https://phys.org/biology-news/agriculture/ en-us Agriculture, livestock, farming and food processing news This summer, 115 participants in Leiden and The Hague worked with scientists from Leiden University to investigate the soil life in their community garden plots. With mangetout peas, a taste test, a buried pair of underpants and a harvest festival, they helped scientists better understand the connection between soil, plants and people. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-pair-underpants-vegetable-garden.html Ecology Mon, 07 Sep 2026 14:40:02 EDT news708000665 What makes more sense when farming wheat—strips of wildflowers along fields or organic farming? Both options provide financial support via the European Union as environmentally friendly and sustainable farming practices. An international research team, including researchers from the University of Göttingen, has compared the ecological and economic benefits of these two farming methods in fields planted with winter wheat. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-farming-outperforms-wildflower-profits-farm.html Ecology Mon, 07 Sep 2026 13:40:01 EDT news707995981 Labor-intensive harvesting and complex processing make macadamias among the most expensive nuts in the world. This makes it all the more important to protect the trees from pests. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-biological-pest-south-african-macadamia.html Ecology Fri, 04 Sep 2026 13:00:01 EDT news707729701 Fungi are major degraders of plant biomass, including leaves, stems and roots. Investigating the molecular mechanisms that control this process is essential for identifying ways to degrade and use lignocellulose, a recalcitrant waste-product residue from biofeedstocks and agricultural residues, and accelerate the development of biotechnology. It is also essential for deepening understanding of the ecological role of fungi in the global carbon cycle. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-divergent-molecular-mechanisms-fungal-biomass.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 04 Sep 2026 10:40:02 EDT news707724421 Researchers have demonstrated a series of biological tests that could serve as "proxies" for measuring how different regenerative agriculture practices could improve soil carbon—years before it would be possible to measure the carbon directly. The technique offers new insights into how effective various regenerative practices are at improving soil health. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-microbes-dead-alive-early-indicators.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 03 Sep 2026 17:50:01 EDT news707672281 Potassium (K) is one of the three essential nutrients for plants. It plays a critical role in a wide range of processes, including cell growth, photosynthesis and regulation of water balance. Plants take up K from the soil and circulate it throughout their bodies via molecules called K+ channels. The function of one such K+ channel (called AKT5) in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana has remained a mystery, despite more than 30 years of study. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-green-thumb-molecule-leaf-stalks.html Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 03 Sep 2026 17:00:06 EDT news707660821 Most people assume plants reproduce through whatever pollen happens to land on them. This is not true. A collaborative research initiative involving the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) has mapped and functionally tested the genes that control a natural "self-rejection" system in two widely grown Indian oilseed crops, Brassica rapa (mustard) varieties toria and yellow sarson. This system governs the molecular "lock-and-key" mechanism in certain mustard plants that allows them to reject their own pollen. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-pollinate-india-cooking-oil.html Plants & Animals Thu, 03 Sep 2026 16:50:01 EDT news707670301 Farmers around the world are struggling with the impact of climate change, financial pressures and depleted soil—and industry experts say bringing consumers closer to the people who produce their food could provide a solution. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-farming-experts-tout-conscious-food.html Agriculture Thu, 03 Sep 2026 05:20:01 EDT news707628266 A research team from INRAE and the University Clermont Auvergne has shown that trees are capable of correcting a curvature they detect in their stems through a specific biological process. In the study, young trees with bent stems were placed in an experimental set-up that prevented them from sensing their orientation relative to light and gravity. The only sense remaining to the trees was the perception of their own curvature. Under these conditions, the scientists observed the formation of a particular type of wood, known as tension wood, which acts like a muscle to correct the curvature of the stem, allowing it to realign within a few weeks. