http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/agriculture_and_food/ Agricultural research news. From fertilizers and organic farming to maximizing crops and hybridization, read about advancements in agriculture. en-us Sat, 11 Jul 2009 13:05:01 EDT Sat, 11 Jul 2009 13:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/agriculture_and_food/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622103907.htm A tiny plant with a long name helps researchers design new crops to help meet increasing demands for food, biofuels, industrial materials, and new medicines. The genes, proteins, and other traits of this plant reside in the Arabidopsis Information Resource (TAIR) database. TAIR just released a new version of the genome sequence, which includes an array of improvements and novel features that promise to accelerate this critical research. Fri, 10 Jul 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622103907.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090708094830.htm Scientists are reporting for the first time that the use of weed killers in farmers' fields boosts the nutritional value of an important food a crop. Application of two common herbicides to several varieties of sweet corn significantly increased the amount of key nutrients termed carotenoids in the corn kernels, according to a new study. Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090708094830.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619152137.htm Chile peppers have long played an important role in the diets of Mesoamerican people. Capsicum annuum is one of five domesticated species of chiles and is one of the primary components of these diets. However, little is known regarding the original location of domestication of C. annuum and the genetic diversity in wild relatives. Researchers have now found a large amount of diversity in individuals from the Yucatan Peninsula, making this a center of diversity for chiles. Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619152137.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702080525.htm Viruses can cost winegrowers an entire harvest. If they infest the grapevines, even pesticides are often no use. What’s more, these chemicals are harmful to the environment. Researchers are growing plants that produce antibodies against the viruses and are thus immune. Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702080525.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707142138.htm Scientists have developed salt-tolerant plants using a new type of genetic modification, bringing salt-tolerant cereal crops a step closer to reality. Wed, 08 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707142138.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618144000.htm A scientific study of three corn-growing regions of the world documents massive imbalances in nitrogen fertilizer use, resulting in malnourishment in some areas and serious pollution problems in others. Wed, 08 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618144000.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629081122.htm With rising ozone levels scientists have found that high ozone conditions cause a 30 percent decrease in yield and an increase in the concentration of a group of compounds with toxic effects to livestock, but anticarcinogenic effects for humans, within oilseed rape plants. Wed, 08 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629081122.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707111705.htm Plant roots provide the crops we eat with water, nutrients and anchorage. Understanding how roots grow and how hormones control that growth is crucial to improving crop yields, necessary to address food security and produce better biofuels. Scientists have now shed light on how a plant hormone is crucial in controlling the growth of plant roots. Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707111705.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707094702.htm Using a system of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) equipped with thermal multispectral cameras scientists will be conducting flights over experimental plots with different crops, some of them being the largest pistachio nut crop in the world, as well as over almond tree and vineyard crops spread across the State of California. This system allows you to know the ideal time to water the crops, saving water, and it can even be used to detect situations of water waste or water leaks in the irrigation system. Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707094702.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090626190939.htm People smell them, thump them and eyeball their shape. But ultimately, it's sweetness and a sense of healthy eating that lands a melon in a shopper's cart. Plant breeders now have a better chance to pinpoint such traits for new varieties, because the melon genome with hundreds of DNA markers has now been mapped. That means tastier and healthier melons are likely for future summer picnics. Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090626190939.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090705145109.htm Varroa mites, prime suspect in bee colony collapse disorder, could literally be walking into a trap --- thanks to a newly developed attractant. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090705145109.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629124957.htm In a first-of-its-kind advance toward the next generation of genetically modified foods — intended to improve consumers' health — researchers in Japan are reporting that a new transgenic rice designed to fight a common pollen allergy appears safe in animal studies.  Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629124957.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701150849.htm Scientists are researching the potential of mass production of microalgae as a crop. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090701150849.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629132150.htm Scientists will sequence the genomes of four species of labyrinthulomycetes. These little-known marine species were selected for sequencing as the result of a proposal submitted to the competitive JGI Community Sequencing Program by a team of microbiologists. Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629132150.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629081127.htm Plants grown under high carbon dioxide and drought conditions show an increase in toxic compounds, a decrease in protein content and a decrease in yield. Therefore new cultivars should be developed in order to sustain food production in a future environment. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629081127.