The study will look at how drought, heat waves and soil impact the cycle of water and carbon between plants and the atmosphere in dryland agricultural ecosystems. It will focus on two orchards, one in the El Paso area and another in the Conchos River basin in the Mexican state of Chihuahua.
Tag: Sustainable Agriculture
Novel study uncovers health benefits of red clover seed oil
A research team has identified a wealth of bioactive compounds in red clover (Trifolium pratense ) seeds and their oil, positioning them as a promising source for functional ingredients in food and health care products.
New MSU research shows how some agriculture practices impact food safety, health
Agriculture is the world’s largest industry. It employs more than one billion people and generates over $1.3 trillion dollars’ worth of food annually, but some farm practices have serious negative impacts on the environment, which is why sustainable agricultural practices have been championed.
Unlocking crop yield potential: new modeling approach for sustainable agriculture
A pioneering study introduces a functional data analysis (FDA) methodology to model the relationship between environmental factors and crop yields in year-round agriculture. Designed for crops like strawberries and tomatoes, this model offers a predictive framework that enhances agricultural management, optimizing resource use and promoting sustainability amidst climate change and increasing global food demands.
Estudio piloto utiliza vidrio reciclado para cultivar los ingredientes para preparar salsa
Los ingredientes de la salsa, como el cilantro y el jalapeño, se pueden cultivar en vidrio reciclado. Un estudio piloto reveló que la sustitución parcial de la tierra con fragmentos de vidrio puede acelerar el desarrollo de la planta y reducir el crecimiento de hongos no deseado. Los investigadores presentarán sus resultados en la ACS Fall 2024.
Pilot study uses recycled glass to grow plants for salsa ingredients
Salsa ingredients, such as cilantro and jalapeño, can be cultivated on recycled glass. A pilot study found that partially replacing potting soil with glass fragments can speed up plant development and reduce unwanted fungal growth. The researchers will present their results at ACS Fall 2024.
Unlocking nature’s secrets: neutrons illuminate environmental and biological mysteries”
Neutron techniques are revolutionizing environmental and biological sciences, offering new ways to study complex systems like soil-root interactions and plant-microbe dynamics. Recent advancements in neutron imaging and scattering provide unprecedented insights, helping to address critical global challenges such as climate change and sustainable agriculture.
From fields to policy: Conserving China’s agricultural heritage systems
Agricultural heritage systems, the custodians of ancient farming practices, face unprecedented challenges from climate change and urbanization. This study presents a detailed geographical analysis coupled with strategic management approaches to conserve these invaluable systems.
Webb named Fellow of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers
Erin Webb, lead for the Bioresources Science and Engineering group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been elected a Fellow of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, or ASABE — the society’s highest honor.
Expanding large-scale agriculture is escalating flooding in the largest South American breadbasket
A new study revealing that huge expansions of extensive large-scale agriculture is making the South American plains more vulnerable to widespread flooding should act as a “wake-up call”, say researchers.
Is this the future of farming?
Barath Raghavan, an associate professor of computer science at USC Viterbi, is rethinking traditional farming practices by developing computational tools to help farmers design, develop, and manage sustainable farming methods.
New animal welfare scoring system could enable better-informed food and farming choices
Cambridge University scientists have come up with a system of measuring animal welfare that enables reliable comparison across different types of pig farming.
Farming more seaweed to be food, feed and fuel
A University of Queensland-led study has shown that expanding global seaweed farming could go a long way to addressing the planet’s food security, biodiversity loss and climate change challenges.
Beans IN toast could revolutionise British diet
Researchers and chefs at the University of Reading aim to encourage British consumers and food producers to switch to bread containing faba beans (commonly known as broad beans), making it healthier and less damaging to the environment.
Our toilets can yield excellent alternatives for widespread polluting fertilizers
To tackle the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and pollution, humanity will need to move to a circular economy, where all resources are recycled.
Home gardens are “living genebanks” that sustain livelihoods in Central Asia
Apple, apricot, walnut, pear and plum – some of the most widely consumed temperate fruit and nuts globally – find their origins in the forests of Central Asia.
A sustainable path to eliminate hunger in Africa
To feed Africa’s growing population, agricultural-food systems need to be modernized. In a new study, researchers analyzed how continental free trade and agricultural development could ensure sustainable food security for Africa.
