https://phys.org/biology-news/agriculture en-us Agriculture, livestock, farming and food processing news As a result of climate change, the Golden State's farms are expected to face a surge in agricultural pests, which poses a threat to California's specialty crops industry. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-climate-surge-insects-almonds-peaches.html Ecology Agriculture Fri, 01 Dec 2023 09:06:27 EST news620643983 When it comes to studying patterns in how bugs damage plants, is it important to know the average amount and type of damage? Or the variation around the average? https://phys.org/news/2023-12-key-patterns.html Plants & Animals Agriculture Fri, 01 Dec 2023 08:33:04 EST news620641982 Maize is one of the world's most widely grown crops. It is used for both human and animal foods and holds great cultural significance, especially for indigenous peoples in the Americas. Yet despite its importance, the origins of the grain have been hotly debated for more than a century. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-modern-maize-hybrid-years-mexico.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Thu, 30 Nov 2023 14:00:02 EST news620561475 A team of U of T Scarborough researchers have discovered that the waxy protective barrier around plants might play a role in sending chemical signals to other plants and insects. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-waxy-surface-key-stronger-crops.html Cell & Microbiology Agriculture Thu, 30 Nov 2023 12:05:48 EST news620568346 Agriculture, like other sectors of the economy, is a profit-driven business. Simple cultivation systems such as monocultures have therefore become firmly established, because they promise higher returns. However, they are more susceptible to diseases and parasites, which can cause total crop failure among other things. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-world-suitable-diversified-farming-sustainable.html Ecology Agriculture Thu, 30 Nov 2023 09:56:03 EST news620560561 Farmland often harbors a multitude of pathogens which attack plants and reduce yields. A Swiss research team has now shown that inoculating the soil with mycorrhizal fungi can help maintain or even improve yields without using additional fertilizers or pesticides. In a large-scale field trial, plant yield increased by up to 40%. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-inoculating-soil-mycorrhizal-fungi-yield.html Ecology Agriculture Wed, 29 Nov 2023 12:52:39 EST news620484756 Many people are keen on making healthy as well as sustainable food choices, and they often intuitively equate "healthy" with being "sustainable." A study by researchers at the University of Konstanz, the Johannes Kepler University Linz, and the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences focuses on whether or not this perception corresponds to reality. It has just been published in the journal PLOS Sustainability and Transformation. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-healthy-foods-automatically-sustainable.html Plants & Animals Agriculture Wed, 29 Nov 2023 11:34:03 EST news620480041 A new study has confirmed that pesticides, commonly used in farmland, significantly harm bumblebees—one of the most important wild pollinators. In a huge study spanning 106 sites across eight European countries, researchers have shown that despite tightened pesticide regulations, far more needs to be done. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-bees-tightened-pesticide.html Ecology Agriculture Wed, 29 Nov 2023 11:00:01 EST news620476151 Mimicking sugar structures in plants plays a crucial role in the development of effective vaccines against the stomach worm Ostertagia ostertagi. This has been demonstrated by Ruud Wilbers of Wageningen University & Research (WUR) together with researchers from Ghent University and Leiden University Medical Center with a proof-of-concept study. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-effective-vaccine-cow-parasite-modification.html Veterinary medicine Agriculture Tue, 28 Nov 2023 17:09:04 EST news620413741 The slash-and-burn agriculture practiced by many Indigenous societies across the world can actually have a positive impact on forests, according to a new study done in Belize. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-slash-and-burn-agriculture-forest-biodiversity.html Ecology Agriculture Tue, 28 Nov 2023 11:56:04 EST news620394961 Animal agriculture is responsible for considerable environmental burden, and a key contributor to climate change. Meat alternatives are increasingly understood as potential solutions to decreasing this burden by enabling a shift away from conventional models of production and consumption of animal-derived foods. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-sustainable-food-production-consumption-exploring.html Agriculture Tue, 28 Nov 2023 11:14:31 EST news620392469 In a study published in Current Biology, researchers have reported the identification of key genes controlling shoot molybdenum concentrations in soybeans and have unlocked the mystery of how molybdenum fertilizer boosts soybean yield. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-molybdate-genes-soybean-yield.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Fri, 24 Nov 2023 11:17:03 EST news620047021 Quinoa and many other extremely resilient plants are covered with strange balloon-like "bladders" that for 127 years were believed to be responsible for protecting them from drought and salt. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-quinoa-year-old-theory-odd-balloons.html Plants & Animals Agriculture Wed, 22 Nov 2023 11:08:04 EST news619873681 Researchers have invented a new kind of artificial seed to sense environmental parameters without impacting the health of the environment. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-eco-friendly-fluorescent-artificial-seed-soil.html Biotechnology Agriculture Tue, 21 Nov 2023 17:11:29 EST news619809085 A new software tool with enhanced genome-sequencing powers has been developed by the University of Adelaide, increasing the speed and accuracy at which researchers can improve plants through breeding. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-software-genome-sequencing-powers.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Tue, 21 Nov 2023 11:53:03 EST news619789982 Bacteria that benefit plants are thought to be a critical contributor to crops and other ecosystems, but climate change may reduce their numbers, according to a new study by an international team of researchers. They have published their findings in Nature Food. