https://phys.org/biology-news/agriculture/ en-us Agriculture, livestock, farming and food processing news In a study published in Agriculture, researchers from the University of Johannesburg (UJ) propose a policy roadmap for an AI-driven precision farming approach to further improve indigenous and other livestock breeds' abilities to withstand extreme conditions in farming operations of all sizes and types. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-local-ai-gut-microbe-african.html Biotechnology Tue, 10 Nov 2026 13:00:11 EST news713531341 Nickel plays an important physiological role in plants, but how it is transported over long distances from stems and leaves to grains was poorly understood for more than 50 years. Now researchers have identified a key transporter gene, ZmNAET1, that controls nickel accumulation in cereal grains. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-tiny-nutrient-big-mystery-key.html Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 10 Nov 2026 11:00:10 EST news713528161 Tropical farmers are often expected to choose between high crop yields and protecting wildlife. However, an international team of researchers led by the University of Vienna, in collaboration with the universities of Göttingen and Würzburg in Germany and Bioversity International in Peru, shows that biodiversity conservation reinforces cacao production in agroforests via associated ecosystem services, such as natural pest control. The new study, published in Communications Earth & Environment, provides important evidence for sustainable farm and landscape management in one of the world's most biodiverse regions. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-tree-rich-landscapes-birds-cacao.html Ecology Mon, 09 Nov 2026 18:10:02 EST news713465221 When they start to get too warm but before they're dangerously hot, most plants employ a similar playbook. They change their shape, a host of adaptations that includes growing longer stems and stalks to promote air circulation. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-dial-response.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 09 Nov 2026 13:40:08 EST news713447246 Resistance to antifungal medicines in the pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus is proving more persistent than previously thought. Research by Wageningen University & Research (WUR), published in Current Biology, shows that fungicides used in agriculture, even those with a different mode of action from these medicines, can help maintain this resistance. This is because different resistance genes "hitchhike" together. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-genetic-hitchhikers-aspergillus-infections-harder.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 09 Nov 2026 13:20:01 EST news713447222 Growing two crops in succession on the same land requires a tight schedule. In parts of central and eastern China, farmers sow barley in autumn and harvest it in late spring. It is then followed by a summer crop, such as rice. For this cropping sequence to succeed, the barley must mature in time. An early harvest also helps the crop avoid heat and rain toward the end of the growing season. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-genes-harvests-barley-cropping.html Biotechnology Mon, 09 Nov 2026 09:40:01 EST news713438332 High losses of honeybee colonies, which play a crucial role in global food production, have caused concern around the world. Many potential factors for the population declines have been cited, but a potentially significant threat to pollinator health—environmental antibiotic pollution from agricultural sources—has been largely overlooked, according to a new article published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-antibiotic-pollution-key-factor-honeybee.html Veterinary medicine Thu, 05 Nov 2026 18:20:01 EST news713116501 Fish that are cultivated in pools or ponds are an increasingly important source of food around the world. Unfortunately, disease outbreaks can cause substantial losses in aquaculture. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-silk-microneedles-vaccines-farmed-fish.html Biotechnology Tue, 03 Nov 2026 14:30:01 EST news712935193 A study published in Nature Communications, led by professor Jurriaan Ton and Dr. Adam Hannan Parker at the University of Sheffield, has identified mechanisms by which plants maintain and reset stress memory from past infections. This immune memory enables plants to defend themselves more effectively against harmful bacteria and mildews, which are increasingly threatening our crop and food production. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-immune-memory-hints-crop-approach.html Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 03 Nov 2026 12:20:01 EST news712924681 An international study investigating why wild tomatoes are more resistant to the tomato leafminer (Phthorimaea absoluta) than cultivated varieties revealed that the secret lies in the spatial structure of a plant defense molecule. The researchers mapped the biochemical origin of this difference and demonstrated that altering four amino acids in a single enzyme is sufficient to alter the structure of the substance and increase its toxicity against the pest. This finding paves the way for creating resistant tomatoes through gene editing. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-molecular-architecture-tomato-resistance-main.html Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 28 Oct 2026 18:20:06 EDT news712420202 Plant hormones influence growth and development by acting on specific cells and tissues. However, determining precisely where and when a hormone needs to act has been challenging because conventional hormone treatment generally activates signaling throughout the plant. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-gibberellin-reveals-hormone-root-growth.html Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 28 Oct 2026 16:40:08 EDT news712419362 University of Missouri researchers have created rice plants that resist bacterial blight, a devastating disease that threatens one of the world's most important food crops. The advance could help farmers in parts of Asia and Africa, where the disease can destroy harvests and threaten livelihoods. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-rice-devastating-disease-gene-ai.html Biotechnology Tue, 27 Oct 2026 16:20:15 EDT news712320002 A flower strip is established along the edge of a field. A wetland is restored. More seminatural habitats are created. The expectation is simple: give nature more space, and biodiversity will increase. But reality is often not so simple. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-biodiversity-framework-landscapes.html Ecology Tue, 27 Oct 2026 15:20:11 EDT news712319325 Rising temperatures and increasing drought are shortening crop-growing seasons in many parts of the world. Now scientists in Sweden report new advances toward engineering more efficient photosynthesis, work that could eventually contribute to efforts to adapt crops for climate change. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-climate-resilient-crops-mind-tackles.html Biotechnology Thu, 22 Oct 2026 19:20:01 EDT news711904861 Microgreens are nutritional powerhouses. A team of plant scientists at Penn State conducting research on multiple aspects of microgreens recently published three studies reporting progress on multiple fronts, including iron enrichment, productive indoor growth and a faux lightning technique that could improve microgreens' growth, yield and nutritional quality. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-microgreens-nutritional.html Agriculture Thu, 22 Oct 2026 17:50:02 EDT news711908341 You've likely heard this assumption: When AI-enabled and autonomous machines arrive on the farm, jobs will disappear. But researchers at the University of California, Davis, who studied 16 fruit tree operations in California and Washington for three years, found that automation still takes human knowledge. What changes is how the work gets done. The study, drawing on 165 in-depth interviews with workers and growers, was published in the journal New Technology, Work and Employment. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-assumption-farm-automation-wrong.html Biotechnology Thu, 22 Oct 2026 17:10:01 EDT news711906541 The use of robots, drones and AI tools in agriculture is already paying off on 42% of the world's cropland. This could increase to 50% in the next 20 years and to as much as 75% if every country tightened environmental regulations. If every country loosened its regulations, it would fall to 31%. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-smart-farming-profitable-regions-global.html Biotechnology Mon, 19 Oct 2026 15:00:01 EDT news711618121 Infecting a maize plant is no simple task for a fungal pathogen such as Ustilago maydis. A group of researchers led by Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) has now uncovered how the fungus detects that it has successfully entered its host. This signal triggers changes in fungal growth, as the researchers report in Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-unwittingly-fungal-pathogens.html Evolution Mon, 19 Oct 2026 11:20:10 EDT news711621008 Arabidopsis thaliana, a small flowering mustard plant used worldwide as the primary genetic model in plant biology, was long believed incapable of forming relationships with underground fungal networks. New research published in Current Biology led by professor Katie Field demonstrates for the first time that it can establish a fully functional, resource-sharing partnership with an ancient soil fungus known as a Mucoromycotina fine root endophyte (MFRE). https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ancient-fungus-secret-major-food.html Ecology Fri, 16 Oct 2026 13:00:01 EDT news711366938 Two new research papers shed light on the growing practice of grazing sheep in fields with solar arrays. One demonstrates that, in the right numbers, sheep grazing increases populations of beneficial insects like bees and lady beetles compared to mowing around solar panels. The other research describes a decision-making support tool to help farmers profitably grow their solar grazing herds. