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Ecology

10/23/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Organic farming promotes better plant biodiversity

Vineyards are an ancient and valuable means of agriculture in the southern reaches of Europe. Although many have been taking up organic farming in recent years, most continue to manage their crops through the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides. Spanish researchers evaluated how the adoption of organic farming methods could further benefit the agricultural […]

09/30/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Functional recycling: Spent coffee grounds can make soil more fertile

Once you are done with your cup of brewed coffee, what do you do with the used grounds? Do you throw them away as garbage or consign them to the compost heap? Spanish researchers believe that using spent coffee grounds as a means of organic soil amendment will offer many benefits in agriculture and for […]

08/27/2018 / By RJ Jhonson

Conservationists looking at fungi to restore native plant populations

More than five million species of fungi have been identified so far, but only about 300 are known to make people sick. Fungi – both the “good” and the “bad” ones – play a vital role in the ecosystem, something that conservationists from Washington State University Tri-Cities (WSU Tri-Cities) are demonstrating through their research. Tanya […]

08/23/2018 / By Michelle Simmons

Natural pest management: Peach farmers are reducing crop loss to stink bugs by planting grains to lure them away

Scientists from Auburn University in the U.S. found a way to manage pest naturally. They discovered that planting different grain crops attract pests away from the fruit, resulting to lesser crop loss. For the study, the research team analyzed six winter host crops and six summer host crops as possible trap crops or attractant crops for […]

06/05/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Researchers explain why it’s the root, not the stem, that determines the growth of crops

Most growers focus on the parts of the plant that are visible above ground, especially the stem and everything attached to it. But U.K.-based researchers beg to differ from this out-of-sight-out-of-mind mentality. In an article from Science Daily, they reported that the roots of a plant decide its growth and fertility as a crop. The […]

06/04/2018 / By Michelle Simmons

Modern farming has made it more difficult for honeybees to store food, new study concludes

Honeybees are facing an uphill battle when it comes to food storage as a result of modern farming practices, according to a study in the open access journal Ecology and Evolution. The study also suggested that commercial forestry and even our practices in the garden contribute to the challenges that honeybees face in storing food. […]

05/24/2018 / By Michelle Simmons

Establishing the link between soil health and animal growth: Healthier soils make for healthier animals

A study published in the journal Animal found that healthier soils lead to healthier animals. In the study, a team of researchers at Rothamsted Research looked at how efficiently nutrients are used on a livestock farm, on a field-by-field basis for the first time. The research team also linked soil health to animal growth. In […]

05/03/2018 / By David Williams

New soil science study shows how plants release specific metabolites that enrich productivity

It’s well-understood that most plants rely heavily on the condition of the soil on which they are planted, and that the microbes that are present in the soil itself affect the overall health of the plant as it grows. Now a new study performed by scientists from the Department of Energy‘s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory […]

04/30/2018 / By Janine Acero

A more diverse farm land provides better conditions for pest control

Crop diversity was shown to have a positive impact on the natural predators of aphids, which are common crop pests. Farmers can utilize this insight to keep aphids at bay and reduce the need for pesticides. In addition, greater crop diversity in agricultural landscapes is said to be better for pest control because a varied landscape provides better […]

04/10/2018 / By Michelle Simmons

Here’s a good excuse to wait on a chore: It’s good for the bees if you mow the yard less frequently

It’s better for bees if homeowners mow the yard less often, according to a study published in the journal Biological Conservation. The study, funded by the National Science Foundation, indicated that mowing the yard less often improves bee habitat. The researchers conducted the study in order to determine whether different lawn mowing frequencies affected bee […]

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