Danforth Technology Company launches its first startup: PEPTYDE BIO
Peptyde Bio discovers, designs, and characterizes novel anti-microbial peptides (AMPs)
Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator Selects Five Agtech Companies Targeting Global Food Resiliency
The cohort consists of sustainable agriculture companies focused on using biological solutions to improve the resilience of global food systems.
Cover Crops Not Enough to Improve Soil After Decades of Continuous Corn
Although about 20% of Illinois cropping systems are planted to continuous corn, it’s nearly impossible to find fields planted this way for decades at a time.
Climate change on course to hit U.S. Corn Belt especially hard, study finds
Climate change will make the U.S. Corn Belt unsuitable for cultivating corn by 2100 without major technological advances in agricultural practices, an Emory University study finds.
Policy, farm management help China mitigate climate change
Production of animal protein in China has increased by 800% over the past 40 years, driven by population growth, urbanization and higher worker wages. However, the amount of climate-warming nitrous oxide released from animal farming in the country has not risen as quickly, thanks to science-led policy and farm management interventions in the way animals are fed and their manure recycled.
Saving the Mekong delta from drowning
Southeast Asia’s most productive agricultural region and home to 17 million people could be mostly underwater within a lifetime.
The effects on ecosystems of reduced pesticide use
Pesticides affect the health of agricultural soils and waterways.
Local food suppliers proved their value during the pandemic, so how do we ensure they thrive? Reports and Proceedings
Local food suppliers saved the day during the Covid-19 pandemic food shortages, but new research from the University of Sheffield also finds lessons need to be learnt if national food systems are to survive future crises.
St. Louis Comes Together to Announce the Taylor Geospatial Institute
The Taylor Geospatial Institute is a first-of-its-kind institution that brings together eight leading research institutions to collaborate on research into geospatial technology.
FFAR Funding Supports Research to Speed Development of Perennial Crops
The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) is providing a Seeding Solutions grant to the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center to accelerate development of perennial crops.
NSF Taps Danforth Center to Lead New Institute to Advance the Restoration of Natural and Agricultural Ecosystems
The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center today announced a $12.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish the New Roots for Restoration Biology Integration Institute (NRR-BII).
Scientific Societies release “Advancing Resilient Agriculture” statement
Important contribution to the ongoing climate policy discussion
Scientific Societies release “Advancing Resilient Agriculture” statement
Important contribution to the ongoing climate policy discussion
$2M grant supports more sustainable path for organic farmers
Organic crop farmers in the Northeast and Upper Midwest are facing an increasing number of challenges related to climate change and invasive pests, but a $2 million grant from the USDA will help them find sustainable solutions.
Danforth Center Scientists Collaborate On A $20 Million Nationwide Artificial Intelligence Research Institute
Todd Mockler, PhD, will co-lead a research team applying AI approaches to extract plant phenotypes, from sensor data sets in order to accelerate crop improvement, with a focus on enhancing nitrogen and water use efficiency in major row crops such as corn and soy.
Rutgers Expert Can Discuss Earthwise Lawn and Landscape Care, Farming
New Brunswick, N.J. (June 15, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor William T. Hlubik is available for interviews on environmentally friendly lawn and landscape care, sustainable gardening and agriculture, home and commercial vegetable and small fruit production, and how to…
Smart Farms of the Future: Making Bioenergy Crops More Environmentally Friendly
Farmers have enough worries – between bad weather, rising costs, and shifting market demands – without having to stress about the carbon footprint of their operations. But now a new set of projects by scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) could make agriculture both more sustainable and more profitable.
Switching Cereals in India for Improved Nutrition, Sustainability
A new study offers India a pathway to improve nutrition, climate resilience and the environment by diversifying its crop production. And it also offers global insights into the need to consider sustainable approaches to agriculture.
Vermont Universities Win $250,000 Grant to Bring More Locally Grown Food to Their Campuses
The Henry P. Kendall Foundation announced the University of Vermont and Norwich University, and food services provider Sodexo, as a 2019 New England Food Vision Prize award winner. The $250,000 prize will increase the availability of local produce to universities and hospitals.
Scientists enhance color and texture of cultured meat
A team of Tufts University-led researchers exploring the development of cultured meat found that the addition of the iron-carrying protein myoglobin improves the growth, texture and color of bovine muscle grown from cells in culture. This development is a step toward the ultimate goal of growing meat from livestock animal cells for human consumption.
Searching for Water
What does the presence of 1,000 year old water mean for the future of water supplies under the desert regions of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates?
New research has sought to identify how much good water is available in the Arabian Peninsula, where water is stored in what are known as “fossil aquifers.”