Farming and Agriculture

Clover-grass mixtures are popular because they do not need to be fertilized as much as pure grass crops. Indeed, legumes such as white and red clover are self-sufficient in nitrogen. They can simply fix nitrogen from the atmosphere and fix part of the nitrogen in the soil. In this way,... Read more

Michigan State University researchers have solved a puzzle that could help switchgrass realize its full potential as a low-cost, sustainable biofuel crop and curb our dependence on fossil fuels.... Read more

Undernourished coastal communities in the tropics—where children's growth can be stunted by a lack of micronutrients—can get the vitamins and minerals they need from sustainable small-scale octopus fisheries, say researchers.... Read more

A University of Queensland–led study has shown that expanding global seaweed farming could go a long way to addressing the planet's food security, biodiversity loss and climate change challenges.... Read more

Humans and animals all have chemical and microbial signatures that influence their well-being in one way or another. In medicine, the use of probiotics rather than antibiotics has become high on the agenda. However, humans and animals are not the only ones who have a close relationship with their microflora.... Read more

A new CABI-led study has analyzed gender differences in the uptake of the biological control agent Trichogramma chilonis to control the pest Helicoverpa armigera on tomato crops in Pakistan.... Read more

Imagine a hot and dry summer day, it might have been dry and hot for a long time. The birds are singing and the irrigation machines in the fields are running at full speed. But what does irrigating crops really mean for farmers' yields and how does it affect nitrate... Read more

Climate change is considered one of the most pressing problems of our time. In this context, soil plays a greater role than might be expected. Soil can simultaneously store CO2 from the atmosphere and emit CO2 through microbial decomposition of organic matter.... Read more

Legume plants do not depend on externally supplied nitrogen, because they can form a symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, called rhizobia. The plants recognize the nitrogen-fixing bacteria and allow them to colonize specially formed organs called nodules. It has been known for many years that there are two Nod factor receptors,... Read more

Berlin has enough space for urban gardening, and up to 82 percent of Berlin's vegetable consumption could be produced locally, a new study finds. "The amount of vegetables represents a significant share of the annual consumption," highlights Diego Rybski, an external faculty member from the Complexity Science Hub and a... Read more

New research has shown calves' ability to focus and learn are seriously affected when their milk allowance is suddenly reduced, and they may experience negative feelings of hunger. The study is published in Biology Letters.... Read more

Could we feed a city on Mars? This question is central to the future of space exploration and has serious repercussions on Earth too. To date, a lot of thought has gone into how astronauts eat; however, we are only beginning to produce food in space.... Read more

A study published in The ISME Journal identified 522 genomes of archaea and bacteria associated with the roots and soil of two plant species native to the Brazilian montane savanna ecoregion known as campos rupestres ("rocky meadows"). Hundreds of microorganisms hitherto unknown to science were identified, showing that the ecoregion... Read more

According to national USDA statistics, no-till and conservation tillage are on the rise, with more than three quarters of corn and soybean farmers opting for the practices to reduce soil erosion, maintain soil structure, and save on fuel. However, these estimates are based primarily on farmer self-reporting and are only... Read more

A tiger escaped from a residence and roamed the countryside outside Johannesburg, South Africa, for four days this month. It attacked a man and killed several animals, and was eventually shot by the authorities.... Read more