Agriculture

Analysis and Comment (101)

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Cruel slaughter of Australian animals in countries where abattoir workers face poor economic conditions can only be stopped with the long-term ban of live exports. Flickr/Joe Shlabotnik

Cattle slaughter in topsy turvy land

By Clive Phillips

In Enid Blyton’s Magic Faraway Tree, Jo, one of the child adventurers, has a spell cast upon him that forces him to walk upside down on his hands in Topsy Turvy land. Jo survives the ordeal as most humans…
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It makes sense to exercise caution when we’re fiddling with genes in food. Food Ethics Council

Securing the safety of genetic modification

By Jack Heinemann, University of Canterbury; Judy Carman, Flinders University, and Sarah Agapito, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina

Most genetically modified (GM) crops are based on moving DNA from one organism to another to introduce a new protein. Now a growing number of genetically modified crops are based on intentionally changing…
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Around the world, there are more than 20,000 bee species: this is Australia’s blue banded bee. Louise Docker

Modern agriculture is stressing honeybees: let’s go native

By Manu Saunders

Honeybees are in trouble – a stressful lifestyle and an unhealthy diet are being compounded by mite attacks – but we needn’t panic about pollination. Australia has many native bee (and other pollinator…
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Vaccination has a lot more uses than you may know. Stephen Mitchell

Explainer: how are vaccines used in Australian agriculture?

By Ian Colditz, CSIRO

Approximately 140 vaccines are registered for use in livestock and companion animals in Australia. Many more animals are vaccinated each year than humans. Vaccines are used in farm animals: to protect…
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Incidents of major agricultural run-off, like the recent Queensland floods, certainly affect Great Barrier Reef water quality, but systems are in place to reduce their effect. AAP Image/Twitter, ISS, Chris Hadfield

Worried about Great Barrier Reef water pollution? Look at mining, not agriculture

By Jon Brodie, James Cook University

The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is both a national marine park and a World Heritage Area. But next to the reef, a catchment of 400,000km2 is almost completely developed for agriculture, predominantly beef…
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More and longer heat waves are coming, so researchers are making sure our crops are ready. Amy Mergard

Can crops withstand more heat waves?

By Daniel Tan

Australia broke its “hottest day” record this week, and heat waves are becoming more common in Australia. Heat waves are projected to increase in duration and intensity with global warming and climate…
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Christmas is a time of plenty – but to ensure we keep eating well in the future, it’s time to rethink the way we buy and produce food. Barbeque image from www.shutterstock.com

Eat, think, and be merry

By Bill Bellotti, University of Western Sydney

As we gather to share a meal with friends and family this festive season, it is the ideal time to reflect on our relationship with food, including our dependence on those who grow it for us. Australians…
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Foresters and farmers have an 8000-year history of dealing with climate variation and providing food and provisions – they may have climate change solutions. Ollivier Girard/CIFOR

Climate change action needs forests and farms working together

By Peter Holmgren, Centre for International Forestry Research

The UNFCCC COP-18 in Doha worked overtime to finally agree not to disagree. The Secretariat was quick to make a release that declares success and highlights four results: Amendment of the Kyoto Protocol…
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As any barramundi fisher will tell you, northern Australia’s water isn’t going to waste. Justin Friend

Someone is already using northern Australia’s water: wildlife

By Michele Burford, Griffith University

With increasing pressure on Australia’s water resources, many have looked to northern Australia to provide water for agriculture, urban development and other human needs. Much of northern Australia is…
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Australia’s food chain has among the lowest rates of antibiotic resistance, but new threats call for stronger monitoring. Eli Duke

The hunt is on for superbugs in Australian animals

By Darren Trott

Australia has some of the world’s most conservative restrictions on using antimicrobial drugs in livestock. Possibly as a consequence, we have some of the lowest rates in the world of antibiotic resistance…
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Everyone seems nervous to talk about changing our diets. Sumlin/Flickr

Why aren’t we talking about meat and climate change?

