Organic farms protect and support environment and nature
On average, organic farms support 34% more plant, insect and animal species than conventional farms, say Oxford University scientists
Characterization of stink bug saliva proteins opens door to controlling pests
Brown marmorated stink bugs cause millions of dollars in crop losses across the United States because of the damage their saliva does to plant tissues. Researchers at Penn State have developed methods to extract the insect saliva and identify the major protein components, which could lead to new pest control approaches
New rapid and non-destructive ways to assess the quality of food
The research approach is similar to how infra-red thermometers are used to detect fever in humans or animals by converting information about the colour of the skin into a prediction of the internal body temperature
Drifting herbicides produce uncertain effects
Farmers should take extra precautions so drifting herbicides do not create unintended consequences on neighboring fields and farms, according to agricultural researchers
Chemical chaperones have helped proteins do their jobs for billions of years
Top-down and bottom-up approach needed to conserve potato agrobiodiversity
An electronic tongue can identify brands of beer
Spanish researchers have managed to distinguish between different varieties of beer. The discovery is accurate in almost 82% of cases
Common crop pesticides kill honeybee larvae in the hive
Four pesticides commonly used on crops to kill insects and fungi also kill honeybee larvae within their hives, according to Penn State and University of Florida researchers
Research unveils clues about protein mechanism critical to plant growth and yield
Scientists at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center have made several scientific discoveries demonstrating the significant roles Heterotrimeric G proteins play in plant development and yield
What makes a tasty tomato
The findings show that although thousands of compounds go into determining flavor and other characteristics, two components play a key role: the amounts of sugar and acid
What people think about organic farming and foods?
Why do we buy organic? The first reason for which consumers choose to buy organic products is their concern about the environment, followed by the integrity of these products with regard to GMOs and non-authorised substances’ residues
Cilandro, also known as coriander, is a “biosorbent”
The need for lower-cost, sustainable alternatives has fostered research on biosorbents. These natural materials, which range from microbes to plants, latch on to heavy metals in ways that include both absorption and adsorption
Grapefruit may be heading for a new use in battling mosquitoe
Nootkatone is a component of the oil in grapefruit, and has been on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s list of substances generally recognized as safe for use in food
China and United States continue di believe in GM crops?
Further research is needed to examine which glyphosate-resistant crops and weeds may have acquired enhanced levels of gene Epsps and, if so, the extent to which overproduction of this gene affects crop yields and weed fitness
Organic milk less healthy than conventional one
Milk from organic farms has a lower concentration of elements like zinc, iodine and selenium than milk produced by conventional farming methods. The discrepancy is due to the absence of mineral substances in the diets of the cows reared