The origins of farming insects
A beetle bores a tree trunk to build a gallery in the wood in order to protect its lay. As it digs the tunnel, it spreads ambrosia fungal spores that will feed the larvae. When these bore another tree, the adult beetles will be the transmission vecto.....»»
Japan launches rocket carrying lunar lander and X-ray telescope to explore origins of universe
Japan launched a rocket Thursday carrying an X-ray telescope that will explore the origins of the universe as well as a small lunar lander......»»
Fae Farm is an approachable Stardew Valley riff lacking in personality
Fae Farm is a fun, approachable farming game, but one that lacks an important element that makes Stardew Valley such a genre classic......»»
Experts question whether carbon dioxide storage in farming soils helps the climate
Sequestering CO2 in farming soils is promoted as an excellent strategy to mitigate climate change. Is this actually the case, however? Several soil experts voiced their doubts during the Wageningen Soil Conference on 29 August......»»
New tech boosts Dutch drive for sustainable farming
In the Netherlands, experiments are underway to ensure future food supply and cut carbon emissions......»»
Aloe vera peels could fight staple food crop pests
The discarded peels of aloe vera can be used as a natural pesticide, helping farmers protect staple food crops from harmful insects, research suggests......»»
Tracking the migration adventures of Black-winged Monarchs
Black-winged Monarchs (Monarcha frater) are songbirds that live in the rainforests of New Guinea and northern Australia. They feed on insects and belong to the same bird family, Monarchidae, as flycatchers and magpie-larks......»»
Climate change, pests threaten Mexico City"s iconic palms
Climate change and a deadly disease spread by insects have forced authorities in Mexico City to chop down palm trees beloved by residents as an emblem of the capital......»»
Curious and cryptic: New leaf insects discovered
An international research team including the University of Göttingen has described seven previously unknown species of leaf insects, also known as walking leaves. The insects belong to the stick and leaf insect order, which are known for their unusu.....»»
Ant wars: How native species can win the battle over invasive pests
New research using insight from virtual gaming and real-world ant battles shows how native insects can be given an upper hand against some aggressive introduced species, which could help guide non-native invasive ant management......»»
Fungal–plant symbiosis offers a promising tool to boost crop resilience
Researchers inoculated oilseed rape plants with a species of fungus that is known for its ability to combat pest insects. Utilizing the relationship between beneficial fungi and crop plants may introduce a new era of agriculture where the plant resil.....»»
Crowd-sourced science sheds light on how new species form across space and time
Imagine a jungle. It's probably a lush forest, filled with different bird songs and the hum of thousands of different kinds of insects. Now imagine a tundra: barren, windswept terrain with relatively few kinds of plants or animals......»»
Cattle farming expansion and unchecked climate change would expose more than 1 billion cows to heat stress, study finds
More than 1 billion cows around the world will experience heat stress by the end of the century if carbon emissions are high and environmental protection is low, according to new research published today in Environmental Research Letters......»»
Study shows that the estuaries in the Bay of Cádiz are a treasure trove for ecological fish farming
A study, published in Marine Environmental Research and led by José Manuel Guerra García, professor at the Department of Zoology of the Faculty of Biology of the University of Seville, reveals that gilt-head sea bream farmed in estuaries in the Bay.....»»
Could microplastics in soil introduce drug-resistant superbugs to the food supply?
Like every industry, modern farming relies heavily on plastics. Think plastic mulch lining vegetable beds, PVC pipes draining water from fields, polyethylene covering high tunnels, and plastic seed, fertilizer, and herbicide packaging, to name a few......»»
Researchers target lifecycle of parasite behind Chagas disease
Almost everything about insects called kissing bugs is revolting, from the insidious way they bite people's faces at night to drink their blood while they sleep to the way they spread disease through their poop......»»
Insecticides affect aquatic insects in unexpected ways
Pesticide pollution of streams in agricultural areas has adverse effects for stream organisms. A new study, led by researchers from the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), provides evidence that aquatic insect larvae resp.....»»
Scientists study the evolutionary origins of coronary arteries
Coronary arteries are a vital part of the human heart, providing it with oxygen-rich blood so that it can work. By comparing the hearts of mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and frogs, a multi-institutional team of researchers appears to have found evide.....»»
Bronze Age family systems deciphered: Paleogeneticists analyze 3,800-year-old extended family
The diversity of family systems in prehistoric societies has always fascinated scientists. A study by Mainz anthropologists and an international team of archaeologists now provides new insights into the origins and genetic structure of prehistoric fa.....»»
Heat sensor protects the Venus flytrap from fire
The Venus flytrap can survive in the nutrient-poor swamps of North and South Carolina because it compensates for the lack of nitrogen, phosphate and minerals by catching and eating insects. It hunts with snap traps that have sensory hairs on them. If.....»»
New research shows bats feast as insects migrate through Pyrenees
Bats gather to feast as nocturnal insects fly through mountain passes in the Pyrenees each autumn, new research shows......»»