Utilization of crude glycerol generated as a by-product from biodiesel production process, for the production of high value-added products, represents an opportunity to overcome the negative impact of low glycerol prices in the biodiesel industry. In the present investigation, alternative ways of valorization of crude glycerol have been provided, by using this renewable material as substrate by natural yeasts of the Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) species Yarrowia lipolytica.
Tag: Agriculture
Weedy rice gets competitive boost from its wild neighbors
Weedy rice is an agricultural pest with a global economic impact. It is an aggressive weed that outcompetes cultivated rice and causes billions of dollars in yield losses worldwide. A study from Washington University in St. Louis offers new insights into genetic changes that give weedy rice its edge over cultivated rice in tropical regions of the world.
Changing landscapes: Beef exports from Botswana to Norway affect nature in both countries
Preferential trade agreements enable Norway to import large quantities of meat from Africa. This may undermine climate change mitigation in the agricultural sector.
First certified carbon-negative beef production opens doors to emerging agricultural technologies, says Notre Dame expert
Argentina, one of the premier beef producers in the world, has set a precedent for livestock farmers by certifying the first carbon-negative beef — opening the doors for a number of emerging technologies that have the potential to reduce methane emissions from…
Root microbes may be the secret to a better tasting cup of tea
You’d think the complex flavor in a quality cup of tea would depend mainly on the tea varieties used to make it.
New study finds corn genome can gang up on multiple pathogens at once
In a changing climate, corn growers need to be ready for anything, including new and shifting disease dynamics. Because it’s impossible to predict which damaging disease will pop up in a given year, corn with resistance to multiple diseases would be a huge win for growers.
Weather swings bring steadier results when studying crop adaptability
Efforts to breed more adaptable crops benefit from testing locations with wide ranges of weather, according to a study co-authored by an Iowa State University expert on phenotypic plasticity, the disparate ways plants respond in different environments.
Microgreens made to order: Italian scientists have tailored iodine and potassium content of radishes, peas, rocket and chard
In a significant development for personalised nutrition, researchers in Italy have cultivated microgreens with bespoke nutritional profiles to serve individual dietary requirements.
Cultivated Meat Production Costs Could Fall Significantly with New Cells Created at Tufts University
In an advance for cultivated meat technology, researchers have developed bovine muscle stem cells that produce their own growth factors, eliminating the need to add the expensive ingredient in the growth media.
Soy expansion in Brazil linked to increase in childhood leukemia deaths
Over the past decades, Brazil has become the world’s leading soybean producer, as well as the leading consumer of pesticides. Despite concerns about potential public health consequences, little is known about the effects of pesticide exposure in the general population.
Increasing Vegetable Crops Won’t Ease Hunger if Supply Chains Don’t Keep Pace
We might think that, if you want to feed more people in areas with food insecurity, you can just grow more food. But it isn’t that simple.
New study: Pig welfare outweighs climate concerns for consumers
Most consumers prefer animal welfare over climate impact when buying pork
Central Illinois named US Tech Hub for biomanufacturing by Biden-Harris administration
President Joe Biden announced Monday that the Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing Hub (iFAB) is among 31 designated Regional Innovation and Technology Hubs (Tech Hubs) by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) — recognizing Central Illinois as a globally competitive center for innovation and job creation in biomanufacturing.
RUDN Ecologists: Soil Can Be a “Prison” for Greenhouse Gases
RUDN University ecologists showed how different soils can retain carbon. It will help organize land use in such a way as to increase the storage of carbon in the soil and reduce the volume of greenhouse gases
RUDN Ecologists Describe Strong Desertification in Northern Algeria
RUDN University ecologists and colleagues from Algeria, Greece, Egypt, and Russia have determined the scale and causes of desertification in northern Algeria. The analysis was carried out using satellite images in different ranges. Over six years, the area of usable land has decreased by 1.5-9 times.
Plastic Use in Agriculture Must be Reduced, According to New Research
International team which includes a Rutgers researcher says innovative recycling methods are needed to protect environment and human health
Illinois researchers prove that new method can be used to measure ozone stress in soybeans
Ateam from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the USDA Agricultural Research Service has used SIF to measure the effects of elevated ozone (O3) on soybean plants.
Record $80 million grant to fund pilot program encouraging the implementation of climate-smart practices on farms
With the Alliance to Advance Climate-Smart Agriculture, which is now underway, Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences will distribute more than $57 million of the largest grant in the university’s history to producers to enact climate-friendly practices and serve as a pilot program for a national model.
