Collaborate Disseminate
The spraying of orchards and vineyards certainly isn’t an eco-friendly process, with tractors spewing exhaust as they douse crops in herbicides and pesticides. That’s one of the main reasons the electric, autonomous Prospr robot was created.Continue Re… Continue reading Crop-spraying robot is designed to reduce emissions and use less herbicide
It’s always best if farmers can detect drought stress before crop plants become wilted, weakened and lower-yielding. An experimental new portable device could help in that regard, as it uses ultrasound to spot such stress in its earliest stages.Continu… Continue reading Portable device spots drought-stressed crops before it’s too late
Many indoor plant enthusiasts already know that mirrors can be used to direct more sunlight onto plants that need it. Scientists have now developed a method of applying that same principle to endangered tree seedlings that are struggling to grow in sha… Continue reading Forest-floor mirrors give shaded seedlings a 175% growth-boost
In case you haven’t heard, the methane in cow burps is a major source of greenhouse gases. There may be a new way of addressing that problem, however, as a recent study shows that feeding cows clay reduces their methane emissions by over 30%.Continue R… Continue reading Clay reduces methane in cow burps by 30%
A “bananageddon” might be on the horizon, and not for the first time. But new research could help save our favorite fruit.Continue ReadingCategory: Biology, ScienceTags: Fruit, Agriculture, Fungus, Extinction, University of Massachusetts Continue reading “Bananageddon” again approaches, but a new weapon could save our skins
Glass-fragment waste typically just ends up in landfills, but perhaps that doesn’t always have to be the case. A new study shows that ground glass particles can be mixed with soil to produce a plant growth medium that’s actually better than soil alone…. Continue reading For a better plant growth medium, just add ground glass
Everybody loves roses, but we’d probably love them even more if they didn’t have those sharp thorns. Well, scientists have found a way of growing thornless roses, and their findings could lead to easier-to-harvest crops.Continue ReadingCategory: Biolog… Continue reading Genetically engineered thornless roses pave the way for better crops
Watering and fertilizing crops to provide enough food for a changing world is a major challenge in agriculture. Now, scientists at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a “smart soil” that can keep plants better hydrated and provide a contro… Continue reading “Smart soil” grows 138% bigger crops using 40% less water
The fertilizer that supports around half of the food we consume has become one of the leading driver of human-influenced greenhouse gas emissions, with China, India, the US, Brazil and Russia the biggest culprits, according to the new Global Nitrous Ox… Continue reading ‘Forgotten’ greenhouse gas levels surge 40% since 1980
Mowing might seem like a pretty sensible way to keep weeds at bay. But in the case of the silverleaf nightshade, the activity puts the plant into survival mode causing it to fight back with some pretty powerful defense mechanisms, says a new study.Cont… Continue reading Poisonous ‘super weed’ created by frequent mowing