FARM NEWS - BIOTECHNOLOGY DAILY

Wild plants call to carnivores to get rid of pests - could crops do the same

Oct 08, 2015 (SPX)

Rose gardeners have a lot to say about aphids. Some may advise insecticides as a way to manage an infestation, but others will swear by live ladybugs (natural p...

Forage crop promising as ecologically friendly ornamental groundcover

Oct 08, 2015 (SPX)

A new, ecologically friendly groundcover for warm-weather landscapes is on the horizon. Rhizoma peanut, a warm-season perennial native to South America, has bee...

Covering the bases with cover crops

Oct 08, 2015 (SPX)

Most of us think that farmers grow and harvest crops for food. That's true for many crops: they either feed humans or farm animals. However, there's another cat...

Fertilizing and recycling Si in Vietnamese fields

Oct 08, 2015 (SPX)

Recent research showed that silicon (Si) is an important nutrient enhancing the endurability of rice plants, however, what controls on Si availability in soils ...

Climate-linked insurance a boon for poor farmers

Oct 07, 2015 (AFP)

Poor farmers the world over are increasingly falling prey to natural disasters, droughts and torrential rain largely due to climate change. But there is some go...

Plant pest reprograms the roots

Oct 06, 2015 (SPX)

Microscopic roundworms (nematodes) live like maggots in bacon: They penetrate into the roots of beets, potatoes or soybeans and feed on plant cells, which are f...

The Danish nitrogen budget in a nutshell

Oct 06, 2015 (SPX)

Cutting food waste, improving the recycling of nitrogen in food production and new agricultural technologies are some of the methods that can be used to reduce ...

Researchers find key link in understanding agriculture pests

Oct 06, 2015 (SPX)

Invisible to the naked eye, plant-parasitic nematodes are a huge threat to agriculture, causing billions in crop losses every year. Plant scientists at the Univ...

Tillage timing influences nitrogen availability and loss on organic farms

Oct 06, 2015 (SPX)

In the battle against weeds, tillage is one of the strongest weapons at the disposal of organic or ecologically based farmers. But, depending on when it is used...

Plants with jobs

Oct 02, 2015 (SPX)

Two University of Toronto Scarborough scientists have developed a new research framework for the agricultural sector that offers evidence-based understanding of...

Root microbiome engineering improves plant growth

Oct 02, 2015 (SPX)

Humans have been breeding crops until they're bigger and more nutritious since the early days of agriculture, but genetic manipulation isn't the only way to giv...

ASU study finds weather extremes harmful to grasslands

Oct 01, 2015 (SPX)

Fluctuations in extreme weather events, such as heavy rains and droughts, are affecting ecosystems in unexpected ways - creating "winners and losers" among plan...

Study shows insect diversity decreases in gardens with non-native plants

Oct 01, 2015 (SPX)

Not only do native plants do a better job of hosting and supporting local insect communities than their non-native counterparts, but a University of Delaware st...

15 EU nations opt to stay GMO-free

Oct 01, 2015 (AFP)

Fifteen of the 28 EU member nations are seeking to keep genetically modified organisms out of all or part of their territory, as the deadline for opting out of ...

Bumblebees' adaptation to climate change could hasten population decline

Oct 01, 2015 (SPX)

Rising temperatures in alpine habitats worldwide have resulted in declines in flowering among indigenous plants and contributed to dramatic declines in populati...

Chinese court charges 10 mired in OSI meat scandal

Oct 01, 2015 (AFP)

Chinese authorities have charged 10 people over "selling inferior products" in the wake of a food scandal that erupted last year at a unit of US food supplier O...

Africa could be the answer to delaying peak grain

Oct 01, 2015 (SPX)

Agricultural yields could more than triple in a number of African countries, suggesting that tremendous improvements in food security are possible, according to...

The origin and spread of 'Emperor's rice'

Oct 01, 2015 (SPX)

Black rice has a rich cultural history; called "Forbidden" or "Emperor's" rice, it was reserved for the Emperor in ancient China and used as a tribute food. In ...

CentrAm coffee growers struggle to adapt to climate change

Sep 29, 2015 (AFP)

Adrian Hernandez says he can't remember a year as dry as 2015, which has nearly cost him his farm and turned him from a climate change skeptic into a true belie...

On menu for world leaders - trash, and a message

Sep 27, 2015 (AFP)

World leaders accustomed to fine dining had a surprise on their plates Sunday at the United Nations -- trash. Chefs cooked up a lunch made entirely of food that...