science wire

In field tests, MIT spinoff AgZen demonstrated that its feedback-optimized spraying system could halve the pesticide needs of farms and improve crop yields.

Puck Mulders defended her PhD thesis at the Department of Mechanical Engineering on March 6th. She often stood between the potato plants in her boots and now these experiments serve as the basis for sustainable fry project 'Frietje Precies' .

We interviewed the cast and crew of Another Life to offer a sneak peek into the characters, the writing process and more.

Climate change and risks Agriculture is one of the sectors to be directly hit by the increased frequency of droughts.

Despite the possibility of climate-smart agriculture improving food security, most CSA practices and technologies are not widely adopted in South Asia. A global team of researchers, including Rajiv Ghimire and Meha Jain of the University of Michigan's School for Environment and Sustainability, has identified the key barriers to CSA adoption in South Asia and suggested strategies to overcome them in a recently published study.

Study: Exposure to the global rice trade: A comparative study of arsenic and cadmium in rice consumed in Haiti Rice exported to Haiti-mostly from the United States-contains unhealthy levels of arsenic and cadmium, which can increase the risk of various cancers, heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses, new research shows.

Comment: Potassium in soil is running low, threatening global food security - study proposes way out Low potassium levels in soils around the world could pose a threat to global food production, writ

School children are being invited to help scientists find out if chickpeas, lentils, and other types of legumes could be grown in the UK. Scientists at the University of Southampton say that growing legumes in the UK could help to boost food security as our climate warms. Climate change is already impacting food staples like wheat and maize in the UK and other countries.

PRESSE RELEASE - The EU project LIFE PASTORALP has come to an end after nearly six years.

Researchers at The University of Queensland have found meals provided in early education and childcare centres in some low socio-economic communities are not meeting national dietary recommendations.

Western dietary habits and the industrialised food production required for them are harmful to the microbiome of plants and thus ultimately also to humans and their hearts.

A bushfood staple could be the centre of a new Indigenous industry, according to a University of Queensland researcher.

Clean energy technologies show promising benefits toward alleviating poverty but may have unintended consequences for groundwater depletion  The Water Institute In a bid to meet growing food producti

Food from urban agriculture has carbon footprint 6 times larger than conventional produce, study shows Study: Comparing the carbon footprints of urban and conventional agriculture (DOI 10.1038/s44284'023 -00023-3) A new University of Michigan-led international study finds that fruits and vegetables grown in urban farms and gardens have a carbon footprint that is, on average, six times greater than conventionally grown produce.

The REWACT (REducing food WAste in the cold Chain of Tropical countries) International Associated Laboratory (LIA) was launched in 2023.

A new study shows size matters in solar energy. The first ever life-cycle analysis comparing big and small solar photovoltaic systems has concluded that small-scale solar systems are in fact better for the environment than even the largest, and most efficient, solar farm.

Model simulations show how a spatial reconfiguration of land use can increase food production while simultaneously storing more carbon A radical reconfiguration of historically evolved systems of land use would make it possible in principle to double food production, save water, and increase carbon storage at the same time.

McGill University study highlights discrepancies between nutritional guidelines and nutrient intake required for seniors The latest Canada's food guide recommendations are primarily aimed at reducing chronic disease risk, however how well does our national guide for healthy eating serve the nutritional needs of all Canadians? Consuming adequate amounts of certain nutrients should be a priority for older adults.

The University of Warwick announces Warwick Agri-Tech to help the future of farming with automation - addressing issues such as labour shortages, food insecurity and loss of biodiversity.

Agroscope and the Federal Office for the Environment have published the first Geochemical Soil Atlas of Switzerland.

You'll be surprised to learn how much zing a root fungus can add to a favourite seasonal berry. At many winter holiday tables, cranberries have pride of place as an accompaniment to roast turkey and an ingredient in sparkling cocktails. This tart little berry is a big part of our seasonal cuisine here in Quebec, and for good reason: in any given year, we're either the second or third largest producer of cranberries in the world.

Overall food prices will increase between 2.5 to 4.5 per cent in 2024, according to the 14 edition of Canada's Food Price Report released today.

More droughts in summer and autumn - combined, paradoxically, with an increased risk of flooding - and, in the long term, less snow in winter.

2023 Global Change Outlook from the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change quantifies benefits of policies that cap global warming at 1.

Press release: Fertilizing potatoes sustainably - the variety makes the difference Thesis by Göttingen University student on nitrogen fertilization receives award The Förderungsgemeinschaft der Kartoffelwirtschaft e. V.

Nutrient losses are a key topic for Swiss agriculture. Current Agroscope figures show that nitrogen and phosphorus losses have decreased by around 10 per cent since 2014/2016. Despite this, further efforts are needed to achieve the targets set by policy-makers. With a new series of factsheets, Agroscope is helping farmers improve nutrient efficiency and thereby reduce nutrient losses to the maximum extent possible.

Josephine Mylan and John Andrews have written an article which has been published by the prestigious article Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences based on sustainable food production and consumption.

How can reducing greenhouse gas emissions, more efficient energy use and animal welfare be balanced even more successfully in livestock farming in the future?

Simple on-animal sensors could be a game changer for Australian beef cattle nutrition, according to University of Queensland research. Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation master's student Tamara Freitas-Kirk is using wireless technology and motion detection cameras to monitor individual food intake of a trial herd.

Waterloo researchers test what it takes to convert forests to productive farmland and explore how to make that transition equitable By Chantal Vallis Faculty of Environment It's predicted that where w

A list of 3,000 unique dishes served to King George III at Kew Palace and the Prince Regent, George IV at Carlton House between 1788-1813 has been compiled by a team involving a UCL researcher. Published in  Food & History by a team based at UCL, University of Birmingham, Leeds Beckett University and the University of Essex, the result is an in-depth database of food eaten by the two kings, which includes the unique dishes, as well as 40,000 served dishes.

George III dined on chicken broth, lobster and roasted capon among many other favourite Royal dishes served to the King and his household, a new study reveals.

Placing solutions in the cloud but learning with boots on the ground, GEAR Lab researchers build low-cost, solar-powered irrigation tools to make precision agriculture more accessible. In agriculture today, robots and drones can monitor fields, temperature and moisture sensors can be automated to meet crop needs, and a host of other systems and devices make farms more efficient, resource-conscious, and profitable.

Researchers are testing soil microbial communities to protect ecosystems thanks to a £2.45 million donation from the Michael Uren Foundation.