‘Forgotten’ greenhouse gas levels surge 40% since 1980

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

Poisonous ‘super weed’ created by frequent mowing

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

House Republican sounds the alarm on threats to food and agriculture sector

Rep. Brad Finstad, a Minnesota farmer, said the Agriculture Department lacks direction when it comes to protecting the U.S. food supply from hackers.

The post House Republican sounds the alarm on threats to food and agriculture sector appeared first on CyberScoop.

Continue reading House Republican sounds the alarm on threats to food and agriculture sector

Video: Self-planting bio-hybrid “robotic seeds” inspired by wild oats

Scientists have replicated the ingenious seed-delivery system used by wild oats, resulting in a seed-carrying bio-hybrid “robot.” Scores of the tiny devices could one day be utilized for much easier, more effective aerial seeding of crops or even new f… Continue reading Video: Self-planting bio-hybrid “robotic seeds” inspired by wild oats

Sundew-inspired spray may turn crop plants into pest-catchers

Inspired by a carnivorous plant, scientists have created a sticky spray that could kill pest insects as effectively as traditional toxic pesticides. And what’s more, it’s derived from plain ol’ vegetable oil.Continue ReadingCategory: ScienceTags: Wagen… Continue reading Sundew-inspired spray may turn crop plants into pest-catchers

Superfood protein pulled out of thin air massively scales up production

The world’s first commercial-scale factory for making nutrient-rich and versatile protein from air and sustainable energy has opened its doors in Finland, and the startup behind it aims to have its microbe-made food out in the US later this year. Solar… Continue reading Superfood protein pulled out of thin air massively scales up production

“Sentinel plants” could save crops via stress sensors in leaves

Specially tagged “sentinel plants” could soon provide an early warning of crop problems such as insect damage or bacterial infection. These plants would utilize two “glowing” sensors that react to stress-related compounds in the leaves.Continue Reading… Continue reading “Sentinel plants” could save crops via stress sensors in leaves

Eco-friendly agricultural gel replaces toxic pesticides with worms

A worm-filled gel has been shown to protect crops from pests, without the use of environmentally-unfriendly pesticides. Its not-so-secret ingredient is scores of tiny nematodes, which ordinarily can’t survive outside of their underground habitat.Contin… Continue reading Eco-friendly agricultural gel replaces toxic pesticides with worms

Scientists boost yields by sprinkling CO2-capturing rock dust on fields

The application of crushed rock to farmers’ fields may not only reduce greenhouse gases, it could also boost crop yields by up to 16%. These are the findings of a new study conducted by scientists from the University of Sheffield’s Leverhulme Centre fo… Continue reading Scientists boost yields by sprinkling CO2-capturing rock dust on fields

Scientists look to leaves for longer roots on better crops

A new technique may make it easier to selectively breed crop plants for better, deeper roots. The non-destructive process involves quickly checking a plant’s leaves to see how far down its roots go into the soil.Continue ReadingCategory: ScienceTags: P… Continue reading Scientists look to leaves for longer roots on better crops