Month: July 2022

One of the country’s first lines of defense against foreign agricultural pests and diseases is just about as adorable as they are effective. The US “Beagle Brigade” utilize their incredibly acute sense of smell to uncover threats that not even the most sensitive scientific equipment can detect. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) uses …

USDA’s “Beagle Brigade” is America’s First Line of Defense Against Agricultural Threats Read More »

University of Illinois scientists have uncovered a somewhat terrifying skill possessed by some of agriculture’s most troublesome weed species – some strains of waterhemp are resistant to chemicals that have never even been applied to crops. In a recent study, researchers examined how multiple-resistant waterhemp found in Illinois detoxifies chemicals designed to kill it by …

NEW Research Indicates Waterhemp is Outpacing Herbicides Read More »

The U.S. Department of Energy earlier this summer announced plans to award $59 million in funding to help accelerate the production of biofuels and bioproducts. The so-called “Scale-Up of Integrated Biorefineries” funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is intended to leverage the applied research, development, and deployment expertise of the DOE in order to cut costs and …

How the DOE is Helping to Ramp Up U.S. Biofuel Production Read More »

Cell-based meat – meaning products grown from animal cells rather than slaughtered – is a concept that has been possible for going on at least a decade now, yet has remained mostly unviable due to the exorbitant production costs. Cell-based chicken and seafood makers have made tremendous strides in that regard but beef has proven …

NEW Breakthrough with CRISPR Technology Makes Cell-Based Beef 1,000 Times Cheaper   Read More »

Abnormally high temperatures and insufficient moisture is creating the perfect “flash drought” conditions across key US growing regions. Flash droughts, unlike conventional droughts, have an extremely rapid onset, developing as fast as just 5 days in some instances. They are also extremely hard to predict and pinpoint with any sort of consistent accuracy but scientists …

Flash Droughts Brewing as US Crops Face Scorching Heat and Not Enough Rain Read More »

There’s an old saying in the business of wheat seed geneticists, “wheat that’s better bred makes better bread”. It turns out it could also make producers more money! Members of a dedicated “Wheat Improvement Team” at Oklahoma State University have spent years researching how to develop higher-quality wheat varieties. Oklahoma State University wheat genetics chair …

New Variety of Wheat Could Be Game-Changer… Read More »

Scientists from the University of Maryland say they’ve cracked one of the most important plant development processes in all of agriculture – how flowers become seeds and fruits. The researchers at UMD’s Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics say the finding are especially important at a time when global warming is impacting food production …

Scientists May Have Unlocked the Key to Plant Pollination Read More »

As global climate patterns continue to change, scientists say that global food production as we know it will need to adapt. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, only 15 crop plants are used for a whopping 90% of global food energy intake. Experts warn that our reliance on such a …

Weird Foods That Could Be Common Staples in the Future Read More »

Current high temperatures, coupled with drought in some growing areas, raise concerns about the potential for US production this season. Both corn and soybean crops are in or entering into critical growth stages, but the impact of weather conditions will vary by crop and development stage. Below are details about the impact of extreme heat …

What is the Heat and Drought “Danger Zone” for Corn and Soybeans? Read More »

Armadillos are one of nature’s stranger creatures. The prehistoric-looking mammals appear more closely related to turtles and crocodiles with leathery skin and soft-shelled “armor.” Native to South and Central America, scientists say the armadillo has been moving northward since it arrived in Texas in the 1880s and Florida in the 1920s. They are now well-established …

“Armadillos” Are Migrating All Over the Country… They Might Soon Be In Your Backyard! Read More »