Agriculture

Trees such as maples have "fruits" known as samaras, which consist of a seed joined to a papery wing. Scientists have now created artificial samaras, which could be used to quickly and easily monitor soil temperature from the air.

Chemical fertilizers aren't the most eco-friendly of substances, which is why some farmers are exploring the use of beneficial bacteria as an alternative. A new coating technology could make such microbes more widely available than ever before.

Great news for 80 million (and growing) green thumbs across the country: The USDA has finally released an updated Plant Hardiness Zone Map, its first in 11 years. It highlights both tech advancements and how a warming planet is impacting our gardens.

The Gyr cattle farmed in Tanzania handle the African heat well, but they produce much less milk than less-tolerant Holstein or Jersey cows. Scientists have set about addressing that problem, by creating hybrid cattle that combine both attributes.

Blueberries and other fruits are quite prone to fungi such as gray mold, whereas sunflowers are resistant to them. With that fact in mind, scientists have now used an extract from waste sunflower stems to keep such fruits from molding.

Each day we’re learning of new, devastating impacts of climate change, and what's now brewing has researchers sounding the alarm on the future of European beer, thanks to a steady decline in the quality and quantity of high-quality hops from the region.

The spotted-wing drosophila is a type of fruit fly that can destroy berry crops if not killed by insecticides. According to a new study, the smell of a crop-damaging fungus could provide an eco-friendly alternative to such toxic chemicals.

Plant parasitic nematodes are microscopic soil-dwelling creatures that damage crops by feeding on their roots. Scientists have now developed a greener and more efficient means of eradicating them, using a modified plant virus.

Hog barns typically aren't the nicest places to be at the best of times, but try living in one during a heat wave. Scientists at Indiana's Purdue University have developed a self-activating hog-cooling pad for just such situations.

Although the gel of the aloe vera plant is used to treat sunburn, moisturize skin and boost gut health, its peels are usually discarded. New research now suggests that those peels could also be used, to make non-toxic insecticide for use by farmers.

Farmers have long known that it's a good idea to rotate crops. A Swiss study now indicates that wheat yields are boosted when those crops are planted in fields previously used to grow maize, which altered the soil's microbiome.

Move over, cow burps. A team of scientists has shifted gears from the front to the back end of these methane-production powerhouses, using algae to curb gas emanating from their poop. It's a crap gig, but nature's best methane inhibitor is on the job.