6 July 2023
As temperatures rise due to climate change, the huge amounts of corn grown in the US Midwest could be under threat, and it seems breeding for high-yielding varieties has made the crop genetically more vulnerable
21 June 2023
Microbes that produce nitrogen have made a big difference for reducing fertiliser-related emissions and pollution across millions of acres of farmland in the US. The microbes can be applied directly to the soil or as a coating on seeds
7 April 2023
A vertical farm built inside a greenhouse in Texas can produce hundreds of thousands of heads of lettuce with significantly less energy than usual
2 March 2023
A sixth failed rainy season would deepen the long-term drought in parts of Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia that has contributed to a devastating food crisis
1 March 2023
A loblolly pine plantation in the state of Georgia is the test site for a start-up company trying to see if improving the fungi and other microbes in soil can help trees grow bigger and faster
15 February 2023
A seed carrier made from wood screws itself into the ground when exposed to water. It could be useful for projects to replant forests from the air using drones
17 January 2023
The US Bureau of Land Management is helping ranchers and farmers in Colorado test virtual fences, which set moveable boundaries controlled by an app, and can keep cattle from overgrazing the range
6 January 2023
With atmospheric rivers drenching the US west coast, researchers are testing methods to capture as much stormwater as possible to replenish depleted aquifers
19 September 2022
15 per cent of food currently given to livestock and farmed fish is suitable for human consumption. By replacing this with food system by-products, we could feed more people without needing more farmland
1 September 2022
Pheromones are often used by farmers for controlling pest insects but the chemical process for producing them is expensive. A method for making them using bioengineered oil plants could be cheaper
