Agriculture News and Research

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Volatile signal in plants activates defense and inhibits growth processes

An international research team has performed a new study that revealed that Arabidopsis thaliana plants create beta-cyclocitral when attacked by herbivores.

10 Mar 2021

Study identifies genes responsible for peach's tolerance to stress

A Boyce Thompson Institute-led team has identified genes enabling peaches and their wild relatives to tolerate stressful conditions -- findings that could help the domesticated peach adapt to climate change.

10 Mar 2021

UMD awarded grant to explore nettle as a functional food for improving health

Obesity, diabetes, and overall immune system health are issues that are all top-of-mind right now, especially during the pandemic.

9 Mar 2021

Global atmospheric drying reduces productivity of both crops and non-crop plants

A global observation of an ongoing atmospheric drying -- known by scientists as a rise in vapor pressure deficit -- has been observed worldwide since the early 2000s.

9 Mar 2021

Cactus pear could provide biofuel as well as sustainable food and livestock feed

Could cactus pear become a major crop like soybeans and corn in the near future, and help provide a biofuel source, as well as a sustainable food and forage crop?

8 Mar 2021

Vegan diet leads to poorer bone health, shows study

The vegan diet is on-trend. How this type of diet affects health is the subject of scientific studies. In a new study from the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), the bone health of 36 vegans, as well as 36 people following a mixed-food diet, was determined with an ultrasound measurement of the heel bone.

5 Mar 2021

Managing invasive species is a better use of time, conservation resources than eliminating them

U of A biologist leads a new study on “functional eradication” to curtail numbers of invasive species based on achievable targets for preventing ecological damage.

5 Mar 2021

Pesticide residues can negatively impact organic farms for decades

Although the use of pesticides in agriculture is increasing, some farms have transitioned to organic practices and avoid applying them.

4 Mar 2021

Coastal communities reveal valuable approaches for adaptability, resilience to climate change

Coastal communities at the forefront of climate change reveal valuable approaches to foster adaptability and resilience, according to a worldwide analysis of small-scale fisheries by Stanford University researchers.

4 Mar 2021

Chickpea genetics reduce need for chemicals

In recent years, hummus has become a pop culture food phenomenon, drawing praises from dieticians for the health benefits and chefs for the flavor.

3 Mar 2021

Study assesses the effectiveness of agri-environmental schemes for biodiversity management

Due to modern agriculture, biodiversity across many species groups is in decline. Over the last three decades, attempts have been made to counteract this with agri-environmental schemes at various levels - from the national federal state to EU-wide programmes.

2 Mar 2021

CRISPR-Cas9 can safeguard future crops under stress from variable climate conditions

Gene editing technology will play a vital role in climate-proofing future crops to protect global food supplies, according to scientists at The University of Queensland.

2 Mar 2021

Study: Role of natural mosquito behavior on malaria transmission

Everyone knows 2 + 2 = 4, but what about mosquitoes plus malaria? Lauren Childs, an assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics at Virginia Tech, says there's an equation for that too.

25 Feb 2021

Environmental DNA can be used to measure genetic diversity of Pacific salmon, trout

Scientists at Oregon State University and the U.S. Forest Service have demonstrated that DNA extracted from water samples from rivers across Oregon and Northern California can be used to estimate genetic diversity of Pacific salmon and trout.

23 Feb 2021

Jumping genes are an important force in the creation of new genes during evolution, shows study

In the same way that Lego pieces can be arranged in new ways to build a variety of structures, genetic elements can be mixed and matched to create new genes, according to new research.

23 Feb 2021

Researchers use CRISPR to tinker with corn kernel numbers

Corn--or maize--has changed over thousands of years from weedy plants that make ears with less than a dozen kernels to the cobs packed with hundreds of juicy kernels that we see on farms today. Powerful DNA-editing techniques such as CRISPR can speed up that process.

23 Feb 2021

Study identifies 20 "hot spots of opportunity" for nitrogen reduction efforts

A pioneering study of U.S nitrogen use in agriculture has identified 20 places across the country where farmers, government, and citizens should target nitrogen reduction efforts.

18 Feb 2021

Study shows American plant could be beneficial for balanced, sustainable diet

Researchers have discovered a plant native to America could also be grown in the United Kingdom, bringing with it benefits for a sustainable and balanced diet.

16 Feb 2021

Invasive flies prefer to lay eggs in places that no other flies have visited

A recent study finds that the invasive spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) prefers to lay its eggs in places that no other spotted wing flies have visited. The finding raises questions about how the flies can tell whether a piece of fruit is virgin territory - and what that might mean for pest control.

16 Feb 2021

New platform allows scientists to study hydrogels' hidden workings in soils

In research that may eventually help crops survive drought, scientists at Princeton University have uncovered a key reason that mixing material called hydrogels with soil has sometimes proven disappointing for farmers.

15 Feb 2021

Agriculture News and Research

Volatile signal in plants activates defense and inhibits growth processes

Study identifies genes responsible for peach's tolerance to stress

UMD awarded grant to explore nettle as a functional food for improving health

Global atmospheric drying reduces productivity of both crops and non-crop plants

Cactus pear could provide biofuel as well as sustainable food and livestock feed

Vegan diet leads to poorer bone health, shows study

Managing invasive species is a better use of time, conservation resources than eliminating them

Pesticide residues can negatively impact organic farms for decades

Coastal communities reveal valuable approaches for adaptability, resilience to climate change

Chickpea genetics reduce need for chemicals

Study assesses the effectiveness of agri-environmental schemes for biodiversity management

CRISPR-Cas9 can safeguard future crops under stress from variable climate conditions

Study: Role of natural mosquito behavior on malaria transmission

Environmental DNA can be used to measure genetic diversity of Pacific salmon, trout

Jumping genes are an important force in the creation of new genes during evolution, shows study

Researchers use CRISPR to tinker with corn kernel numbers

Study identifies 20 "hot spots of opportunity" for nitrogen reduction efforts

Study shows American plant could be beneficial for balanced, sustainable diet

Invasive flies prefer to lay eggs in places that no other flies have visited

New platform allows scientists to study hydrogels' hidden workings in soils

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