Food and Agricultural Sciences News and Research

Latest Food and Agricultural Sciences News and Research

Plants use signaling molecule to regulate their water balance

During drought conditions, plants utilize a signaling molecule known from animals to reduce their water loss.

31 Mar 2021

Six novel CRISPR-Cas12a variants expand genome engineering in plants

Yiping Qi continues to create new genome editing and engineering in plants, with the ultimate objective of enhancing the efficiency of food production.

31 Mar 2021

Specific genes play key roles in response to water stress across bioenergy grass species

The Miscanthus genus of grasses, commonly used to add movement and texture to gardens, could quickly become the first choice for biofuel production. A new study shows these grasses can be grown in lower agricultural grade conditions - such as marginal land - due to their remarkable resilience and photosynthetic capacity at low temperatures.

26 Mar 2021

Toxin in potatoes is a divergent of bitter-tasting compound in tomatoes

A multi-institutional collaboration has revealed that α-solanine, a toxic compound found in potato plants, is a divergent of the bitter-tasting α-tomatine, which is found in tomato plants.

26 Mar 2021

Study of leaf size in grasses can help accurately model the effects of climate change

One-third of the Earth's surface is covered by more than 11,000 grass species -- including crops like wheat, corn, rice and sugar cane that account for the bulk of the world's agricultural food production and important biofuels. But grass is so common that few people realize how diverse and important it really is.

26 Mar 2021

Smart data helps food producers to yield reliable business forecasts

Food production is a complex process involving the careful monitoring and management of raw materials, supply chains, market prices and much more besides.

26 Mar 2021

Monitoring pollen levels using environmental DNA

In this interview, AZoLifeSciences speaks to Dr. Ben Wheeler about his latest research and how we monitor pollen levels using environmental DNA.

From University of Exeter 25 Mar 2021

Tackling climate change using green energy

Professor Ulf Liebe speaks to AZoLifeSciences about tackling climate change using green energy, and the behavioral challenges surrounding climate mitigation.

From The University of Warwick 24 Mar 2021

Study reveals a promising material to control root-knot nematodes

Root-knot nematodes are known to infect a wide variety of plants, including many agriculturally significant species, as well as a variety of ornamentals and vegetables.

23 Mar 2021

Processed meat consumption associated with increased risk of dementia

Scientists from the University of Leeds's Nutritional Epidemiology Group used data from 500,000 people, discovering that consuming a 25g serving of processed meat a day, the equivalent to one rasher of bacon, is associated with a 44% increased risk of developing the disease.

23 Mar 2021

Biodiversity-friendly management may help minimize the negative impacts of agriculture

To minimize negative impacts of agriculture on biodiversity and related ecosystem services, "biodiversity-friendly" management is needed.

23 Mar 2021

New technique based on AI can automate and streamline seed quality analysis

In Brazil, researchers affiliated with the Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture (CENA) and the Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ), both part of the University of São Paulo (USP), have developed a methodology based on artificial intelligence to automate and streamline seed quality analysis, a process required by law and currently done manually by analysts accredited with the Ministry of Agriculture.

22 Mar 2021