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 to pollinators, their relative impacts were unclear. A recent study by researchers in China, the U.K. and the Netherlands offers insight. It showsthat semi-natural habitats […] 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 improvements in performance throughout four breeding cycles, according to Charles Maxwell, professor of animal science. It’s common practice to feed female breeding pigs the same […] 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 developing countries, especially those facing heightened food insecurity and climate risk. In many parts of the world, crop yields are dropping, largely due to the […] 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 or bacteria. The sensors detect two signaling molecules that plants use to coordinate their response to stress: hydrogen peroxide and salicylic acid. Researchers found that […] 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 and eventual commercialization. However, a new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign suggests current soybean testing locations may not deliver breeders the biggest bang for their buck. “We […] 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 the role of phosphorylation at the 881st threonine residue of the plasma membrane proton pump in response to red and blue light. This research opens possibilities for […] 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 could help mitigate the impacts of climate change. The study by scholars was recently published in Nature Communications. Its findings are a critical first step in […] 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 the problem. The research is an expansion of earlier work with a metabolic model of corn roots that the same team used to study the plant’s nitrogen-use efficiency […] 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 animal data sciences researcher and assistant professor in the School of Animal Sciences, is using a $650,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National […] 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 with a more sustainable source — bacteria. Bacteria that can convert nitrogen gas to ammonia could not only provide nutrients that plants need, but also […] Read more
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