AgriTech Review

A perspective in Annals of Forest Science argues that strategically designed common garden networks, including suboptimal sites, are essential for revealing the adaptive capacity of forest trees under climate change.

A qPCR study of Karan Fries cows found MFGE8 and PDIA3 upregulated in high yielders while S100A8 and RAGE were elevated in low yielders.

A rat study found that ethanolic extracts of garden cress seeds and custard apple leaves, especially in combination, reduced blood glucose, insulin resistance and tissue damage in streptozotocin-induced diabetes.

Over three extreme growing seasons in Rio Grande do Sul, diversified cropping systems with cover crops reached yields up to 76 percent above the state average while simplified farms suffered sharp year-to-year swings.

A global meta-analysis of 932 paired observations shows biochar boosts microbial biomass, necromass, and soil organic carbon more strongly in nitrogen-poor cropland soils, with distinct stabilization pathways in each soil type.

A new open-access database describes forest structure, biomass and silvicultural management at 583 forested sites of the French Soil Quality Monitoring Network across surveys in 2006–2007 and 2024.

A new perspective argues that genomics has shifted from a specialized pursuit of well-funded labs to a routine tool now applied to crops, wild populations and non-model organisms such as the North American honey bee.

Mars-owned Royal Canin and ingredients supplier Roquette will co-invest in the farms from which they source that wheat. The post Agrifood corporates find a new model for financing regenerative agriculture via Soil Capital partnership appeared first on AgFunderNews.

Farming, dams and agricultural runoff are the biggest threats to freshwater biodiversity globally, with Europe and Northwest Africa the hardest-hit regions, McGill researchers have found.

A system dynamics simulation of nearly 2,000 Chinese family farms finds green subsidies are the strongest single policy for green development, but a phased strategy of subsidies first and credit and standardization later best preserves coordination among subsystems.

A field trial in Peru's Chira Valley found that reducing rice irrigation volumes by up to 23.5% raised irrigation water productivity by up to 28% without statistically significant differences in grain yield or most grain quality traits.

A study using two waves of Malawi's Integrated Household Survey finds agricultural input subsidies are associated with better nutrition among children under five, while food security alone showed no significant influence.

A prospective study of 609 patients found that saline irrigation absorption during bipolar TURP was associated with rising plasma chloride and metabolic acidification in 62.1% of cases.

A new review finds machine learning outperforms traditional linear models in predicting poultry nutrient requirements, with big data enabling precise, real-time diet formulation.

A study of 7,794 Chinese farming households finds agricultural socialized services boost green productivity only after provision crosses a critical threshold.

Keurig's new brewer promises full flavor without the waste — here's how it actually performs.

"Taking Action for Nature" was the theme of CoP 17, the UN Biodiversity Conference 2026, which is drawing to a close in Yerevan, Armenia. A new analysis of African national biodiversity strategies and action plans shows how academic and research institutions can respond to this theme and help translate scientific evidence into taking action for nature.

A study of a Connecticut brackish salt marsh found that invasive Phragmites australis was associated with shifts in soil bacterial community composition and predicted functions, even though overall microbial diversity and soil carbon and nitrogen stocks were unchanged.

A randomised trial of 400 Ugandan smallholder farmers found that training in conservation agriculture with biochar raised total labour use by about 36 percent, shifted the burden onto family labour, and produced no significant labour productivity gains.

A probabilistic model estimates annual BVDV-related losses of about KRW 12.9 million for a 50-head Hanwoo farm and KRW 11.1 million for a 100-head dairy farm in Korea.

A laboratory study of the green lacewing Chrysopa formosa found that 100 to 120 days of cold storage at 5 degrees Celsius best balances diapause termination with post-diapause survival and reproduction.

An archetypal analysis of 3,810 Flemish dairy farms identifies four business model configurations, with 74 percent of farms showing hybrid membership across them.

The new EU project TETTRIX will present its plan for an integrated European taxonomic system at the UN Biodiversity Conference in Yerevan, arguing that species protection depends on identifying and monitoring them.

A controlled-environment study found that successive plantings of susceptible soybean in nematode-infested soil restructured rhizosphere, root and cyst microbiomes and drove SCN egg densities down to stable low levels.

A study of poultry farms in three regions of Cameroon found heavy metal contamination in chicken meat, liver, and eggs, with estimated exposures exceeding safety thresholds for some younger and high-consuming groups.

Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Hani Sewilam affirmed deep-rooted relations between Egypt and Uganda and Egypt’s commitment to further strengthening bilateral cooperation, building on development projects already implemented to serve citizens and support sustainable development efforts in Uganda. Sewilam made the remarks during a meeting with Uganda’s Minister of Water and Environment Kahinda Otafiire … The post Egypt committed to supporting sustainable development in Uganda – Irrigation Minister appeared first on Egypt Independent.

