Some of the same stuff used to keep mosquitoes away from us could help tackle whiteflies in valuable crops. farmingfuturefood.com/biodegradabl... #pests #bugsky #farming #fruit

Could a Medieval empire tell us something about #biodiversity and #farming today? A piece I did on some slightly leftfield but thought-provoking research for @ec.europa.eu @scicommsuwe.bsky.social environment.ec.europa.eu/news/lessons...

The quest for immortal rice just got a huge boost. A gene tweak lets rice regrow after harvest, opening the door to multi-year crops that could dramatically transform agriculture’s climate impact. https://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/?p=241140

Higher yields and lower emissions can go hand in hand. A 60-year dataset reveals that the biggest driver of declining agricultural emissions is in fact more productivity on farms. https://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/?p=240858

A material which converts UV to red light could help #greenhouse growers cut energy costs and grow more food. A start-up supported by @rothamsted.bsky.social is leading the way. farmingfuturefood.com/red-light-gr... #cropscience #farming #agritech

Some prolific crop pests are tough to control using conventional methods. Enter 'RNA origami', a form of #RNA interference designed to enter insect cells more easily. farmingfuturefood.com/sprayable-or... #cropscience #farming #genetics #scicomm

Crop breeding doesn't have to make compromises between yield and #sustainability aims. Chinese researchers say high productivity and locking in #carbon can be considered together. farmingfuturefood.com/next-generat... #farming #genetics #agritech #climate

Hoverflies are already famed #pollinators and pest-controllers, but scientists in #Sweden reckon they can do even more for farmers. Their study highlights the insects' potential for ferrying biopesticides to where they're needed. farmingfuturefood.com/hoverflies-s... #research #bugsky #scicomm

Why have a number of #agtech startups recently gone under? Researchers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln reckon it's all down to overly high costs and a lack of engagement with what #farmers really need. farmingfuturefood.com/misaligned-b... #tech #farming #food

There are few successful or sustainable ways to tackle the spotted wing drosophila, a notorious #fruit pest, but delivering #RNAi interference via yeast (and some Coca-Cola) looks very promising. farmingfuturefood.com/next-generat... #farming #agritech #genetics #scicomm

A really good overview of the potential of biochar as a sustainable #soil amendment from @kamyar-razavi.bsky.social @globalnews.ca.web.brid.gy medium.com/the-new-clim... #farming #agritech #arable #climate

Volcanic rock dust has been touted as a soil additive with a big future, but what does the research say? We took a look at the current evidence. farmingfuturefood.com/how-volcanic... #farming #crops #growing #soil

Stressed pigs mean bad #farming outcomes. New research has paved the way for a simple test to guide breeders in selecting the most resilient animals. farmingfuturefood.com/pig-hair-cor... #animalwelfare #pigs #agritech #genetics

Peat-free growing requires creativity, and a UK start-up's product brings double #sustainability benefits. It uses waste #milk to make a protein yarn offering increased nitrogen, absorption and binding strength to the #horticulture industry. farmingfuturefood.com/from-milk-to... #dairy #agritech

Let them eat algae? Research shows that broiler chickens grow well on the microalga Chlorella. The meat turns out better, too. farmingfuturefood.com/algal-feed-b... #farming #poultry #sustainability #feed

Will a new form of crop circles soon be seen on #farm fields? A group of #robotics researchers reckon sowing in spirals could help automated machines do a better job. farmingfuturefood.com/spiral-shape... #farming #robots #agritech

Insect farming can produce a range of useful products from #protein to #biofuels, but Ben Brown, COO of @insectbiotech.bsky.social says the sector needs to be far savvier about what they're feeding their bugs on. farmingfuturefood.com/insect-farmi... #sustainablefood #feed #farming

Promising trials in #Singapore suggest that farmers could treat infections in dairy cows without antibiotics or harsh chemicals. farmingfuturefood.com/new-antimicr... #sustainability #farming #scicomm

The last few years haven't been too kind to the insect #protein industry. Speaking at a @royentsoc.bsky.social event, analyst Corentin Biteau said leaders have been overstating #sustainability and profitability all along, with a radical refocus needed farmingfuturefood.com/analyst-warn... #farming

What makes a pizza pop may help poultry beat Salmonella. 🍕🐔🌿 USDA research has showcased the benefits of #oregano oil in birds' diets farmingfuturefood.com/oregano-addi...

Verticillium wilt plagues olive growers in #Spain, but fighting fungus with fungus could be a promising option to reduce the effects of disease-causing strains. 🫒🇪🇸 farmingfuturefood.com/scientists-d... #farming #sustainability #scicomm

New @monashuniversity.bsky.social research suggests you can probably put Aussies down as agriculture #automation and #AI sceptics. How can those leading the technologicial charge bring people along with them? farmingfuturefood.com/public-doubt... #agritech #farming #sustainablefood

A friendly fungus pumps out chemicals that can stop a major crop pathogen in its tracks. The @rothamsted.bsky.social @exeter.ac.uk findings could be the first step towards a new generation of #sustainable fungicides. farmingfuturefood.com/soil-fungus-... #agritech #farming #food

