There has long been consumer interest in genetically modified food, including criticism that there is not enough public information about GM and gene edited crops in the food supply. Now, researchers at North Carolina State University are calling for a coalition of the biotech industry, government, non-government organizations, trade organizations and academic experts to tackle […] Read more
Author Archives
Rumen additive benefits dry cows
Researchers find promising results feeding monensin to dairy cows during their dry period, when nutritional needs are greatest
Getting nutrition right during a dairy cow’s dry period makes a huge difference to her health, the health of her calf, and the milk yield after calving. Now, new research from the University of Illinois has shown that diets that promote consistent energy levels and contain the rumen-boosting supplement monensin are the ideal approach during […] Read more
Bees use feces to distract murder hornets
Researchers discover honeybees stick animal dung around the entrances to their hives to protect against the predators
The Asian giant hornet, native to southeastern Asia, is a serious honeybee predator. Recent sightings of what is also called the murder hornet in British Columbia and Washington state have caused alarm. The hornet is about 45 millimetres long, has a wing span around 75 mm, and a stinger of about six mm. They can […] Read more
Gene stacking may help fight off wheat stem rust
Australian researchers say bundling together disease resistance genes makes it more difficult for rust fungus to overcome the resistance
Researchers at Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organization are trying to improve wheat rust resistance by stacking five resistance genes together. Lead researcher Mick Ayliffe said bundling disease resistance genes together in wheat makes it harder for the rust fungus to overcome the resistance. “Cereal rust diseases have always been big a big problem in […] Read more
Researchers unravel genetics of oat disease
Scientists have identified the genetic mechanisms that enable a fungus to produce a toxin that is destructive in oats
In the 1940s, Victoria blight disease wiped out much of the oat crops in the United States. The blight is caused by a fungus called Cochliobolus victoriae, which produces the host-specific toxin, victorin, a chemical made by the fungus. Certain oat genotypes are sensitive to victorin but until recently scientists had not been able to […] Read more
Insect pests thrive in less diverse cropland
A lack of biodiversity in fields can result in a reduction in predators that feed on pests and an increase in food resources
In any natural landscape, biodiversity thrives in the interplay of prey-predator relationships and the soils and vegetation that support them. But how does that environment translate in agricultural fields? How do croplands and monocrop production influence populations of crop pests and pest predators and how does that, in turn, dictate pesticide use? At the University […] Read more
Unique soil has ability to pull water from air
U.S. researchers design self-watering soil to harvest atmospheric moisture as a new source of fresh water for irrigation
A new type of soil that uses absorbent gels to capture water straight from the air and distribute it to plants has been created by engineers at the University of Texas at Austin. The gels absorb water droplets from cool, humid air at night. Then, when the soil is heated by sunlight, the gels release […] Read more
Genetic discovery may benefit rice breeding
Researchers learn diversity was inherited through just two maternal genomes that were identified in all the rice varieties
Researchers at Australia’s University of Queensland have been investigating the heritage of more than 3,000 rice genotypes as part of a long-term project to improve rice varieties by using wild rice to expand the gene pool. What they discovered was that rice diversity was inherited through just two maternal genomes that were identified in all […] Read more
Heat stress can negatively affect offspring of dairy cows
Heat stress can have long-term health and production consequences for dairy cows. Cattle begin to experience heat stress when the temperature-humidity index (THI) exceeds 72, which can lead to health consequences, decreased milk production and changes in the concentrations of milk fats and proteins. It is estimated that dairy cattle in Western Canada experience some […] Read more
Wheat variety modified to increase production
At the University of York in the United Kingdom, researchers have developed a new, modified wheat variety that increases grain production by up to 12 percent. Scientists at the university have increased the levels of a protein called expansin, which determines the growth of plants. “Expansins are conserved in all land plants and play a […] Read more
