Agriculture and Food News

July 10, 2016

Bees' Foraging Decreases With More Pollution

How Microbes and Plants Respond to CO2 Levels

Humans Driving Evolution of New Species

Social Life Affects Bees' Circadian Rhythms

Latest Headlines

updated 12:19pm EDT

Bats Take Dangerous Flight Into the Wind Farm

July 8, 2016 — Wind turbines attract bats. They seem to appear particularly appealing to female noctule bats in early summer. In a pilot study, researchers noticed this when they tracked ... read more

Rhesus Macaques May Be Preying on Bird Eggs in Silver Springs

July 7, 2016 — A new study in Florida is suggesting that that more needs to be learned about animals' habits and impacts so that park staff can make science-based decisions on how to manage non-native ... read more

Agroforestry Helps Farmers Branch out

July 6, 2016 — Researchers have looked into the practice of alley cropping, planting long-term tree crops alongside short-term cash crops, for sustainability. Alley cropping is a type of ... read more

Lessons of Lager: Yeast Origin Becomes a Complex Tale

July 6, 2016 — The story of hybridization that produced the lager yeast is far more complex and potentially richer than first imagined, investigators ... read more

Researchers, Farmers Collaborate to Prevent E. Coli

July 6, 2016 — A collaborative study involving microbiologists, epidemiologists, animal scientists, veterinarians, graduate students, undergraduates and farmers could lead to better ... read more

Could Goats Become Our New Best Friend?

July 5, 2016 — Goats have the capacity to communicate with people like other domesticated animals, such as dogs and horses, according to scientists. The researchers hope the study will lead to a better ... read more

Acid Attack: Can Mussels Hang on for Much Longer?

July 5, 2016 — Scientists have found evidence that ocean acidification caused by carbon emissions can prevent mussels attaching themselves to rocks and other substrates, making them easy ... read more

Characteristics Improving Bean Resistance to Drought Identified

July 5, 2016 — A combination of characteristics is the key to success for the genetic improvement of beans to make them resistant to droughts, say scientists, whose research can improve ... read more

Feeding the World by Rewiring Plant 'Mouths'

July 4, 2016 — Plants have tiny pores on their leaves called stomata -- Greek for mouths -- through which they take in carbon dioxide from the air and from which water evaporates. New work ... read more

Decoding the Complete Genome of the Mediterranean's Most Emblematic Tree: The Olive

July 1, 2016 — A team of scientists from three Spanish centers has sequenced, for the first time ever, the complete genome of the olive ... read more

Floods in China Kill Almost 130, Wipe out Crops

Peppered Moth's Genetic Secret

Do Some Cows in India Urinate Gold?

Vertical Farming: Eliminating Growing Seasons and Supporting Locals

More Calories Consumed from Subsidized Food Commodities Linked to Cardiometabolic Risks

July 5, 2016 — Two related dietary studies and a commentary online examined whether an individual's consumption of food derived from subsidized food commodities was associated with cardiometabolic risks. The ... read more

New Farming Strategies Can Help Prevent Soil Runoff While Maintaining High Crop Yields

June 30, 2016 — Scientists found that the most effective tactic to prevent soil runoff yet maintain high crop yields is to utilize Conservation Reserve Program land strategically to create buffers between the trees ... read more

New Study Compares Transportation Energy Efficiency of Local and Conventional Food

June 30, 2016 — A marketing specialist has compared the transportation efficiencies of the conventional and local fruit and vegetable transportation networks in the Knoxville-area surrounding the University's ... read more

New Method Tells Growers More About Citrus Decay

June 30, 2016 — With citrus growers trying to save their groves in the wake of the deadly greening disease, a researcher has found a new technique that could help growers answer a vexing question – why so much ... read more

Protein In, Ammonia out

June 29, 2016 — A recent study has compiled and analyzed data from 25 previous studies. Researchers honed in on factors that influence how much ammonia dairy barns ... read more

