Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada provides two-year funding to Innovotech to expand the applications of its Agress seed treatment and plant spray, aiming to increase crop yields and improve quality while minimizing environmental impact. The funding will also support regulatory approval submissions for Agress.
Researchers analyzed nearly 20 terabytes of data to identify major oil and gas sedimentary basins, mineral-rich regions, and hydrologic resources for agriculture. The findings could prove invaluable to Afghanistan's economic redevelopment and contribute to suppressing terrorist activity.
A new report found that high-yield crop varieties developed during the Green Revolution have helped keep greenhouse gas emissions at bay, avoiding nearly 600 billion tons of CO2. The study estimated that agricultural research has averted carbon dioxide emissions at a cost of about $4 per ton of CO2.
High-yield agriculture has prevented massive amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to 590 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide. The research estimates that yield improvements reduced the need to convert forests to farmland, a process that generates significant greenhouse gas emissions.
A new book chapter by American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America highlights critical agricultural research areas receiving federal funding, including biofuel production, environmental quality, food safety, and nutrition. The chapter highlights $429 million increase in NIFA's compe...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has introduced two new compact oakleaf hydrangea cultivars, Ruby Slippers and Munchkin, suitable for small residential landscapes. These plants are the first compact forms of Hydrangea quercifolia to be released by USDA scientists.
The US Department of Agriculture's ARS is conducting long-term studies to examine growing camelina as a bioenergy crop. Camelina has high oil content, making it a promising candidate for producing biofuels.
A new approach to teaching agriculture in the classroom uses case studies to motivate students and inspire changes in attitude. The study found that engaging students with real-world examples improved their understanding and presentation skills, but some felt that more time was needed for discussions and activities.
The report assesses environmental, social, and agricultural characteristics of GMS nations and outlines changes needed to meet future food demands. Technologies and practices can help farmers use water more efficiently, increase crop yields further and adapt to changing climatic conditions.
Dr. David Molden, winner of the CGIAR award for Outstanding Scientist of the Year, states that agriculture is both the cause and solution to many world water problems. The Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture highlights the potential to grow more food with limited water, particularly in areas of high poverty.
University of Rhode Island researcher Navindra Seeram has discovered over 20 compounds in pure maple syrup with potential health benefits, including anti-cancer and anti-diabetic properties. The research found that these compounds are also present in the Acer family for the first time.
Researchers are using conservation agriculture techniques to increase food production, improve soil quality, and reduce climate change risks. The projects focus on implementing technologies such as cover crops, no-till production, and residue management to improve food security and sustainability in Haiti and other countries.
The University of Guam's T-STAR program is funding research on aphids, compost and noni to enhance tropical agriculture and public health. The projects aim to improve soil quality, reduce the spread of banana bunchy top virus and ensure shelf life of noni botanical supplements.
Congressman Tom Latham received the 2010 Champion of Agronomy Award from the American Society of Agronomy for his strong support of agriculture and conservation. The award recognizes his commitment to advancing agricultural research and development, essential for America's farmers and ranchers.
Scientists are working with breeders and the food industry to create high-quality pea varieties that can reduce nitrogen fertilizer use, thereby cutting carbon emissions. The goal is to increase the uptake of legume farming and improve profit margins for farmers.
Researchers at Stanford University have discovered a new biological process in legumes that enables them to fix nitrogen from the air, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers. This breakthrough has the potential to make agriculture more sustainable and aid efforts to mitigate climate change.
The American Society of Agronomy identifies key questions and expected outcomes for achieving global food security and sustainable agriculture. The 'grand challenge' involves doubling production on existing farmland with efficient systems that prioritize resource use, biodiversity, and ecosystem health.
Researchers Ivette Perfecto and John Vandermeer argue that small family farms in tropical regions can provide a better way to meet both food production and biodiversity preservation goals. They propose an alternative model, the matrix quality model, which enables plants and animals to migrate between remaining forest fragments.
Researchers from the University of Idaho are exploring biotechnology and synthetic biology to address the world's growing population needs. The goal is to provide healthy, nutritious, and adequate food supplies using technological interventions in agriculture.
Smallholder mixed farmers, who feed most of the world's poor people, are neglected by aid and policies. The authors urge wealthy countries to support small-scale farming systems that combine crop and livestock production, which can increase food production sustainably.
