An emerging swine virus, deadly to piglets, was first recognized in the United States in May. Researchers at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine have determined the evolution of the virus, which has already spread to at least 17 states.
Throughout his 43-year career, Cornell University plant breeder Ronnie Coffman has sown seeds of scientific and social change across continents and generations. Now his efforts are being recognized with the inaugural World Agriculture Prize, awarded by the Global Confederation of Higher Education Associations for Agricultural and Life Sciences (GCHERA), an organization that represents more than 600 universities worldwide.
Interdisciplinary standards needed for studying antibiotic resistance
Cornell University researchers have developed a microfluidic water sensor within a fingertip-sized silicon chip that is a hundred times more sensitive than current devices. The researchers are now completing soil tests and will soon test their design in plants, embedding their “lab on a chip” in the stems of grape vines, for example. They hope to mass produce the sensors for as little as $5 each. The new sensor will benefit crop growers, wine grape and other fruit growers, food processors and even concrete makers.
Increasing organic content, improving soil structure, important to urban growers
To most people, restoration of Florida’s Everglades means recovering and protecting the wetlands of south Florida. What many don’t realize is how intimately the fortunes of the southern Everglades are tied to central Florida’s Lake Okeechobee and lands even further north. Restoration of this northern Everglades ecosystem will be discussed at the ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Annual Meetings on Nov. 3-6 in Tampa, FL.
The global wheat industry sometimes loses as much as $1 billion a year because prolonged rainfall and high humidity contribute to grains germinating before they are fully mature. This phenomenon, known as pre-harvest sprouting or PHS, has such important economic repercussions for farmers around the world that scientists have been working on finding a solution to the problem for at least a couple of decades. Findings by a McGill team now suggest that the solution may lie not with genetics alone, but rather with a combination of genetic and epigenetic factors.
Mississippi has the dubious honor of having more documented glyphosate-resistant weed species than any other state. Mississippi State University scientists are leading the charge in the fight against glyphosate-resistant Italian ryegrass with a research-based plan of attack.
Mississippi State University researchers and Extension Service professionals are addressing the complex challenges of preserving the state’s water supply through several studies and outreach initiatives.
With limited water and an increasing number of people depending on it, water security is tenuous. But integrated water management plans using “blue,” “green,” and “gray” water can increase water security. At the annual meetings of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America on Nov. 3-6, 2013, speakers will address what those colors mean and why those waters are vital.
As more and more people recognize the importance of the wild relatives of crop plants to agriculture and food security, interest in cataloging and conserving these plants is building around the world. At the annual meetings of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America on Nov. 3-6, 2013, two speakers will describe the latest efforts to identify and protect the wild relatives of domesticated crop plants both in the United States and abroad.
Locust swarms may seem like a distant chapter from history, but these devastating insects still present a major threat in today’s world. A team of scientists from Arizona State, Colorado State, McGill and Yale universities are launching a new collaborative project to learn how human behavior, market forces and ecological systems interact over time to affect the outcomes of locust swarms.
The Brown Revolution-rebuilding soil ecology-is helping farmers feed communities. The methods restore land depleted from overuse, and are easily replicated in various geographic areas.
Antibiotic resistant (ABR) pathogens are an emerging, critical human health issue. ABR has been found in soils dating back for millennia. Current research illustrates the need for considering natural, background resistance in soils in any scientific study examining the effects of antibiotics on the environment.
Nationwide, thousands are sickened—some seriously—and many die after consuming mushrooms they picked in the wild that they did not know were poisonous. Rutgers experts explain how to keep people and animals safe.
Policymakers need to rethink the idea of promoting biofuels to protect the climate because the methods used to justify such policies are inherently flawed, according to a University of Michigan energy researcher.
Rice containing an overactive gene that makes it resistant to a common herbicide can pass that genetic trait to weedy rice, prompting powerful growth even without a weed-killer to trigger the modification benefit, new research shows.
Researchers from Virginia Tech, the Georg-August University of Gottingen, Germany, and the Jackson Laboratory of Bar Harbor, Maine, have used a special type of microscope to discover how “check valves” in wood cells control sap flow and protect trees when they are injured.
In light of their many benefits, urban gardens are popping up across the nation. But the challenges growers face must be understood and addressed if urban gardens are to become widespread and even profitable.
Researchers with Virginia Tech and the University of Florida undertook a study of diarrheal disease outbreaks in Botswana that relied only on the use of a simple questionnaire and existing hospital staff and infrastructure.
Some wild clones of social amoebas farm the bacteria they eat, but this is a losing strategy if nonfarming amoebas can steal the farmers’ crops. To make the strategy work, the farmers also carry bacteria that secrete chemicals that poison free riders. The work suggest farming is complex evolutionary adaptation that requires additional strategies, such as recruiting third parties, to effectively defend and privatize the crops, the Washington University in St. Louis scientists say.
The scientists responsible for four inventions that affect the lives of millions of people around the globe will be inducted into the highly prized scientific “Hall of Fame” today as the latest Heroes of Chemistry chosen by the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.
