Can We Turn Sewer Sludge into Something Valuable?
Sewage sludge doesn’t have much value as fertilizer. Could extracting the valuable elements put it to better use?
Science
Revisiting Acute and Chronic Toxicity Assessments
Alison Bernstein responds with clarification to misuse of her seminal essay on acute and chronic-toxicity assessments.
Can We Improve Carbon Sequestration in Plants?
And here …The planet’s plants pull CO2 out of the atmosphere and store it in their leaves, stems and roots. Some of that carbon makes its way into the soil, and some of that soil carbon is ultimately mothballed for millennia.
These days, though, “we as humans are putting up so much CO2 that the Earth is not able to compensate,” says Wolfgang Busch, a plant biologist with the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California. Busch is working on a new project: to design plants that can suck even more CO2 out of the atmosphere and lock it away for centuries.
Years of Eavesdropping on Insect Sex Talk is Starting to Pay Off for Grape Growers
Vineyards across the U.S. and Italy are being devastated by incurable diseases caused by bacteria hitching a ride on leafhoppers — a diverse group of plant-piercing insects closely related to cicadas. Now, thanks to some innovative research, scientists are using a technique called vibrational mating disruption to interrupt male-leafhopper courtship songs, preventing them from finding mates and slowing population growth.
What You Should Know About Antibiotics Use in Livestock Production
Alison Van Eenennaam, an extension specialist at UC Davis working in beef genomics surveys the data and evidence relating to concerns about the use of medically important antibiotics in livestock production.
When Genetic Engineering is the Environmentally Friendly Choice
Three examples of genetic engineering of crops show that extremely modest engineered changes in plant genetics can result in very important benefits. These three examples involve engineered changes that trigger the natural defenses of the plant without introducing novel defense mechanisms.
3. There Is Not Enough Manure (or Compost) to Sustain Agriculture
Agronomist Andrew McGuire explains why there is not enough manure or compost available – and can never be enough – to replenish soil fertility at a systems level. Studies that show improved outcomes on single farms are not measuring improvement at a systems level.
2. Can Manure Sustain Soils?
Returning manure to the soil that produced it can be a sustainable way of restoring soil organic matter. Too often the organic matter of many farms is pushed through the bottleneck of intensive livestock production to be applied just a few farms. Robbing Peter to pay Paul.
1. How Much Nitrogen and Phosphorus Can Manure Supply?
Can we produce enough manure to serve as a major source of soil nutrients? Agronomist Andrew McGuire shows the limitations due to entropy make it impossible for manure to make up more than a portion of nutrient replenishment.
New Year’s Resolution: Read More Press Releases
Looking for a New Year’s resolution that won’t trigger any guilt when you fail? Take a little time and read up on the latest research in plant breeding every now and then.
10 Conspiracy Theories About RoundUp in a Single Documentary
A recent documentary on RoundUp on Norwegian state television went dumpster diving for some of the most discredited ideas about the popular herbicide.
Plant Scientists Must Play a Role in Climate Smart Agriculture
Kevin Folta of the University of Florida explains why molecular biologists and plant breeders must play a role in Climate Smart Agriculture.
Nitrogen Efficient Crops: Can We Grow More and Cut Emissions?
Breeding nitrogen-efficient plants could boost crop productivity and dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions while reducing fertilizer use.
Berkeley 45 Duck Opportunities to Engage with Science, Defend Their Claims
Professor Kevin Folta challenges the Berkeley 45 to publicly engage on their claims that the documentary Food Evolution is a propaganda film. They refused.
Why the Documentary “Food Evolution” Speaks to Science Moms
The Science Moms wade into the controversy over “ Food Evolution ” a new documentary about GMOs that anti-GMO activists are calling propaganda.
New Study Finds Neonicotinoids May Have Harmful, Beneficial, or No Effects on Bee Health
Reporting on two new papers on neocotinoids and bee health single out the pesticides, but a closer look at the data doesn’t support that angle.
Just Say No to “GMO”
Kevin Folta explains why it’s important to use the scientifically accurate term “genetically engineered” to refer to biotech crops and animals rather than the sloppy and baggage laden “GMO”.
The Dutch Weed Burger . . . Seaweed, that is.
Five years ago, Kulsom and his colleague Lisette Kreischer founded a company called The Dutch Weed Burger after they shot a documentary about the role of seaweed as a future source of protein. Kulsom says the company’s mission is “to work on the acceptance of seaweed becoming a part of the new paradigm.”
Enter their first product: the weed burger.
At first, a seaweed burger seems like an unusual choice, but it begins to make sense after a while.
Can We Save the Algae Biofuel Industry?
In the last decade or so, vast amounts of money have been invested in the development of algae for biofuel production. This made sense because, ten years ago, there was a need to find alternatives to fossil fuels due to the high oil price and the increasing recognition that carbon emissions were causing climate change. Algal biofuels were touted as the answer to these twin problems, and huge investment followed.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go quite to plan.
Does Industry Funding for Research Poison the Well?
When a research team included an industry partner, our participants were generally less likely to think the scientists would consider a full range of evidence and listen to different voices. An industry partner also reduced how much participants believed any resulting data would provide meaningful guidance for making decisions.