Agriculture

New Iridescent Bee Species Island-Hopping in Polynesia

On the left is Hylaeus derectus, and on the right is Hylaeus navai, both are among the newly discovered species found in Fiji.Back in the 1930s, a scientist named Elwood Zimmerman found three very small, pretty bees on tahetahe flowers in Polynesia. People were amazed because these bees were so far away from other...

Low-Carbon Footprint Ammonia for Eco-Friendly Fertilizers

Credit: Yale E360Researchers at UNSW Sydney, alongside collaborators, have pioneered an eco-friendly technique enabling ammonia production directly on farms, revolutionizing the traditional high-energy methods.The innovation, highlighted in a recent Applied Catalysis B: Environmental publication, drastically improves energy efficiency, scaling up green ammonia synthesis at an industrial level.Formerly reliant on energy-intensive processes contributing significantly...

Heat Waves Harm Bird Reproduction in Farms, Research Shows

Credit: PixaobayBird populations in North America are rapidly decreasing. Climate change, among various factors affecting these birds, plays a noteworthy role, often interacting with other stressors like habitat loss. Researchers from the University of California, Davis, discovered that extreme temperatures affect avian reproduction differently based on the bird's habitat.Published in the journal Science, the...

Revolutionizing Water and Food Production: Solar-Powered Vertical Sea Farms

The sun and the sea, both bountiful and freely available, are at the heart of a groundbreaking project aiming to create vertical sea farms that float on the ocean. These farms have the potential to produce fresh water for drinking and agriculture in a self-sufficient manner, all without human intervention. A world-first initiative by researchers...

Cost-Effective, Efficient Soil Health Assessment for Large-Scale Use

Credit: theconversationCost-Effective, Efficient Soil Health Assessment for Large-Scale Use. Describing the significance of soil as essential would be an understatement. It plays a crucial role as the medium for food production, carbon sequestration, reducing atmospheric CO2, and hosting vast biodiversity, including antibiotic-producing bacteria. Soil is fundamental for life on Earth.Cost-Effective, Efficient Soil Health Assessment...

Genome Editing Used to Create Disease-Resistant Rice

Rice blast in a California rice crop. US and Chinese researchers used CRISPR genome editing to create a high-yielding rice variety resistant to this major fungal pest. Credit: UCANR.A recent study published in the journal Nature on June 14 reports that a group of scientists, including researchers from the University of California, Davis, and...

Floating Farm, a New Concept of Sustainability

This floating farm transforms salty sea water into nutrients for agriculture and improves the marine environment! Credit: disenoyucatan.A New Concept of Green PreservationFloating Farm is a concept that involves the development of a sustainable farm on a floating platform. The idea behind the concept is to use the available space in water bodies such...

The Healthiest Rice! White or Brown? From a Nutrition Scientist Perspective.

White and Brown Rice. Credit: PexelsRice is the number three most produced agricultural crop in the world. Only losing for sugarcane and corn. The major producers of rice are placed in Asia, having China producing 28% of the world’s rice before 2020.Rice is demanded globally since 8,000 BC. It is a huge part of...

Water Quality Can Be Forecasted Using Machine Learning

Water, a vital substance for human life/ Credit: pexels.comA study published in the International Journal of Sustainable Agricultural Management and Informatics has shown the potential of machine learning to forecast the water quality index, which could have significant implications for water management in both drinking water and agricultural applications.Water pollution, a concern of recent...

Eliminating Bats After a Rabies Outbreak is a Poor Method Of Preventing Livestock Loss

Credit: https://www.joelsartore.com/wp-content/uploads/stock/ANI014/ANI014-00062.jpgA group of biologists from the University of Glasgow, working with colleagues from different Institutes in the nation of Peru, found that eliminating bat colonies after an outbreak of cattle rabies is not an efficient way to stop the spread of the disease.In their research, published in the journal Science Advances, the team...