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-trees-muscle-posture-newly-role.html Plants & Animals Wed, 02 Sep 2026 19:00:05 EDT news707583301 As populations expanded in medieval England, key changes occurred in the uses of cattle and sheep to produce food and materials, according to a study published Sept. 2, 2026, in the journal PLOS One by Matilda Holmes of the University of Leicester, United Kingdom, David Orton of the University of York, United Kingdom, and colleagues. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-animal-bone-reveal-cattle-sheep.html Paleontology & Fossils Wed, 02 Sep 2026 14:00:01 EDT news707400708 New research involving more than 1 million Australian feedlot cattle has found that the strongest predictors of death from bovine respiratory disease (BRD) are established before animals even enter the feedlot, highlighting the importance of preventive measures on source properties. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-health-analysis-million-cattle-early.html Veterinary medicine Wed, 02 Sep 2026 11:40:08 EDT news707554561 Plastic waste is one of the world's fastest-growing environmental problems. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's Global Plastics Outlook: Policy Scenarios to 2060 report, global plastic use is projected to nearly triple from 460 million metric tons in 2019 to 1.2 billion metric tons by 2060 if current trends continue. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-bio-based-plastic-fertilizer.html Biotechnology Wed, 02 Sep 2026 10:00:07 EDT news707558100 Shark products sold at Western Australian fish-and-chips shops are often labeled too ambiguously or, in some cases, mislabeled, leaving consumers unsure which species they are buying, new Murdoch University research shows. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-dna-western-australian-fish-chip.html Ecology Wed, 02 Sep 2026 10:00:01 EDT news707400528 Bacterial canker, a vascular infection, can wreak havoc on tomato plants, with symptoms ranging from wilted leaves to the collapse of an entire plant. Clavibacter michiganensis, the seedborne pathogen that causes the disease, can be challenging to treat because it spreads easily. "This pathogen is really problematic, especially in greenhouses," said microbiologist Eric Déziel, Ph.D., at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) in Quebec, Canada. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-beneficial-bacteria-tomato-growth-suppress.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 02 Sep 2026 09:00:06 EDT news707553959 Cultivated meat aims to produce meat from animal cells in the laboratory without needing to raise a living animal for meat production. It has been proposed as a potentially more sustainable alternative to conventional meat production. Yet recreating something as complex as a steak—rather than minced meat—remains a major scientific challenge. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-bovine-stem-cells-approach-future.html Biotechnology Wed, 02 Sep 2026 05:00:07 EDT news707401161 For too long, the United States has relied on foreign sources for most of the raw materials powering its technological future: the essential minerals in every smartphone, battery pack and semiconductor. What if one answer to the supply crisis isn't buried in a mine shaft but growing quietly in a field? Scientists are betting on a resource-efficient, highly effective strategy: using engineered plants and symbiotic microbes to absorb critical minerals directly from the Earth in a process called phytomining. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-agentic-ai-crops-harvest-critical.html Biotechnology Tue, 01 Sep 2026 21:00:05 EDT news707499181 Harvesting tall fescue above annual bluegrass seed heads could help reduce contamination and seed-cleaning costs. Preliminary Oregon research found that cutting at 28 centimeters (11 inches) rather than 5 centimeters (2 inches) reduced annual bluegrass collected with the crop without consistently reducing tall fescue seed yield. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-higher-annual-bluegrass-contamination-tall.html Agriculture Mon, 31 Aug 2026 23:40:01 EDT news707400162 Transitioning an aging perennial forage seed stand into annual cropping can be difficult, particularly when the original crop persists or weeds establish after termination. Preliminary Canadian research suggests cover crops could help by suppressing regrowth and weeds, retaining biomass and cycling nutrients. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-crops-ease-shift-perennial-seed.html Agriculture Mon, 31 Aug 2026 22:00:01 EDT news707400225 High above the fields of the Morven Sustainability Lab, drones equipped with heat and light sensors are changing what it means to farm smarter. This month, researchers and students from the University of Virginia, NASA and the University at Buffalo tested drone technology by flying more than 100 feet (30 meters) above crops to measure plant health at UVA's 2,900-acre (1,170-hectare) research facility. