Feature Channels: Agriculture

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The George Washington University has experts available to discuss the recently released report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

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Not only are pumpkins cool as a front porch decoration, they're healthy to eat, especially they're seeds.

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Scientists develop edge-of-field practices so growers can keep the early planting offered by the tile drains while protecting nearby streams–and the Gulf of Mexico–from nitrate contamination.

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Researchers from WVU have teamed up with collaborators at Lawrence Livermore National Lab to predict the future of these effects on Earth’s forest ecosystems and understand why soil under some tree species gain more carbon in response to nitrogen deposition than others.

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Sustainable intensification is an approach that aims to increase crop yields on existing agricultural land while minimizing the negative environmental pressures and impacts of agricultural systems. Scientists at the American Society of Agronomy and Crop Science Society annual meeting will present a special symposium, “Sustainable Intensification for Improved Food Production and Environmental Quality.”

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The state of Florida spent $365 million on springs’ restoration over the last seven years, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection. Given the value Florida puts on its springs, Xiang Bi led a study in which she and her colleagues wanted to estimate the recreational benefits for springs’ users.

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A team of West Virginia University researchers are investigating the impact of the Clean Air Act on soil and tree growth in the eastern U.S.

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An estimated three-quarters of the water used by farms, ranches and dairies in California originates as snow in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, but the future viability of that resource is projected to be at heightened risk due to global climate change.

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When is an autumn hay ride not a hay ride? The October 7th Sustainable, Secure Food blog explains the difference between hay and straw--and what you're really sitting on during those farm adventures.

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Water quality is threatened by a long history of fertilizer use on land, Canadian scientists find

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Crops being irrigated with an overhead irrigation system.10/03/2018By Jennifer MatthewsUNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Global sustainability is important now more than ever due to increasing urban populations and the resulting stress it can have on natural resources. But increased populations in cities may lead to greater efficiency, as a team of Penn State researchers discovered when they analyzed the water footprint of 65 mid- to large-sized U.

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A Rutgers University–New Brunswick-led team of researchers is calling for the creation of a global microbiota vault to protect the long-term health of humanity. Such a Noah’s Ark of beneficial germs would be gathered from human populations whose microbiomes are uncompromised by antibiotics, processed diets and other ill effects of modern society, which have contributed to a massive loss of microbial diversity and an accompanying rise in health problems. The human microbiome includes the trillions of microscopic organisms that live in and on our bodies, contributing to our health in a myriad of ways.

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Satellites and other remote technology are able to gather information as varied as soil moisture, crop yields, and growing conditions. How will this improve food security world-wide? The Special Session Symposium, “Advances in the Use of Earth Observations for Crop Modeling and Monitoring for Food Security,” will address the topic.

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Crop breeders are developing a biofortified wheat that could make proper nutrition easier.

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Sea lettuce, a fast-growing seaweed that spawns massive “green tides,” is a prolific thief, according to research that for the first time sequenced the genome of a green seaweed

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Farmers and agronomists must continue to focus on yield when creating their management plans, as the world’s population keeps growing. However, environmental quality–especially water and soil quality–deserve as much focus as yield. Scientists present their findings with this environmental focus in agriculture.

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Scientists from the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) and Cornell have boosted a carbon-craving enzyme called RuBisCO to turbocharge photosynthesis in corn. The discovery promises to be a key step in improving agricultural efficiency and yield, according to new research in Nature Plants, Oct. 1.

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CSUMB and the Grower-Shipper Association Foundation will host a forum entitled "The Farm of the Future: Agriculture Careers in Energy, Sustainability and Technology" October 3, 2018 at CSUMB.

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A new study makes it clear that the constant threat of crop parasites repeatedly pushed evolution in strikingly similar directions in ants, creating structures that helped the ants reinforce their partnership with bacteria.

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By combining genomics and gene editing, researchers have figured out how to rapidly bring a plant known as the groundcherry toward domestication.

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Formosan and Asian subterranean termites are responsible for most of the $32 billion in economic damage to structures worldwide, UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers say.

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At a time when changes to climate are expected to impact crop yields, UD scientists are part of an interdisciplinary team that will look to make crops more resilient to meet the demands of producing more food in climates with higher temperatures.

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Parking lots, sidewalks, streets, and rooftops: cities are full of water-shedding surfaces. The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) Oct. 1 Soils Matter blog explains why these surfaces are problematic, and how soil can be part of the answer.