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615111755.htm New research shows that health-related loss in modern salmon farming may be systematically monitored and quantified, both in biological and economical terms. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615111755.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090624161631.htm In the mating world of yellow dung flies, large, males almost always get the girl. However, a new study suggests that smaller males rule if presented with an opportunity to woo females when they are not hanging out on cow dung. Small male dung flies, which are traditionally unsuccessful at finding and keeping mates on dung pats, successfully mated with females feeding on composting apple pomace. Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090624161631.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090625152936.htm With the caloric needs of the planet expected to soar by 50 percent in the next 40 years, planning and investment in global agriculture will become critically important, according a new report. Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090625152936.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090625141508.htm Scientists have developed the ability to take regular cells from a pig's connective tissues, known as fibroblasts, and transform them into stem cells, eliminating several of the hurdles associated with stem cell research. Fri, 26 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090625141508.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090610192429.htm A suite of genes that affect aggression in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has been identified. By investigating male flies from a large panel of lines which each carry a mutation in a single gene but are otherwise genetically identical, researchers identified particularly angry and particularly placid insects, uncovering 59 mutations in 57 genes that affect aggressive behavior. Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090610192429.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090624152938.htm Dramatic price fluctuations, increasing demand, the food vs. fuel debate, and other events of the past year may have food producers wondering which way is up. Despite these recent uncertainties, 'up' is precisely the direction one expert believes agriculture is headed for at least the next 10 years. Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090624152938.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619202611.htm The seeds of a lowly weed could cut jet fuel's cradle-to-grave carbon emissions by 84 percent. Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619202611.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619171244.htm Sagebrush engaged in self-recognition and communicate danger to their "clones" or genetically identical cuttings planted nearby, researchers show. Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619171244.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619121443.htm World hunger is projected to reach a historic high in 2009 with 1,020 million people going hungry every day, according to new estimates published by the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization. Sat, 20 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619121443.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619192607.htm There are cynics who see only catastrophic answers to Earth's population explosion: War and pestilence come to mind. Then there are those who look a little deeper. Not even two feet deep, to be precise, into the placid tidal pools dotting the world's coastlines. It is on a coastal flat in the Pacific Northwest, that marine biologists are pinning their hopes on the quest for bigger and faster-growing oysters. Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619192607.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616133940.htm Archeologists have uncovered an ancient and previously unknown Maya agricultural system -- a large manioc field intensively cultivated as a staple crop that was buried and exquisitely preserved under a blanket of ash by a volcanic eruption in present-day El Salvador 1,400 years ago. Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616133940.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616080143.htm Neurologists questions the safety of eating farmed fish, adding a new worry to concerns about the nation’s food supply. They suggest farmed fish could transmit Creutzfeldt Jakob disease -- commonly known as mad cow disease -- if they are fed byproducts rendered from cows. Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616080143.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090611142358.htm Clearing the Amazon rainforest increases Brazilian communities' wealth and quality of life, but these improvements are short-lived, according to new research published in Science. The study shows that levels of development revert back to well below national average levels when the loggers and land clearers move on. Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090611142358.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615153122.htm There may be thousands of things large and small that can be done to better control pollution on even the smallest waterways, and a new tool may help sort out how to choose the best ones. Tue, 16 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615153122.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090610124827.htm Dairy genetics, nutrition, herd management and improved animal welfare over the past 60 years have resulted in a modern milk production system that has a smaller carbon footprint than mid-20th century farming practices, according to a new study. Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090610124827.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608204055.htm Clonal reproduction of crop species took a step closer to being realized with new research. The advantage of clonal reproduction is that it produces an individual exactly like an existing one -- very useful for farmers who could replicate the best of their animals or crops without the lottery of sexual reproduction. Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608204055.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608131152.htm In what could be a breakthrough in animal breeding, scientists have discovered a set of genetic regions responsible for animal tameness. This discovery should help animal breeders, farmers, zoologists, and anyone else who handles and raises animals to more fully understand what makes some animals interact with humans better than do others. Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608131152.