Food and Agricultural Sciences News and Research

Latest Food and Agricultural Sciences News and Research

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

Plastics contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals that threaten human health, shows new report

Plastics contain and leach hazardous chemicals, including endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that threaten human health.

16 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

Toxic pollutants may be influencing wildlife disease spread, finds study

Exposure to toxic pollutants associated with human activities may be influencing the spread of infectious diseases in wildlife, according to a new study from the University of Georgia.

From University of Georgia 11 Dec 2020

Genetically modified tomato can provide a new source of Parkinson’s disease drug

L-DOPA is a drug used for treating Parkinson’s disease, and now researchers have created a tomato that is enriched with this drug. This innovation could lead to a new, inexpensive source of one of the most essential medicines in the world.

10 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

Study: Sous vide cooking increases the digestibility of beef protein

Once used to prepare cuisine in only the finest restaurants, sous vide is now making its way into home chefs' kitchens. French for "under vacuum," the technique involves vacuum sealing food in a plastic pouch and then slowly cooking it in warm water.

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 identify genes that determine the shelf life of flaxseed oil

Biologists have analyzed the genes that establish the composition of fatty acids in flaxseed oil and detected polymorphisms in six of those genes.

7 Dec 2020

Coastal protection provided by coral reefs will erode by end of century

According to a new study, the coastal protection presently provided by coral reefs will begin to deteriorate toward the end of the century, as the oceans acidify.

7 Dec 2020