By Judith Friedlander, University of Technology, Sydney

Reducing your carbon footprint by eating less red meat rarely gets attention. This strategy has been recommended by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, epidemiologists writing in The Lancet and…
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It may not be a silver bullet, but biochar has a lot to offer farmers (and the atmosphere). sillypucci/Flickr

Backing biochar: the Australian Government’s role

By John Mathews, Macquarie Graduate School of Management and Adriana Downie, University of Melbourne

Evelyn Krull, a research scientist at the CSIRO, asked in these pages whether biochar could save the planet. Eighteen months have passed and although research efforts continue, still no meaningful quantities…
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Overuse of nitrogen fertiliser can have nasty environmental consequences. eutrophication&hypoxia/Flickr

Agriculture’s hunger for nitrogen oversteps planetary boundaries

By Trevor Garnett, Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics and Arwen Cross, CSIRO

Planet Earth has boundaries for its biophysical subsystems. By 2009, we had already exceeded three of the boundaries – climate change, biodiversity loss, and the nitrogen cycle. Climate change is a top…
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Flooding risk is often used as an argument against greater environmental flows for the Murray-Darling, but graziers would benefit greatly from floods. Richard Kingsford

More flooding in the Murray-Darling basin could be good news for farmers

By Richard Kingsford

The history of our development of the Murray-Darling Basin is one of constraining and constricting its rivers’ flows. Many of the basin’s floods are now captured in dams for later constrained release to…
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Phasing out live exports may be the only way to save Australia’s northern cattle industry. AAP Image/Dave Hunt

A ten-year plan to phase out live animal exports

By Clive Phillips

Temporary bans on live cattle and sheep export have undermined confidence in the industry, driving property prices down and diminishing banks' willingness to lend for long-term improvement. If the industry…
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Brigalow trees are vital for soil health and erosion control. They’re only just recovering from 19th century clearing. Why does the Queensland Government have it in for them? Arthur Chapman

Queensland land-clearing changes threaten trees farmers need

By Kat Grigg and Jason Halford

The Queensland State Government has recently proposed changes to the Vegetation Management Act 1999. Under the planned reforms, landowners will be able to clear and thin out vegetation using self-assessable…
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Sensible Australian farmers don’t object when foreign investors want to buy their problematic assets. AAP Image/Cubbie Group

Cubbie Station sale no threat to food security

By Alistair Watson, La Trobe University

Controversy surrounding the recent sale of Cubbie Station in Queensland near the New South Wales border to (mainly) Chinese interests is not unexpected. Fears about foreign ownership in Australia are long…
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Some of the biggest water-energy-food integration challenges are on better soils close to major population centres; in this case, Adelaide. Andrew Campbell

Rethinking rural research in Australia

By Andrew Campbell, Charles Darwin University

Rural research is vital. It is about 10% of our national innovation system. Annual investment exceeds $1 billion, according to the Rural Research and Development Council. The rural sector and farm-dependent…
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Methane-capture technology in Grantham, Queensland, could earn carbon credits through Australia’s Carbon Farming Initiative. AAP/Alan Skerman

Carbon farming: a solution to global land degradation and poverty?

By Edward Barbier, University of Wyoming

Today, nearly 1.3 billion people – almost a fifth of the world’s population – live on “fragile” agricultural land. Just one-third of the rural poor in developing countries live on productive agricultural…
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With so many vested interests, opposition to the plan will likely last a long time yet. SA Eco Images Pty Ltd

Resisting the Murray-Darling Basin Plan – in whose interest?

By Lin Crase, La Trobe University

As the final version of the Murray-Darling Plan heads to Parliament there seems little doubt that the debate will continue. The sticking point remains the volume of water to be returned to the environment…
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Efficient water use is ever more important, yet budgets for vital irrigation R&D are declining. A. Campbell

Part One: Irrigation R&D drying up – a looming weakness for Australia

By Andrew Campbell, Charles Darwin University

Welcome to a two-part special on the troubling plight of irrigation R&D, by Professor Andrew Campbell of Charles Darwin University. Research into the smartest, most efficient and sustainable ways to…
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The rains came too late for these Texas wheat crops, which are stunted and thin. But there’s more to rising food prices than bad weather. Flickr/agrilifetoday

Crops hit by drought and biofuel policy: another food price crisis?

