https://phys.org/biology-news/agriculture en-us Agriculture, livestock, farming and food processing news As much of the world prepares for hotter and drier growing seasons as the result of climate change, a research team led by University of Nevada, Reno researchers has identified several varieties of cactus pear that are particularly well-suited to producing biomass for fuels production. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-focuses-cactus-pear-biofuel-production.html Plants & Animals Agriculture Fri, 21 Jun 2024 06:11:54 EDT news638169094 In the pampas, Argentina's vast and fertile grasslands outside Buenos Aires, grain silos overflow with this year's harvest—but nobody is selling just yet. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-argentina-surplus-harvest-farmers-milei.html Agriculture Fri, 21 Jun 2024 03:54:26 EDT news638160859 Gala is a major apple cultivar grown worldwide that is mostly planted as red sports (genetic mutation), such as Royal, Brookfield, Fulford, and Galaxy. The red sports tend to have similar maturation profiles, but they allow earlier harvests and strip picking, which is not recommended for the original Gala or lower-colored sports. Although Gala fruit are harvested early relative to typical long-term storage cultivars such as Red Delicious, Granny Smith, and Fuji, they are often stored long-term under controlled atmosphere conditions. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-gala-apples-cold-ethylene-impacted.html Plants & Animals Agriculture Thu, 20 Jun 2024 16:20:06 EDT news638119202 Researchers at the University of Hannover have uncovered new insights into the mode of action of calcium in the reduction of macrocracking in sweet cherry fruit. The findings shed light on the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon, offering significant implications for cherry growers and the fruit industry at large. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-calcium-macrocracking-sweet-cherries.html Plants & Animals Agriculture Thu, 20 Jun 2024 15:45:31 EDT news638117127 Sustainability is a hot topic in just about every field that engages with the environment, including agriculture. An interdisciplinary group of researchers in UConn's College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources has published a paper outlining the current state of sustainable food production research in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Research. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-greening-food-chain-sustainable-interdisciplinary.html Agriculture Thu, 20 Jun 2024 14:17:02 EDT news638111821 Waterlogged conditions, a consequence of heavy rainfall or inadequate drainage, disproportionately affect crops with delicate root systems like cucumbers. These conditions not only impede root respiration and plant development but also threaten agricultural productivity on a global scale. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-uncovers-genetic-key-stress-cucumbers.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Thu, 20 Jun 2024 12:03:03 EDT news638103782 Understanding the genetic mechanisms behind leaf development is crucial for improving crop yields and resilience. In Chinese cabbage, the formation of leafy heads involves complex gene interactions that determine leaf shape and orientation. Despite progress in model plants like Arabidopsis, the molecular basis of these processes in Brassica species remains less clear. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-transcriptomic-insights-chinese-cabbage-unique.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Thu, 20 Jun 2024 11:59:02 EDT news638103541 The soaring demand for avocados in Europe and North America has led to a trebling of global production in just over 20 years. However, this popular fruit is increasingly controversial because of the environmental impacts of farming and distributing them around the world. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-avocados-bad-environment.html Ecology Agriculture Thu, 20 Jun 2024 11:20:02 EDT news638099468 Purdue University researchers are introducing a new biosensor technology to the agricultural industry inspired by advancements achieved during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-paper-based-biosensor-fast-easy.html Biotechnology Agriculture Thu, 20 Jun 2024 10:48:58 EDT news638099332 Amino acids are vital for plant growth and significantly influence tea flavor and health benefits. Tea plants, particularly Camellia sinensis, exhibit unique amino acid profiles that contribute to their distinctive taste and nutritional value. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-tea-leaf-secret-decoding-amino.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Thu, 20 Jun 2024 09:41:03 EDT news638095262 A demonstration of how new technologies can be used in 21st century crop breeding comes from just published research that combines laser scanning and 3D printing to create a detailed 3D model of a sugar beet plant. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-crops-laser-3d.html Biotechnology Agriculture Wed, 19 Jun 2024 20:00:01 EDT news638018983 Attitudes towards healthy diets could see insect proteins, including crickets, locusts, and grasshoppers becoming part of a more "flexitarian diet" in 2054, say researchers. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-lab-grown-burgers-cricket-salads.html Biotechnology Agriculture Wed, 19 Jun 2024 13:33:24 EDT news638022802 A river in the foothills of the Himalayas separates tigers and farmers and nurtures both wildlife and agriculture. But now that the river is drying up, conflicts between the two are increasing, endangering the habitat of both. River scientist Kshitiz Gautam is looking for ways to restore the balance between man and nature. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-boundary-farmers-tigers-himalayas.html Ecology Agriculture Wed, 19 Jun 2024 13:26:04 EDT news638022361 An important breakthrough in efforts to halt the advance of wheat blast, an emerging threat to international food security, has come from a surprising source. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-unexpected-source-global-wheat-blast.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Wed, 19 Jun 2024 12:29:03 EDT news638018941 A multi-institutional study led by University of Illinois and Agroecosystem Sustainability Center (ASC) scientists concluded that, although soil moisture varies significantly both within a single field and from field to field due to varying soil properties and different management practices, soil moisture distribution relative to the field average remains consistent across time within each field. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-reveals-stable-soil-moisture-variability.html Agriculture Wed, 19 Jun 2024 12:22:04 EDT news638018521 The only howl I heard on a recent walk across the Garron plateau in the Glens of Antrim, Northern Ireland, was from a bitter, biting wind. But 300 years ago, the howls would most definitely have been lupine: This place was home to one of the last wolves in what is now the UK. The species clung on in other parts of Ireland until the late 18th century. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-farmers-reveal-reintroducing-lynx-wolves.html Ecology Agriculture Wed, 19 Jun 2024 12:02:04 EDT news638017321 Pearl millet, an annual grass used for grain and forage, can be a good food source for honey bees and hover flies, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Entomological Science. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-pearl-millet-honey-bees-pollinators.html Ecology Agriculture Wed, 19 Jun 2024 10:38:21 EDT news638012292 As detrimental as viruses may sound, they can be helping hands for farmers when it comes to dealing with plant pathogens. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-mycoviruses-fungicide-effectiveness-pathogens.html Cell & Microbiology Agriculture Wed, 19 Jun 2024 10:07:04 EDT news638010422 A new study led by the Virginia Tech's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences reveals that market-ready steers can maintain meat quality and yield even when fed lower-cost, low-input maintenance diets for longer periods than previously understood. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-reveals-ready-beef-cattle-meat.html Agriculture Wed, 19 Jun 2024 08:53:28 EDT news638006003 When trees and livestock compete for land, the trees usually lose. It doesn't have to be this way. But centrally designed plans to implement tree-livestock coexistence in deforested areas don't always work on faraway farmland. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-women-sustainable-livestock-farming-bordering.html Ecology Agriculture Tue, 18 Jun 2024 16:49:53 EDT news637948190 The rise of advanced artificial intelligence (edge AI) could well mark the beginning of a new era for sustainable agriculture. A recent study proposes a roadmap for integrating this technology into farming practices. The aim? To improve the efficiency, quality and safety of agricultural production, while addressing a range of environmental, social and economic challenges. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-roadmap-edge-ai-farming.html Biotechnology Agriculture Tue, 18 Jun 2024 11:14:03 EDT news637928041 A research team has found that field populations of the thrips Megalurothrips usitatus and Thrips palmi in China have developed high resistance to multiple insecticides, presenting significant control challenges. By utilizing ultraviolet-absorbing film in greenhouses (Uva-FG), they achieved over 96% control efficiency and increased crop yields for cowpea and Hami melon. This research highlights the potential of leveraging thrips' visual systems as an environmentally friendly control method, laying the foundation for future applications in sustainable agriculture. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-ultraviolet-absorbing-insecticide-resistant-thrips.html Biotechnology Agriculture Mon, 17 Jun 2024 16:29:03 EDT news637860541 Researchers at the University of Bonn have developed software that can simulate the growth of field crops. To do this, they fed thousands of photos from field experiments into a learning algorithm. This enabled the algorithm to learn how to visualize the future development of cultivated plants based on a single initial image. Using the images created during this process, parameters such as leaf area or yield can be estimated accurately. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-ai-field-crops-software-simulate.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Mon, 17 Jun 2024 16:24:04 EDT news637860241 African Swine Fever (ASF) poses a grave threat to the swine industry, with the virus causing severe economic and agricultural disruptions since its emergence in China in 2018. The disease, transmitted by the African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV), has become endemic with a high mortality rate nearing 100%. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-ancient-remedies-modern-woes-traditional.html Veterinary medicine Agriculture Mon, 17 Jun 2024 15:59:59 EDT news637858795 Smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa tend to use very small amounts of fertilizer, limiting their crop productivity. A 2016 intervention in Tanzania increased farmers' fertilizer use and their crop yields. However, a follow-up study from an international team of researchers has found that the 2016 effects proved temporary, and farmers have since reverted to baseline low rates of fertilizer use and low crop yields. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-tanzania-fertilizer-intervention-sustained.html Agriculture Mon, 17 Jun 2024 15:51:36 EDT news637858291 Rubus rosaefolius, a red raspberry, is valued for its nutritional and medicinal properties, containing bioactive compounds like anthocyanins. Despite its potential, there is limited genomic information available. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-unveil-high-quality-genome-rubus.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Mon, 17 Jun 2024 14:20:24 EDT news637852816 Drought stress poses a significant challenge to plant survival, affecting growth and productivity. Transcription factors, particularly NAC proteins, play vital roles in plant responses to abiotic stress. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-phosphorylation-molecular-key-birch-trees.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Mon, 17 Jun 2024 14:19:03 EDT news637852741 A decade-long collaborative study has discovered huge genetic potential that is untapped in modern wheat varieties. The international study which appears in Nature reveals that at least 60% of the genetic diversity found in a historic collection of wheat is unused, providing an unprecedented opportunity to improve modern wheat and sustainably feed a growing global population. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-hidden-genetic-treasure-uncovers-untapped.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Mon, 17 Jun 2024 11:53:05 EDT news637843982 In a small laboratory in Seoul, a team of South Korean scientists are injecting cultured beef cells into individual grains of rice, in a process they hope could revolutionize how the world eats. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-meaty-rice-south-korean-professor.html Biotechnology Agriculture Mon, 17 Jun 2024 04:15:59 EDT news637816549 In the U.S., as farmers wrestle with extreme heat and drought, heavy rainfall and flooding, and erosion—all factors of climate change which can take a toll on crops—there's been a lot of buzz over regenerative agriculture over the past few years, as big agriculture companies promise opportunities to make money from "carbon farming" while also improving soil health. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-soil-health-yields-unexpected-benefits.html Agriculture Sat, 15 Jun 2024 03:13:02 EDT news637639967