Due to strict environmental regulations, farmers are not allowed to spread all of their manure on their land. At the same time, they use synthetic fertilizers to provide their crops with sufficient nutrients. The result: a growing manure surplus and the loss of valuable nutrients....
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Within the animal kingdom, a naturally produced molecule known as itaconate serves a prominent role in the immune system as a defensive agent against viruses and inflammation. Itaconate is classified as a metabolite, a natural compound that arises when organisms convert food into energy....
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Food scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign identified the optimal fermentation conditions for pulses ― the dried edible seeds of legumes ― that increased their antioxidant and antidiabetic properties and their soluble protein content....
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Boron, though required only in minimal amounts, is vital for plant development. It strengthens cell walls and supports the growth of roots and shoots. Normally, boron, in the form of boric acid, is passively absorbed by plant roots and transported throughout the plant via diffusion. However, boron is often scarce...
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A research team led by Prof. Pang Shaojun from the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS), along with collaborators, has reported on the challenges of genetic homogeneity in aquaculture of the kelp Saccharina japonica....
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A new study in Scientific Reports reveals the hidden pain of fish during slaughter and offers practical solutions to improve their welfare. Focusing on rainbow trout, the research quantifies pain in air asphyxia—a common slaughter method—using the innovative Welfare Footprint Framework (WFF). With up to 2.2 trillion wild and 171...
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In a major step forward for sustainable pigment production, scientists have successfully engineered the oilseed crop Camelina sativa to produce high levels of astaxanthin—a valuable red antioxidant used to color farmed salmon and shrimp—using plant-derived genes rather than bacterial pathways....
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A pilot community project to create a new locally sourced fish finger for school lunches is making waves across Plymouth and beyond....
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Cage-free eggs have become a popular grocery purchase due to growing concerns about animal welfare. In early 2024, they accounted for roughly 40% of eggs sold....
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A study by the universities of Cordoba and Seville develops a method that makes it possible to verify, easily and quickly, whether an olive plantation is traditional, intensive, or super-intensive....
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With spring rains, warm-season turfgrasses such as bermudagrass and zoysiagrass are at risk of a fungal disease called large patch that can leave a lawn marked with large brown areas of dead and dying grass....
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Wheat production is threatened by a major fungal disease: yellow rust. Researchers at the University of Zurich have found traditional wheat varieties from Asia that harbor several resistance-conferring genes. They may serve as a durable source of yellow rust resistance in commercial varieties in the future, highlighting the importance of...
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With finite natural resources and a growing demand for food, the world must find ways to overcome this challenge. One proposal comes from a Brazilian startup that will produce milk proteins without the need for cows....
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When a semi-truck carrying hundreds of honey bee colonies crashed and overturned in Washington state last week, it wasn't just a roadside mess—it was a potentially devastating economic blow to the beekeeping operation behind it, said Brittney Goodrich, assistant professor of agricultural and consumer economics in the College of Agricultural,...
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Researchers at Colorado State University have developed a tool that can be used to switch a plant's key genetic traits on or off at will. The breakthrough was recently published in ACS Synthetic Biology and represents the first time that a synthetic genetic "toggle switch" has been used in a...
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