Image Credits: PixabayMuch like in other species—no blame intended—male frogs dominate the soundscape with their loud calls, actively drowning out the quieter voices of females, whose vocalizations we’ve identified in only 1.4% of cases.Surprisingly, new research from Brazil's Universidade de São Paulo reveals that scientists have documented the calls of only a tiny fraction...
Vines growing in Europe have experienced the greatest increases in heat, including in the Côtes du Rhône region (one vine from there shown here). Credit: PLOS Climate (2025). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000539 / CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)A new study by E.M. Wolkovich of the University of British Columbia, published in PLOS Climate, reports that climate change has affected wine-growing...
Credit: PixabayMost people are familiar with Rudolph Zallinger’s illustration “The March of Progress” which depicts human evolution from the early primate ancestor Dryopithecus to modern Homo sapiens. While evolution is a captivating process, it doesn’t always move in a straight line as Zallinger’s image suggests.The notion that evolution progresses in a one-way path from...
Credit: New AtlasWhisper Aero is developing a leaf blower that moves 40% more air, uses 40% less power, and produces half the noise of conventional models, showcasing their focus on efficiency and reducing environmental impact.Whisper's air-moving technology, initially not meant for garden tools, led to a licensing deal with Stanley Black & Decker, which...
Credit: DepositphotosA recent study in the US confirms that brown rice has higher levels of arsenic compared to white rice.Understandably, this might raise some eyebrows — arsenic is a well-known toxic element. However, the concentrations found in brown rice are far below any threshold that would pose a danger to human health. And just...
Credit: Tang Qui Đông from PixabayIn the microscopic battlefield between plants and microbes, recent research has uncovered a surprising tactic used by bacterial invaders to evade plant immune systems—shedding new light on the complex arms race happening every day in nature.How Plants Detect Bacterial ThreatsJust like humans, plants have evolved intricate immune defenses to...
Credit: PixabayIn contrast to common fears that global crop yields have stalled in recent years, an extensive study on global food production reveals that yields have continued to grow at a similar pace since the 1960s. John Baffes from the World Bank and Xiaoli Etienne from the University of Idaho, U.S., present these findings...
By integrating smart lighting and environmental controls, vertical farming aims to optimize plant health and reduce electricity usage, aligning food production with sustainable practices.Researchers are investigating how dynamic environmental management in indoor farms could help provide nutritious, high-quality, locally grown fruits and vegetables to support a growing population.Vertical farming has the potential to transform...
Credit: DepositphotosDid you know that the bananas we eat now differ from those consumed a few generations ago?Today's common banana is the Cavendish variety, while the Gros Michel variety, which was widely available until the 1950s, was decimated by a disease known as Fusarium wilt of banana (FWB).The Fusarium wilt that devastated the...
A 3D-printed reference model for sugar beet is included in field experiments. Credit: Institute of Sugar Beet Research, GöttingenScientists utilize laser scanning to generate 3D models of the aerial parts of sugar beet plants in agricultural fields, pushing forward the advancement of AI-supported improvements in crop pipelines.Recent research illustrates how 21st-century crop breeding can...