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-sheep-grazing-solar-fields-farmers.html Ecology Wed, 14 Oct 2026 15:40:07 EDT news711192374 Energy production in our cells, oxygen traveling in our blood and immune cells fighting infection all depend on iron, an essential mineral that enters the food chain when plants absorb it from soil. But iron is often scarce—likely increasingly so as global weather and temperatures continue to change—and we aren't the only ones that need it. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-microbial-invasions-iron-protein.html Plants & Animals Wed, 14 Oct 2026 14:01:05 EDT news711190801 Rice is one of the world's most familiar staple foods, but how does a single cell develop into a rice plant with specialized tissues and organs? A new study offers a detailed look at this process through a three-dimensional (3D) spatiotemporal atlas covering 10 organs and 61 developmental stages across the rice life cycle, from seed to seed. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-3d-rice-gene-entire-life.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 13 Oct 2026 16:00:01 EDT news711116942 Scientists have found a way to make salt taste saltier without increasing its sodium content, a welcome development in the culinary world. Salt is a powerful flavor enhancer, drawing out the subtle flavors of a dish while balancing sweetness and bitterness. Its appeal comes hand in hand with some drawbacks. Salt activates the brain's reward system, making food more pleasurable, but eating too much salty food can negatively affect cardiovascular health. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-mushroom-derived-peptides-boost-saltiness.html Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:00:12 EDT news711104447 Modified lentil protein can act like fat in nonfat foods, especially yogurt, delivering creaminess and richness, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State. The work, published in Food Chemistry, is the latest effort to develop an effective fat texturizer for use in low-fat foods. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-lentil-protein-mimics-fat-yogurt.html Biotechnology Tue, 13 Oct 2026 08:40:12 EDT news711098761 Nitrogen is essential for life. It's needed to build proteins, DNA and many other components of cells. Although nitrogen gas makes up almost 80% of Earth's atmosphere, most organisms cannot use it directly. Certain microbes solve this problem through a process called nitrogen fixation, which converts nitrogen gas into ammonia. This process is carried out by an enzyme called nitrogenase. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-nitrogen-fixation-discovery-day-crops.html Biotechnology Thu, 08 Oct 2026 17:20:21 EDT news710680802 When a person falls and gets a cut or a scrape, they often use hydrogen peroxide to clean the wound. This molecular compound is also produced within our cells, helping our immune system build its defenses against harmful bacteria or other pathogens. Hydrogen peroxide is produced inside plants, too, where it acts as a messenger, telling cells to beef up a plant's defenses when it is stressed, wounded or under attack. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-tiny-channels-cells-wound-hydrogen.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 06 Oct 2026 14:50:01 EDT news710514961 One of the hardest challenges in wildlife conservation arises when the habitat of a species in need of protection overlaps with land used by humans. Wolves and bears can kill livestock, elephants can damage homes and other property and wild boar can damage crops. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-farmer-macaque-conflict-algeria-poses.html Ecology Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:20:18 EDT news710419081 Rutgers scientists have identified natural repellents against an invasive blueberry pest, a discovery made accidentally when fruit flies invaded their laboratory. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-food-kitchen-whiff-vinegar-happy.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 05 Oct 2026 11:20:06 EDT news710413922 Broccoli grown under magenta solar panels absorbed sunlight more efficiently than plants grown out in the open, according to a study to be published Oct. 2 in Cell Reports Physical Science. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-multitasking-magenta-solar-panels-farms.html Biotechnology Fri, 02 Oct 2026 11:00:05 EDT news710063403 Camelina is a relatively new oilseed gaining interest for its potential use in food, livestock feed and renewable fuel markets. A newly published research paper provides insights into the camelina genome that could give breeders new tools to develop varieties with improved performance, stronger adaptability and traits that matter at the farm level. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-camelina-genome-analysis-reveals-wild.html Plants & Animals Thu, 01 Oct 2026 19:00:01 EDT news710084652