Scientists have computationally designed a multi-epitope chimeric vaccine candidate against Taenia tapeworms in livestock, with all results so far limited to in silico analysis.

A decade-long study of Guangdong Province found that livestock-free zone policies reduced local farm emissions but shifted roughly three times that amount to neighboring regions.

A meta-analysis of 31 studies found no statistically significant pooled effect of plant essential oils on milk yield or methane-related outcomes in dairy cows, with very high between-study heterogeneity.

Tracer experiments show Plantago lanceolata and Picea abies seedlings can take up labelled carbon via roots, but recovery in soil stays below one percent.

A ten-year Bayesian spatio-temporal analysis of Inner Mongolia finds livestock inventory, GDP per capita and temperature associated with higher human brucellosis risk, while vegetation greenness is linked to lower risk.

Blending PBS and PBAT at different ratios tunes strength, moisture barrier, hydrophobicity and UV shielding of biodegradable packaging films without compatibilizers.

A study of two Vojvodina farms finds regenerative management can match conventional yields, though short-term profits remain unstable.

A new conceptual study proposes a framework for integrating circular economy and zero-waste principles into hydroponic farming, reporting modelled freshwater savings of 40 to 70 percent while stressing that empirical validation is still needed.

A new review maps how zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, carbon-based, silica, silver, selenium and copper nanoparticles could boost crops while warning of soil, plant and food-chain hazards.

A 30-day pig manure composting experiment found that suppressing fungal activity increased the removal of antibiotic resistance genes from 34.32% to 51.50%.

A dynamic panel study of 41 African countries finds rice-area intensity negatively associated with young women's NEET rates, but the authors caution the fragile, specification-dependent result supports no causal policy claim.

A scoping review of 197 studies finds substantial WASH and STH evidence but identifies persistent gaps in food chain pathways, environmental surveillance and service coverage measures.

You've got to scale up in steps before you start to build these large-scale facilities," says founder Daniel Tzvetkoff. The post Stacked Farm outlines the long game for vertical farming ahead of US expansion appeared first on AgFunderNews.

A full genome sequence of Acinetobacter lwoffii DJPGP01, isolated from rice rhizosphere soil in India, reveals genes for phosphate solubilisation, auxin synthesis, quorum sensing and stress tolerance, with laboratory testing confirming phosphate mobilisation.

A feasibility study of 107 dairy cows on four farms found that ankle-mounted accelerometer data predicted positive or negative mood with 61 percent accuracy compared with the gold-standard welfare assessment.

A new review maps how low-cost energy harvesting technologies could replace batteries in smart sensing and Internet of Things devices.

A global analysis of 904 metagenomes shows that methanogenic pathway potential across soils and sediments is tied to environmental gradients and methanogen guild composition.

A difference-in-differences study links China's Shan-Shui ecological restoration project to a small but robust increase in farm household livelihood resilience.

A new review in Carbon Research maps how lignin, the abundant aromatic by-product of pulping, can be converted into controlled-release fertilizers, soil amendments, pesticide carriers, mulch films and seed coatings, while flagging cost and field-validation hurdles.

A new review synthesizes evidence that plant-associated microbes directly and indirectly reshape the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, with implications for crop resilience and drug discovery.

Untargeted metabolomics reveals that Bacillus siamensis SSVP1 produces distinct extracellular metabolite profiles when facing live versus heat-killed Fusarium and Macrophomina biomass.

A newly published study in Discover Artificial Intelligence proposes a machine learning framework designed specifically for this problem, combining a state space neural operator with genetic algorithm optimization to forecast power plant behavior more accurately, faster and with less memory than established recurrent and attention-based models.

A 30-day trial in Uganda's South-Western Cattle Corridor found that supplementing grazing cows with a locally formulated dairy meal significantly raised milk solids-not-fat and protein content compared with unsupplemented controls.

A new review synthesizes evidence that inhaled agricultural particulate matter may disrupt the intestinal barrier and gut microbiome through the gut–lung axis, potentially contributing to metabolic dysfunction.

A two-year study of three Kenyan highland plots links soil erosion and land management to shifts in bioavailable selenium, while crop uptake remains weakly coupled to soil supply.

An international study investigating why wild tomatoes are more resistant to the tomato leafminer (Phthorimaea absoluta) than cultivated varieties revealed that the secret lies in the spatial structure of a plant defense molecule. The researchers mapped the biochemical origin of this difference and demonstrated that altering four amino acids in a single enzyme is sufficient to alter the structure of the substance and increase its toxicity against the pest. This finding paves the way for creating resistant tomatoes through gene editing.

