Farming and Agriculture

There is growing interest in high-biomass sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) as a bioenergy feedstock, but more information is needed to determine the most suitable varieties for the U.S. Midwest. This study by researchers at the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) evaluated and compared the yield potential... Read more

A recently published research article indicates that fall-applied residual herbicides are among the best available options to use for glyphosate-resistant (GR) Italian ryegrass control.... Read more

Recently published research in the journal Weed Science shows that waterhemp resistance to protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibitor (PPO) herbicides can develop from soil-applied preemergence applications, and not just from postemergence herbicide use. PPOs are an important herbicide type that work by blocking a key enzyme necessary for chlorophyll production in plants.... Read more

Cannabis is booming as an ingredient in everything from supplementary oils, inflammation-reducing skin creams, lip balms to health drinks and gummy sweets that promise to reduce anxiety and pain and promote relaxation.... Read more

Bedding choice is a crucial factor in both cow comfort and udder health, and dairy farms in the Midwest are increasingly turning to recycled manure solids (RMS) as a cost-effective and readily available option. But because RMS originates from manure, questions remain about whether it can harbor mastitis-causing bacteria or... Read more

Farm size plays a crucial role in shaping food production systems and environmental outcomes. However, its long-term global trends have remained poorly understood.... Read more

A researcher from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has pioneered an innovative essential oil extraction process that could cut costs and increase yields.... Read more

Behind a steak served in China, there is often a soybean cultivation in Brazil. A new study, published in Nature Food, presents a snapshot of an increasingly interconnected and fragile food system.... Read more

A new study conducted in collaboration with the Leibniz Center for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) shows when farmers combine alfalfa with ribwort plantain, the forage yield can be doubled compared to conventional mixtures. At the same time, less nitrate enters the groundwater. The results were published in the Agronomy Journal.... Read more

Farmers handle a wide range of responsibilities to keep operations running—and a routine but often overlooked duty is safely disposing of dead livestock. Left unattended, carcasses can spread disease and jeopardize entire herds or flocks.... Read more

Scientists have discovered how one of the world's most destructive plant diseases manages to slip past crops' defenses—a breakthrough that could help farmers grow stronger, more resilient plants.... Read more

At first glance, the 400 acres of soybeans growing on the Preston family's dairy farm in southern Michigan looks like a typical field. But these aren't ordinary soybeans. They represent a breakthrough partnership with Michigan State University that's saving the family tens of thousands of dollars a month in livestock... Read more

In a recent study published in the journal Biogeosciences, scientists have confirmed that mercury pollution from artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is contaminating food crops not through the soil, as previously believed, but directly from the air. Driven by the surging price of gold, which has increased by more... Read more

Circadian clocks of wheat can provide a window into the plant's nutrient content and life cycle, finds new research that could improve agricultural production and crop resilience in a changing climate.... Read more

Phytochelatin synthases (PCSs) produce phytochelatins—tiny, cysteine-rich peptides that bind and neutralize toxic metal ions such as cadmium and arsenic. These molecules act as the plant's natural detox system, sequestering harmful elements into vacuoles to prevent cellular damage.... Read more