(Phys.org) —Removing corn stover from agricultural fields to produce cellulosic ethanol requires careful management to avoid adding greenhouse gas emissions and soil erosion to the environment, say Purdue ...

Space & Earth - Environment

Mar 19, 2013 not rated yet 1

Growers who use cover crops are increasingly turning to a tool that can flatten out their actively growing fields, usually in a single pass. Known as a "roller/crimper," the technology can help reduce and ...

Biology - Ecology

Mar 01, 2013 3 / 5 (2) 0

Organic rice studies have moved to the front burner with almost $1 million in federal grants to Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists.

Biology - Biotechnology

Feb 19, 2013 not rated yet 0

Organic matter is important for soil health and crop productivity. While an indicator of soil quality, a lot of organic matter is in extremely stable forms, and the nutrients in such forms are difficult for plants to use. ...

Biology - Other

Feb 11, 2013 not rated yet 0

Farmers can fine-tune their use of cover crops to help manage costs and maximize benefits in commercial organic production systems, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists.

Biology - Ecology

Feb 04, 2013 5 / 5 (2) 0

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) research confirms that the time-tested practice of amending crop soils with manure also can help restore soils on damaged post-mining landscapes.

Space & Earth - Environment

Oct 26, 2012 5 / 5 (1) 0

Indiana farmer Mike Starkey does not plow his fields and uses fertilizer only sparingly, but he is on the cutting edge of a growing trend in American agriculture.

Space & Earth - Environment

Apr 17, 2012 5 / 5 (4) 0

The most recent annual results from a four-year Iowa State University study on using cover crops between rows of corn reveals that higher yields – by as much as 10 percent – are possible using the ...

Biology - Other

Feb 09, 2012 5 / 5 (1) 2

Work by scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) suggests that farmers in the Southeast could use the tropical legume sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea) in their crop rotations by harvesting the ...

Biology - Biotechnology

Jan 04, 2012 not rated yet 0

Planting tall fescue grass as a ground cover in peach orchards helps protect peach trees from nematodes that attack tree roots, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists.

Biology - Ecology

Nov 29, 2011 not rated yet 0

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and David Linden, a technical consultant currently serving as a chief scientist at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) in McLean, Va., have jointly ...

Space & Earth - Environment

Sep 26, 2011 not rated yet 1

A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) soil scientist in Colorado is helping farmers grow crops with less nitrogen-based fertilizer.

Space & Earth - Environment

Sep 13, 2011 not rated yet 1

Soil quality, water quality, and possibly even farm profits will all benefit by using a perennial cover crop on corn fields that allows for similar yields to traditional farming methods, according to Iowa ...

Space & Earth - Environment

Jul 25, 2011 5 / 5 (4) 1

Winter cover crops are an important component of nutrient cycling, soil cover and organic matter content. Although its benefits are well documented, cover crop use in farming systems is relatively low. Research has shown ...

Biology - Ecology

Jul 13, 2011 not rated yet 0

Farmers using a cover crop seeder developed by Penn State agricultural scientists may eventually need only a single trip across the field to accomplish what takes most farmers three passes and several pieces ...

Biology - Ecology

May 23, 2011 not rated yet 0