Agriculture and Food News

December 24, 2024

Top Headlines

How the Freezer Factors Into Lowering Food Waste

Dec. 23, 2024 — Putting extra holiday cookies and leftovers in the freezer will not only extend their shelf life -- it could also put a dent in the U.S. household tendency to throw away edible food, a new study ...

Early Warning Tool Will Help Control Huge Locust Swarms

Dec. 19, 2024 — A new tool that predicts the behavior of desert locust populations will help national agencies to manage huge swarms before they devastate food crops in Africa and ...

Growing Safer Spuds: Removing Toxins from Potatoes

Dec. 20, 2024 — Scientists have discovered a way to remove toxic compounds from potatoes and tomatoes, making them safer to eat and easier to store. The breakthrough could cut food waste and enhance crop farming in extreme environments, like outer ...

Pollinators Most Vulnerable to Rising Global Temperatures Are Flies, Study Shows

Dec. 20, 2024 — Despite their reputation as buzzing nuisances, flies serve a critical role as some of the Earth's most prolific pollinators -- and new research suggests they are increasingly at risk due to rising ...

Latest Headlines

updated 7:14pm EST

Water and Gruel -- Not Bread: Discovering the Diet of Early Neolithic Farmers in Scandinavia

Dec. 20, 2024 — At a Neolithic settlement on the Danish island Funen dating back 5,500 years, archaeologists have discovered both grinding stones and grains from ...

Sugar Solution Fights Infection in Dairy Cows Just as Well as Antibiotics

Dec. 19, 2024 — A concentrated sugar solution could be just as effective as antibiotics at treating a common infection in dairy cows, according to a new ...

Evolutionary Study Reveals the Toxic Reach of Disease-Causing Bacteria Across the Plant Kingdom

Dec. 19, 2024 — The capacity of bacteria to spread disease across the Plant Kingdom may be much more widespread than previously suspected, according to new ...

Conserving High-Elevation Grasslands in Peru Is Key to Protect Andean Bears

Dec. 18, 2024 — Andean bears carefully select the best foraging locations and plants to maximize nutrition and avoid livestock, according to a new ...

Is Fake Meat Good to Eat? Processed Plant-Based Meat Alternatives Linked to Depression Risk in Vegetarians

Dec. 17, 2024 — Researchers found that vegetarians who consumed PBMAs had a 42% increased risk of depression compared to vegetarians who refrained from ...

Across Southeastern US, Weedy Rice Steals Herbicide Resistance from Crop Rice

Dec. 16, 2024 — A new study shows that more than half of the weedy rice sampled in the rice-growing region of the southeastern U.S. has become herbicide ...

How Chemical Reactions Deplete Nutrients in Plant-Based Drinks

Dec. 13, 2024 — A new study of plant-based drinks reveals a common issue: they are lacking in proteins and essential amino acids compared to cow's milk. The explanation lies in their extensive processing, causing ...

Overlooked Emissions in California's Salton Sea Air Basin

Dec. 3, 2024 — Nitrogen oxide emissions from soil in California's Salton Sea air basin are 10 times larger than state estimates, finds a new study of rural Imperial and Coachella ...

Recycling Human, Animal Excreta Reduces Need for Fertilizers

Dec. 11, 2024 — Recycling all the human and livestock feces and urine on the planet would contribute substantially to meeting the nutrient supply for all crops worldwide, thereby reducing the need to mine ...

Virtual Fences Are a Pollinator-Friendly Option for Ranchlands

Dec. 9, 2024 — Fences are an effective stationary method of corralling livestock, but their sharp borders can create sudden changes in native grassland vegetation and the pollinators and birds that live there. ...

Neem Seed Extract Improves Effectiveness of Pesticide

Dec. 6, 2024 — A research group has developed an innovative pesticide delivery system called nanopesticides. These tiny technologies could change how we use ...

Climate Change Threatens Global Food Supply: Scientists Call for Urgent Action

Dec. 5, 2024 — As climate change accelerates, scientists are sounding the alarm about its potentially devastating impact on the world's food supply. Researchers warn that without rapid changes to how we ...