Grapevines of Southern Spain Will Suffer More from the Impact of Climate Change

June 29, 2016 — Researchers are studying the effects of climate change on Spanish vineyards and they suggest adopting adaptation choices of crops in order to make premium wines more globally ... read more

Fungi Can Be Used to Control Filth Fly Adults, Reduce Egg Laying

June 28, 2016 — Researchers have found that commercial formulations containing entomopathogenic fungi can not only help to control adult house flies and stable flies, but can also inhibit egg laying and larval ... read more

Picky Eaters: Bumble Bees Prefer Plants With Nutrient-Rich Pollen

June 27, 2016 — Bumble bees have discriminating palates when it comes to their pollen meals, according to researchers. The researchers found that bumble bees can detect the nutritional quality of pollen, and that ... read more

Serpentine Plants Survive Harsh Soils Thanks to Borrowed Genes

June 27, 2016 — Scientists have analyzed the genomes of plants that grow in harsh, serpentine soils to find out how they survive . It appears that they have used two strategies: adapting to their environment through ... read more

Could Ancient Wheat Be the Future of Food?

June 27, 2016 — Researchers believe untapped consumer markets exist for ancient foods such as einkorn, emmer, and spelt. Two plant breeders argue that the consumer demand for high-quality, healthy food specialties ... read more

Four Newly-Identified Genes Could Improve Rice

June 27, 2016 — A research team has applied a method used in human genetic analysis to rice and rapidly discovered four new genes that are potentially significant for agriculture. These findings could influence crop ... read more

The Martian Becomes Reality: At Least Four Crops Grown on Simulated Mars Soil Are Edible

June 27, 2016 — Scientists are working on growing crops on Mars and moon soil simulants. Just like the real Martian and moon soil these contain heavy metals in almost the same quantities. Four of the crops grown ... read more

Neonicotinoid Pesticides Cause Harm to Honeybees

June 24, 2016 — One possible cause of the alarming bee mortality we are witnessing is the use of the very active systemic insecticides called neonicotinoids. A previously unknown and harmful effect of neonicotinoids ... read more

'Amazing Protein Diversity' Is Discovered in the Maize Plant

June 24, 2016 — New research establishes the amazing diversity of maize -- specifically the variety of proteins that the plant's genes can generate. The finding has great import for agriculture, as maize is one ... read more

Where Do Rubber Trees Get Their Rubber?

June 24, 2016 — Researchers have succeeded in decoding the genome sequence for Hevea brasiliensis, the natural rubber tree native to Brazil. The study reports a draft genome sequence that covers more than 93 percent ... read more

Salmonella in Meat Products Reduced by 90 Percent in New Research

June 23, 2016 — An old technology that uses natural bacteria predators, called bacteriophages, is the focus of new research. The technique is being used to reduce salmonella bacteria in meat ... read more

Arms Race at the Plant Root: How Soil Bacteria Fight to Escape Sticky Root Traps

June 23, 2016 — Soil is full of microbes. Specialized border cells at the outer surface of plant roots fight off these microbes as the roots penetrate the soil in search of water and nutrients. A new study reveals ... read more

New Origins for Farmed Rice Discovered

June 22, 2016 — Chew on this: rice farming is a far older practice than we knew. In fact, the oldest evidence of domesticated rice has just been found in China, and it's about 9,000 years ... read more

A 'Fitbit' for Plants?

June 22, 2016 — Knowing what physical traits a plant has is called phenotyping. Because it is such a labor intensive process, scientists are working to develop technology that makes phenotyping much easier. The tool ... read more

How Huanglongbing Affects Oranges' Detachment Force, Fruit Properties

June 22, 2016 — Researchers evaluated the effects of huanglongbing (HLB) symptom severity on fruit detachment force and fruit mechanical properties in sweet oranges as indicators of potential HLB-influenced ... read more

Tuesday, July 5, 2016