Swiss mired in poisonous row over pesticides
The idyllic image of peaceful Swiss Alpine pastures is being shattered by upcoming votes on pesticides which have sharply divided opinion in rural Switzerland......»»
Researchers discover eco-friendly fungicide alternative
A material that could replace current fungicides (i.e., anti-fungal pesticides), increase food security, and help protect wildlife has been discovered......»»
Scientists engineer plant microbiome for the first time to protect crops against disease and cut use of pesticides
Scientists have engineered the microbiome of plants for the first time, boosting the prevalence of 'good' bacteria that protect the plant from disease. The findings published in Nature Communications by researchers from the University of Southampton,.....»»
Lula vetos part of Brazil"s controversial pesticide bill
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday vetoed key parts of a controversial law that is set to loosen the rules around the use of pesticides in the country......»»
In Colombia, illegally felled timber repurposed to help bees
In northeast Colombia, police guard warehouses stacked high with confiscated timber with a noble new destiny: transformation into homes for bees beleaguered by pesticides and climate change......»»
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.....»»
Pesticide pollution threatens shellfish safety, estuary study finds
New research led by Southern Cross University has found a cocktail of nasty pesticides in oysters and water from one of the NSW North Coast's dominant rivers......»»
Environmental engineers suggest that anaerobic digestion could be used to clean cattle manure, produce fuel
Chemicals—from antibiotics used to keep livestock healthy to pesticides that shield crops from insects and other pests—play an important role in modern agriculture. However, many of these substances accumulate in cow manure used as fertilizer, wh.....»»
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......»»
"Inert" ingredients in pesticides may be more toxic to bees than scientists thought
Bees help pollinate over a third of the world's crops, contributing an estimated US$235 billion to $577 billion in value to global agriculture. They also face a myriad of stresses, including pathogens and parasites, loss of suitable food sources and.....»»
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.....»»
Bees are still being harmed despite tightened pesticide regulations, study shows
A new study has confirmed that pesticides, commonly used in farmland, significantly harm bumblebees—one of the most important wild pollinators. In a huge study spanning 106 sites across eight European countries, researchers have shown that despite.....»»
India hopes cloud seeding can wash away deadly smog
Indian scientists are preparing cloud seeding technology to clean poisonous smog in the capital with rain, but environmental critics fear it is an expensive distraction from tackling root causes......»»
Female toxin-producing newts are surprisingly more poisonous than males
Tetrodotoxin, the neurotoxin that makes a blue-ringed octopus deadly, also protects Taricha newts—but we don't understand how they produce it, or what purposes it serves for them......»»
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.....»»
New study reveals that bees cannot taste even lethal levels of pesticides
New research from the University of Oxford has revealed that bumblebees cannot taste pesticides present in nectar, even at lethal concentrations. This means bumblebees are not able to avoid contaminated nectar, putting them at high risk of pesticide.....»»
Scientists find hundreds of toxic chemicals in recycled plastics
When scientists examined pellets from recycled plastic collected in 13 countries they found hundreds of toxic chemicals, including pesticides and pharmaceuticals. The results are published in a study led by scientists at the University of Gothenburg......»»
Pesticides, herbicides, fungicides detected in New York state beeswax
An analysis of beeswax in managed honeybee hives in New York found a wide variety of pesticide, herbicide and fungicide residues—exposing current and future generations of bees to long-term toxicity......»»
Poison dart frogs: Personality determines reproductive strategies, research suggests
Unlike their relatives, individuals of the poison frog Allobates femoralis are not poisonous but are captivating due to their different behavioral profiles: They successfully reproduce with different strategies depending on whether they are bold, agg.....»»
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