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-climate-change-driven-reduction-beneficial-microbes.html Cell & Microbiology Agriculture Tue, 21 Nov 2023 09:38:04 EST news619781881 Farmers add calcium to their soil for many reasons related to increasing crop yields—including regulating pH and improving soil structure. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-adding-calcium-soils-carbon.html Ecology Agriculture Mon, 20 Nov 2023 12:12:04 EST news619704722 When winter comes to Japan, fishermen in the northern regions set out to capture one of the most anticipated seasonal delicacies: the horsehair crab. Known locally as "kegani" and bearing the scientific name Erimacrus isenbeckii, this species of crustacean is highly sought after throughout the country. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-ai-powered-crab-gender-identification-revolutionizing.html Ecology Agriculture Mon, 20 Nov 2023 10:48:06 EST news619699683 Researchers hoping to rebrand a marine pest as a nutritious food have developed the world's first system of farming shipworms, which they have renamed "Naked Clams." These long, white saltwater clams are the world's fastest-growing bivalve and can reach 30cm long in just six months. They do this by burrowing into waste wood and converting it into highly-nutritious protein. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-naked-clams-aquaculture-marine-pest.html Plants & Animals Agriculture Mon, 20 Nov 2023 05:00:01 EST news619436380 Industrialized farming relies heavily on outside inputs, like synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, machinery, seeds, and animal feed. A study published in Nature Food predicts how much yield would be lost from "input shocks" that disrupt these supplies. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-global-food-production.html Agriculture Fri, 17 Nov 2023 10:05:03 EST news619437902 New research from the University of Oxford has revealed that bumblebees cannot taste pesticides present in nectar, even at lethal concentrations. This means bumblebees are not able to avoid contaminated nectar, putting them at high risk of pesticide exposure and posing a threat to crop pollination. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-reveals-bees-lethal-pesticides.html Plants & Animals Agriculture Thu, 16 Nov 2023 10:23:03 EST news619352581 Cannabinoids, naturally occurring compounds found in hemp plants, may have evolved to deter pests from chewing on them, according to experiments that showed higher cannabinoid concentrations in hemp leaves led to proportionately less damage from insect larvae. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-hemp-cannabinoids-evolved-deter-insect.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Wed, 15 Nov 2023 15:47:04 EST news619285621 Production of chemical fertilizers accounts for about 1.5% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. MIT chemists hope to help reduce that carbon footprint by replacing some chemical fertilizer with a more sustainable source—bacteria. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-microbes-chemical-fertilizers.html Biotechnology Agriculture Wed, 15 Nov 2023 09:37:00 EST news619263414 An unexpected genetic discovery in wheat has led to opportunities for the metabolic engineering of versatile compounds with the potential to improve its nutritional qualities and resilience to disease. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-genetic-discovery-bioengineering-opportunities-human.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Tue, 14 Nov 2023 12:08:07 EST news619186082 Ozone (O3) in the troposphere negatively impacts crop growth and development, causing significant decreases in crop yield worldwide. This airborne pollutant does not come directly from smokestacks or vehicles but instead is formed when other pollutants, mainly nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, react in the presence of sunlight. In an increasingly polluted atmosphere, understanding what plants are tolerant of O3 is critical to improving crop productivity and resilience. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-crops-sensitive-ozone-pollution.html Plants & Animals Agriculture Mon, 13 Nov 2023 12:25:03 EST news619100701 An analysis of beeswax in managed honeybee hives in New York found a wide variety of pesticide, herbicide and fungicide residues—exposing current and future generations of bees to long-term toxicity. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-pesticides-herbicides-fungicides-york-state.html Ecology Agriculture Thu, 09 Nov 2023 15:49:04 EST news618767342 Silicon (Si) is abundant in terrestrial environments and accounts for 0.1% to 10% of a plant's dry weight. Certain plant species show high levels of Si accumulation, and research has identified high Si accumulation as a protective mechanism against abiotic (drought, cold, heat) and biotic stressors (living organisms). https://phys.org/news/2023-11-silicon-yield-rice.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Wed, 08 Nov 2023 11:45:03 EST news618666301 Photosynthesis is one of the most important metabolic processes in nature: It is critical for plant growth and thus for the production of plant-based foods. In close cooperation with the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology (MPI-MP), a German-American research team headed by Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) has now investigated whether a specific metabolic pathway in photosynthesis that competes with carbon fixation has a protective function for plants. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-photorespiration-fluctuating-conditions.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Tue, 07 Nov 2023 09:29:08 EST news618571744 Humans wouldn't last long without plant mitochondria and chloroplasts. These essential compartments of plant cells famously capture sunlight and power plant life—and so, ultimately, provide all the food we eat. But there's a problem: Mitochondria and chloroplasts store instructions for their building blocks in their own "organelle" DNA or oDNA—and this can get mutated. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-ingenious-defense-mutational.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Mon, 06 Nov 2023 09:50:24 EST news618486622 The upcoming daylight saving time "fall back" may be a drag for many people—but new research from Michigan State University scientists reveals that plants have found ways to cope. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-secret-surviving-shorter-days.html Plants & Animals Agriculture Fri, 03 Nov 2023 09:19:03 EDT news618221941