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.....»»
Women farmers quantitatively linked to better community well-being
Having more women in agriculture is associated with greater community well-being, according to researchers at Penn State and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Their work is the first to quantitatively assess this link, and their findings suggest t.....»»
California Is Solving Its Water Problems by Flooding Its Best Farmland
Restored floodplains in the state’s agricultural heartland are fighting both flooding and drought. But their fate rests with California’s powerful farmers......»»
Domesticating plants impacts their microbiome, study finds
New research led by the University of Oxford indicates that human domestication of crops can alter the communities of microorganisms that are associated with plants. Intriguingly, independent domestication events were found to have similar impacts on.....»»
There"s no more money, German minister tells rowdy farmers
There"s no more money, German minister tells rowdy farmers.....»»
Archeologists map lost cities in Ecuadorian Amazon, settlements that lasted 1,000 years
Archeologists have uncovered a cluster of lost cities in the Amazon rainforest that was home to at least 10,000 farmers around 2,000 years ago......»»
New rice lines for Africa offer virus protection
Rice yellow mottle virus (RYMV) is responsible for high crop losses in Africa, particularly among small-scale farmers. A research team has now produced rice lines that are resistant to the disease by means of genome editing......»»
ABB buys tech company to give next-generation industrial robots eyes and brains
The deal to buy Sevensense, a Swiss startup, is the latest robotics investment by ABB and follows growing demand for industrial robots that can move and work independently......»»
Why we need to know more about individual carbon footprints
Most countries, including Switzerland, record their greenhouse gas emissions by source and sector. In absolute terms, Swiss greenhouse gases make up less than 1% of global emissions. With an average of 12 metric tons of CO2 equivalents per capita per.....»»
Large-scale mapping of pig genes could lead to greener agriculture, pave the way for new human medicines
Researchers from Aarhus University have carried out complex genetic analyses of hundreds of pigs and humans to identify differences and similarities. This new knowledge can be used to ensure healthier pigs for farmers and can help the pharmaceutical.....»»
Report highlights farmers" concerns about cultured meat
While some U.K. farmers see the advances in the development of cultured, or cell-based meat, as potential competition to traditional meat production, others from the farming community have suggested it could create a premium for pasture-reared meat......»»
Global triggers: Why these five big issues could cause significant problems in 2024
The tensions between the US and China made the global economy shudder in 2023. The ramifications of the Ukrainian war echoed beyond the country's border. In Africa, the coup d'état in Niger and Gabon contributed to the global democratic retreat of r.....»»
Researchers explore farmers" response to high fertilizer prices
In 2022, fertilizer prices reached record high levels due to the Russia-Ukraine war and supply chain disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic. This has created a financial strain on farmers as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium—elements found in most.....»»
Using UV disinfection instead of antibiotics in poultry farming
Infectious diseases pose a huge problem in poultry farming. Poultry farmers are often forced to rely on antibiotics to tackle this issue. However, this can sometimes result in germs developing resistance to these drugs. These resistant pathogens then.....»»
"Nutritional quality must be at the heart of climate-smart agriculture," researchers say
According to a major research study, farmers in sub-Saharan Africa need to diversify away from growing maize and switch to crops that are resilient to climate change and supply enough key micronutrients for the population......»»
The zaï technique: How farmers in the Sahel grow crops with little to no water
Hubert Reeves once wrote that "on the cosmic scale, liquid water is rarer than gold". And what is true for the universe is even truer in the Sahel, the name given to the vast, arid belt that skirts the Sahara and stretches across Africa from east to.....»»
Scanner data can help New York state farmers boost market sales
Julie and Steve Rockcastle, founders of Green Heron Growers in New York's Cattaraugus County, are always trying to figure out what works and what doesn't when it comes to selling their grass-fed beef at farmers markets. So after a Cornell study showe.....»»
Canada"s agricultural policies need to better serve local farmers and communities, says researcher
Canada's current agricultural production model is unsustainable and in desperate need of reform. A range of issues plague the current system, including corporate consolidation, farmland concentration in the hands of non-farmers and foreign buyers, po.....»»
Microwaves heat the soil to eliminate pests and help farmers manage soil diseases
A research team led by Dr. Sunshin Jung at the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) has developed a breakthrough technology that effectively eliminates pests without the use of pesticides and protects farms from soil diseases by using mi.....»»
Paying people to replant tropical forests and letting them harvest the timber can pay off
Tropical forest landscapes are home to millions of Indigenous peoples and small-scale farmers. Just about every square meter of land is spoken for, even if claims are not formally recognized by governments......»»
Once the enemy, majestic condor wins hearts of Colombian farmers
A group of condors rip into the carcass of a calf at the top of a Colombian mountain which rises 4,200 meters above sea level......»»