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.....»»
Neanderthals may have been morning people, says new study
A new research paper finds that genetic material from Neanderthal ancestors may have contributed to the propensity of some people today to be "early risers," the sort of people who are more comfortable getting up and going to bed earlier......»»
Q&A: Finding more sustainable ways to use plastics in agriculture
Every year, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, some 12.5 million tonnes of plastic are used in agricultural production worldwide. Plastic is a boon to farmers, but leads to large quantities of macro-, micro- and nanopl.....»»
COP28: Countries promise action on food and farming
Countries must act swiftly following a landmark declaration on sustainable agriculture and food systems at COP28 to protect farmers and vulnerable groups from the effects of climate change, research leaders urge......»»
Zapping manure with special electrode promises an efficient method to produce fertilizers, other chemicals
An interdisciplinary team led by University of Wisconsin–Madison scientists has developed a new technique that could help farmers extract useful nutrients such as ammonia and potassium from livestock manure to efficiently make fertilizer and other.....»»
Farmers and ranchers in the Southwestern US face challenges due to human-induced atmospheric warming
The American Southwest has always been a dry place—cue romantic visions of hot, rugged, sun-bleached, seemingly infinite landscapes and star-filled night skies. And yet, the plants, animals and people of the Four Corners region (Utah, Colorado, New.....»»
The quest to turn basalt dust into a viable climate solution
Sprinkling rock dust on farmland to soak up atmospheric carbon will be tested at large scale. Enlarge (credit: Lithos Carbon) Mary Yap has spent the last year and a half trying to get farmers to fall in love with basalt......»»
How early farmers in Scandinavia overcame climate change
As the world faces the challenges of present-day climate change, scientific inquiry is, among other objectives, exploring how human societies navigate environmental variations at large. Investigating the past provides valuable insights into this......»»
Better use of grass-covered areas across the EU can protect nature and strengthen agriculture
German farmers in the Lower Oder Valley National Park on the eastern border with Poland faced a dilemma: what to do with grass that was useless as animal feed......»»
Study: How farmers decide to store or sell their grain
When farmers harvest their grain, they can choose to sell it right away or store it to obtain better prices later in the season. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign explores how Illinois corn and soybean producers make those.....»»
Swiss project explores different storage pathways for CO₂
Switzerland has set itself an ambitious goal: to reduce the country's greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. But this will require more than just a massive expansion of renewable energies and saving measures......»»
Maghreb farmers embrace drones to fight climate change
A drone buzzed back and forth above rows of verdant orange trees planted near Nabeul, eastern Tunisia......»»
Minnesota turkey farmers say expanded rural broadband could help detect bird flu sooner
Just over 5 miles from where folklore has long claimed Vikings scribbled Scandinavian etchings on a runestone, Erica Sawatzke surveys thousands of chirping baby birds in her long barn......»»
Study shows that inoculating soil with mycorrhizal fungi can increase plant yield by by up to 40%
Farmland often harbors a multitude of pathogens which attack plants and reduce yields. A Swiss research team has now shown that inoculating the soil with mycorrhizal fungi can help maintain or even improve yields without using additional fertilizers.....»»
The "dahliagram": An interdisciplinary tool to enable exploration of human-environment interactions
Spurred by the current climate crisis, there has been heightened attention within the scientific community in recent years to how past climate variation contributed to historic human migration and other behaviors......»»
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......»»
How to develop bio-inspired catalysts
Victor Mougel is an absolute fan of nature, not only because he grew up on a farm, spends a lot of time outdoors with his wife and children, and sometimes rides up and down Swiss mountains on his road bike. He also believes that no chemist can hold a.....»»
Study predicts to what extinct invasive quagga mussel will spread in affected lakes
The invasive quagga mussel has already gained a foothold in numerous bodies of water in Switzerland. For three affected Swiss lakes, a prediction of the extent to which the quagga mussel will continue to spread has now been made for the first time as.....»»
A novel system for slip prevention in unmanned rovers
Given the hostile conditions of extraterrestrial environments, unmanned rovers play a critical role in the exploration of planets and moons. NASA's Mars and lunar exploration rovers have significantly contributed to our understanding of these extrate.....»»
Organizations should prepare for the inevitability of cyberattacks on their infrastructure
Organizations reliance on technology has contributed to the fact that their attack surface has grown in size and complexity, according to Armis. Global organizations are facing an unprecedented level of cyber risk due to blind spots in their environm.....»»
Farmers or foragers? Pre-colonial Aboriginal food production was hardly that simple
For almost 10 years, debate has raged over the book Dark Emu by Aboriginal historian Bruce Pascoe. In it, Pascoe argues many pre-colonial Aboriginal groups were farmers, pointing to examples like eel aquaculture in Victoria, and grain planting and th.....»»