Food and Agricultural Sciences News and Research

Latest Food and Agricultural Sciences News and Research

New technique gives reliable assessment of avocado fruit ripeness

A technique for measuring the ripeness of avocados could reduce waste by up to 10% and help fulfill consumer demand for ready-to-eat fruit.

12 May 2020

How Intensive Farming Could Increase the Risk of Epidemics

Professor Sam Sheppard speaks to AZoLifeSciences about his research on intensive farming and how it could increase the risk of epidemics.

From University of Bath 12 May 2020

Study uncovers how innate cellular system triggers defense response in plants

In nature, every species must be equipped with a strategy to be able to survive in response to danger. Plants, too, have innate systems that are triggered in response to a particular threat, such as insects feeding on them.

8 May 2020

Junk food consumed by U.S. adults is associated with inflammatory bowel disease

Foods like cookies, cheese, soda, and French fries are often present in the diets of U.S. adults suffering from inflammatory bowel disease.

7 May 2020

Study shows soil infiltration can stabilize desert soils

Soils found in deserts are quite different from those found in other places. An unusual environment exists when there are extreme temperatures, limited flora, and less amount of water.

7 May 2020

Potato Power: Spuds Serve High Quality Protein That's Good For Women's Muscle

Researchers have found that the potato, primarily known as a starchy vegetable, can be a source of high-quality protein that helps to maintain muscle.

7 May 2020

Scientists Revealed Usefulness Of Culinary Herbs

A group of scientists has developed a fast and cost-effective method of detecting and identifying bioactive compounds in samples such as plant extracts.

7 May 2020

More Berries, Apples And Tea May Have Protective Benefits Against Alzheimer's

Older adults who consumed small amounts of flavonoid-rich foods were two to four times more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

7 May 2020

Modeling Gas Diffusion In Aggregated Soils

Agricultural soils contribute to 16% of total Greenhouse gas emissions, particularly nitrous oxide (N2O).

7 May 2020

Fluorescent Technique Brings Aging Polymers To Light

Modern society relies on polymers, like polyethylene plastic, for a wide range of applications, from food containers to automobile parts to medical devices.

7 May 2020

Geneticists can induce "stress memory" in plants

By manipulating the expression of one gene, geneticists can induce a form of "stress memory" in plants giving them the potential for more productive growth.

6 May 2020

Study reveals new gene that regulates cholesterol levels

Precision medicine is capable of customizing treatments according to the unique genetic sequence of a patient.

6 May 2020

A sustainable biocontrol to fight against invasive common pest pear

The cochineal Dactylopius opuntiae 'stricta' biotype is more effective as a sustainable biocontrol in the fight against the invasive common pest pear Opuntia stricta in Laikipia County, Kenya, compared to physical and/or chemical control - CABI scientists can now reveal.

5 May 2020

Smart Use Of Genomic Data Needed In Species Conservation

A "step-change" in conservation is needed in order to help save species from extinction in the future, according to an academic at UEA.

5 May 2020

Bacterial Enzyme Activity Could Lead To New Sugar-Based Drugs

Researchers from DTU Biosustain and DTU Bioengineering have elucidated the activity of the enzyme GH109 whose mechanism of activity has been a mystery.

5 May 2020

How The Coronavirus Has Changed Air Quality

The change in air pollution in China as stay-at-home orders were put into place to stop the spread of the coronavirus has intrigued a meteorologist.

5 May 2020

Solar And Wind Energy Sites Mapped Globally For The First Time

Researchers have mapped the global locations of renewable energy sites, providing a valuable resource to help assess their potential environmental impact.

5 May 2020

Blood Filter May Calm The Cytokine Storm Of COVID-19

COVID-19 is causing organ destruction and death, and physicians are replacing the filter in a kidney dialysis machine to trap these tiny proteins.

5 May 2020

Molecular basis of rare neurodevelopmental condition reveals possible treatment

Like people, neurons need to talk to one another. But instead of turning thoughts into words, these cells convert electrical signals into chemical ones. For nearly 30 years, biochemist Edwin Chapman has studied how one protein triggers this crucial conversion.

4 May 2020

Study Finds Natural Fires Help Native Bees, Improve Food Security

Native bees are in decline but changing policies could help them. Research shows that farms surrounded by natural bee habitats have higher crop yields.

4 May 2020