Swiss farmers contributed to the domestication of the opium poppy
Fields of opium poppies once bloomed where the Zurich Opera House underground garage now stands. Through a new analysis of archaeological seeds, researchers at the University of Basel have been able to bolster the hypothesis that prehistoric farmers.....»»
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.....»»
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......»»
CMS collaboration releases Higgs boson discovery data to the public
As part of its continued commitment to making its science fully open, the CMS collaboration has just publicly released the combination of CMS measurements that contributed to establishing the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012......»»
First insights into the genetic bottleneck characterizing early sheep husbandry in the Neolithic period
Modern Eurasian sheep predominantly belong to only two so-called genetic matrilineages inherited through the ewes, so previous research has assumed that genetic diversity must already have decreased rapidly in the early stages of domestication of wil.....»»
Swiss climate policy in spotlight after court ruling
Switzerland, known for pristine countryside and snow-capped peaks, is facing scrutiny of its environmental policies after becoming the first country faulted by an international court for failing to do enough against climate change......»»
Research finds dairy farmers receptive to methane-reducing seaweed feed
New England's dairy industry continues to evolve in response to significant market challenges that include a decreased demand for milk and higher production and land costs. However, there is also ongoing evidence that organic dairy farming can provid.....»»
Ghanaians love rice—how smallholder farmers could harvest more of it with the help of machines
Rice has become a big part of Ghanaians' daily diet. The country consumes about 1.45 million tons a year—but produces only 987,000 tons, approximately 68% of that......»»
Researchers explain how cities can implement environmentally sustainable densification
The housing situation in Swiss cities and towns is currently the subject of intensive debate in politics and the media. Housing and densification is a key topic for spatial and urban planners—because, ultimately, they are tasked with implementing c.....»»
Research team releases new fertilizer prediction tool
A new fertilizer recommendation tool, developed nationally in collaboration with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, could save farmers millions of dollars annually while reducing excess nutrient losses to the environment......»»
2,000 senior women win “biggest victory possible” in landmark climate case
Landmark ruling could motivate more climate litigation globally. Enlarge / Members of Swiss association Senior Women for Climate Protection react after the announcement of decisions after a hearing of the European Court of Human.....»»
A physicist uses X-rays to rescue old music recordings
Researchers are developing a technique that uses the special synchrotron X-ray light from the Swiss Light Source SLS to non-destructively digitize recordings from high-value historic audio tapes—including treasures from the Montreux Jazz Festival a.....»»
GM: Q1 sales slip 1.5% on lower fleet; retail up 6%
GM said short-term production constraints of midsize pickups and vans contributed to lower fleet sales in the first quarter......»»
Q&A: Archaeologist"s fieldwork finds movement of crops, animals played a key role in domestication
Archaeologist Xinyi Liu at Washington University in St. Louis teamed up with Martin Jones of the University of Cambridge to write a new paper for the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that explains how recent research is connecting the.....»»
Enhancing chickpea irrigation efficiency, yield and sustainability
A new study published by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI) introduces a non-invasive technique for evaluating chickpea water status, offering farmers a powerful tool to fine-tune irrigation schedules and potentially elevate the sustainability.....»»
Swiss Re warns insured disaster losses could double in a decade
Insured property losses could double in the coming decade due to climate change and more frequent and more intense severe weather events, reinsurance giant Swiss Re warned Tuesday......»»
Cocoa beans are in short supply: What this means for farmers, businesses and chocolate lovers
A shortage of cocoa beans has led to a near shutdown of processing plants in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, the two countries responsible for 60% of global production. With chocolate makers around the world reliant on west Africa for cocoa, there is signi.....»»
Researchers publish dataset of over 6,000 agri-environmental policies from all over the world
There can be no analysis without data. In this spirit, researchers from the University of Bonn and the Swiss Federal Institution of Technology (ETH) Zurich have published a database containing over 6,000 agri-environmental policies, thus enabling the.....»»
Reviving England"s polluted rivers through incentivizing farmers and comprehensive monitoring
At the close of 2023, Defra asked the British Ecological Society to bring together nearly 40 experts, to collate expert opinion on freshwater policy and set out a list of priorities for the biodiversity evidence program to focus on. Published today,.....»»
New design prolongs the lifespan of plasma torches
Thanks to a new design contributed by a research team led by Prof. Zhao Peng from Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS) of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the operation time for plasma torch gas been extended from several days to several ye.....»»
Vietnam farmers struggle for fresh water as drought brings salinization
Every day, farmer Nguyen Hoai Thuong prays in vain for rain to fall on the cracked dry earth of her garden in Vietnam's Mekong Delta—the country's "rice bowl" agricultural heartland......»»