Food and Agricultural Sciences News and Research

Latest Food and Agricultural Sciences News and Research

Study shows how to reduce emissions by changing farming practices

Argonne researchers quantify how to reduce emissions by farms changing their practices and adopting novel technologies.

21 Jul 2020

Scientists call for transition of food production systems to agroecological principles

Over 360 scientists from 42 countries - led by the University of Göttingen and Westlake University China - call for transition of food production systems to agroecological principles.

21 Jul 2020

Solar energy facilities remain a threat for iconic desert plants

With their tough skins, pointy armor and legendary stamina, cacti are made to defend themselves from whatever nature throws at them.

From The University of California, Davis 21 Jul 2020

Study shows vegetation has a major influence on improving soil retention

In low precipitation periods - where and how is the limited available water distributed and what possibilities are there for improving retention in the soil and the landscape? Doerthe Tetzlaff and her team from the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) have discovered that vegetation has a major influence on this.

21 Jul 2020

'Priming effect' amplifies carbon emissions from permafrost soils

A key uncertainty in climate projections is the amount of carbon emitted by thawing permafrost in the Arctic.

21 Jul 2020

International trade can compensate for regional food shortages and reduce hunger

Researchers from KU Leuven, the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and RTI International investigated the effects of trade on hunger in the world as a result of climate change.

21 Jul 2020

Study reveals anti-viral properties of curcumin

New research has revealed that the natural compound curcumin, which is present in the spice turmeric, can potentially eliminate specific viruses.

20 Jul 2020

Water plants can mitigate drought and flooding to protect biodiversity

'Water plants are a nuisance in streams, blocking the flow. You should remove them'. This notion has for many years determined how streams were managed to prevent flooding during high rainfall events.

20 Jul 2020

A new method to fortify shellfish for tackling human nutrient defiiciencies

Cambridge scientists have developed a new way to fortify shellfish to tackle human nutrient deficiencies which cause severe health problems across the world. The team is now working with major seafood manufacturers to further test their microencapsulation technology, or "Vitamin Bullets".

20 Jul 2020

Small, compact Cas proteins found in bacteriophages are ideal for gene editing

The DNA-cutting proteins central to CRISPR-Cas9 and related gene-editing tools originally came from bacteria, but a newfound variety of Cas proteins apparently evolved in viruses that infect bacteria.

20 Jul 2020

Ultra-small titanium dioxide crystals may help produce methane and other fuels

Imagine tiny crystals that "blink" like fireflies and can convert carbon dioxide, a key cause of climate change, into fuels.

From Rutgers University 20 Jul 2020

Genetic sequencing can reveal evolutionary differences in reef-building corals

Globally, the rising water temperatures caused by pollution and global warming have impacted the coral reefs that are dwindling at an alarming speed.

20 Jul 2020

Study focuses on how relationship between plants and microbes responds to drought conditions

Just below ground, an ancient and poorly understood relationship plays out between plants and microbes that infuse the soil.

17 Jul 2020

Amphibians have few options to avoid one-two punch of climate change

Amphibians have few options to avoid the under appreciated one-two punch of climate change, according to a new study from Simon Fraser University researchers and others.

17 Jul 2020

Beautyberry leaf extract boosts drug's activity antibiotic-resistant staph bacteria

Scientists discovered a compound in the leaves of a common shrub, the American beautyberry, that boosts an antibiotic's activity against antibiotic-resistant staph bacteria. Laboratory experiments showed that the plant compound works in combination with oxacillin to knock down the resistance to the drug of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.

17 Jul 2020