RUDN Ecologists Show How to Predict the Wheat Yield with 98% Accuracy by Satellite Imagery
RUDN University ecologists found a parameter in satellite images that allows accurately calculating and increasing the wheat yield. Such technology helps agronomists monitor crops and make decisions.
Boll weevil eradication most successful pest insect elimination program
Boll weevils plagued the cotton industry throughout much of the Cotton Belt for almost a century before entomologists and producers executed one of the most successful pest eradication programs in the U.S.
Research analyzes relationship between agriculture, emergence of new diseases
Researchers propose a new way of understanding how diseases spread between animals and humans, by focusing on the effect that agriculture, ecological and sociopolitical factors have on disease emergence and transmission.
Pollination by more than one bee species improves cherry harvest
To obtain the biggest cherry harvest, trees should be pollinated by both honey bees and mason bees. A new study led by a researcher at the University of Gothenburg shows yet another benefit of biodiversity.
Whole Orchard Recycling Provides Alternative to Burning Trees
Whole orchard recycling is an alternative process for disposing of trees at the end of their productive lives. Researchers are studying how this process may also help improve nitrogen in soils. Hear a microbiologist explain whole orchard recycling on the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory’s Bonding Over Science podcast.
Ohio’s droughts are worse than often recognized, study finds
A new type of analysis suggests that droughts in Ohio were more severe from 2000 to 2019 than standard measurements have suggested.
Farms that create habitat key to food security and biodiversity
It seems intuitive that forests would provide better habitat for forest-dwelling wildlife than farms.
Sweet corn yield at the mercy of the environment, except for one key factor
A new analysis from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has identified the top factors accounting for yield variability in processing sweet corn (used for canned and frozen products), including one within the control of processors.
Could microplastics in soil introduce drug-resistant superbugs to the food supply?
A new review in Pathogens suggests micro- and nanoplastics in agricultural soil could contribute to antibiotic-resistant bacteria with a ready route into our food supply.
ACS Fall 2023 media briefing schedule
Recordings of media briefings will be posted by 10 a.m. Eastern Time on each day. Watch recorded media briefings at: www.acs.org/ACSFall2023briefings.
Curbing waste improves global food security but has limited environmental benefits
Reducing waste is one way to help combat hunger around the world, but stricter control over food loss and waste does not lead to better environmental outcomes, according to researchers at the University of California, Irvine and the University of Colorado Boulder. In a paper published recently in Nature Food, the scientists stress that curbing food spoilage increases the amount of produce in markets, which leads to lower costs.
Canned, frozen corn industry struggling across US growing regions
For those whose primary experience with corn is the butter-drenched cob variety, it might come as a surprise that other forms of sweet corn are in trouble. A new University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign analysis shows sweet corn production for frozen and canned products has been steadily shrinking in the U.S. over the past 27 years, particularly in rainfed portions of the Midwest.
Top corn producing state to see future drop in yield, cover crop efficiency
How will future climate change affect nitrogen loss, and will cover crops still be effective in removing nitrogen from drainage water? A new study investigating near- and far-term climate change in Illinois suggests cover crops will still be beneficial, but not to the same degree. The report also forecasts major declines in corn production across the state in the future.
New discovery set to boost disease-resistant rice
Rice that is resistant to some of the worst crop-destroying diseases but can still produce large yields could soon become a reality for farmers worldwide. A University of Adelaide researcher is part of an international team which has identified a new gene variant in a type of rice that can be modified to improve the performance of the crop.
New study reveals willingness of papaya farmers in Kenya to reduce pesticide use
A new study published in the CABI Agriculture and Bioscience journal has revealed a willingness of smallholder papaya farmers in Kenya to reduce their chemical pesticide use to fight the papaya mealybug (Paracoccus marginatus).
Carbon mitigation payments can make bioenergy crops more appealing for farmers
Bioenergy crops such as miscanthus and switchgrass provide several environmental benefits, but low returns and profit risks are barriers for investment by farmers. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign shows that carbon mitigation payments could increase net returns and reduce income risk, potentially enticing more farmers to grow these crops.
Binghamton University and six HBCUs forge New Educational and Research Alliance
In collaboration with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Binghamton University, State University of New York has announced a New Educational and Research Alliance (New ERA) with six historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs): Alabama A&M University, Central State University, Tuskegee University, Prairie-View A&M University, the University of the District of Columbia and Virginia State University.
