Agriculture and Food – PossibleThreat Articles

US corn yields get boost from a global warming 'hole'

October 24, 2019 0 Comments Agriculture and Food, Climate, Endangered Plants, Environmental Awareness, Environmental Issues, Food and Agriculture, Global Warming, Nature

The global average temperature has increased 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit over the last 100 years. In contrast, the Corn Belt of the U.S., one of the most agriculturally productive regions of the world, has experienced a decrease in temperatures in the summer during the growing season. Known as the 'US warming hole,' this anomalous cooling phenomenon, which occurred in tandem with increasing rainfall, was responsible for boosting corn yields by 5 to 10 percent per year, according to a new study.

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Genetic risk factor for laryngeal paralysis in miniature bull terriers identified

October 24, 2019 0 Comments Agriculture and Food, Biochemistry Research, Biotechnology, Dogs, Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, Life Sciences, Veterinary Medicine

Laryngeal paralysis is a serious and sometimes deadly disease in some dog breeds that prevents proper opening of the larynx for breathing. Specialists in canine head and neck surgery and geneticists have identify a mutation responsible for laryngeal paralysis in Miniature Bull Terriers, enabling the development of a genetic test for the disease.

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A win-win for forests and small-holder dairy farming in East Africa

October 24, 2019 0 Comments Agriculture and Food, Cows, Sheep, Pigs, Environmental Policy, Food and Agriculture, Forest, Global Warming, Rainforests, Soil Types

The native Napier grass could hold the key to improving diets, boosting farming yields and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in East Africa. Growing and using Napier as a nutrient rich animal fodder on the farm, could also reduce pressure on forests, according to new research.

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Spotting cutting-edge topics in scientific research using keyword analysis

October 24, 2019 0 Comments Agriculture and Food, Alcoholism, Alzheimer's, Biology, Computational Biology, Markets and Finance, Multiple Sclerosis, Statistics, Virology

Researchers have conducted a quantitative keyword analysis of 30 million articles in the life sciences over a nearly fifty-year period (1970-2017) and found that 75% of total emerging keywords, at 1-year prior to becoming identified as emerging, co-appeared with other emerging keywords in the same article.

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The pectin is protectin': Study uncovers a plant barrier against toxic aluminum

October 24, 2019 0 Comments Agriculture and Food, Botany, Endangered Plants, Genetics, mice, Pests and Parasites, Seeds, Soil Types

Aluminum toxicity is a major contributor to poor crop growth, especially in regions with acidic soils. How aluminum enters at the growing root tips of plants is not well understood. Researchers have found that pectin, a chemical component of the plant cell wall, may play a key role as a barrier to prevent aluminum from entering rice plants. The study sheds light on how rice plants may resist aluminum toxicity.

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Fungi could reduce reliance on fertilizers

October 24, 2019 0 Comments Agriculture and Food, Climate, Environmental Issues, Food and Agriculture, Fungus, Geochemistry, Global Warming, Organic

Introducing fungi to wheat boosted their uptake of key nutrients and could lead to new, 'climate smart' varieties of crops, according to a new study.

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Embracing sustainable practices would help some winery tasting rooms stand out

October 23, 2019 0 Comments Agriculture and Food, Beer and Wine, Behavior, Behavioral Science, Consumer Behavior, Environmental Issues, Nutrition Research, Recycling and Waste, Sustainability

Wineries in the mid-Atlantic region should consider recycling and encouraging their customers to bring bottles to their tasting rooms for refilling to distinguish their businesses from so many others, according to a team of wine-marketing researchers who surveyed consumers.

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Strategies of a honey bee virus

October 23, 2019 0 Comments Agriculture and Food, Biology, Cell Biology, Genetics, Microbes and More, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Virology

The Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus is a pathogen that affects honey bees and has been linked to Colony Collapse Disorder, a key factor in decimating the bee population. Researchers have now analyzed in detail how the virus hijacks the cellular protein production machinery and misuses it for its own purposes.

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Mapping millet genetics

October 23, 2019 0 Comments Agriculture and Food, Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Desert, Environmental Awareness, Environmental Policy, Food and Agriculture, Genetically Modified, Grassland

In the semi-arid tropics of Asia and Africa, conditions can be difficult for crops. Plants need to have short growing seasons, survive on poor soils and tolerate environmental stresses. Enter, the millets.

News Science

Crabs can solve and remember their way around a maze

October 22, 2019 0 Comments Agriculture and Food, Animal Learning and Intelligence, Behavioral Science, Food, Invasive Species, Marine Biology, Nature, Sea Life

A new study has revealed how common shore crabs can navigate their way around a complex maze and can even remember the route in order to find food.

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