Wheat producers know that growing a healthy, high-yielding wheat crop takes skill and hard work. Quality drought-tolerant varieties that are resistant to pests and disease are important. And cooperation from Mother Nature in terms of temperature and precipitation doesn’t hurt, either. To quantify the impact of genetic improvement in wheat, disease and climate change over a 26-year period, a team of researchers at Kansas State University examined wheat variety yield data from Kansas performance tests, along with location-specific weather and disease data.
A new study from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center shows that community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs may be a feasible approach for providing fresh fruits and vegetables to under-resourced communities.
The world population is slated to reach nine billion by the year 2050 and with the demands of a growing population comes the need for a sustainable food supply. The August issue of Food Technology magazine published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) includes an article about the SAI Platform (Sustainable Agriculture Initiative), a global initiative helping food and drink companies achieve sustainable production and sourcing of raw agricultural materials.
A study focuses on future availability of groundwater in the High Plains Aquifer. It finds that if current irrigation trends continue, 69 percent of the groundwater stored in the aquifer will be depleted in 50 years.
The citrus flavor and aroma of grapefruit — already used in fruit juices, citrus-flavored beverages, and prestige perfumes and colognes — may be heading for a new use in battling mosquitoes, ticks, head lice and bedbugs thanks to a less expensive way of making large amounts of the once rare and pricey ingredient, a scientist said here today at the 246th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society.
Nature has provided the food industry with the perfect packages to imitate in the drive to embrace a new genre of sustainable packaging material, according to a presentation on the topic here today. Speaking at the 246th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, Sara Risch, Ph.D., said that new packaging materials must meet the criteria for being sustainable without sacrificing the security, freshness and visibility of the food inside.
A somber picture of the struggle against super-weeds emerged here today as scientists described the relentless spread of herbicide-resistant menaces like pigweed and horseweed that shrug off powerful herbicides and have forced farmers in some areas to return to hand-held hoes. The reports on herbicide resistance and its challenges to modern agriculture were part of a symposium at the 246th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society.
With millions of people tailoring their diets to include more healthful antioxidants — and these “polyphenols” getting tremendous attention among nutritionists, food scientists and physicians — the world’s largest scientific society today is holding a symposium on that topic today at the 246th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society.
The scientist who turned fresh-cut apple slices into a popular convenience food, available ready-to-eat in grocery stores, school cafeterias and fast-food restaurants, today described advances in keeping other foods fresh, flavorful, and safe for longer periods of time through the use of invisible, colorless, odorless, tasteless coatings. The overview of these edible films was part of the 246 National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.
Honey bees should be on everyone’s worry list, and not because of the risk of a nasty sting, an expert on the health of those beneficial insects said here today at the 246th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society. Despite years of intensive research, scientists do not understand the cause, nor can they provide remedies, for what is killing honey bees.
The first study under realistic field conditions has found reassuringly low levels of chemicals from pharmaceuticals and personal care products in crops irrigated with recycled sewage water, scientists reported here today at the 246th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.
How will emerging 21st century toxicity testing technologies impact agricultural products? How do they fit in the life cycle of discovery, regulatory registration and product defense or product stewardship? What’s the outlook for improved, science-informed hazard prediction and risk assessment? Those and other topics are on the agenda here today at a symposium during the 246th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.
The diets of people in North America shed almost 1.5 billion pounds of unhealthy saturated and trans fat over the last six years thanks to a new phase in the agricultural revolution, an expert said here today. In an interview before his address at the 246th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, Daniel Kittle, Ph.D., cited the achievement as part of an expanded mission for agricultural science and biotechnology.
Researchers have found and cloned a gene that prevents wheat from preharvest sprouting. The finding will to be most beneficial to white wheat production, which loses $1 billion annually.
After years of development and consumer testing as “NY1” and “NY2” Cornell University and New York Apple Growers have given the hottest new apples in the Empire State names worthy of their unique assets: SnapDragon and RubyFrost.
When it comes to carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the soil, recent research at Texas Tech University shows that the new materials do not affect the sorption of the toxic part of oil called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
Students and staff at Michigan Tech are tending a sustainable vegetable garden in a residence hall courtyard. They're doing it without chemicals, and they're putting garden-fresh produce on dining hall tables.
Teachers spent three weeks at Kansas State University learning inquiry, a form of teaching that will make science and agriculture more exciting so students will become interested at a young age.
Analyzing the maize trade among 217 nations suggests that if U.S. maize exports are disrupted due to environmental or other factors, supplies and food security in many nations could be jeopardized due to the bilateral nature of trade patterns.
The word "inflammation" typically has a negative connotation. Arthritis ... infection ... numerous maladies come to mind. But a Kansas State University researcher found that inflammation that occurs naturally in dairy cows the first few days after giving birth may play a surprisingly beneficial role in the complex process of going from late pregnancy to lactation.
With fewer than a dozen flowering plants out of 300,000 species accounting for 80 percent of humanity’s caloric intake, people need to tap unused plants to feed the world in the near future, claims Cornell University plant geneticist Susan McCouch in the Comment feature of the July 4 issue of Nature.
A new study found drug-resistant bacteria associated with livestock in the noses of industrial livestock workers in North Carolina but not in the noses of antibiotic-free livestock workers. The drug-resistant bacteria examined were Staphylococcus aureus, commonly known as “Staph,” which include the well-known bug MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).
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