To address global food security challenges, researchers recommend embracing agricultural biotechnology, aquaculture, and crop breeding to improve yields in dry areas. They also suggest using nitrogen more efficiently to reduce water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Researchers developed a pilot program to integrate hands-on learning activities into routine lab work for undergraduate students. The program increased participants' interest in sustainable agriculture and found that farm visits were most important in making lab work meaningful.
The 2008 Organic Production Survey found that US organic farms had higher average sales ($217,675) and production expenses ($171,978) compared to conventional farms. California dominated the market with $1.15 billion in sales, accounting for 36% of nationwide sales.
NIFA awarded $24 million in grants to study animal health, reproduction, breeding, genetics, and nutrition. The grants aim to improve the agriculture industry's competitiveness and reduce the use of antibiotics and hormones.
A Special Issue of Agricultural Water Management highlights the need for investments in agriculture to improve food security and address global hunger. Investments in irrigation and rainfed agriculture are crucial to increase food production and household incomes in developing countries.
The US Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service has released new geospatial data products, including satellite images of agricultural land cover across most of the nation. These cropland data layers can be used to monitor crop rotation patterns, land use changes, and water resources.
The Healthy Urban Food Enterprise Development (HUFED) Center will provide training and technical assistance for small and mid-sized agricultural producers, aiming to increase access to healthy, affordable foods in low-income areas. The center is designed to promote positive economic activities generated from attracting healthy food ent...
A new research project will sequence and annotate the sunflower genome to locate genes responsible for agriculturally important traits. The goal is to develop a hybrid variety of sunflower that can thrive in challenging environments, making it suitable for subsistence agriculture in Africa and North America.
A new study argues that a stable climate, rather than climate change, played a crucial role in the emergence of agriculture in the Near East. The research suggests that farming communities chose crops that functioned within the normal east Mediterranean rainfall pattern, allowing for sustainable farming practices during drought years.
Marine aquaculture has the potential to meet global food demand as freshwater resources are limited and terrestrial agriculture struggles. Expanding marine aquaculture operations using low-on-the-food-chain organisms like plankton and algae can achieve sustainable growth.
A 30% reduction in livestock production in high-producing countries could lead to a substantial decrease in saturated fat consumption, resulting in positive effects on health. This reduction would also contribute to slowing climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
K-State's Fred Cholick, Dean of the College of Agriculture, received the Agronomic Service Award for his development of agronomic service programs and practices. Dave Mengel, Professor of Agronomy, won the Werner L. Nelson Award for his outstanding performance in diagnostic techniques and approaches.
The book 'Organic Farming: The Ecological System' brings together farmer experience and scientific research to understand the role of organics in modern agriculture. It presents current research and development in organic farming, highlighting its potential to revitalize rural landscapes and communities.
Researchers have discovered that carbon nanotubes can accelerate seed germination and increase seedling weight, suggesting potential benefits for agriculture and biofuel production. The study's findings could lead to improved crop yields and more efficient biomass production.
Pramod Kumar Aggarwal and Carlos Clemente Cerri are the winners of the 2009 TWAS Ernesto Illy Trieste Science Prize, recognized for their groundbreaking research on climate change's impact on agriculture. Their work aims to enhance understanding of climate change's effects on food supplies and develop innovative strategies to mitigate ...
The region may need to import over a quarter of its rice, wheat and maize if current irrigation management is not improved or innovated. A new study warns that Asia's vast irrigation systems must be revitalized to meet the growing food demand without further straining water resources.
Researchers at the University of Guam's WPTRC have secured funding from the EPA, USDA, and NOAA to address environmental concerns and improve agricultural practices on the island. The awards aim to develop ecologically sound pest management methods and protect endemic species.
Researchers at MU College of Agriculture are constructing drought simulators to study how plants respond to various drought conditions. The project aims to develop more tolerant crop plants and improve water efficiency in agriculture.
A US-based research team has assessed potential invasive snail and slug species threatening US agriculture and the environment. The study identifies key pests that could have significant impacts if introduced nationally.
A study found that human populations began to expand in size in Africa around 40,000 years ago, supporting the hypothesis that population growth played a significant role in the evolution of human cultures. The research used genetic evidence and computational approaches to simulate the evolution of genetic lineages over time.
