Food supply
Microbial inoculants have been identified as a promising approach to enhance crop resilience in saline soils, offering a cost-effective and eco-friendly solution to the global challenge of soil salinization. Soil salinization, which affects over 3% of the Earth's terrestrial surface, can reduce crop yields by more than 50%
Food supply
Research conducted by Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences highlights the critical role of maize in ensuring food security and promoting sustainable agricultural development, especially in the face of intensifying climate change. The study utilized panel data from 116 prefecture-level cities across nine provinces in China from 2003 to 2019 to
Food supply
Joshua Kosgei, a 62-year-old small-scale farmer from Moiben in Uasin Gishu County, has been forced to rethink his future in cereal farming due to the rising costs of production and unstable market prices. For over 30 years, Kosgei relied on maize and wheat farming as his primary source of income,
Food supply
In a groundbreaking initiative to enhance food security and rural livelihoods, the British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) has launched the Sustainable Development of Maize Micro-Enterprise Farmers Project in Oke-Ako, Ekiti State. The project aims to empower over 100 smallholder farmers with improved inputs, agronomic training, and market access, facilitating
Food supply
Research led by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) has found that certain endophytic bacteria, including Stenotrophomonas, Brevundimonas, and Pseudomonas, from the maize phyllosphere can inhibit the causal agent of Maydis leaf blight (MLB) in maize and exhibit strong plant growth promotion and nutrient
Agriculture
Farmers have been finding innovative ways to address the rising issue of herbicide resistance in weeds, particularly in corn and soybean cultivation. Research from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln suggests that using integrated weed management tools, such as cover crops, can be a cultural approach to reduce herbicide-driven selection pressure. Cover
Agriculture
Biochar produced from the aquatic weed water hyacinth has been found to enhance soil fertility and crop production in Ethiopia, according to a recent study. The research, conducted by a team of scientists at Bahir Dar University, explored the effects of combining water hyacinth biochar with inorganic fertilizers on soil
Agriculture
Researchers at the Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology in Wien, Austria, have made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of agriculture, shedding light on the evolution of root phenotypes in maize domestication over the past 18,000 years. By analyzing ancient DNA, paleobotany, and functional-structural modeling, the team
Food supply
Research conducted at the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca in Romania has found that precision agriculture can significantly improve maize production, particularly in conventional systems. The study evaluated the impact of precision agriculture on the morpho-productive traits and agronomic efficiency of the Turda 201 maize hybrid
Food supply
Researchers at Jilin Agricultural University have discovered that increasing nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in high-yield maize hybrids is crucial for food security and reducing environmental risks. The study, funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China and other institutions, examined the effects of nitrogen fertilizer levels on
Agriculture
Transcription factors are vital regulators of gene expression, and understanding their role in plant stress response is crucial for enhancing crop yields and improving agricultural productivity. Recent research conducted by scientists at the Beijing University of Agriculture has shed light on the function of the nuclear transcription factor ZmCCT in
Agriculture
Researchers from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University have investigated the prevalence of aflatoxin contamination in maize and peanuts in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The study found that commercial varieties of these crops are highly susceptible to Aspergillus flavus infection and aflatoxin contamination, particularly at the pre and postharvest stages.
