Hedgerows and wild grass in field margins, which previously served as semi-natural habitats, are being swallowed by agricultural production. While scientists have suggested pesticide use and habitat loss are detrimental […] Read more
Tag Archives Science Notes
To save bees, focus first on habitat, then pesticides: scientists
Science Notes: A recent study indicates habitat loss is a bigger factor than pesticide exposure when it comes to bee diversity
Slow-growth diet before breeding offers better long-range health in pigs
Science Notes: Researchers looking for more ways to improve sow longevity
University of Arkansas researchers have found that a slow-growth sow diet results in more piglets and healthier and longer-lived females. Slower weight gain for female pigs before breeding led to […] Read more
Satellite images of plants’ fluorescence can predict crop yields
Science Notes: Information could help make policy decisions, establishing crop insurance, even forecast areas of poverty
Cornell University researchers and collaborators have developed a framework that allows scientists to predict crop yield without the need for enormous amounts of high-quality data that are often scarce in […] Read more
Plant sensors could act as an early warning system for farmers
Science Notes:
Using a pair of sensors made from carbon nanotubes, researchers from MIT have discovered signals that reveal when plants are experiencing stresses such as heat, light, or attack from insects […] Read more
Breeding more resilient soybeans may come down to test site selection
Science Notes: New maps aim to help breeders strategize placement
In the quest to optimize crop productivity across environments, soybean breeders test new cultivars in multiple locations each year. The best-performing cultivars across these locations are selected for further breeding […] Read more
Discovery of amino acid unveils how light makes plants open
Science Notes: Amino acid plays a broader role in plant physiology than originally thought
Scientists from Nagoya University have discovered a novel regulatory mechanism that controls the opening of stomata in plants, which is crucial for harnessing solar energy through photosynthesis. The team uncovered […] Read more
New study is first step in predicting carbon emissions
Science Notes: Researchers develop process that is 10,000 times faster than current systems
Researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have demonstrated it is possible to provide accurate, high-resolution predictions of carbon cycles in agroecosystems, which […] Read more
Researchers use metabolic model to study temperature stress on corn
Science Notes: Fungus could alleviate corn stress
A research team led by Nebraska scientists has built the largest-ever metabolic model of corn to study how temperature stress affects the plant and how a certain fungus can alleviate […] Read more
What if cows could talk?
Science Notes: Of particular interest is how cows communicate stress
By using acoustic data and machine learning to decipher cows’ vocalizations, Virginia Tech researchers hope to shed new light on the animals’ health, welfare and environmental impact. James Chen, an […] Read more
Microbes could help reduce the need for chemical fertilizers
Science Notes: Coated bacteria improve germination rate of a variety of seeds
Production of chemical fertilizers accounts for about 1.5 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. MIT chemists hope to help reduce that carbon footprint by replacing some chemical fertilizer […] Read more