News tagged with agricultural activity

Scientists study how to improve pesticide efficiency

In 2007, a controversial pesticide was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use on fruit and vegetable crops, mainly in California and Florida. Farm workers and scientists protested the approval of the pesticide ...

Chemistry / Biochemistry

created Feb 29, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Humans may have helped the decline of African rainforests 3000 years ago

(PhysOrg.com) -- Large areas of rainforests in Central Africa mysteriously disappeared over three thousand years ago, to be replaced by savannas. The prevailing theory has been that the cause was a change ...

Space & Earth / Environment

created Feb 10, 2012 | popularity 4.1 / 5 (16) | comments 21 | with audio podcast report

Climatic warming-induced change in timings of 24 seasonal divisions in China since 1960

Changes of seasonal cycles are important to social and economic activities, agricultural planning in particular. Qian et al. quantified changes in the timings of 24 seasonal divisions conventionally known ...

Space & Earth / Environment

created Jan 24, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (5) | comments 1

Satellite observes spatiotemporal variations in mid-upper tropospheric methane over China

As a principal greenhouse gas, atmospheric methane is important to atmospheric chemical processes and climate change. In Vol. 56 of the Chinese Science Bulletin, a paper identified spatiotemporal variations of methane in the ...

Space & Earth / Environment

created Jan 20, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Team discovers ancient road at Maya village buried by volcanic ash 1,400 years ago

A University of Colorado Boulder-led team excavating a Maya village in El Salvador buried by a volcanic eruption 1,400 years ago has unexpectedly hit an ancient white road that appears to lead to and from ...

Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils

created Oct 05, 2011 | popularity 4.6 / 5 (7) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Using ground covers in organic production

Studies by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists indicate that organic farmers who need to periodically amend their soils with compost after planting can still control weeds -- and hold down costs -- by using fabric ...

Space & Earth / Environment

created Aug 30, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Patterns of ancient croplands give insight into early Hawaiian society, research shows

A pattern of earthen berms, spread across a northern peninsula of the big island of Hawaii, is providing archeologists with clues to exactly how residents farmed in paradise long before Europeans arrived at the islands.

Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils

created May 16, 2011 | popularity 4 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Research explores edible film that kills pathogens for meat packaging

(PhysOrg.com) -- A team of food scientists in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences has shown that an edible film can be used for wrapping ready-to-eat meat products to deliver a slow release of a ...

Chemistry / Biochemistry

created Apr 14, 2010 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

New study predicts future consequences of a global biofuels program

A report examining the impact of a global biofuels program on greenhouse gas emissions during the 21st century has found that carbon loss stemming from the displacement of food crops and pastures for biofuels ...

Space & Earth / Environment

created Oct 22, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 2

Stop and smell the flowers -- the scent really can soothe stress

Feeling stressed? Then try savoring the scent of lemon, mango, lavender, or other fragrant plants. Scientists in Japan are reporting the first scientific evidence that inhaling certain fragrances alter gene ...

Chemistry / Other

created Jul 22, 2009 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (4) | comments 0