The Agri-TechE Research Digest features a round-up of key agri-research findings ranging from discovery science, through to applied, translation and field scale trials results.
The search or tags can be used to find subject specific information for example: overcoming resistance, plant science, pest management, pollinators, soils. Also crop specific research such as wheat , peas & beans.
‘Soil health’ is a better criteria for the sustainable management of soil than ‘soil quality’, argues Mark Pawlett of Cranfield University
The genomes for 15 important wheat varieties used in breeding programmes around the world have been sequenced; a landmark discovery for global wheat production. The results from the Wheat 10+ Genomes Project will enable plant scientists and breeders to much more quickly identify influential genes for improved yield, pest resistance and other important crop traits.
To avoid infection with the wrong type of microbes, legume plants need to accurately identify the beneficial symbiotic bacteria that help them to fix nitrogen. A group of scientists have discovered the mechanism that enables legumes to do this, offering a major step towards their goal to engineer nitrogen fixation in cereal crops. Improved nitrogen uptake would reduce the need for artificial fertilisers.
The Victorian-era switch from manure to artificial fertiliser has resulted in damage to the microbial communities that maintain soil structure, according to new work from Rothamsted Research. Andrew Neal, lead researcher of the study, says carbon is crucial for soil health and the microorganisms within it.
Climate impact of grass-fed herds in pastures, that include white clover, are less than previous IPPC estimates, which are based on collated data not direct measurement and underestimate the reduction in microbial activity.
A new study using bumblebees has found that the sweetest nectar is not necessarily the best: too much sugar slows down the bees. The results will inform breeding efforts to make crops more attractive to pollinators, boosting yields to feed our growing global population.
A new method, enabling the genetic alteration of Black-grass to understand how herbicide resistance develops, has been described as ‘game changing’ by the lead scientist, Dr Dana MacGregor of Rothamsted Research.
Climate and viticulture experts have identified nearly 35,000 hectares of prime viticultural land for new and expanding vineyards
PBD Biotech’s new phage test delivers increased sensitivity and specificity when compared to current tests for bovine TB testing, research shows.
The best defence against wheat rust fungi is to grow varieties resistant to infection and now scientists have developed MARPLE, a hand-held DNA sequencing device, that can define the precise strain of the wheat rust fungus in a farmer’s field within just 48 hours of collecting samples.
Researchers from the John Innes Centre with colleagues in Japan have found that unusual protein activity in rice could be explored to give the crops an edge over devastating rice blast disease.
There is greater consensus over Sustainable Intensification practices by farmers than originally thought, offering indicators to policymakers