Recent flooding in the Midwest has brought attention to the complex agricultural problems associated with too much rain. Data from the past three decades suggest that excessive rainfall can affect crop yield as much as excessive heat and drought. In a new study, an interdisciplinary team from the University of Illinois linked crop insurance, climate,…
SCIENTISTS REVEAL THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ROOT MICROBIOME AND NITROGEN USE EFFICIENCY IN RICE
A collaborative team led by Prof. BAI Yang and Prof. CHU Chengcai from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), recently examined the variation in root microbiota within 68 indica and 27 japonica rice varieties grown in field conditions. They revealed that the indica and japonica varieties recruited distinct root…
ROBOTS TAKE OVER FARMS FASTER THAN EXPECTED THROUGH AUTONOMOUS EQUIPMENT START-UPS
Robots are taking over farms faster than anyone saw coming, as the first fully autonomous farm equipment is becoming commercially available, meaning machines will be able to completely take over a multitude of tasks. Tractors will drive with no farmer in the cab and specialised equipment will be able to spray, plant, plow and weed…
How small farms are leading the way towards sustainable agriculture
Agriculture is a leading cause of climate change, but it is also undeniably affected by it. Farming must therefore change in order to keep up with global demands, while reducing its environmental impact. Without these necessary changes, it’s estimated that by 2030, the impacts of climate change will be even worse, causing yields to decline…
UN report calls for better access to water for small-scale farmers
Access to water and sanitation is a human right. However, billions of people are still living without safe water and sanitation facilities, with wide disparities between the rich and the poor. This is the message of the UN World Water Development Report, launched on 19 March three days ahead of World Water Day. Some 2.1…
Organic farming can drive transition to sustainable food systems
Organic farming can play an important role in triggering a shift towards more sustainable food systems, according to an article published in the scientific journal “Nature Sustainability”. A team of international experts argues that there is broad consensus that we urgently need to change the way we produce and consume food. Only then will we…
Modified bacteria could protect crops and replace man-made pesticides, scientists say
Bacteria could help protect crops without man-made pesticides, according to a study which used vaccine manufacturing techniques to make the microbes safe to humans while retaining their anti-microbial properties. UK researchers were able to remove the risk of lung infections from a modified form of the bacteria while still allowing it to prevent “damping off”…
Sustainable agriculture needed to stop biodiversity loss, UN report
Nature is declining globally at unprecedented rates due to human activities, a major new UN report has warned. Up to one million plant and animal species are currently facing extinction – and the rate of extinctions is accelerating, according to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). The report, the summary of…
High resolution rice maps can help boost production
Mapping and monitoring of paddy cultivation areas can help make effective strategies for the spread of new technologies, sustainable crop management and diversification options among rice growing farmers. Large scale paddy mapping at medium or high spatial resolution is rare, primarily due to limited availability of cloud-free optical imagery. The rice paddy maps, which are…
PLANT SIGNALS TRIGGER REMARKABLE BACTERIAL TRANSFORMATION
Cycad plant roots release signals into the soil that triggers the transformation of bacteria into its motile form, helping them move to the plant roots and establish a symbiotic partnership. The cycad Cycas revoluta is a palm-like plant that grows on rocky coastal cliffs in the sub-tropics and tropics. It has a symbiotic relationship with…
