New study challenges the story of humanity’s shift from prehistoric hunting to farming
A new investigation at the University of Bath suggests interactions between hunter-gathers and early farmers drove farming adoption rather than environmental factors.
Getting hit by lightning is good for some tropical trees
Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies reveal lightning benefits some trees by killing off parasitic vines and opening up the canopy.
New device produces critical fertilizer ingredient from thin air, cutting carbon emissions
Stanford University researchers have developed a groundbreaking device using air to produce ammonia, potentially transforming agriculture’s energy consumption worldwide.
Human urine could be used as eco-friendly crop fertiliser
Scientists at the University of Birmingham, UK, have found that stored human urine can fertilise crops without harming soil bacterial communities.
Autonomous fresh grass harvesting and feeding system for cattle
Dutch agricultural machinery company Lely have developed Exos, an autonomous machine designed to harvest and feed fresh grass to dairy cattle multiple times a day.
Bioengineering plants that produce their own nitrogen fertilizer
Researchers at the University of Florida, USA, have discovered multiple genetic pathways in plants enabling them to produce their own nitrogen, potentially revolutionising crop improvement efforts.
Zinc can make crop yields more climate-resilient
Researchers from Aarhus University, Denmark, have discovered zinc’s crucial role in nitrogen fixation, potentially revolutionising legume agriculture.
Researchers gain funding for microwave tech to zap weed seeds underground
Researchers at the University of Arkansas in the USA are exploring the use of microwave technology to destroy weed seeds and reduce herbicide use in agriculture.
World’s chocolate supply threatened by devastating virus
Researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington, USA, are developing mathematical models to combat a virus threatening global chocolate production from cacao trees in Ghana.
Making crops colorful for easier weeding
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark propose using gene editing to make crops visually distinct to aid robotic weeding.