New Research Suggests Wheat Crops May Be Threatened by Unprecedented Heat and Drought
A recent study led by a researcher at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University found that the likelihood of extreme temperatures that could affect crop yields has increased significantly in wheat-producing regions of the U.S. and China.
Poultry pests nipping at farmers’ bottom line
A research team has taken a dive deep into the biology and integrated pest management of lesser mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus), a species of darkling beetle that wreaks havoc on poultry farms.
How much nitrogen does corn get from fertilizer? Less than farmers think
Corn growers seeking to increase the amount of nitrogen taken up by their crop can adjust many aspects of fertilizer application, but recent studies from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign show those tweaks don’t do much to improve uptake efficiency from fertilizer. That’s because, the studies show, corn takes up the majority of its nitrogen – about 67% on average – from sources occurring naturally in soil, not from fertilizer.
Pollinators are attracted to humidity, not just scent
Humidity is as important as scent in attracting pollinators to a plant, new Cornell-led research finds, advancing basic biology and opening new avenues to support agriculture.
Tank-mixing herbicides may not be enough to avoid herbicide resistance
Eight years ago, University of Illinois and USDA-ARS scientists turned weed control on its head. More and more herbicide resistant weeds were popping up, and the pest plants were getting harder to kill. It was clear farmers could no longer rely on the same chemicals year after year. Industry campaigns and herbicide applicators began touting the benefits of rotating herbicides annually to avoid developing resistance, and rotation quickly became common practice.
Automated agricultural machinery requires new approaches to ensuring safety
From self-driving tractors to weeding robots and AI-powered data collection, automated machinery is revolutionizing agricultural production. While these technological advancements can greatly improve productivity, they also raise new questions about safety measures and regulations. To address these issues, a recent study from the University of Illinois reviewed current academic literature on the safety of automated agricultural machines. Based on a review of more than 60 papers, the researchers identified three main topics: environmental perception, risk assessment and mitigation, and human factors and ergonomics.
RPI Researchers To Develop New Market for Farm Waste
There are more than 80,000 sheep and lambs living on over 2,000 farms in New York State. Their wool has many uses including clothing, carpets, furniture, bedding, insulators, fertilizers, and more. However, about 10-15% of wool is wasted during the sorting and cleaning processes. Researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are aiming to turn that waste into a new profit source for farmers, and produce an eco-conscious, high-performance yarn in the process.
Fresh veggies need a good scrubbing to prevent contamination
Cangliang Shen, a researcher with the West Virginia University Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design and WVU Extension, has studied the microbial safety of both local farmers market produce and mobile poultry processing units, revealing risks from bacteria like E. coli, listeria and salmonella.
Priming with chitosan speeded lettuce’s seed sprouting
Scientists demonstrated that retting of seeds in the agent on the base of chitosan enables not only to hasten lettuce sprouting, but also to improve its yields
$9.9M Bezos grant for virtual fencing combats climate change
The Bezos Earth Fund has awarded $9.9 million to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Cornell University to support a project developing low-cost virtual livestock fencing that would benefit farmers and animals, improve public health in developing countries and combat climate change.
Early crop plants were more easily ‘tamed’
Plants are capable of responding to people and have behaviors comparable to tameness, according to authors of new research that calls for a reappraisal of the process of plant domestication, based on almost a decade of observations and experiments.
Chemist makes insect wing discovery that could advance technology
The key to insect success may be their wings. That’s what West Virginia University researcher Terry Gullion, professor of chemistry in the WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, has learned by studying the chemical composition of insect wings — something that has not been examined in detail until now.
Dairy sector boasts 100 years of successful herd data collection
The U.S. dairy industry operates a comprehensive data collection program that records herd production information from farmers nationwide. The program provides crucial input for cattle breeding and genetics, and its cooperative structure ensures benefits for producers and scientists alike. A new study from the University of Illinois explores the program’s century-old history, highlighting its relevance for modern agriculture and digital data collection.
Pesticide Contaminants in Water Test Kit, an Innovation from Chula for Safe and Sustainable Agriculture
Farmers in Thailand still largely use chemical herbicides, especially paraquat and atrazine, to control weeds on their farms. According to research by the Office of Agricultural Economics, in 2019, Thailand imported almost 10 million kilograms of paraquat and close to 3.5 million kilograms of atrazine. The residues of these herbicides cause harm to the environment, living creatures, and our health.
Growing crops at solar farms can boost panel performance, longevity
Growing commercial crops on solar farms can both increase commercial food production and improve solar panel performance and longevity, according to new Cornell University research published in the journal Applied Energy.