Oilseed rape is a crop under pressure,but Swiss scientists have found that growing it along with a bean can effectively take on its complex of pest beetles🪲🌱🪲 farmingfuturefood.com/intercroppin... #farming #arable #sustainability

Farmers can now make breeding decisions to cut methane #emissions from #sheep flocks using a single sample. farmingfuturefood.com/rumen-microb... #farming #climate #sustainability #sheepsky

A robotic rover designed by researchers in #Bangladesh offers the possibility of simultaneous crop harvesting and #AI soil analysis. Can it crack the mainstream? farmingfuturefood.com/ai-rover-bri... #robotics #farming #food

Getting agricultural soil metrics right can be tricky. Can the latest tech help? Researchers from @embrapa.bsky.social say that their approach using #AI and #lasers could be a boost for #carbon credit schemes. farmingfuturefood.com/machine-lear... #sustainability #farming

Cannabis and hemp have rapidly moved from fringe crops to mainstream agri-tech interest. Find out where they're making an impact: farmingfuturefood.com/6-ways-canna... #farming #research #cannabis #scicomm

Latin American farmers are now the world leaders in biological control use. Cost, practicality and #pesticide resistance has driven a huge shift in the last decade. farmingfuturefood.com/biocontrol-b... #LatAm #Brazil #sustainability #biocontol

How can UK agri-tech improve its fortunes? Ending regional divides and better connections with farmers for starters, says @innovateuk.bsky.social supported report. farmingfuturefood.com/uk-agri-tech... #farming #tech #agritech

Citrus pest problems? Why not try a cow pee and neem oil blend? farmingfuturefood.com/cow-urine-an... #sustainablefarming #pesticides #research

Mycotoxin-contaminated grain threatens world food supplies. Scientists are making progress in biological solutions, but roadblocks remain. farmingfuturefood.com/from-crops-t... #agtech #farming #foodsecurity

Is artificial intelligence better suited to solving agriculture's big challenges than in other sectors? A study by @ufresearch.bsky.social reckons so. farmingfuturefood.com/ai-set-to-di... #AI #MachineLearning #Agritech #farming

A neurotoxin found in venom from one of the world’s most venomous #scorpions has potential as a powerful, environmentally friendly bioinsecticide. farmingfuturefood.com/scorpion-ven... #farmsky #bugsky #research

Persistent exposure to vibrations on farm machinery can cause health problems for farmers. Will an Italian invention help them out? farmingfuturefood.com/picking-up-b... #agsky #farmsky #tractors #agtech

Feeding the residues from growing #cannabis to broiler chickens makes their meat taste better, according to Thai scientists. farmingfuturefood.com/cannabis-was... #poultry #hemp #farming

Could an additive used in jam block aphids' 'sweet tooth' and save crops? A group of researchers reckon so - but there are some side-effects to smooth out. farmingfuturefood.com/numbing-aphi... #scicomm #scisky #sustainability #farming

Robots are on the rise in Africa, says David Vernon from @cmu.edu - and they'll play a key role in farm practices such as automated #harvesting and crop #monitoring. farmingfuturefood.com/africa-start... #farming #robotics

Ladybirds are impressive natural pest controllers, but scientists reckon they could also carry fungus 'backpacks' for even greater effect against crop-feeding aphids. farmingfuturefood.com/ladybirds-ca... #pestmanagement #IPM #crops #bugsky

Current calculations may be failing to account for 25% of soil organic #carbon, according to Chinese researchers. Their revised approach could have a major impact on carbon credit schemes. farmingfuturefood.com/measurement-... #climate #soil #farming

Cameras in oil seed rape fields have revealed that ground #beetle larvae are a bigger ally in the fight against damaging pests than previously thought. Read more about the @rothamsted.bsky.social research: farmingfuturefood.com/cameras-reve... #farming #farmsky #bugsky #agritech

Farming could inadvertently be adding to the world's plastic pollution problem thanks to microplastics from crop covers and soil mulches getting into our soils and waterways. In a special report, we look at the research being done to help make plastics used in crop protection more sustainable:

Vine weevil are tricky adversaries for soft fruit growers, but scientists at #HarperAdamsUniversity have found garlic-based insecticides could be a useful, environmentally-friendly weapon against the beetle's eggs and larvae 🧄👀 farmingfuturefood.com/garlic-could... #IPM #horticulture #biopesticides

Is higher education ready to train the 'Agriculture 4.0' professionals of the future? Not quite, say researchers in the US, but they suggested a few tweaks to give new farmers the tools they need to take on #precisionagriculture with confidence: Read more: farmingfuturefood.com/higher-educa...

Breeding sweatier cattle could help beef farmers mitigate losses associated with heat stress, which cost the ag industry $370mUSD every year: farmingfuturefood.com/sweaty-cows-... #climatechange #ag #beef

Rendering populations of problem pests infertile has great promise as a non-pesticide option for farmers. Chinese scientists are on the case of the codling moth - a bane of the lives of apple growers everywhere. farmingfuturefood.com/genetic-pest... #farming #genetics #fruit #sustainability

Since 2010, China's farms have shifted from being a source of carbon emissions to a carbon sink, with over 75% recording an increase in sequestration, say researchers. No-till systems and adding straw to soils are some of the techniques making a difference: farmingfuturefood.com/farming-chan...