Researchers found that grazing crop residue could actually improve certain soil properties and that compaction concerns were overblown.

Grazing no compaction disaster

Nebraska researchers say grazing even at excess rates isn't a major contributor to soil compaction

It makes sense that a 1,200-pound cow would place quite a lot of pressure on the ground on which it walks. But a new study shows that even these heavy animals can’t do much to compact common soils — if they’re grazed responsibly. Those are the results of a 16-year-long study, established in 1997 by

This flowering plant, Arabidopsis thalania or Thale cress, defends against invaders by recognizing and attacking foreign RNAs that it distinguishes by its lack of tail.

Plants can tell friend from foe

It’s no tall tale — this plant senses the lack of a tail on hostile RNA and attacks

University of Tokyo researchers are telling what might seem a tall tale — or should that be tail? They’ve published a study in the journal Nature Plants which says plants can tell if they’re being attacked by detecting whether or not the RNA in question has a threaded bead-like structure at the end. This ‘tail’


Frozen cropland may be a larger source of nitrous oxide emissions than previously understood.

Frozen soils might be major emitter

A University of Manitoba study has discovered 
the previously overlooked emissions

A new study suggests global greenhouse emission calculations have overlooked an important aspect of the agricultural sector. Emissions, especially of the key gas nitrous oxide, may in fact be about 17 to 28 per cent greater for cultivated soils frozen in winter than currently thought. Mario Tenuta, professor in applied soil ecology at the University

Researchers think there’s potential potatoes could be grown on Mars.

Extraterrestrial potato production studied

Researchers from Peru’s potato centres and NASA are trying to 
grow spuds in conditions that mimic Mars

In a move that mirrors the Matt Damon blockbuster “The Martian,” researchers are trying to prove potatoes can grow on Mars. The International Potato Center (CIP) recently launched a series of experiments to discover if potatoes can grow under Mars atmospheric conditions. CIP’s proof of concept experiment to grow potatoes in simulated Martian conditions began


Quinoa, seen growing wild here in Peru at an altitude of 3,800 metres, is an example of one crop that could be better domesticated with modern technology.

Planned mutations can increase crop options

The most common food crops benefited from natural mutations and modern technology could aid this process

There are more than 300,000 plant species in existence, but just three — rice, wheat and corn — account for almost all of the plant matter consumed by humans. In no small part that’s because natural mutations arose making these crops the easiest to harvest. But with gene editing technology like CRISPR, researchers suggest we

Farmers will have to produce more food to feed a growing population, but maybe not as much more as many think.

Food demand predictions could be inaccurate

Lots of people say food demand will double by 2050 — but some researchers say the numbers don’t add up

The widely held view that food production needs to double by 2050 to feed a growing world population may be inaccurate. In a study published in the journal Bioscience, researchers from Penn State’s agriculture college have challenged that view, saying the required increase may be as high as 70 per cent — or as low


Rice flour may be contributing to higher levels of toxic metals 
in gluten-free diets.

Gluten-free diet may increase risk of toxic metal exposure

A new study finds wheat substitutes can bioaccumulate things 
like arsenic and mercury

Turns out those gluten-free eaters may be chowing down some unintended consequences. A new study from the University of Illinois has found consuming a gluten-free diet may increase exposure to arsenic and mercury — toxic metals that can lead to cardiovascular disease, cancer and neurological effects, according to a report in the journal Epidemiology. Gluten-free

There appears to be no problem with milk from cows on extended lactation when it comes to cheese making.

Extended lactation could make better cheese

Danish researchers show that despite fears the practice could harm milk quality it may actually be better

Extending dairy cow lactation periods by up to six months not only can lower the environmental impact of the industry — it just might make better cheese too. That’s according to some recent research by Danish scientists who decided to put long-standing concerns over the practice to an empirical test. They found an expected decrease


Researchers in China say cattle with TB resistance are now a reality.

TB-resistant cattle are a reality

A new technique has produced live animals with 
increased resistance to this dangerous disease

Researchers say they’ve found a high-tech way to produce cattle with genetic resistance to bovine tuberculosis. Writing in the open-access journal Genome Biology, Chinese researchers from the Northwest A&F University in Shaanxi, China say CRISPR gene-editing technology allowed the breakthrough. Read more: TB in the spotlight again with Alberta outbreak Dr. Yong Zhang, lead author

Szilvia Yuja, a research specialist at the Carrington Research Extension Center, applies wet distillers grains as part of a study on the use of distillers grains as a source of fertilizer.

NDSU scientists study distillers grains as fertilizer

Wet distillers grains and condensed distillers solubles 
increased corn and spring wheat yields

Distillers grains could be a source of fertilizer for some crops, according to research at North Dakota State University’s Carrington Research Extension Center. Wet distillers grains and condensed distillers solubles (sometimes referred to as “syrup”) are organic byproducts of ethanol production from corn. Scientists at the Carrington centre have been testing whether wet distillers grains