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-drones-farming-heights.html Biotechnology Mon, 31 Aug 2026 21:20:01 EDT news707386650 Fast, on-farm genetic testing for cattle is practical and achievable for northern producers, according to University of Queensland research. In partnership with Meat & Livestock Australia and the Department of Primary Industries, a team from UQ's Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) tested low-pass nanopore sequencing on three commercial farms. Associate Professor Elizabeth Ross said the team produced reliable data for age, genomic breeding values (GBVs) and parentage for about 24 animals in less than 24 hours on each farm. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-farm-based-nanopore-sequencing-reliable.html Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:40:06 EDT news707400231 Sweet, salty, crunchy or creamy—no matter how it's munched, the Virginia peanut has been a cash crop for the commonwealth for much of the past two centuries. But a fungal disease called Sclerotinia blight has decimated peanut plant populations in recent years, with severe outbreaks causing up to a 50% yield loss. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-peanut-sensors-fend-fungus.html Biotechnology Mon, 31 Aug 2026 14:20:07 EDT news707396761 Fermented cocoa occasionally exhibits off-flavors that can compromise the quality of chocolate and other cocoa products. But what causes these undesirable flavors? Researchers at the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich have now shown that overfermentation of cocoa beans can cause smoky, leathery and cheesy off-flavors. Smoky flavors, therefore, are not necessarily attributable to smoke contamination. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-smoky-flavors-cocoa-solely.html Agriculture Mon, 31 Aug 2026 14:00:01 EDT news707395922 Growth or immune response? Higher organisms must constantly balance these two priorities. As in humans, hormones regulate this balance in plants. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have discovered a mechanism by which plant steroid hormones can inhibit immune responses and thereby make resources available for growth. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-hormones-crop-yield-disease-resistance.html Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 31 Aug 2026 13:40:09 EDT news707395561 Australia's agricultural exports have long traded on a simple label: clean and green. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-image-green-longer-australian-agriculture.html Agriculture Mon, 31 Aug 2026 09:40:08 EDT news707384642 For generations, wheat planting has followed predictable seasonal patterns. But this year, unseasonably warm weather in March and April accelerated wheat growth, pushing the crop into a vulnerable growth stage when widespread freezing temperatures hit. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-wheat-growers-unpredictable-weather.html Agriculture Sun, 30 Aug 2026 20:30:03 EDT news707038022 Lucerne seed wasp (LSW) is a serious pest in alfalfa crops, causing damage that is difficult to see in the field. Its larvae feed inside developing seeds, meaning losses may not become apparent until harvest, cleaning or seed delivery, when it is too late to intervene. Each wasp represents a lost seed, with infested seeds removed by seed-cleaning facilities along with other impurities. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-pest-pressure-foundation-lucerne-seed.html Ecology Sun, 30 Aug 2026 10:30:01 EDT news707127387 More water does not necessarily produce more alfalfa seed. A five-year trial near Keith, South Australia, found that strategically delaying irrigation until plants showed early signs of leaf drop generally increased seed yield and consistently delivered the highest gross margin. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-strategic-irrigation-stress-lucerne-seed.html Agriculture Sat, 29 Aug 2026 17:00:05 EDT news707126964 When an insecticide application fails to control bluegreen aphid, application conditions may not be the only cause. Research has identified resistant populations across southern Australia, confirming that repeated reliance on broad-spectrum insecticides is no longer sustainable. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-rethinking-bluegreen-aphid-insecticide-resistance.html Ecology Fri, 28 Aug 2026 21:40:01 EDT news707127358 Subterranean clover's ability to bury its seed supports pasture persistence but makes commercial seed harvesting difficult. The industry relies on aging Horwood-Bagshaw (HB) suction harvesters, which collect seed from fully dry crops after repeated tillage and raking. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-earlier-swathing-pathway-subterranean-clover.html Agriculture Fri, 28 Aug 2026 17:20:01 EDT news707137667 As fertilizer prices remain elevated, researchers at South Dakota State University are developing an innovative solution to corn's nitrogen supply problems by taking inspiration from an ancient Mexican variety and root nodules found on soybeans. In a new study, published in Plant and Soil, the researchers demonstrate how hydrogel beads may offer a promising way to naturally supply plants with nitrogen. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-nature-scientists-tiny-nitrogen-factories.html Biotechnology Fri, 28 Aug 2026 09:20:05 EDT news707124781