The silk is treated with rhizobacteria, which allows seeds to germinate and thrive in otherwise unproductive soil
Silk is one of the most valued natural resources in the world, used in everything from bedding to parachutes, clothing, bike tires and surgical sutures. It also has a unique agricultural application. A research team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has developed a way to coat seeds with silk that has been treated with […] Read moreAuthor Archives
Calcium’s role in dairy cows may be underrated: study
New research finds that adding calcium to prepartum diets can lower the possibility of uterine infection and return a cow to ovulation quicker
Achieving the right calcium balance in dairy cows is critical when they approach calving to ensure a health transition to lactation. Now a new study from the University of Illinois has shown that calcium added to prepartum diets can improve not only postpartum outcomes but also lower the possibility of uterine infection and help a […] Read moreNew vaccine on horizon for bovine tuberculosis
Cattle tested positive for the disease after receiving a previous vaccine; the new vaccine is said to solve that problem
Bovine tuberculosis is a chronic, contagious, bacterial disease. Infected cattle are culled, and the farm quarantined. Worldwide, it is one of the biggest challenges facing the cattle industry today. It has been estimated that more than 50 million cattle are infected globally costing an estimated US$3 billion annually. According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, […] Read more
Plants can alert neighbours to looming threats
Airborne chemicals known as volatile organic compounds can be used to warn other plants of incoming insect pests
In a new study from Cornell University in New York, researchers have discovered that plants can alert their neighbours when under attack by pests through the release of recognizable smells. Smells, or airborne chemicals known as volatile organic compounds, are described as a form of language for plants. An incoming insect pest can prompt plants […] Read more
Jet stream waves linked to multiple crop failures
Two or more weeks per summer under the influence of these waves are associated with 11 percent drop in crop production
In 2016, Canadians were horrified by the ferocity of Alberta’s Fort McMurray wildfire. It was suspected to be human caused, but also in play were an unusually hot, dry air mass over the northern part of the province, record-setting temperatures, relative low humidity and high wind gusts. It led to the largest wildfire evacuation in […] Read more
Climate change may boost rapeseed yields
A study in the United Kingdom finds a connection between warmer weather in October and higher yields of oilseed rapeseed
As much as climate change poses many challenges for farming in the coming years, one study out of the United Kingdom has shown an unexpected climate plus for oilseed rapeseed. The study by the John Innes Centre in Norwich investigated a link between warmer weather in October and higher yields of oilseed rape, the second […] Read more
Rising ozone called a threat to corn varieties
Current levels will decrease yields by as much as 10 percent, which is the same level of threat as drought and flood
While rising carbon dioxide and methane levels in the atmosphere are a concern, little attention has been paid to the problem of rising ozone levels. In a new study, researchers have discovered that some varieties of the corn family are more susceptible than others to yield losses when exposed to high levels of ozone air […] Read more
Microbe discovery may control sawfly
Recent research to control sawfly has made progress that could ultimately help reduce the pest’s damaging impacts. Researchers at the Montana State University’s College of Agriculture have discovered a previously unidentified microbe named Spiroplasma sp. WSS that lives symbiotically with the sawfly. That may be the “in” researchers were looking for to help with future […] Read more
Ug99 wheat rust’s origin may hold keys to its control
Researchers at the University of Minnesota have uncovered the biological basis for the extreme resistance characteristics of a stem rust strain known as Ug99. “The Ug99 strain of the stem rust pathogen was widely virulent on wheat; thus, we were highly interested in what set this strain apart from others,” said Brian Steffenson, professor of […] Read more
What we eat and how we produce it contributes to climate change: expert
The global food system is the largest employer in the world. It engages thousands of people and enterprises in agriculture, and millions are employed in processing, transportation, distribution, marketing, and sales. But questions about food industry sustainability recently asked at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, which is headquartered in Cali, Colombia, led to a […] Read more