A survey of 169 Ugandan fish farmers finds aquaponics is the most sustainable system yet the least adopted, with gender, group membership, location, and land tenure shaping choices.

A new review in Bioscience Nanotechnology outlines how smart nanocarriers can deliver biostimulants with sustained, stimulus-responsive release to support sustainable crop production.

A laboratory study of peat from Ziro Valley, India, found that combining 15% cement with 12% rice husk ash raised unconfined compressive strength from 189 to 819 kilopascals after 28 days of curing.

A new review synthesizes global advances in sustainable Ulva biomass production, spanning physiology, genomics, seedling technology and farming systems.

A new CGE modelling study finds that a 50 percent cut in hazardous pesticide use would cost the EU agricultural sector billions in production and exports, but substituting low-risk dsRNA alternatives could eliminate more than half of those losses.

Female Telenomus remus wasps were attracted to eggs of three moth species, and seven egg-surface compounds elicited significant behavioral responses in Y-tube assays.

An international study shows that changing four amino acids in a single tomato enzyme flips the 3D shape of a defense molecule, making it far more toxic to the tomato leafminer.

A new narrative review argues that Salmonella persistence in poultry is governed by microbial communication networks spanning the gut, litter, waterlines and hatcheries, pointing toward ecosystem-based control strategies.

A study of 192 teat skin swabs from cows on eight Austrian dairy farms found that season and farm management shaped teat skin microbial diversity, while routine cleaning reduced clostridial gene copy numbers by a mean of 83.3 percent.

A new study suggests farmers and homeowners are inadvertently making weeds growing around the perimeter of their fields or lawns stronger.

To limit further climate change, researchers are exploring technologies that can convert atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) into useful products. In collaboration with BOKU University in Vienna (Austria), researchers at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) have demonstrated that electrochemical and microbial processes can be combined to capture CO₂ and produce itaconic acid, a bio-based chemical used in industry. According to the researchers, this new process demonstrates how CO₂ emissions can be converted into sustainable bio-based products, with the potential to produce a wider range of valuable chemicals by using different microorganisms.

Although they account for just 7% of the Earth's land surface, island ecosystems harbor almost 20% of the world's biodiversity. From sea-level rise to biological invasions, islands are facing multiple pressures associated with ongoing global change, and yet they are still overlooked in global biodiversity conservation strategies.

Russian Minister of Agriculture Oksana Lut said Moscow can educate partners by organizing online schools of farmers in line with the terms of reference from a specific country

Syngenta is preparing for California’s upcoming winter produce season while anticipating the potential introduction of new crop protection technology in 2027. During an interview with “The Ag Meter” host Nick ... Read More The post Syngenta Prepares New Crop Protection Technology for California Growers in 2027 appeared first on AgNet West.

On Oct. 7, Wooriga Green Farm, a cherry tomato smart farm in Seobuk District in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, was filled with rows of tomato vines stretching nearly to the greenhouse ceiling. Ripe red tomatoes hung in clusters along both sides of the aisles. They were the last fruits of the summer growing season. The farm’s owner, Woo Min-jae, 32, is considered one of the region’s leading young farmers. He worked for a subcontractor of a major company in the Seoul metropolitan area from 2017 until late 2019, but lost his job when the factory relocated to China. Six years after leaving his job, Woo has transformed himself into a full-fledged farmer, operating a greenhouse operation covering 1,900 square meters. His farm generated 150 million won ($110,000) in revenue last year. Young people like Woo are becoming increasingly scarce in rural areas. According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics, the rural farming population plunged from a little over 3 million in 2010 to just

Sergey Ryabkov noted that Russia had built up key expertise in ensuring food sovereignty

A national survey analysis found that just 7.2 percent of rural South African women small-scale farmers had household internet access, with age, race, marital status and location among the associated factors.

An experimental mRNA–lipid nanoparticle vaccine encoding the H5 hemagglutinin of a bovine H5N1 virus elicited neutralizing antibodies and reduced viral shedding in milk roughly 1,000-fold in a small challenge study of eight lactating dairy cows.

A ten-year Chinese field trial shows biochar and maize stover build soil organic carbon through distinct molecular pathways, with biochar favoring long-term stable storage and stover driving active microbial carbon cycling.

A national survey of 2,161 urban Chinese consumers shows tofu, not novel plant-based meat, drives simulated dietary shifts, with carbon labeling raising plant-protein market share from 8 to 36 percent.

