Using spray drones in agriculture
It's a familiar sight for many—a ground sprayer slowly making rounds in a field, applying pesticides to row crops to give producers the best chance of protecting crops from pests and seeing high yields at harvest. These ground sprayers, with booms.....»»
Microplastic-free carrier system for pesticides shows potential for sustainable agriculture
Researchers from the University of Twente (Netherlands) and Bayreuth (Germany) have developed microplastic-free encapsulation for crop protection agents. They recently published their findings in Advanced Materials.....»»
Asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs may have led to the invention of "ant agriculture"
The event that wiped out the dinosaurs wasn't all bad. The low-light environment caused by the meteor impact some 66 million years ago favored the spread of fungi that feed on organic matter, which was abundant at the time as plants and animals were.....»»
Cellular agriculture research manages to culture pork fat tissue on rye protein scaffolds
National University of Singapore (NUS) food scientists have developed a simple and scalable method for culturing pork fat tissue using protein scaffolds made from secalin, a protein extracted from rye......»»
Ants learned to farm fungi during a mass extinction
Ants learned to work with fungi back in a world where only fungi could thrive. We tend to think of agriculture as a human innovation. But insects beat us to it by millions of year.....»»
Genetic database shows some fungal crops became completely reliant on ants 27 million years ago
When humans began farming crops thousands of years ago, agriculture had already been around for millions of years. In fact, several animal lineages have been growing their own food since long before humans evolved as a species......»»
Study reveals invasive Apple Snail could spread further in Africa
New research reveals that the invasive Apple Snail—which threatens rice crops—could spread further in Africa. The study is published in the journal CABI Agriculture and Bioscience......»»
Plant pathologists spearhead Fusarium head blight research on hemp
Extension faculty at the University of Kentucky (UK) Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment are advancing the fight against Fusarium head blight (FHB) in hemp. This disease, caused by multiple species of the Fusarium fungus, threa.....»»
Q&A: Extreme weather is disrupting lives in southern Africa—new policies are needed to keep the peace
Over the past decades, heavy and more frequent rainfall and dry spells in southern Africa have caused loss and damage to agriculture, livestock, the energy sector, food security and nutrition......»»
Microbial biofertilizers and algae-based biostimulants found to boost tomato crop yield and quality
A team of researchers in Italy have shown that use of microbial biofertilizers and algae-based biostimulants can significantly enhance both the yield and quality of organic tomatoes. Published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, th.....»»
Scientists use drones to track white sharks along California beaches
The forecast at the beach today is cloudy, with a chance of sharks. At least, that's the forecast that researchers at UC Santa Barbara would like to be able to provide. They're leading a project to predict when and where great white sharks show up ne.....»»
Climate-smart grazing: Study shows how weather mitigates nitrogen runoff
Livestock production is an important component of U.S. agriculture, with global demand for meat and dairy expected to double in the coming decades. This increase will lead to intensified grazing on U.S. grasslands, potentially exacerbating water qual.....»»
Heat, animal illness and erosion risks to affect NZ agriculture with changing climate
Scientists at Manaaki Whenua—Landcare Research have worked closely with researchers from NIWA, AgResearch and Plant & Food Research to model the likely risks of a warming climate across different agricultural sectors in New Zealand. The study is pu.....»»
Transforming agriculture from carbon source to sink: Study shows potential of carbon sequestration options
The food system is one of the most significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions on the planet, making the reduction of emissions in this sector a priority for policymakers around the world. IIASA researchers explored the potential of carbon seques.....»»
Homeopathic company refuses to recall life-threatening nasal spray, FDA says
Consumers should stop using SnoreStop, FDA says. Enlarge (credit: Getty | Florian Gaertner) The maker of a homeopathic nasal spray with a history of contamination is refusing to recall its product after the Food and Drug.....»»
Assessing the environmental impacts of Brazil"s biofuel sector
Mathematical analysis reveals that within Brazil's agriculture and livestock industry, the biofuels sector is most heavily reliant on other sectors with high greenhouse gas emissions......»»
Researchers explore physiological and molecular processes underlying graft healing
Grafting has long been a cornerstone in agriculture and forestry, allowing for the propagation of desirable plant traits and improved resistance to environmental challenges. Despite its widespread application, grafting still encounters obstacles, inc.....»»
Ukrainian drones strike a major military depot in a Russian town northwest of Moscow
Ukrainian drones strike a major military depot in a Russian town northwest of Moscow.....»»
America"s dairy farms are disappearing, down 95% since the 1970s—milk price rules are one reason why
Milton Orr looked across the rolling hills in northeast Tennessee. "I remember when we had over 1,000 dairy farms in this county. Now we have less than 40," Orr, an agriculture adviser for Greene County, Tennessee, told me with a tinge of sadness......»»
Researchers identify novel approach to minimize nitrogen loss in crops
While agriculture producers apply nitrogen fertilizer to supply nutrients to their crops, they can't always keep those nutrients in the soil for maximum efficiency, often losing them into the atmosphere or water supply as nitrates and nitrous oxide......»»
Soil nutrient levels associated with suppression of banana Fusarium wilt disease
Fusarium wilt poses a significant threat to global agriculture, particularly affecting the banana industry, where it is commonly known as banana Panama disease. As a result, enhancing soil-related resistance has emerged as a crucial, environmentally.....»»