Durian Helps Rice Plants Thrive in Salty Soil

Dec. 5, 2024 — Extreme weather and pollution have increased the salt content in some soil, making growing conditions harsh for salt-sensitive crops like rice. Now, researchers detail a possible solution that ...

DNA of 1,000 Year-Old Maize Sheds Light on Origins of Globally Important Food Crop

Dec. 5, 2024 — Researchers have tested ancient DNA from corn found at archaeological sites in Arkansas, shedding new light on the dispersal of one of the world's most important food ...

Low Meat Intake Fuels Concerns Over Child Nutrition

Dec. 4, 2024 — Malnutrition and poor dietary diversity remain significant challenges for children in Ethiopia, despite the country's large livestock population, a study highlights. The study reveals that only ...

Lifesaver for Wild Bees: The Importance of Quarries

Dec. 4, 2024 — A research team has investigated the importance of limestone quarries for wild bee conservation. Diverse landscapes with good connectivity between quarries and calcareous grasslands proved to be ...

Climate-Ready Crop

Dec. 4, 2024 — A team has engineered potato to be more resilient to global warming showing 30% increases in tuber mass under heatwave conditions. This adaptation may provide greater food security for families ...

Insects Wearing Two Hats Solve Botanical Mystery

Dec. 4, 2024 — The discovery of a unique case where the same insect species both pollinate a plant and distribute its seeds not only solves a long-standing botanical mystery. The find also stresses the diverse ...

Streams Near Farms Emit High Levels of Greenhouse Gas

Dec. 3, 2024 — Researchers found that emissions from streams are largely derived from nitrification processes in agricultural soils. Further, they found that stream emissions make up a much greater portion of the ...

Backyard Chickens Are Here to Stay

Dec. 3, 2024 — Chickens have been a mainstay in Australian backyards for generations. New research reveals that owners see their chickens as a blend between pet and livestock as well as a trustworthy source of ...

Feeding Grazing Cattle Seaweed Cuts Methane Emissions by Almost 40%

Dec. 2, 2024 — Scientists find making a seaweed additive more accessible to grazing cattle reduces methane emissions 40% and could make cattle farming more ...

Animal Products Improve Child Nutrition in Africa

Dec. 2, 2024 — The consumption of milk products, eggs and fish has a positive effect on childhood development in Africa. This has been demonstrated in a recent study. The researchers used representative data from ...

Higher Ratio of Plant Protein to Animal Protein May Improve Heart Health

Dec. 2, 2024 — Eating a diet with a higher ratio of plant-based protein to animal-based protein may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and coronary heart disease (CHD), according to a new study. ...

Sustainable Land Management Practice Successfully 'Uproots' Invasive Prosopis Juliflora in East Africa

Dec. 2, 2024 — The adoption of a sustainable land management practice (SLM) to manage invasive Prosopis juliflora -- considered one of the world's most threatening non-native tree species -- appears to have ...

Chemical Replacement of TNT Explosive More Harmful to Plants, Study Shows

Nov. 28, 2024 — The increased use of a chemical compound to replace TNT in explosive devices has a damaging and long lasting effect on plants, new research has ...

Global Food Yields Have Grown Steadily During Last Six Decades, Study Finds

Nov. 27, 2024 — Contrary to widespread concerns that global crop yields have stagnated in recent decades, a comprehensive study of worldwide food production finds yields have continued to grow at roughly the same ...

How Fungi Colonize Plant Roots

Nov. 27, 2024 — Researchers have identified two fungal enzymes that hijack the immune system of plants, playing a critical role in the colonization of plant roots. These findings open new avenues for interventions ...

Breakthrough Could Revolutionize Future of Tick Control

Nov. 27, 2024 — Scientists create potential for genetic tools to control disease-spreading ...

Smart Agriculture Technology for Monitoring Plants

Nov. 26, 2024 — This unobtrusive, leaf-mounted sensor saves time and improves productivity by remotely monitoring the health of plants in ...

Can We Avert the Looming Food Crisis of Climate Change?

Nov. 26, 2024 — Researchers share a mathematical model created to capture the nonlinear relationships between CO2, temperature, human population, and crop growth. Increasing evidence of chaotic and complex dynamics ...