By Brigit Busicchia

Not so long ago, things were looking good. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) had announced on the 5th of July that the FAO food price index had been falling for the third consecutive month…
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It would be smarter to use perennial native grasses for cereal grains instead of relying on a handful of farming-intensive annual crops. Shown here is Curly Mitchell grass (Astrebla lappacea), common in northern Australia. Ian Chivers

Splendour in the grass: new approaches to cereal production

By Ian Chivers

Any investment manager will tell an investor to spread risks, to have a diverse portfolio, to engage with many sectors of the local economy, to invest in other parts of the globe, to hedge your bets, a…
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Harvest time: Asia’s rising incomes and demand for food are no guarantee of a mining-style payday for Australian farmers. AAP/EPA/Raminder Pal Singh

Australia’s place in the global food chain: time to wise up

By Allan Curtis

In recent weeks Australia’s PM, a shadow minister, and a state premier have heralded the opportunities for Australian farmers to capitalise on a global food-shortage and, in particular, rising demand for…
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Community gardens in Melbourne: urban food production is increasingly important but obstacles are heaped in its way. AAP/Julian Smith

Grow your own: making Australian cities more food-secure

By Paul Burton, Griffith University

Food security has typically been framed as an issue of global concern, concentrated within developing countries. The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation defines food security in terms of the availability…
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Climate change is only one of many pressures farmers will have to adapt to. Pete Hill

The three Ps of climate change and agriculture

By Richard Eckard, University of Melbourne

Opinions on anthropogenic climate change vary greatly across society, and it appears that Australia’s farmers remain largely sceptical about the causes of climate change. Recent surveys show that only…
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For most farmers, it will take more than money to get them involved in carbon farming. Drew Bandy

Making the Carbon Farming Initiative more appealing to farmers

By Nooshin Torabi, RMIT University

The Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) and Biodiversity Fund, two new Australian government initiatives, could help private landholders generate income while benefiting both climate change abatement and biodiversity…
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Genetically modified crops have allowed pesticide spraying to be reduced by almost half a million kilograms in the last 15 years. Eric Constantineau

Genetically modified crops shrink farming’s pesticide footprint

By Richard Roush, University of Melbourne and David Tribe, University of Melbourne

Recent news reports claim one in ten Australians believe the world will end on December 21, 2012, based largely on internet gossip about the meaning of ancient stone carvings from the Mayans of Central…
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Farmers are adept at using science to deal with all kinds of challenges, but they have their doubts about climate change. Jeff Pang

Can Australian farmers take on the challenge of climate change?

By John Cook

Farmers are some of the most innovative Australians – since 1970 they have lost 7.5% of arable land, but they’ve found ways to increase production by 220%. They’re also some of the most conservative, expressed…
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Irrigation infrastructure, buy-backs, environmental flows, agricultural communities: lobbyists will say anything to win the Murray-Darling war of lies. Eco Images Pty Ltd

Lies, dam lies and water plans: the MDB Plan and the states

By Lin Crase, La Trobe University

When the water planning process for the Murray-Darling Basin first commenced, an experienced colleague of mine noted that this was shaping up to be a lying contest between farmers and environmentalists…
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Decades of work to reduce rhino poaching has achieved little. Farming rhino is one alternative, but what happens to a species when it’s domesticated? Jim Epler

Farming endangered species to save them – extinction by another means?

