Agriculture News and Research

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New method boosts the extraction of vegetable oil from plants

Vegetable oils provide significant health benefits, like reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and lowering cholesterol levels.

18 Dec 2020

Studies examine greenhouse gas emissions and forest degradation

Land use and land-use change are thought to be responsible for about 23% of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.

17 Dec 2020

No-meat diet will not solve climate crisis, says environmental scientist

People in industrialized regions like the United States of America or Europe are generally urged to eat less meat and animal-source foods as part of a healthier and lower-emissions diet.

17 Dec 2020

Study investigates the role of soil and root microbes in Huanglongbing disease

A UC Riverside-led team is looking at tiny underground microorganisms for a way to prevent a huge problem -- Huanglongbing, a disease for which there is no cure that has decimated citrus orchards worldwide.

17 Dec 2020

Scientists recommend systematic approach to protect biodiversity in agricultural landscape

The biodiversity in Germany's agricultural landscape has declined considerably in recent years, even in nature reserves.

16 Dec 2020

Study: Eating avocado as part of daily diet can help improve gut health

Eating avocado as part of your daily diet can help improve gut health, a new study from University of Illinois shows. Avocados are a healthy food that is high in dietary fiber and monounsaturated fat. However, it was not clear how avocados impact the microbes in the gastrointestinal system or "gut."

16 Dec 2020

Tepary beans are identified as a prospective forage and cover crop

Agriculture accounts for more than a third of water use in the United States. In drier parts of the country, like the southwestern U.S., that fraction can be much higher. For example, more than 75% of New Mexico's water use is for agriculture.

16 Dec 2020

New electrochemical technology helps produce ammonia-based fertilizer from urea

Self-sufficiency in waste management and food cultivation is very important from the perspective of upcoming societies, particularly in highly closed surroundings, like a space station. However, there is still a dearth of technology to realize this dream.

15 Dec 2020

Researchers find link between BCO1 enzyme and bad cholesterol level

Carrots are a good source of beta-carotene, which is a precursor of vitamin A. But to get the full health benefits of this superfood, you need an active enzyme to produce this vitamin.

14 Dec 2020

Researchers analyze oxo-degradable and biodegradable plastics

The use of plastic mulch (plastic covering on crop lines) is a widespread technique used in agricultural regions in order to increase the profitability of the crops. According to the European Commission, 100,000 tonnes of plastic mulch was used per year in the European Union in 2016.

11 Dec 2020

New portable optical sensor can monitor plant stress

The portable device allows rapid detection of nitrogen deficiency - a critical nutrient for plant health. When tested on popular vegetables such as Spinach and Kai-Lan, the device was also able to detect levels of other metabolites; allowing measurement of a wider range of plant stress phenotypes such as drought, heat/cold, saline, and light stress.

11 Dec 2020

Researchers analyze processes that determine the fate of excess nitrogen in soil.

Nutrient contamination of groundwater as a result of nitrogen-based fertilizers is a problem in many places in Europe.

10 Dec 2020

Tight arrangement between root endodermis and microbiome maintains mineral balance in plants

In a similar way to animal guts and the intestinal epithelium, plant roots are in charge of absorbing nutrients and water and of its subsequent transport to the vascular systems.

10 Dec 2020

Glyphosate could be used as biomarkers to predict incurring diseases in future generations

Exposure to the widely used weed-killer glyphosate makes genetic changes to rats that can be linked to increased disease in their grandchildren and great-grandchildren, a new study has found.

10 Dec 2020

Study shows temporal crop diversity is a key factor in securing agricultural production

Securing food supplies around the globe is a major challenge facing humanity, especially in light of the predicted increase in the world's population to almost ten billion people by 2050 and the effects of climate change.

10 Dec 2020

Certain bacteria work together with plants to reduce drought stress

Drought stress has been a major roadblock in crop success, and this obstacle will not disappear anytime soon. Luckily, a dynamic duo like Batman and Robin, certain root-associated microbes and the plants they inhabit, are here to help.

9 Dec 2020

CABI and COLEACP sign agreement to strengthen global food security

CABI and COLEACP have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together on key areas of interest concerning sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures around the world.

8 Dec 2020

Researchers use wheat starch hydrogels to produce food by 3D printing

It is already possible to produce food with a 3D printer, potentially delivering products that suit consumer preferences regarding taste, texture, cost, convenience, and nutrition.

4 Dec 2020

Plant amyloids could improve nutritional value of plant seeds, reduce allergenicity of legume seeds

Thanks to this work, as the journal Trends in Plant Science recently noted, it is now known that functional amyloids serve biological functions in representatives of almost all large groups of living organisms: bacteria, archaea, animals, fungi, and plants.

3 Dec 2020