https://phys.org/biology-news/agriculture/ en-us Agriculture, livestock, farming and food processing news A research team composed of plant virologists from the Plant Virus Department at Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, the Italian National Research Council and BASF-Nunhems Italy, has recently published the findings of a scientific collaboration on investigating the occurrence of resistance-breaking strains of tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) in tomato and pepper fields. The results, which prove for the first time the emergence of double resistance-breaking strains (D-RB) of TSWV in agricultural settings, have been published in Virology. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-tomato-pepper-production-emerging-threats.html Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 04 Mar 2026 21:10:01 EST news691845311 Rural communities bordering the Tongass National Forest harvest more than 4.5 million pounds of wild food per year, including 100 different species that our public lands help support. Just how much food is this? An average quarter-pound cheeseburger might weigh around 6 oz, depending on your toppings of choice. Assuming a 6-oz weight, the wild food harvests in this region are equivalent to more than 12 million cheeseburgers a year. To replace the same amount of wild foods with grocery store purchases, it would cost these communities about $41 million. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-forest-pantry-alaska-national-forests.html Ecology Wed, 04 Mar 2026 14:40:04 EST news691850760 A new study suggests that decades of reported gains in crop yields from plant breeding may be significantly overstated, challenging a common method used worldwide to measure genetic progress. The international research team includes five University of Nebraska-Lincoln scientists. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-reveals-crop-yield-gains-overstated.html Ecology Wed, 04 Mar 2026 11:20:04 EST news691839435 Plant growth is supported by millions of tiny soil microbes competing and cooperating with each other as they perform important roles at the plant root, including improving access to nutrients and protecting against pathogens. As a byproduct of their metabolism, soil microbes can also produce nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas that has mostly been studied for its impact on the climate. While some N2O occurs naturally, its production can spike due to fertilizer application and other factors. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-nitrous-oxide-product-fertilizer-soil.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 04 Mar 2026 09:00:04 EST news691777621 For vegans and people who are allergic to dairy, nuts or gluten, rice is a surprising source to make a hypoallergenic alternative cheese. As a bonus, the protein sources in rice are considered byproducts of white rice processing, adding value and potential domestic demand for one of Arkansas' leading crops, says Mahfuzur Rahman, assistant professor of food science with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-rice-based-cheese-possibility.html Biotechnology Wed, 04 Mar 2026 07:00:01 EST news691823162 Few pests eat away at farm profitability as much as soybean cyst nematode (SCN). Causing at least $1.5 billion in yield losses annually, it's soybean's single biggest threat. Unfortunately, soybean's most effective tool, genetic resistance, is starting to fail. That's why a multi-institution research team led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has developed the first pangenome for SCN. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-genetic-library-soybean-cyst-nematode.html Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 03 Mar 2026 12:40:05 EST news691763402 Almost all plants live in close symbiosis with so-called mycorrhizal fungi—an important symbiosis for absorbing essential nutrients. In their new study, a team led by ecologist Christina Kaiser from the Center for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science (CeMESS) at the University of Vienna has now discovered that this mycorrhizal symbiosis is very sensitive to imbalances of certain nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) in the soil. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-year-field-fertilizer-imbalance-halve.html Ecology Tue, 03 Mar 2026 11:40:03 EST news691753141 A newly published study from the University of Guam sheds light on a tiny but powerful ally in the soil and how it could help Guam farmers and growers protect their crops naturally. Published on Dec. 11, 2025, in the journal Frontiers in Plant Science, the study was conducted by Dr. Richard R. Singh, an assistant professor of sustainable plant production, and soil chemist Clancy Iyekar of the agInnovation Research Center. The study focuses on nematodes—microscopic roundworms in soil that are poorly documented in Guam—specifically exploring how certain "good" nematodes may help control the harmful ones that damage crops. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-temporal-dynamics-predatory-nematodes-guam.html Plants & Animals Mon, 02 Mar 2026 20:00:01 EST news691686545 In a world where increasing demands for food security and energy strain existing resources, scientists are looking for new ways to maximize both. One potential option, agrivoltaics, integrates solar photovoltaics with crops. A study examines the agricultural and economic trade-offs that come with installing solar arrays on working farms across the Midwest. The research is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-agrivoltaics-yields-profits-crop-deployed.html Biotechnology Mon, 02 Mar 2026 17:30:08 EST news691691941 A new accounting of nitrogen pollution in the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River Basin (MARB) reveals a significant decline in recent decades, suggesting positive momentum for water quality goals in local watersheds and the Gulf of Mexico. Surprisingly, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign-led study doesn't credit the change to reduced fertilizer application, but instead to cleaner air and more efficient nitrogen uptake by modern corn hybrids. The research is published in the journal Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-year-decline-nitrate-pollution-portions.html Ecology Mon, 02 Mar 2026 13:20:01 EST news691679881 For many of us, food is something we buy at a supermarket or order at a café. We usually give little thought to the complex systems required to produce and deliver it—until they stop working. It's not common to think of Australia as a place at risk of food insecurity. It has vast tracts of fertile land and the capacity to feed its population many times over. Around 70% is exported. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-hightech-greenhouses-fruit-netting-cropping.html Biotechnology Mon, 02 Mar 2026 07:20:02 EST news691656961 Even though farmers have been dealing with rice stink bugs as pests since the 1880s, entomologists are still getting to know them at the genetic level. A first-of-its-kind study published on the genetics of rice stink bugs offers clues that could shape the battlefront on insecticide resistance for a tiny creature that costs Arkansas farmers millions of dollars a year. Rice and grain sorghum are the main economic crops, yet the bug feeds on many kinds of plants. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-genetic-rice-bug-aids-crop.html Molecular & Computational biology Sat, 28 Feb 2026 20:00:02 EST news691336859 Decades of research has shown promise for using microbiome science to solve several problems facing agriculture, but these findings have not yet been translated to practical recommendations for growers, according to a team of scientists in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-qa-microbiome-science-problems-agriculture.html Cell & Microbiology Sat, 28 Feb 2026 17:00:04 EST news691330266 Duckweed is the fastest-growing flowering plant, but new knowledge of duckweed genetics discovered by Adelaide University researchers could lead to even faster growing rates. The research team, led by Professor Nikolai Borisjuk at the Institute of Cell Biology and Genetic Engineering in Kyiv, Ukraine, described for the first time the architecture of the duckweed 5S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) chromosomal locus at the nucleotide level. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-genetic-discovery-faster-duckweed.html Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 27 Feb 2026 13:00:03 EST news691410782 UBC Okanagan researchers and Canadian egg farmers have created a practical tool to help producers balance environmental and economic trade-offs. Researchers at UBC Okanagan and Canadian egg farmers have built a practical decision-making tool to help producers balance environmental, economic and management trade-offs on their farms. The project developed software that brings together key sustainability indicators in one place to help farmers establish benchmarks for their farms, compare options and understand the consequences of different green technology adoption and management choices. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-egg-farmers-sustainable-agriculture.html Agriculture Fri, 27 Feb 2026 10:30:01 EST news691408922 In the search for climate-friendly foods, scientists have spent decades reimagining what grows in the field. But a quieter question has lingered in the background: Will anyone actually want to eat it? A new study in the journal Agricultural Economics has applied this question to intermediate wheatgrass, finding that consumers will pay more for the perennial grain if the sustainability benefits are clearly explained—as long as it tastes good, too. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-pay-climate-friendly-bread.html Agriculture Thu, 26 Feb 2026 15:20:04 EST news691341541 In a world-first discovery, researchers have found an electrical shark deterrent used at Cocos (Keeling) Islands was effective at reducing the number of fish taken off fishing hooks by sharks—a process known as depredation. The study, led by The University of Western Australia's Dr. Jonathan Mitchell and published in Marine and Freshwater Research, is the first of its kind globally to document the results of testing a deterrent to reduce depredation. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-shark-deterrents-fisheries-loss.html Biotechnology Thu, 26 Feb 2026 14:30:01 EST news691338242 Researchers from the University of Oxford, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (Chinese Academy of Sciences) have finally identified the master regulator in plants that balances root and shoot growth when nutrients are limited. In field trials, rice plants with an improved version of the gene had yield increases of up to 24%. The breakthrough, published today (26 February) in the journal Science, could ultimately improve global crop yields while reducing dependence on synthetic fertilizers. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-rice-gene-discovery-fertilizer-yields.html Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 26 Feb 2026 14:00:02 EST news691247339 A new study examining small-scale farming in Tanzania argues that major agricultural development initiatives, including the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), are built on flawed assumptions about how rural households make decisions. The research, led by Daniel Tobin of the University of Vermont, finds that household composition, gender dynamics, and labor constraints strongly shape how small-scale farmers allocate land and labor, factors that AGRA and similar programs routinely overlook. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-assumptions-africa-green-revolution-efforts.html Agriculture Thu, 26 Feb 2026 13:20:05 EST news691331543 Scientists have developed a new edge-of-field water-treatment system that reduces the load of excess nutrients washing into waterways from farm drainage systems. Their method combines a woodchip bioreactor with a two-step biochar water-treatment module. A one-year field trial demonstrated that the system reduced both nitrogen and phosphorus runoff from farmland. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-nitrogen-phosphorus-farm-drainage.html Biotechnology Thu, 26 Feb 2026 13:10:06 EST news691331423 University of Florida scientists have developed a tomato packed with significantly higher levels of vitamin A, a breakthrough that could help combat one of the world's most widespread nutritional deficiencies. In research newly published in Plant Physiology by Jingwei Fu, Denise Tieman and Bala Rathinasabapathi from UF's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), the researchers introduce fortified tomatoes with boosted beta-carotene—the compound the body converts to vitamin A. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-scientists-vitamin-enriched-tomato-global.html Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 26 Feb 2026 10:00:06 EST news691320758 Plants around the world are flowering earlier in the year, a trend attributed to climate change. But there could be another hitherto hidden trigger. Scientists led by researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences suggest a cause may be morning dew drops, as explained in a paper in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-tiny-dew-droplets-triggering-early.html Plants & Animals Wed, 25 Feb 2026 17:20:01 EST news691247253 Indoor farms, also known as vertical farms, are popular among agricultural researchers and are expanding across the agricultural industry. Some benefits they have over outdoor farms include the year-round production of food crops, less water and land requirements, and they don't need pesticides. They also reduce food waste and carbon emissions from shipping. Additionally, some studies indicate that indoor farms produce more nutritious food for urban communities. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-robot-pollinator-vision-boost-indoor.html Biotechnology Wed, 25 Feb 2026 15:40:02 EST news691242361 If you were one of the many amateur bakers who learned to bake sourdough bread during lockdown, you'll know how complex a single loaf can be. The rise of the bread, moisture, firmness and even crumb structure can make or break a baker's creation. It's why Latifeh Ahmadi, professor in the Brescia School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, studied each of those factors—and more—in an attempt to perfect the science of sourdough bread. But unlike your homemade loaf, Ahmadi was using a special ingredient of her own: acid whey. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-yogurt-sourdough-bread.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 25 Feb 2026 14:20:01 EST news691240561 As the global population climbs toward 10 billion and climate change strains farmland, scientists are searching for new ways to feed the world. A group of Cornell food science researchers say one answer may lie not in fields of soy or herds of cattle, but in networks of fungi quietly transforming agricultural waste into food. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-fungi-leftovers-lifelines.html Ecology Wed, 25 Feb 2026 13:10:01 EST news691245835 A new study co-authored by Virginia Tech and University of Vermont researchers offers one of the first, large-scale empirical looks at how Certified Crop Advisors (CCAs) across North America evaluate the next generation of artificial intelligence–enabled decision support systems (AI‑DSS) for agriculture. Published in Technological Forecasting and Social Change, the study identifies the specific design features that most influence whether trusted agricultural advisors will choose AI tools—and what might hold them back. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-reveals-crop-advisors-ai-tools.html Biotechnology Wed, 25 Feb 2026 12:50:01 EST news691245817 There is a long history of the mechanical thinning of forests in standard forestry operations. Thinning typically involves removing some 30–50% of the standing volume of trees with commercially valued logs removed via tracked or wheeled machinery. More recently, thinning has been proposed to limit wildfire, drought, insect outbreaks, and increase water yields in many forests around the world. But is thinning in this regard effective and what are the associated costs and benefits? https://phys.org/news/2026-02-highlights-significant-large-scale-mechanical.html Ecology Wed, 25 Feb 2026 11:50:01 EST news691242044 Researchers from the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are helping poultry farmers protect their flocks and their employees, while improving poultry production. ARS researchers recently developed an indoor air scrubber that purifies the air in chicken houses and reduces ammonia levels by 87% to 99%. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-indoor-air-scrubber-ammonia-poultry.html Biotechnology Tue, 24 Feb 2026 12:50:01 EST news691159407 Plant owners with a so-called green thumb often seem to have a more finely tuned sense of what their plants need than the rest of us. A new "smart lighting" system for indoor vertical farms grants this ability on a facility-wide scale, responsively meeting plants' needs while reducing energy inefficiencies, clearing a path for indoor farms as an energy-efficient food security strategy. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-tuning-fluorescence-farm-smarter-indoor.html Biotechnology Mon, 23 Feb 2026 19:00:02 EST news691079641 In 2013, farmers in the highlands of Ethiopia began to notice something unsettling: a familiar variety of wheat was failing in an unfamiliar way. Stems weakened, plants collapsed, and fields that had once held firm against disease were suddenly vulnerable. Three years later, the same unease surfaced thousands of kilometers away, when wheat crops in Sicily—including prized durum varieties destined for pasta—succumbed to a fast-moving stem rust outbreak that baffled local farmers. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-enemy-genome-science-reshaping-wheat.html Biotechnology Mon, 23 Feb 2026 11:20:01 EST news691065601