A newly classified Bacillus cereus group species from Maryland forest soil inhibited all eight tested fungal phytopathogens in direct plating assays, yet showed no insecticidal activity against four pest species and no disease protection in apple or coffee leaf tests.

Hackers threatened to install ransomware on user devices, but they never did.

Andrew Glester talks to Graham Farmelo, author of a new authorized biography of Stephen Hawking The post Graham Farmelo: ‘What’s really striking is Stephen Hawking’s colossal determination and stubbornness’ appeared first on Physics World.

A year of field surveys and DNA metabarcoding of beetle gut contents show that Chilocorus kuwanae is a key predator of the tea green leafhopper Empoasca onukii in Chinese tea plantations.

A complete genome sequence from Korean greenhouse soil reveals Cupriavidus sp. PB-02 as a novel species candidate carrying 20 putative PBAT-degradation genes.

To support climate adaptation, we have to first invest in smallholder farmers. The post From climate finance to AI’s impact on smallholders, here’s what to expect at COP31 appeared first on AgFunderNews.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 21 studies reports a pooled Toxoplasma gondii prevalence of 29.0 percent in African poultry, with diagnostic method a significant source of heterogeneity.

A new comment in Discover Food examines how Mexico's 2026 withdrawal of erythrosine authorisation, based on a domestic exposure assessment, reflects a widening global divergence in synthetic food dye regulation and product formulation.

GMO Internet Group has rejected a $1 million ransom demand after hackers claimed to release customer information linked to a breach of its Onamae.com Desktop Cloud service.

A six-year post-fire study in a Chinese subalpine forest found that low- and high-severity fires increased soil organic carbon while moderate-severity fire reduced it.

Transitioning to cage-free egg production requires treating farmers as vital partners, supporting them with technical training, financial solutions, and guaranteed market demand to build economically viable, scalable, and sustainable farming systems.

A new review proposes that engineered nanocarrier surfaces and release kinetics could reprogram root exudation to recruit beneficial rhizosphere microbes.

A 44-year field trial shows farming history, not drought, is the main driver of functional genes in the wheat rhizosphere microbiome.

Loading redox-active manganese onto biochar boosted soil DNRA rates 2.9-fold and cut nitrous oxide emissions in a 22-day paddy soil incubation study.

A 14-year study of 333 Chinese cities finds agricultural insurance significantly increases crop carbon absorption by shifting planting toward staple crops and raising cropping intensity.

A study of more than 123,000 online rice reviews links consumer concerns to corporate quality credit records and finds that transparency, certification and packaging technology are associated with higher review-based market activity.

A new review examines how Streptomyces bacteria could produce polyhydroxyalkanoate bioplastics, highlighting omics insights, bioprocess optimization and the barriers still blocking industrial scale-up.

An enhanced RT-DETR-ResNet18 framework raises detection accuracy for camouflaged soybean pests, reaching 77.4% mAP@0.5 across 12 pest categories.

A systematic review of 23 empirical studies finds that cluster-based farming in Ethiopia offers social, economic, ecological, institutional and political opportunities, but faces constraints ranging from farmer resistance and weak coordination to political instability.

Nigerian researchers optimised L-asparaginase production from two soil microbes, reaching 19,047 U/mL with a fungal isolate.

A study of raw cow milk from four Ethiopian dairy areas found that fat and other physicochemical quality indicators fell as milk moved from farms to consumers.

Researchers have formally described two novel actinobacterial species, one from a German drinking water reservoir and one from Tunisian soil, both rich in biosynthetic gene clusters and one showing broad antimicrobial activity.

A new comprehensive review argues that food additives remain essential for safety and shelf life while chronic exposure to certain synthetic agents raises unresolved health concerns.

Invasive alien brambles have been spreading across South Africa since the early 1900s, having come from North America and Europe. All brambles fall within the genus Rubus. Their common names in South Africa are braam (Afrikaans), ijingijolo (isiZulu) and monoko-metsi (seSotho).

A bibliometric review of palmyra palm sap research finds Indonesia, Thailand and India leading a small literature spanning fermentation, preservation, bioethanol, food safety and experimental solar materials.

A German study of 41 Holstein calves found that with standardized colostrum feeding and near ad libitum milk allowance, artificially reared calves matched dam-reared calves in growth, immunity transfer, and health.

Whole-genome sequencing of 333 Campylobacter jejuni isolates shows that episodic surges of fluoroquinolone resistance in Finnish broilers came from regionally clustered clonal spread, not vertical transmission.

A new global assessment identifies crushed basalt spread on acidic croplands as the most practical form of enhanced weathering, with a theoretical capacity of about 18.84 gigatonnes of CO2.