By Euan Ritchie, Deakin University

When we talk of conserving an animal species what do we actually mean? We are likely to have in mind a vision of a rhinoceros (or any other species, for that matter) being given the opportunity to pursue…
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Guardian animals, a environmentally friendly and adorable way to protect our livestock. Karen Rodgers

Watching over livestock: our guardian animals

By Christopher Johnson, University of Tasmania

True innovation is rare in agriculture. Most farmers are willing to improve the way they work, but these improvements are typically small adjustments to established practice, rather than fundamental changes…
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Biodiversity and farming are uneasy bedfellows: a lonely tree in a canola field in Western Australia. Flickr/augustusoz

Biodiversity and farming: finding ways to co-exist

By Graeme Martin, University of Western Australia

Biodiversity and farming go head to head in two R&D projects that I have a hand in. The struggles to both feed the swelling ranks of humanity and save our continent’s natural splendour are so often…
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Our thinly spread efforts to prop up the environment are failing and it is time for tough decisions about what we can realistically preserve. Flickr/rexboggs5

Farms versus nature: how do we decide what to protect?

By Anna Roberts, La Trobe University

Australian farmers take pride in their efficient and productive farming systems, competing in the global economy and without many of the large subsidies given to their counterparts in Europe and North…
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Working with farmers, Australian researchers have come up with technology and methods to make farming kinder to the environment. Chesapeake Bay Program

From dust bowls to food bowls: Australia’s conservation farming revolution

By John Kirkegaard, CSIRO

The misconception of Australian agriculture being inefficient and unsustainable is deeply concerning for me. Images of dusty ploughed fields and dying sheep and trees are misleading. On the contrary, if…
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Chocolate supply can’t keep up with demand and smallholder farmers and the environment are losing out. Nestle

Bitter-sweet Easter: how our demand is melting sustainable cocoa farming

By David Guest

Chocolate – from the humble confectionery bar to single-origin gourmet dark chocolate – is enjoyed by most Australians as a readily available treat. However, chocolate manufacturers are worried that cocoa…
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The carpet of sludge and debris left by 2011’s tsunami wreaked havoc on paddyfields. AAP

Swamped with saltwater: what a tsunami does to rice farmers

By Darren Plett, Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics

Japan’s tsunami of March 11 2011 brought a wall of water laden with debris up to 5 kilometres inland from the sea. After the surge receded, the surrounding farming area was left covered in debris and…
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Manure is a great source of phosphorus, but we’ve largely removed it from agriculture. Flickr/Amy Alana Star

Time for policy action on global phosphorus security

By Stuart White, University of Technology, Sydney and Dana Cordell, University of Technology, Sydney

Without phosphorus we cannot produce food. Yet even as pressure mounts on this critical non-renewable resource, there is a startling lack of global governance of its use and supply. If no one takes responsibility…
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We take for granted cheap and plentiful fruit and vegetables and “forget” about shortages. AAP

The hidden price of discounting fresh fruit and vegetables

By Bethaney Turner, University of Canberra and Joanna Henryks, University of Canberra

How should we consider the potential broader ramifications of Coles’ recent promise to reduce by 50% the price of fresh fruit and vegetables? In the face of cheap fruit and vegetables, it is hard to take…
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We need to think about the benefits of locally grown food before signing off on suburban sprawl. avlxyz/Flickr

Paving our market gardens: choosing suburbs over food

By Jonathan Sobels, Flinders University

In 1947 the Sydney Basin produced “three quarters of the State’s lettuces, half of the spinach, a third of the cabbages and a quarter of the beans; seventy percent of the State’s poultry farms were in…
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The “prices are down and staying down” mentality doesn’t support sustainable agriculture. Kolya

Is Australian agriculture up against it?

By Peter Batt, Curtin University

There is no doubt that the greatest challenge currently facing agriculture is our capacity to feed an anticipated population of 9 billion by 2050. Not only is there an increasing demand for food, but…
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A Green Climate Fund could help African livestock farmers. International Livestock Research Institute

Planning the Green Climate Fund so it works for African farmers

By Niggol Seo

DURBAN CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE: With a backdrop of global financial woes and the European Union’s debt crisis, the Conference of the Parties at Durban convened with lower expectations but high stakes…
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When discussing animal welfare, it’s hard to look at it from the animal’s perspective. phik

What is the value of an animal’s life?

