagnosis: Pre-trained models outperform traditional methods
Diagnosing plant disease is essential to meet the world's growing food demand, which is expected to increase with a population of 9.1 billion by 2050. Diseases can reduce crop yields by 20–40%, so early detection is critical. Traditional disease id.....»»
Advanced AI techniques for predicting and visualizing citrus fruit maturity
Citrus, the world's most valuable fruit crop, is at a crossroads with slowing production growth and a focus on improving fruit quality and post-harvest processes. Key to this is understanding citrus color change, a critical indicator of fruit maturit.....»»
Crop yield prediction: New model uses sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence for enhanced photosynthetic trait estimation
Crops use carbon dioxide (CO2) through photosynthesis to create organic matter, with enhanced photosynthetic rates crucial for meeting global food demands. While crop phenomics has focused on structural traits, it's the functional traits like maximum.....»»
Winter isn"t coming: climate change hits Greek olive crop
Greek organic farmer Zaharoula Vassilaki looks with admiration at a huge olive tree on her property believed to be over two centuries old, still yielding despite a direct lightning hit years ago......»»
The role of malate decarboxylate CsNADP-ME2 in mediating the balance of carbon and amino acid metabolism in fruit
Central metabolism produces carbohydrates and amino acids that are tightly correlated to plant growth and thereby crop productivity. Malate is reported to link mitochondrial respiratory metabolism with cytosolic biosynthetic pathways. Although the fu.....»»
My 5 favorite Black Friday laptop deals on Apple, Dell, and HP
While it's hard to top the currently crop of Black Friday laptop deals, here are five that stood out to me as offering exceptional value this shopping season......»»
Unlocking citrus tolerance secrets: The Valencia sweet orange genome and the fight against HLB disease
Sweet orange (Citrus sinensis L.), a hybrid fruit crop originating from mandarins (Citrus reticulata Blanco) and pummelos [Citrus maxima (Burm.) Merr.], exhibits complex genomic diversity due to ancient interspecific hybridization. At present, the be.....»»
Corporate growers" carrots are soaking up water in this arid valley. Locals are fighting back
In the Cuyama Valley north of Santa Barbara, lush green fields stretch across the desert. Sprinklers spray thousands of acres to grow a single thirsty crop: carrots......»»
In many major crop regions, workers plant and harvest in spiraling heat and humidity
A global study of major crops has found that farmworkers are being increasingly exposed to combinations of extreme heat and humidity during planting and harvest seasons that can make it hard for them to function. Such conditions have nearly doubled a.....»»
Adding calcium to soils can help increase organic matter, trap more carbon
Farmers add calcium to their soil for many reasons related to increasing crop yields—including regulating pH and improving soil structure......»»
Climate change threatens cereal crop yields: Study
The effects of climate change pose a major challenge for cereal production in many regions. In a study published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, ZALF scientists have investigated how warmer temperatures, increased carbon dioxide levels and cha.....»»
Pushing the boundaries of eco-friendly chemical production with azaarenes
A team of pioneering researchers from the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) has made a significant leap forward in the complex world of molecular chemistry......»»