Deadliest Crop Killing Viruses Revealed at High Resolution for the First Time
For the first time, we can take a molecular-level look at one of the world’s deadliest crop killers. The Luteoviridae are pathogenic plant viruses responsible…
Agriculture
Cost-Effective Technology Can Enrich Poor Fields, Increase Yields Close to 50%
Smallholder poverty in sub-Saharan Africa is often linked to sandy soils, which hold little water and are low in nutrients. A new technology may be…
Researchers Discover Simple Way Sweet Corn Growers Could Dramatically Increase Yield
In an industry struggling to maintain profitability, it’s curious that U.S. processing sweet corn – the corn that ends up in cans and freezer bags…
Scientists Discover a Hidden Threat to Corn
Like atmospheric methane and carbon dioxide, ground-level ozone is on the rise. But ozone, a noxious chemical byproduct of fossil fuel combustion, has received relatively…
Fire – A Solution to Weed Control Without Pesticides
Weeds are thieves. They steal nutrients, sunlight and water from our food crops. In the case of sugarcane, yield refers to the amount of biomass…
Vision for Managing UK Land and Seas After Brexit Developed by Scientists
Researchers have outlined how fishing and farming policies could be created to protect employment opportunities and the environment after Brexit. The team of researchers, led…
Sesame Crop Yields Stable in Drought Conditions
Texas has a long history of growing cotton. It’s a resilient crop, able to withstand big swings in temperature fairly well. However, growing cotton in…
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: The Future of Phosphorus in Agriculture
When Hennig Brandt discovered the element phosphorus in 1669, it was a mistake. He was really looking for gold. But his mistake was a very…
Climate Change Could Significantly Impact Global Banana Yields [Video]
According to new research, climate change could negatively impact banana cultivation in some of the world’s most important producing and exporting countries. Bananas are recognized…
How Diet Changes Can Sustain The World’s Food Production
A model helps researchers look at optimal ways to mine phosphate rock sustainably. If you wanted to really mess with the world’s food production, a…
New Sensors Reveal When a Plant Begins to Experience Drought Conditions
Researchers have developed sensors that can be printed onto plant leaves and reveal when the plants are experiencing drought conditions. Forgot to water that plant…
High-Speed Images Reveal How Raindrops Spread Pathogens Among Plants
A new theoretical model describes the relationship between a leaf’s flexibility, the fragmentation of the fluid, and its resulting pattern of raindrop-induced dispersal. Using high-speed…
New Research Shows Plants May Use “Language” to Communicate
New research from Virginia Tech reveals that plants may use a newly discovered molecular language to communicate with each other, opening the door to a…
Urine Used as Fertilizer to Boost Crop Yields
Last year, in Sotang, Nepal, the Dzi Foundation helped build over 1,000 toilets for the nearly 6,500 residents of the village. The villagers were given…
Dryland Farmers Work With Little Water
A new generation of extremely efficient farmers sees irrigation as a non-viable alternative. These farmers use dryland farming, which has helped farmers to get through…
As Much as One-Third of Greenhouses Gases Come from Agriculture
One-third of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions stem from the global food system, which encompasses the manufacturing of fertilizer, to food storage and packaging. These…
Low Oxygen Levels Trigger the Formation of Plant Sex Cells
Using a simple approach, a team of scientists at Stanford University demonstrated that low oxygen levels deep inside the developing flowers are all that is…
Preserving Biodiversity When Agricultural Production Increases
A new study from researchers at Stanford University looks at how to preserve biodiversity while increases in agricultural production to feed people continue. To keep…