By Ian Colditz, CSIRO

Which is the greater deprivation for an animal: to live a good-quality life abbreviated at less than its natural term by painless slaughter for meat, or to never live at all? How much of an animal’s life…
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Beef processing contributed to Cargill’s $US2.7 billion in earnings this year. AAP

The most powerful companies you’ve never heard of: Cargill

By Clive Phillips

Welcome to “The most powerful companies you’ve never heard of” – an ongoing series from The Conversation that sheds light on big companies with low profiles. Today, The University of Queensland’s Clive…
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Canola is one of two GM crops approved in Australia. Ngarkat

Busting the GM myths: a view from Greenpeace

By Janet Cotter, University of Exeter

The Conversation recently published an article looking at the myths about genetic modification. This article is a rejoinder to that piece, and a contribution to the ongoing debate about whether there is…
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Iron-rich rice helps feed the poor: could we do it without patenting? Jane Rawson

Will patenting crops help feed the hungry?

By Michael Gilbert, Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics

Rice is the primary source of food for roughly half the world’s population. But it falls well short of providing enough iron, zinc and pro-vitamin A to meet daily nutritional requirements. Iron deficiency…
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Grape growers are already suffering emotional stress because of climate change. ryanovineyards/Flickr

Positive mental health key to tackling rural climate change

By Aysha Fleming, CSIRO

Mental health has been an issue in rural areas for the past few decades. Climate change will only add more stress to the lives of rural people. While a report by the Climate Institute shows broad scale…
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In India, species decline when they have to share land with agriculture. flickrPrince

Food vs. fauna: can we have our biodiversity and eat, too?

By Martine Maron

So, we have to feed an extra 2.5 billion people by 2050. For those of us interested in the future of biodiversity on this planet, this poses an uncomfortable challenge. It is also the topic of a recent…
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GM is not being used to make fishbread Frankenfoods. Dave Lifson/Flickr

Top five myths about genetic modification

By Richard Richards, CSIRO

The Conversation asked CSIRO scientist, Richard Richards, to look at the top five myths about genetic modification (GM), and correct the public record. Myth one: GM is just haphazard, imprecise cross…
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Your cafe breakfast was brought to you by phosphorus, but we’re running out. caccamo/Flickr

Securing phosphorus: food for thought, and food for the future

By Dana Cordell, University of Technology, Sydney; Stuart White, University of Technology, Sydney, and Tim Prior, University of Technology, Sydney

Take a moment to think about your next meal. It will contain phosphorus. You contain phosphorus. In fact, you can’t survive without phosphorus: it’s in our DNA and our cell membranes. Nothing can survive…
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Environmental activists have targeted palm oil – an industry crucial to Indonesia’s development. AAP

Big NGOs should stop monkeying around and get tougher on the West

By Phillip Lawrence

In 1990 there were about 400 international environmental groups. Today, this number is more like 1.4 million. So why is the world apparently in a worse state now? Have environmental groups paid too much…
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The benefits of lifting the import ban on bananas outweigh the risks. Maxey

As the apple import ban crumbles, is it time to go bananas?

By Donald MacLaren, University of Melbourne

The ban on importing apples from New Zealand was lifted earlier this month, bringing to an end a restriction established in 1921. With this long history of protection from imports, it is not unexpected…
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Despite attacks, CSIRO isn’t giving up on genetic research. AAP

CSIRO: GM essential for health and food security

By Megan Clark, CSIRO

Just as medical researchers work to unlock the role our human genes play in disease, CSIRO investigates how plant genes can be used to boost the health benefits of food, increase crop yields and prevent…
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More than just a patch of dirt: the clean energy plan should help us get the most out of our land. bfick/flickr

A Clean Energy Future: what’s in it for the land?

