Collaborate Disseminate
Responsible for millions of dollars in crop losses annually, the red palm weevil is a flying beetle that lays its eggs inside date palm trees. It could soon be possible to detect such infestations earlier than ever, using fiber optic cables.Continue Re… Continue reading Fiber optic tech could save date palms from infestations
When it comes to safer, less painful, slow-release alternatives to the hypodermic injection of medications, “microneedle patches” show a lot of promise. Now, MIT scientists have adapted the technology for use on plants.Continue ReadingCategory: Science… Continue reading MIT’s new microneedle patch is made just for plants
Many vegans and vegetarians swear by soy as a meat-free protein source, but concerns have been raised over the environmental sustainability of soybean farming. With that in mind, new research now suggests that specially-prepared fava beans may be a bet… Continue reading Fava beans may be a greener substitute for soy
Over 10,000 years ago, ancient human settlers began the construction of around 4,700 artificial forest islands in ancient Amazonia, according to the results of a recently-published paper. Archaeologists believe that the islands were used for farming, a… Continue reading Ancient settlers once farmed on thousands of artificial forest islands
While best known for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl wrote quite a few similarly oddball stories in his time. One of them, The Sound Machine, is about a device that allowed the user to hear the anguished screams of trees as they were cut down. Sounds …read more
Continue reading Hearing Plants Giggle Is Just As Creepy As You Think
Cows are a huge source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, so more and more scientists are looking at how we could tweak their diets for the good of the environment. Scientists at Pennsylvania State University have made yet another discovery in this a… Continue reading Dietary supplement reduces methane emissions from cows by a quarter
A few years ago, for the first time ever, astronauts ate lettuce that had been grown aboard the International Space Station (ISS). It has now been determined that the “space lettuce” was at least as nutritious as similar plants grown on Earth.Continue … Continue reading ISS-grown “space lettuce” is just as good as its Earthly counterparts
Pesticide contamination may be responsible for triggering abnormal brain development in baby bumblebees, according to the results of a new scientific paper. Researchers scanned the brains of 92 worker bees using micro-CT technology, and discovered that… Continue reading Pesticides may cause abnormal brain growth in bumblebees
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault has received a major a new deposit of seeds from several hundred plant species. In a formal ceremony on February 25, 2020, hosted by the Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg and attended by international dignitaries, the… Continue reading Global seed bank gets largest deposit since it first opened
Shipping fertilizer to colonies on Mars could be quite a hassle – it would certainly be better if the colonists were able to grow crops using whatever’s on hand. The continuation of an existing study now indicates that urine might in fact serve as a pe… Continue reading Human urine may be Number 1 for fertilizing plants on Mars