Agriculture News and Research

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Genetic Cluster Could Switch Bad Fungi Into the Good Guys

Fruit and vegetable storage life can be significantly impacted by mold and fungi-based diseases. Some fungi, however, help their hosts by promoting plant survival.

7 Sep 2023

Diversified Farms Can Support Forest-Dependent Bird Populations

Forests appear to provide better habitat for forest-dwelling wildlife than farms. Despite this, Stanford researchers discovered in one of the world’s longest-running studies of tropical wildlife populations that, over 18 years, smaller farms with widely different crop types interspersed with patches or ribbons of forest preserve many forest-dependent bird populations in Costa Rica, even as forest populations decline.

5 Sep 2023

Novel Genotyping Method Reveals New Insights into Lettuce Genomics

A consortium of European investigators used SPET for the first time in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) as part of the European Evaluation Network (EVA) of the European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources (ECPGR), with the goal of studying its genetic diversity and identifying genomic regions that underpin agronomically important traits.

31 Aug 2023

Titanium Micro-Spikes Skewer Resistant Superbugs

A new study suggests rough surfaces inspired by the bacteria-killing spikes on insect wings may be more effective at combatting drug-resistant superbugs, including fungus, than previously understood.

30 Aug 2023

Fungi-Inoculated Oilseed Rape Plants Show Increased Flavonoid Biosynthesis

Researchers inoculated oilseed rape plants with a species of fungus that is known for its ability to combat pest insects.

29 Aug 2023

A Newly Discovered Plant Gene that Helps Make Apiin: The Search Ends Here

Apiin, a natural compound found in high amounts in parsley and celery, is thought to have important medicinal properties.

24 Aug 2023

Hard Yacca: Grass Skirts are a Life Saver for Many Animals, but Fire and Disease Threaten Their Survival

Australia’s iconic grass-trees – aka yaccas – are hardy, drought-tolerant, and strikingly beautiful. Now, new research has revealed another, far more important, feature: their ability to protect wildlife from deadly weather extremes.

22 Aug 2023

The Prevalence of Fibrinogen Aα-Chain Amyloidosis in Japanese Squirrels

Fibrinogen Aα-chain amyloidosis, a condition previously unknown in animals other than humans, has been shown to be extremely common in Japanese squirrels (Sciurus lis), according to a study conducted by Dr Tomoaki Murakami of the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology.

21 Aug 2023

Insect Farming, the New Approach to Agritech Sustainability

We speak to Larry Kotch from Flybox about how their insect farming-fueled products hope to create a sustainable solution to agricultural waste.

17 Aug 2023

Bivalves' Adaptability Makes Them Less Prone to Extinction

In a new study, scientists Stewart Edie of the Smithsonian, Shan Huang of the University of Birmingham and colleagues drastically expanded the list of bivalve species, such as clams, oysters, mussels, scallops and their relatives, that humans are known to harvest and identified the traits that make these species prime targets for harvesting.

17 Aug 2023

Animal Protein More Metabolically Responsive Than Plant Protein in Young and Older Adults, Study Finds

Protein from two ounce-equivalents (oz-eq) of animal-based protein foods provides greater essential amino acids (EAA) bioavailability than an equal two oz-eq of plant-based protein foods, according to scientists at Purdue University.

16 Aug 2023

AI-Powered Speed Breeding Could Revolutionize Agriculture

Artificial intelligence could hold the key to feeding 10 billion people by 2050 in the face of climate change and rapidly evolving pests and pathogens according to researchers at The University of Queensland.

16 Aug 2023

Deciphering Buckwheat’s Genome to Improve Crop Yields

The high-precision chromosomal-level genome sequence of buckwheat has been decoded by a research group led by Kyoto University’s Graduate School of Agriculture, which is an important step toward unraveling the evolution of the buckwheat genome and the origins of the cultivated crop.

14 Aug 2023