Farming and Agriculture

Farmers have increasingly sown a single type of grass in their fields over the past 100 years, and then added chemical fertilizer to increase their harvest. But new research suggests that there are alternatives that are cheaper and can increase the potential of these grasslands to feed livestock.... Read more

The Norwegian "rules of use" for Sámi reindeer husbandry were intended to help keep reindeer husbandry sustainable and allow for self-governance. But "sustainability" and "self-governance" can mean something completely different for authorities than reindeer herders.... Read more

Researchers from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have uncovered the long-elusive biosynthetic pathway of glycitein, a key soybean isoflavonoid. They also reveal how its production determines the plant's resistance to Phytophthora sojae.... Read more

The energy that plants capture from sunlight through photosynthesis provides the source of nearly all of humanity's food. Yet the process of photosynthesis has inefficiencies that limit crop productivity, especially in a rapidly changing world. A new review by University of Illinois scientists and collaborators reflects on how improving photosynthesis... Read more

A study identifies the chemical compounds present in acorns, which could help determine which are best for consumption, thus boosting the consumption of an underutilized and undervalued food.... Read more

The U.S. is largely self-sufficient in agricultural food production, supported by a well-developed storage and interstate trade system. However, extreme weather events put increasing pressure on agriculture, potentially impacting the country's ability to provide food for its growing population and underscoring the importance of maintaining a resilient food supply chain.... Read more

A new international study led by McGill University in collaboration with Jefo Nutrition shows that supplementing dairy cow diets with microencapsulated B-vitamins can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions while increasing milk yield and quality. The use of the feed additive cut global warming potential, an internationally standardized measure of climate... Read more

A yearslong surge in displaced roosters is overwhelming animal sanctuaries in Maryland and across the country, fueled by a pandemic-born boom in backyard chicken coops and the noisy realities of owning a male bird.... Read more

Sydney, like many other Australian cities, has a long history of urban farming. Market gardens, oyster fisheries and wineries on urban fringe once supplied fresh food to city markets.... Read more

Prairie strips can improve measures of soil health faster than expected, according to new research by Iowa State University scientists working in cooperation with the Soil Health Institute.... Read more

When two homozygous plant lines with different characteristics are crossed, the resulting offspring are often more robust and productive than their parents. This phenomenon is called heterosis. It can be caused by positive variants of genes that dominate negative ones, or by complex interactions among numerous genes that "communicate" with... Read more

As fishery management practices struggle to keep up with warming waters, the insights of local lobstermen provide an invaluable understanding of changing dynamics, new research shows.... Read more

A comprehensive systems analysis reveals that Pakistan's agricultural sector is on an unsustainable trajectory. Current input-intensive practices cannot meet future food security needs without increasing ecological stress. A new study published in Agricultural Systems presents the first quantitative framework for transitioning to sustainable agriculture through integrated water-energy-food (WEF) nexus management.... Read more

When you look across a field of miscanthus, it's "hypnotically beautiful," says Emily Heaton, whose family farm has for two decades grown the first commercial field of this grass in Illinois. Dense, sun-loving and often called "giant," it blooms in late summer to fall with a showy silver flower.... Read more

In an interesting turn of botanical events, University of Houston engineers report that while melatonin keeps us asleep, it wakes up plants, helping them grow.... Read more