Researchers determine pollen abundance and diversity in pollinator-dependent crops

A new study provides valuable insights into pollen abundance and diversity available to honeybee colonies employed in five major pollinator-dependent crops in Oregon and California, including California's massive almond industry.

Synthesis of UV absorbers from cashew nut shell liquid

Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) in Germany, in collaboration with colleagues from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg in South Africa and the University of Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania, succeeded in using cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) as a substitute for petroleum in organic synthesis. Their aim was the development of a sustainable synthesis of soluble organic UV filters.

Scent brings all the songbirds to the yard

*Odor might play a role in mate selection among naturally hybridizing songbirds

Chickadees can smell! That is the news from a study out of Lehigh University, the first to document naturally hybridizing songbirds' preference for the scent of their own species.

Discovery of a bottleneck relief in photosynthesis may have a major impact on food crops

Scientists have found how to relieve a bottleneck in the process by which plants transform sunlight into food, which may lead to an increase in crop production. They discovered that producing more of a protein that controls the rate in which electrons flow during photosynthesis, accelerates the whole process.

Wild ground-nesting bees might be exposed to lethal levels of neonics in soil

In a first-ever study investigating the risk of neonicotinoid insecticides to ground-nesting bees, University of Guelph researchers have discovered at least one species is being exposed to lethal levels of the chemicals in the soil.

Suggested move to plant-based diets risks worsening brain health nutrient deficiency

The momentum behind a move to plant-based and vegan diets for the good of the planet is commendable, but risks worsening an already low intake of an essential nutrient involved in brain health, warns a nutritionist in the online journal BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health.

Lifezgreen unveils e-commerce for agribusiness

In an effort to deepen the development of agricultural business through efficient innovation to enhancing food distribution across the nation and entire globe, the Lifezgreen Diamond Acres Limited has officially launched an e-commerce technology that will fast track means of food accessibility from the point of production to the market.

NAERLS, Farmers hail FAO 40 years existence

As Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) celebrates forty years anniversary in Nigeria, the Executive Director, National Agricultural Extension Research Liaison Office (NAERLS), Prof. Mohammed Uthman together with farmers’ representatives have commended the international agency for its impact on agriculture through capacity building of stakeholders towards ensuring food security in the country.

A Banana-Killing Fungus Has Reached Latin America. Does This Spell the End for Bananas?

Bad news for banana lovers: A fungus that's particularly adept at killing the fruit has finally reached Latin America — a major supplier of the world's bananas — as scientists long feared it would.

Climate change could shrink oyster habitat in California

Ocean acidification is bad news for shellfish, as it makes it harder for them to form their calcium-based shells. But climate change could also have multiple other impacts that make California bays less hospitable to shelled organisms like oysters, which are a key part of the food web.