By Rod Keenan, University of Melbourne

The Australian government’s plan for a Clean Energy Future contains a number of measures aimed at supporting farmers and land managers to provide emissions offsets. The plan consists of a mix of market…
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Funding for agricultural research and development has to come from somewhere. AAP

A GST on food could save us from shortages

By Robin Batterham, University of Melbourne

Food security is on the agenda for Australia. I wrote on this recently, pointing out that while we currently grow enough to feed 60m people, we are not immune to food security pressures. Wealthier nations…
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Smaller farmers face increasing competition and struggle to break into institutional markets. AAP

These are dark days for smallholder farmers

By Peter Batt, Curtin University

Agriculture in Australia is at the crossroads. Not only must smallholder farmers contend with the adverse impacts of global climate change, a strong Australian dollar and greater deregulation in the market…
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If farmers aren’t exempt, times could get even tougher. Big Grey Mare/Flickr

No carbon tax on petrol, but who’ll bear the brunt?

By Richard Heaney, University of Western Australia

The recent announcement that a carbon tax would not be levied on petrol for cars or light vehicles used by motorists, tradespeople and small businesses is an interesting political statement. But this…
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Planting trees on farmland can offset emissions, but does it add up? Fabio Strozzi/flickr

Trees or crops: will carbon farming be the end of agriculture?

By Phil Polglase, CSIRO

Planting trees in cleared agricultural landscapes is one way for the land use sector to help offset emissions of atmospheric carbon dioxide. But will it displace agriculture? Establishing trees is a robust…
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Can trade regulation enhance – or block – improvements to animal welfare? AAP

Can the WTO overturn our Indonesian live animal export ban?

By Siobhan O'Sullivan, University of Melbourne

The suspension of live cattle exports to Indonesia will also have significant implications on Australian cattle farmers, Australian and Indonesian domestic markets, and on the trade relationship between…
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Livestock may also face mistreatment without leaving Australian shores. AAP

Live animal export problems begin in our own paddock

By Carol Petherick

Throughout the heated debate around live animal exports over the past week, there has been an implicit assumption that the mistreatment of Australian cattle only ever begins after the animals have left…
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Irrigators say they like the Windsor Inquiry, but are they looking after their own interests? AAP

Inquiry slams ‘Swiss cheese effect’ in the Murray-Darling Basin

By Philip Wallis, Monash University

The Windsor Inquiry has handed down its report on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. It recommends a halt to water buybacks, more investment in irrigation efficiency and a new governance model for the Basin…
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Indonesian abattoirs should agree to stun cows before they’re slaughtered. AAP

Live animal export ban doesn’t go far enough

By Clive Phillips

The Federal Government’s move to ban live cattle exports to a handful of Indonesian abattoirs will not, in the long term, end the inhumane slaughtering practices revealed in Monday’s Four Corners report…
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Peak coffee or no peak coffee, it’s the farmers that end up empty handed. AAP

Not just a few beans: the true cost of coffee

By Aaron Gove, Curtin University

Coffee prices are rising again, and you might be wondering how much more you’ll soon pay for your morning coffee. Although coffee prices are fickle the fluctuations affect most of us very little compared…
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It doesn’t look like much, but a lot of hopes rest on biochar. Flickr/visionshare

Can biochar save the planet?

By Evelyn Krull, CSIRO

In our efforts to address climate change by avoiding or sequestering CO₂, we have shown a lot of interest in “engineering” solutions (such as carbon storage through pumping and storing CO2 underground…
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Publicly funded scientists have a responsibility to the public. AAP

Science and alpine grazing: politics and responsibility

By Mark Adams

Australian science institutions and scientists must retain the confidence of the public and Australian governments. By blurring facts, disrespecting other institutions' research processes and turning their…
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It’s blue skies for some parts of the Basin, but others are left wanting. AAP

Government myopic on Murray Darling’s complex needs

By Hector Malano, University of Melbourne and Brian Davidson, University of Melbourne

The controversy over the Murray Darling Basin Guide centres on the need to strike a balance between the social, economic and environmental uses of water. The difficulties in undertaking this task are…
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Buying up farmland in developing countries may be the only answer. ILRI/flickr

When the world starves, where will Australia get its food?

