(Phys.org)—Everyone loves a juicy, perfectly ripened tomato, and scientists have long sought ways to control the ripening process to improve fruit quality and prevent spoilage.

Biology - Biotechnology

Jan 30, 2013 5 / 5 (1) 0 |

Promising research on the use of miniature pressure probes to gauge the water status of wheat leaves could ultimately help farmers adapt to the effects of climate change. 

Biology - Ecology

Jan 30, 2013 not rated yet 0

Domestic cats in the United States kill up to 3.7 billion birds and as many as 20.7 billion mice, voles and other small mammals each year, biologists estimated on Tuesday.

Biology - Ecology

Jan 29, 2013 3.8 / 5 (19) 228

(Phys.org)—Microbe-eating flies from at least three different locations around the world recently have evolved into herbivores, feeding on some of the most toxic plants on Earth. Fly detectives and UA evolutionary ...

Biology - Evolution

Jan 29, 2013 4.3 / 5 (3) 1 |

(Phys.org)—Consumed by 3 billion people, rice is arguably the world's most important food staple, and one reason for its popularity is that rice can be grown under flooded conditions that suppress weeds, making cultivation ...

Biology - Biotechnology

Jan 29, 2013 4 / 5 (1) 0

Agricultural irrigation in California's Central Valley doubles the amount of water vapor pumped into the atmosphere, ratcheting up rainfall and powerful monsoons across the interior Southwest, according to a new study by ...

Space & Earth - Environment

Jan 28, 2013 4.6 / 5 (5) 2 |

Poultry producers can reduce bacterial cross-contamination in poultry cages by treating the cages with forced air that's been heated to 122 degrees Fahrenheit, according to a study by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) ...

Biology - Cell & Microbiology

Jan 28, 2013 not rated yet 0

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists in Fort Pierce, Fla. are helping citrus growers and juice processors address the threat posed by Huanglongbing (HLB), a disease that is costing the citrus industry millions ...

Biology - Ecology

Jan 25, 2013 not rated yet 0

Unexpectedly, some crops such as maize or rapeseed have been found to act as carbon sinks, extracting CO2 from the atmosphere. However, others like sunflower and silage maize are carbon sources. These are the main conclusions ...

Space & Earth - Environment

Jan 25, 2013 not rated yet 0

A plunge in the world's population of frogs and toads may be blamed, at least in part, on farm pesticides, researchers in Germany said on Thursday.

Biology - Ecology

Jan 24, 2013 3.8 / 5 (4) 1

A study published this morning in Nature offers further insight into how dogs became domesticated. The comparative analysis of human, canine and wolf genomes suggests that humans and dogs have evolved in ...

Biology - Plants & Animals

Jan 24, 2013 not rated yet 0

With climate change sparking concern about an increased risk of wildfires, scientists are reporting development of a way to detect grapes exposed to smoke from those fires, which otherwise could be vented ...

Chemistry - Other

Jan 23, 2013 not rated yet 0

Treated wastewater solids called biosolids are sometimes used by farmers to boost soil nutrient levels. Now research by a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientist provides new information about how ...

Space & Earth - Environment

Jan 23, 2013 not rated yet 0

Scientists with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, and their partners have determined that water demand by many plant communities can fluctuate in response to water availability, indicating a capacity ...

Space & Earth - Environment

Jan 22, 2013 2.5 / 5 (2) 0 |

(Phys.org)—A French based research team has found DNA evidence in sweet potato samples that suggests that early Polynesian explorers visited South America. Those early explorers, the researchers write in ...

Biology - Biotechnology

Jan 22, 2013 4.8 / 5 (6) 0 |