Feature Channels: Agriculture

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A national network of researchers, educators and undergraduate students will help bridge the communication gap between agriculture scientists and nonscientists.

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A new analysis shows where and how industrial agriculture is most sensitive to disruptions

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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kittisak Ajariyakhajorn from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Veterinary Science delivered a lecture to dairy farmers.

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Demand is growing for organic cotton in the U.S., but imports continue to pick up the slack of inadequate domestic production. A new project led by Texas A&M AgriLife Research aims to turn the situation around by identifying the challenges to and opportunities for U.S. organic cotton growers.

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Waterhemp, the aggressive weed threatening Corn Belt crop production, is throwing curveballs once again, according to researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The weed has famously developed resistance to not one or two, but seven herbicide sites-of-action classes, nearly exhausting the chemical tools farmers can use to defend their livelihood.

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Kale is considered particularly healthy due, among other things, to its high secondary plant compound content, including the glucosinolates that give the vegetable its typical cabbage flavour.

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Over the past decades, Brazil has become the world’s leading soybean producer, as well as the leading consumer of pesticides. Despite concerns about potential public health consequences, little is known about the effects of pesticide exposure in the general population.

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It has been just over a year since the Danforth Center acquired the 140-acre farm that became the home of the new Danforth Center Field Research Site. Located in St. Charles, this historic farm is being used as a space for scientists to develop field-based experiments to understand how crops interact with their environment.

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The challenges facing global food security and the livelihoods of smallholder farmers over the last year may at first appear insurmountable, yet IICI’s vital work continues to advance impactful agricultural innovations where they are needed most.

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Plants harness energy from sunlight and carbon dioxide through a process called photosynthesis which supports the generation of carbohydrates, proteins, and oils that are stored in seeds – like a kernel of corn, a soybean, or a grain of rice.

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We might think that, if you want to feed more people in areas with food insecurity, you can just grow more food. But it isn’t that simple.

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RUDN University agronomists and colleagues from Egypt, Kazakhstan, and Russia have found a way to mitigate the damage from soil salinity. To do that, they used not synthetic chemicals but completely harmless amino acids.

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To keep fruit from getting coated in fuzzy mold, researchers in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry report that compounds from sunflower stems could help. They suggest the food industry could use these natural compounds to protect against postharvest diseases.

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President Joe Biden announced Monday that the Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing Hub (iFAB) is among 31 designated Regional Innovation and Technology Hubs (Tech Hubs) by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) — recognizing Central Illinois as a globally competitive center for innovation and job creation in biomanufacturing.

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Read the latest research news on air pollution, nanoplastics, waterborne illnesses and more in the Pollution channel on Newswise.

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ST. LOUIS, MO, October 23, 2023 — Sustainable agricultural practices are necessary to mitigate climate change and produce more food, fiber, and renewable fuels. A promising new frontier in agriculture is to promote beneficial interactions with microbes as a sustainable mechanism of providing nutrients to crops.

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RUDN University ecologists showed how different soils can retain carbon. It will help organize land use in such a way as to increase the storage of carbon in the soil and reduce the volume of greenhouse gases

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Researchers from KIT and HeiGIT find that land use change can increase both food production and carbon storage capacity

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A bush foods garden cultivated in the heart of Barngala Country is hoping to grow cultural connectedness among young Aboriginal people in a move to positively affect their health and life trajectories.

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The delicate balance between nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in our environment, known as the N:P ratio, has long been understood in the context of nature and food. But a new study suggests that this balance might have far-reaching impacts on our health, influencing everything from the rise of certain cancers to the spread of infectious diseases like malaria and Zika.

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Huge quantities of mung bean starch production result in ecological pollution and protein resource wastage. In response, scientists have devised a solution: MBP-Ca, an efficient calcium supplement derived from mung beans.

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Research led by the University of New Hampshire took a closer look at what would happen to agriculture if there was an extra cost, or so-called social cost, added to fossil fuels, which are essential for making fertilizer used in farming.

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RUDN University ecologists have shown how urban growth leads to an increase in the temperature of the surface. Sealing the soil in asphalt and concrete prevents it from cooling and equalizing the temperature.

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RUDN University agronomists have shown that the hormone melatonin and the mineral zeolite mitigate the dangerous effects of heavy metals on plants. The first protects cells from destruction by cadmium, and the second increases nutrient availability and prevents the absorption of hazardous metals into the plant. The study was carried out on bamboo.

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Nanozymes are synthetic materials that mimic the properties of natural enzymes for applications in biomedicine and chemical engineering. They are generally considered too toxic and expensive for use in agriculture and food science.

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A multiyear analysis tested whether management zone maps based on soil conditions, topography or other landscape features can reliably predict which parts of a cornfield will respond best to higher rates of seeding or nitrogen application.

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With autumn in full swing, pumpkins are flying off store shelves and into homes for carving. Those who are putting jack-o-lanterns out for display may be wondering how to preserve their pumpkins as long as possible.  “Pumpkins are very sensitive to temps below 45 degrees Fahrenheit,” said Virginia Cooperative Extension horticulture expert Ashley Edwards.

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RUDN University ecologists and colleagues from Algeria, Greece, Egypt, and Russia have determined the scale and causes of desertification in northern Algeria. The analysis was carried out using satellite images in different ranges. Over six years, the area of usable land has decreased by 1.5-9 times.

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Despite incentives to use just the right amount of nitrogen fertilizer on corn fields, official recommendations are broad and ideal rates vary widely. A state-funded Iowa State University research project is collecting data from trials across Iowa – mostly from fields of participating volunteer farmers – to build models that offer far more granular guidance.

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Michigan State University has harnessed its vast water research expertise to create the MSU Water Alliance. This will be a bridging organization among existing water science units on campus and among faculty with water expertise to address challenges, which are immense.

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One of the world’s largest crop pathogen surveillance systems is set to expand its capacity to protect wheat productivity in food vulnerable areas of East Africa and South Asia.

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A new study of the microbial ecosystem in sourdough finds that using different types of flour fosters distinct bacterial communities, and that these differences contribute to the variation of sourdough aromas and flavors.

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A new paper in the Annals of Botany, published by Oxford University Press, reveals that researchers have found unaltered agave plant species cultivated by several early cultures including the Hohokam people, a large Native American group in the Southwest that existed between 300 and 1500 CE.

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Ateam from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the USDA Agricultural Research Service has used SIF to measure the effects of elevated ozone (O3) on soybean plants.

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Initiative aims to strengthen partnerships with Latin America to produce healthier and more sustainable food for people and the planet

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The Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) developed a group of platforms called TerraForms to provide users with an avenue for investigating hydrobiogeochemical processes.

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University of Illinois anthropology professor Lisa Lucero argues in a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that ancient Maya reservoirs, which used aquatic plants to filter and clean the water, “can serve as archetypes for natural, sustainable water systems to address future water needs.” The Maya built and maintained reservoirs that were in use for more than 1,000 years, providing potable water for thousands to tens of thousands of people in cities during the annual, five-month dry season and in periods of prolonged drought.

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With the Alliance to Advance Climate-Smart Agriculture, which is now underway, Virginia Tech's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences will distribute more than $57 million of the largest grant in the university’s history to producers to enact climate-friendly practices and serve as a pilot program for a national model.