An invasive Asian fly is taking over European fruit
Coming from the Asian continent, Drosophila suzukii has only been in Spain for a short time. Far away from slipping through into the Iberian Peninsula, it accelerated towards the north of Europe where...
View ArticleBerry growers cautioned about new insect pest
(PhysOrg.com) -- Late last summer, a single fruit fly dropped into a vinegar trap in the Hudson Valley, alerting extension specialists to spotted wing drosophila's (SWD) arrival to New York state. This...
View ArticleBlossom end rot plummets in transgenic tomato
The brown tissue that signals blossom end rot in tomatoes is a major problem for large producers and home gardeners, but a Purdue University researcher has unknowingly had the answer to significantly...
View ArticlePublic strongly supports programs helping farmers adapt to climate change
A survey conducted by Michigan State University reveals strong public support for government programs to assist farmers to adapt to climate change.
View ArticlePear genome provides new insight into breeding improvement and evolutionary...
An international research team led by Nanjing Agricultural University and BGI, has completed the first genomic sequence of pear by an approach using the combination of BAC-by-BAC strategy and next-gen...
View ArticleStudy offers new insights on invasive fly threatening US fruit crops
Humans aren't the only species with a sweet tooth. Research from North Carolina State University shows that the invasive spotted-wing vinegar fly (Drosophila suzukii) also prefers sweet, soft fruit –...
View ArticlePeach genome offers insights into breeding strategies for biofuels crops
Rapidly growing trees like poplars and willows are candidate "biofuel crops" from which it is expected that cellulosic ethanol and higher energy content fuels can be efficiently extracted....
View ArticleEU bans three pesticides harmful to bees
The European Commission said Friday that it will ban for two years beginning in December pesticides blamed for killing the bees that pollinate food and fruit crops.
View ArticleThe basis of a new bioinsecticide is developed to control a pest of banana...
The Chrysodeixis chalcites moth is regarded as one of the most serious pests in horticultural, ornamental and fruit crops. On the Canary Islands they can be responsible for losses of up to 30 percent...
View ArticleFinally, a mug shot for a crop-killing NH pest
They may be a small insect, but some leafhoppers can carry a big punch, devastating crops and causing millions of dollars in damage. But now New Hampshire farmers have a new source to help them...
View ArticleComing soon: Genetically edited fruit?
Recent advances that allow the precise editing of genomes now raise the possibility that fruit and other crops might be genetically improved without the need to introduce foreign genes, according to...
View ArticleThe famous olive trees of Puglia are ravaged by disease – here's how we can...
A common, humble field bug is spreading a disease that has already infected millions of olive trees in Italy. Olive and citrus fruit crops throughout the Mediterranean are threatened, yet there has...
View ArticleString blossom thinner proves effective across stages of bloom development
Blossom or fruitlet thinning is a labor-intensive part of commercial peach and nectarine production. The use of mechanical string blossom thinners has been shown to reduce labor requirements and...
View ArticleAlternatives eyed for methyl bromide
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists trying to help Florida growers find a replacement for methyl bromide are studying an alternative soil treatment that uses molasses as one of its...
View ArticleStudy sheds new light on organic fruit and vegetables
(PhysOrg.com) -- Organic fruit and vegetables contain on average 12 per cent more health-promoting compounds than conventionally grown produce, scientists at Newcastle University have found.
View ArticlePollinators make critical contribution to healthy diets
Fruits and vegetables that provide the highest levels of vitamins and minerals to the human diet globally depend heavily on bees and other pollinating animals, according to a new study published in the...
View ArticleForeign insects, diseases got into US
(AP) -- Dozens of foreign insects and plant diseases slipped undetected into the United States in the years after 9/11, when authorities were so focused on preventing another attack that they...
View ArticleMapping underground water sources for drip irrigation could transform African...
(PhysOrg.com) -- Rural farmers in sub-Saharan Africa live under risky conditions. Many grow low-value cereal crops that depend on a short rainy season, a practice that traps them in poverty and hunger.
View ArticleResearchers use oxygenated phosphine fumigation to control insect pests
A fumigant called phosphine is more effective at controlling insects when it's combined with oxygen, according to findings by a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientist. The oxygen-phosphine...
View ArticlePresence of invasive insect in Senegal confirmed
(Phys.org)—A Virginia Tech-managed research program, the Integrated Pest Management Collaborative Research Support Program, has confirmed the presence of Tuta absoluta in Senegal, the first...
View ArticleGenetically modified food debate muted in generally accepting science community
Food has been genetically modified on the farm for centuries. But now genes are swapped in labs, and the shift is fueling major changes in agriculture - and a political backlash.
View ArticleDoes your salad know what time it is? Managing vegetables' 'internal clocks'...
Does your salad know what time it is? It may be healthier for you if it does, according to new research from Rice University and the University of California at Davis.
View ArticleRobots to revolutionize US farms, ease labor woes (Update)
Researchers are now designing robots for the last frontier of agricultural mechanization—fruits and vegetables destined for the U.S. fresh market, which have resisted mechanization because they're...
View ArticleProtecting our pollinators
Bees, so crucial to our food supply, are dying off at alarming rates. CALS researchers are taking a close look at everything from the microbes in their hives to the landscapes they live in to identify...
View ArticleResearchers study fire ant venom as natural fungicide
Red imported fire ants are named for the firelike burn of their sting. Now, the same venom that packs such a painful wallop may actually do some good for a change.
View ArticlePlant diversity in China vital for global food security
With climate change threatening global food supplies, new research claims the rich flora of China could be crucial to underpin food security in the future. The research was presented at the British...
View ArticleGetting more out of nature: Genetic toolkit finds new maximum for crop yields
Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) today announced a new way to dramatically increase crop yields by improving upon Mother Nature's offerings. A team led by Associate Professor Zachary...
View ArticleStink bugs have strong taste for ripe fruit
The brown marmorated stink bug has a bad reputation. And for good reason: every summer, this pest attacks crops and invades homes, causing both sizable economic losses and a messy, smelly...
View ArticleScientists use wasps to protect local citrus crops from disease
They look like grains of black sand inside a prescription vial. But each speck is a wasp that is lethal to the offspring of the Asian citrus psyllid, an aphid-size bug that spreads the bacteria that...
View ArticleDecades of bat observations reveal uptick in new causes of mass mortality
Reports of bat deaths worldwide due to human causes largely unique to the 21st century are markedly rising, according to a new USGS-led analysis published in Mammal Review.
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