Early rice farmers unwittingly selected for weedy imposters

Early rice growers unwittingly gave barnyard grass a big hand, helping to give root to a rice imitator that is now considered one of the world's worst agricultural weeds.

Rice irrigation worsened landslides in deadliest earthquake of 2018

Irrigation significantly exacerbated the earthquake-triggered landslides in Palu, on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, in 2018, according to an international study led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) scientists.

Ancient Maya canals and fields show early and extensive impacts on tropical forests

New evidence in Belize shows the ancient Maya responded to population and environmental pressures by creating massive agricultural features in wetlands, potentially increasing atmospheric CO2 and methane through burn events and farming, according to geographical research at The University of Texas at Austin published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Machine learning helps plant science turn over a new leaf

Father of genetics Gregor Mendel spent years tediously observing and measuring pea plant traits by hand in the 1800s to uncover the basics of genetic inheritance.

Urban, home gardens could help curb food insecurity, health problems

Food deserts are an increasingly recognized problem in the United States, but a new study from the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, published by Elsevier, indicates urban and home gardens -- combined with nutrition education -- could be a path toward correcting that disadvantage.

Nodulation connected to higher resistance against powdery mildew in legumes

Scientists have long known that nodulation is important to plant health. Nodulation occurs when nodules, which form on the roots of plants (primarily legumes), form a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria that deliver nutrients to the plant.

Fertilizer is used worldwide in farming. It's used to give plants a boost, increasing yield and ultimately farmers' profits.

But, as the old adage goes: the dose makes the poison. Similar effects are seen in over-the-counter medicines. They need to take the right dose, at the right intervals, to be safe and effective. Fertilizer works the same way.

Frying oil consumption worsened colon cancer and colitis in mice, study shows

Foods fried in vegetable oil are popular worldwide, but research about the health effects of this cooking technique has been largely inconclusive and focused on healthy people.

New insights on impacts of crop trading in China

Feeding the world's growing population is one of the great challenges of the 21st century. This challenge is particularly pressing in China, which has 22% of the world's population but only 7% of the global cropland.

Association’s scribe wants Customs to intensify effort on tomato levy

The National Secretary, Tomato Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Sanni Danladi Yadakwari

The National Secretary, Tomato Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Sanni Danladi Yadakwari has demanded that Nigerian Custom Services (NCS) constitute an inspection committee that would monitor and scrutinize the import  activities of tomato processing companies in Nigeria towards revenue generation via levies. He disclosed this in an exclusive interview at Abuja.