By Robin Batterham, University of Melbourne

FOOD SECURITY – You don’t hear about it as much, but global food security is a major issue, probably of more concern than climate change. It is driven by increasing population, changes in diet, increasing…
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We need to preserve and conserve our soils to protect our food supply. NateLove on Flickr

Soil: it’s what keeps us clothed and fed

By Alex McBratney and Andrea Koch

FOOD SECURITY – Soils can help us solve two of the most pressing problems of the coming decades: climate change and food shortage. There is more fresh water in the world’s soils than in all its lakes…
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We must innovate to avoid a food crisis. AAP

To feed the world, farming emissions must rise

By Richard Eckard, University of Melbourne

FOOD SECURITY – Agriculture is one of the few industries in the world in which emissions must rise. The carbon footprint of farming will become larger over the next 40 years as we feed a rapidly growing…
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The world’s population will be 9 billion by 2100. How will we feed ourselves? Herry Lawford/Wikimedia Commons

Time to modify the GM debate

By TJ Higgins, CSIRO

FOOD SECURITY – Here’s how things stand. More than 500 million farmers produce crops and livestock that can feed nearly 7 billion people, and yet 1 billion still go hungry. It’s estimated that the world…
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Cattle grazing in Alpine National Park is not supported by science. foxypar4 on flickr

Science the loser in Victoria’s alpine grazing trial

By Georgia Garrard, University of Melbourne and Libby Rumpff, University of Melbourne

In January, 400 cattle were released into Victoria’s Alpine National Park as part of a research trial to investigate the influence of strategic grazing as a tool to reduce fuel loads and bush fire risk…

Research and News (7)

Research Briefs (60)

Pollination a fine-balancing act

Rutgers’ School of Environmental and Biological Sciences

Honey bees are thought to be the primary pollinators, but wild insects may be better. Two new studies, one published in Science…

Corn crops defeat acidic soil

University of Florida

Certain types of corn can grow in soil that would kill most plants. A genetic variation in certain strands of corn has meant…

Moth detox trick is costing crops

Charles Sturt University, University of Adelaide

Scientists have revealed the ‘evolutionary trick’ that makes the Diamondback moth such an expensive agricultural pest. The…

Asiatic pear genome mapped

University of Illinois

The genome of the Asiatic pear has been accurately sequenced to within 3% of its complete assembly. Sometimes referred to…

Warming threatens wheat crops

Stanford University

Climate change could reduce wheat yields, as the grain stops growing prematurely in hotter weather. Scientists analysed…

Threatened species rely on agriculture

University of East Anglia

Farming sustains threatened species, according to new research from the University of East Anglia. Rather than using farmland…

Walnuts are super-sensitive to climate

Purdue University

Warmer, drier summers and extreme weather events considered possible as the climate changes would be especially troublesome…

Radioactive material threatens farms in Japan

Proceedings of the National Academy of Science

Soil from eastern Fukushima and some neighboring areas has levels of Cesium-137 above safe levels for human consumption…

Look at grain type when reducing emissions

Journal of Environmental Quality

A study which looked at how farm practices affect nitrous oxide levels has found it depends on the crops. Nitrous oxide is…

Even plants get stressed

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Plant and computer scientists have discovered the genes plants use to manage environmental stresses. Called “cis-regulatory…

Soil nitrite cleanses the air

Science Mag

Researchers have discovered that soil nitrite is released into the air in the form of nitrous acid (HONO). The atmosphere…

Diet affects sheep sex

New South Wales Department of Primary Industries

Research shows that feeding pea silage to ewes increased the likelihood of male lambs being born by 15%. The study took…

Will farmers keep up with global change?

Crop Science Society of America

Throughout history, farmers have adopted new crop varieties and adjusted their practices in tune with environmental change…

Pesticide exposure lowers children’s IQ

University of California

Prenatal exposure to organophosphate pesticides has the potential to lower children’s IQ, according to three studies published…

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