Researchers use GM technique to contain salt in plant parts, reducing damage and increasing tolerance. The technology holds promise for crops like rice, wheat, and barley, improving global food security.
Agriculture is expected to see an increase in supply and demand, leading to higher real prices for grain and oilseeds. The rising trend of corn and soybean yields in major production areas, combined with new technologies and genetic improvements, will contribute to this growth.
Researchers have sequenced and analyzed the domestic cattle genome, identifying approximately 22,000 genes and sharing about 80% with humans. The findings provide critical insights into the structure and function of the human genome, including segmental duplications that affect immunity and metabolism.
Representative Hinchey recognized for his strong support of a national research portfolio that invests in all sciences. He has been a long-time champion for the agricultural and biological sciences, recognizing their key role in addressing society's challenges.
The study suggests that humans were experimenting with agriculture by cultivating local grains, rather than adopting from southern rice-farming areas. The findings provide insight into the origins of agriculture in northern China.
Dr. G. V. P. Reddy's $60,000 SARE grant will educate agricultural professionals on semiochemicals for monitoring and controlling pests like banana root borer and New Guinea sugarcane weevil.
A study published in the Journal of Natural Resources & Life Sciences Education found that workshops improved Iranian pastoralists' understanding of rangeland management techniques, leading to better land utilization. The results showed a significant impact on concepts like animal-rangeland equilibrium and grazing duration.
Kansas State University is receiving a $1 million grant from the US Department of Agriculture to study the wheat blast fungus, a pathogen that has become a serious threat in Brazil. The researchers will sequence the fungus's genome and screen Kansas wheat varieties for resistance to the disease.
Researchers found evidence of increased greenhouse gases in ancient ice core records, suggesting that human influence on climate started with large-scale agriculture and deforestation. The study challenges the traditional view that the Industrial Revolution marked the beginning of human-induced climate change.
Research by scientists at the University of Toronto Scarborough reveals that global warming changes the molecular composition of soil organic matter. This shift in soil chemistry could significantly impact agriculture and the environment.
A new approach to teaching agriculture was developed to focus on social learning and sustainability. The method, which includes exercises that build awareness of individual and collective knowledge and knowing, helped students develop a broader capacity to approach sustainability challenges systemically and collectively.
A new mathematical model developed by researchers at the University of Warwick suggests that plant agriculture began much earlier than previously thought, around 23,000 years ago. The study found that useful gene types took thousands of years to become stable and that crop development was a slow process.
A recent report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations highlights that higher food prices are partly to blame for the number of hungry people growing, with around 925 million worldwide. To address this, a second Green Revolution is needed to expand productivity sustainably while preserving natural resources.
In southern Yemen, archaeologists have discovered evidence of ancient transitions from hunting and herding to irrigation agriculture around 5,200 years ago. The research team used GIS mapping and studied contemporary land and water rights to understand the development of expert knowledge of hydrology among early farmers.
Researchers across the US are calling for a national network of sites like MSU's Long-Term Ecological Research site at Kellogg Biological Station to address agriculture's challenges. A paper in BioScience suggests that a long-term interdisciplinary approach could help address key agricultural issues.
Researchers found that toads in suburban areas are less likely to suffer from reproductive system abnormalities than those near farms. The study highlights the difference between the impact of agriculture versus development on amphibians.
The study reveals social confrontation between GMO proponents and opponents, with difficulties in defining technical measures for coexistence. Organic farmers face uncertainties in measuring contamination levels and potential damages, leading to reduced cultivation areas.
A team of scientists has used paleobotanical evidence, genetic analysis, and microbotanical techniques to reconstruct the early history of maize agriculture. They suggest that maize may have been domesticated in Mexico around 10,000 years ago, based on findings from sediments at San Andrés, Tabasco.
The University of Minnesota has been given approval to conduct research on plant pathogens that could damage crops or forests. The new facility will focus on studying pests like Asian Soybean Rust and Ug99 stem rust in wheat, which could have significant impacts on global food production.
A survey of college students revealed mixed opinions on the benefits and drawbacks of biotechnology in sustainable agriculture, with some supporting genetically modified crops and others expressing concerns over environmental and social impacts. The study suggests that educators should provide neutral exposure to both sustainable agric...