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090606105725.htm A new category of fats in mammalian cells may help explain how a harmful toxin called fumonisin causes disease in farm animals. Tue, 09 Jun 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090606105725.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608143837.htm As demands on rural land increase and we are all having to deal with the effects of climate change, we may need to take a fresh look at our priorities, according to leading academics meeting in the UK. Research from the Relu Program will be important for the complex policy decisions about land use that need to be taken at national and regional level. Is it time for a debate on a land use planning system for the countryside? Tue, 09 Jun 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608143837.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090606111040.htm A fence made out of beehives wired together has been shown to significantly reduce crop raids by elephants, Oxford University scientists report. Mon, 08 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090606111040.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604124802.htm The cause of Parkinson's disease (PD), the second most frequent neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's disease, is unknown, but in most cases it is believed to involve a combination of environmental risk factors and genetic susceptibility. Laboratory studies in rats have shown that injecting the insecticide rotenone leads to an animal model of PD and several epidemiological studies have shown an association between pesticides and PD, but most have not identified specific pesticides or studied the amount of exposure relating to the association. Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604124802.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604222430.htm Scientists have sequenced the genome of a parasite that can kill honey bees. Nosema ceranae is one of many pathogens suspected of contributing to the current bee population decline, termed colony collapse disorder. Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604222430.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090602204259.htm A new study has found that by 2050, hotter conditions, coupled with shifting rainfall patterns, could make anywhere from 500,000 to one million square kilometers of marginal African farmland no longer able to support even a subsistence level of food crops. However, the land, on which some 20 to 35 million people currently live, may still support livestock. Fri, 05 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090602204259.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090603091737.htm The ‘water footprint’ of bioenergy, i.e. the amount of water required to cultivate crops for biomass, is much greater than for other forms of energy. The generation of bioelectricity is significantly more water-efficient in the end, however – by a factor of two – than the production of biofuel. By establishing the water footprint for thirteen crops, researchers were able to make an informed choice of a specific crop and production region. Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090603091737.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090528142817.htm Cutting down forests for agriculture vents carbon dioxide into the air just as industries and fossil fuel burning does. But policymakers debate whether to include terrestrial carbon in plans to stabilize atmospheric greenhouse gases. A new study suggests that failing to include land use changes could lead to massive deforestation and higher costs for limiting carbon emissions. Also, improvements to agricultural technology could be as important as for energy in a carbon-limited future. Thu, 04 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090528142817.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090602192557.htm Scientists have managed to induce cells from pigs to transform into pluripotent stem cells -- cells that, like embryonic stem cells, are capable of developing into any type of cell in the body. It is the first time that this has been achieved using somatic cells (cells that are not sperm or egg cells) from any animal with hooves (known as ungulates). Wed, 03 Jun 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090602192557.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090602112257.htm Crop residues possess a critical role in sustaining soil organic matter, and as it is increasingly being used for the production of cellulosic-based ethanol, this removal may impact the long-term productivity of soils. Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090602112257.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090527174052.htm A new discovery could help feed millions. When a scientist set out to alleviate diseases associated with menopause, she didn't realize her work could lead to addressing world hunger and feeding hundreds of millions of people. The research has identified a nontoxic chemical technology that when applied to rodents, caused infertility in rats, which feast on crops intended for human consumption. Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090527174052.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601111942.htm Partner switching between fungus farming ants and their fungal clones during nest establishment may contribute to the stability of this long-term mutualistic relationship. Mon, 01 Jun 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601111942.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601102021.htm Mass migrations of herbivores like pronghorn, zebra, and wildebeest are in a world-wide decline because of human changes to the landscape. Mon, 01 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601102021.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090527175333.htm A mixture of some organic acids and some extracts from plants turns out to be enough to greatly reduce pathogenic bacteria on chicken breast meat. Add some irradiation to the mix and it makes a lethal combination against the bacteria. Mon, 01 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090527175333.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090528203737.htm Vancomycin-resistant enterococci have been found in sewage sludge, a by-product of waste-water treatment frequently used as a fertilizer. Researchers point out the danger of antibiotic resistance genes passing into the human food chain. Mon, 01 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090528203737.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090522180257.htm Scientists are in a longstanding battle against two serious bacterial infections of livestock: Johne's disease and bovine tuberculosis. Mon, 01 Jun 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090522180257.htm