Shrub willow as a bioenergy crop
Renewable energy demand and consumption is at an all-time high in the United States......»»
What was the agriculture like in southeast China in the Late Neolithic?
The emergence and spread of agriculture in the Neolithic had a revolutionary impact on the development of human society, and it provided a solid economic basis for the origin and development of human civilization. In southern China, the original crop.....»»
Retro technique advances modern bacterial engineering for bioenergy
Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists had a problem mapping the genomes of bacteria to better understand the origins of their physical traits and improve their function for bioenergy production. The method they had successfully used for genetic ma.....»»
With "Plant Armor" crop cover, insects have to navigate textile maze
North Carolina State University researchers designed a textile "Plant Armor" that forces insects to navigate a maze-like path if they try to reach a plant. The design was more effective at blocking insects from reaching cabbage plants in multiple exp.....»»
Cover crops more effective than insecticides for managing pests, study suggests
Promoting early season plant cover, primarily through the use of cover crops, can be more effective at reducing pest density and crop damage than insecticide applications, according to a Penn State-led team of researchers......»»
Using technology to identify crop types early in the season, without entering the field
A new technological approach developed by University of Minnesota researchers will allow key stakeholders to identify important crop types earlier in the season than ever before......»»
Intercropping melon and cowpea improves soil nutrients and increases melon yields
Intercropping is an agricultural practice that involves growing two or more plant species in the same ground at the same time. This practice enables growers not only to increase crop productivity, but also to improve soil quality. Moreover, it brings.....»»
Toxic, invasive weed finds value as organic fertiliser
The toxic, invasive herb Ageratum conyzoides, or billy goat weed, can be bio-converted into nutrient-rich compost for crop cultivation, says a new study......»»
For plant geneticists, some genes are double the trouble
When plant geneticists find a gene that improves crop yields, they want to try to insert that same change into other crops. But Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Professor and HHMI Investigator Zachary Lippman cautions that just knowing what a single.....»»
Happy 10th Birthday to the Open Source Robotics Foundation
Ten years ago this week (more or less), the Open Source Robotics Foundation announced that it was spinning out of Willow Garage as a more permanent home for the Robot Operating System. We covered this news at the time (which makes yours truly feel n.....»»
BioCro software for growing virtual crops improved
A team has revamped the popular crop growth simulation software BioCro, making it a more user-friendly and efficient way to predict crop yield. The updated version, BioCro II, allows modelers to use the technology much more easily and includes faster.....»»
The scientists helping farmers kick the chemical habit
In a field in western France, the small purple and white flowers quivering among tender shoots of wheat are a clue that this is not conventional single-crop farmland......»»
Scientists characterize fertilizer uptake by maize in unprecedented detail, opening doors to improved yields
Maize, or corn, is cultivated globally, as food, feedstock, and a biofuel source, and is one of the most widely produced crops alongside wheat and rice. Today, the importance of maize as a grain is unrivaled and methods to increase crop yields, reduc.....»»
Optimal shelterbelt structure contributes to increase crop yield
Shelterbelt has long been used as an important approach to protect farmland and increase crop yield. The reasonable shelterbelt structure design is of great significance to ensure food security. However, due to the limitation of methods, the influenc.....»»
Climate change results in projected shifts in plant hardiness zones
You visit the nursery, pick out a primo plant, come home, put it in the ground and wait for it to become a beautiful tree, shrub or perennial. Then spring arrives and it's dead or floundering......»»
Wax-coated sand keeps soil wet longer, improves crop yields in arid regions
Dry, hot regions are difficult places to grow plants because the soil dries out quickly. As a result, farmers in arid and semi-arid regions irrigate their fields with buried networks of irrigation tubing and cover the ground with plastic sheets. But.....»»
Plant scientists use new tools for better food crops
With millions facing hunger around the world, Flinders University researchers are looking into novel properties of edible plants which could enhance future food crop production......»»
Bioenergy scientists discover genetic pathway for better biofuel processing
A team of researchers working within the Center for Bioenergy Innovation (CBI) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has discovered a pathway to encourage a type of lignin formation in plants that could make the processing of crops grown for products such.....»»
Getting to the root of how to grow cowpea in difficult conditions
Cowpea is an important crop in many parts of the world, especially sub-Saharan Africa. It is resilient and can grow in areas with little rainfall and low-quality soils. But as hardy as it is, cowpea yields can decrease by drought and low levels of so.....»»
Tweaking carotenoids to improve plant growth and tolerance
A novel plant-breeding strategy is targeting crop yield, nutritional value and stress tolerance, all through the expression of one gene......»»
Fungicide combo combats devastating red clover disease
Red clover, an important forage crop for grazing cattle, can be protected against two major fungal diseases by a newly developed integrated pest management strategy. Published in Crop Protection, the study says that three fungicides—carbendazim, we.....»»