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Nanoparticles derived from green mango peel could be the key to remediating oil sludge in contaminated soil according to new research from the University of South Australia.

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Pea aphids – a serious agricultural pest – have the ability to see and avoid a common, aphid-killing bacteria on plant leaves, according to a new Cornell study published Sept. 27 in Current Biology.

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“Regional Differences in Cover Crops” symposium will present latest research on cover crops' uses and potential impact.

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An important part of plant genetic resources is crop wild relatives. These are closely related to crop species but have not been domesticated by humans. These plant genetic materials and those who care for them are vital for human survival.

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Persistent weather conditions, including dry and wet spells, generally have increased in the United States, perhaps due to rapid Arctic warming, according to a Rutgers-led study. Persistent weather conditions can lead to weather extremes such as drought, heat waves, prolonged cold and storms that can cost millions of dollars in damage and disrupt societies and ecosystems, the study says.

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Sunflower pollen lowers pathogen infection rates and contributes to healthier bumble bee and honey bee colonies.

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Novozymes has joined the International Phytobiomes Alliance as a sponsoring partner, both organizations announced today.

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The American Society of Agronomy and Crop Science Society will hold their annual meeting Nov. 4-7, 2018, in Baltimore, MD. The theme of the meeting is “Enhancing Productivity in a Changing Climate.” The Canadian Society of Agronomy is also collaborating.

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The University of Florida’s pilot research program to explore the potential to grow industrial hemp across the state is advancing, with the engagement of an inaugural private partner. The initiative was supported and encouraged by the state but was not appropriated any funding. To move forward, the project needs sponsorships from private industry. Green Roads Inc. has invested $1.3 million to sponsor the first phase of the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences research program.

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Scientists identify new details of how a sugar-signaling molecule helps regulate oil production in plant cells. The work could point to new ways to engineer plants to produce substantial amounts of oil for use as biofuels or in the production of other oil-based products.

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There’s some wild plants afoot! A series of blog posts in Sustainable, Secure Food highlights the important role crop wild relatives, the wild and weedy cousins of domesticated crops, play in future food security.

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New opportunities such as seed production are leading to new research in the Texas A&M AgriLife Research high tunnel project near Bushland.

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University of Florida scientists are finding that by covering new citrus trees with mesh, they can keep disease-carrying insects from harming the plants. That could be a big step toward stemming the deadly citrus greening disease, UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers say.

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Coffee harvesting is often done with heavy machinery that can compact the soil. Additionally, up to 20% of coffee berries fall to the ground. Researchers brewed up a solution to restore soil and decrease the loss.

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The Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) is celebrating Crop Wild Relative Week September 22-29, 2018. The week features information on the benefits these wild cousins bring to today’s familiar crops.

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A system designed to protect citrus trees from the deadly greening disease withstood the ravaging winds of Hurricane Irma last year, University of Florida scientists say. With reinforcements installed after the storm, they’ll likely withstand even more dangerous storms. Using Citrus Under Protective Screening, or “CUPS,” growers can keep the Asian citrus psyllid away from their trees.

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Food production doesn’t have to be a victim of climate change. New research from Michigan State University suggests that crop yields and the global food supply chain can be preserved by harnessing the critical, and often overlooked, partner in food supply – soil.

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A Rutgers-led team has discovered how plants harness microbes in soil to get nutrients, a process that could be exploited to boost crop growth, fight weeds and slash the use of polluting fertilizers and herbicides.

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The newest offering from Cornell University’s grape breeders is a fruit that’s big, bold and comes with a towering history. Those factors led the grape’s breeders to name the new variety Everest Seedless, a nod to the celebrated Nepalese mountain, said Bruce Reisch, professor of horticulture in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and grape breeder with Cornell AgriTech in Geneva, New York.

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Informatics professor Ben Ruddell will leverage the datasets and methods they produced for FEWSION to map the water footprint of western agriculture and demonstrate the indirect effects caused by changes in snowmelt.

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A team of Iowa State University scientists is bridging the gap between engineering and farming by applying machine learning and mathematical modeling to perennial problems in agriculture. The project recently received a grant from the National Science Foundation.

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After supporting a season of growth, your garden soil deserves a rest! Soils Matter, Soil Science Society of America’s science-based blog, has tips for putting your garden to bed this fall.