Farming

The spraying of orchards and vineyards certainly isn't an eco-friendly process, with tractors spewing exhaust as they douse crops in herbicides and pesticides. That's one of the main reasons the electric, autonomous Prospr robot was created.

For the first time, researchers found that chickens fluff their facial feathers and blush in response to varied stimulation, likely as a way to reveal their inner emotional states. The link could help improve our stewardship of the birds.

The fertilizer used on around half of the food we consume is now one of the biggest drivers of human-made greenhouse gas emissions, with China, India, the US, Brazil and Russia the biggest polluters, according to a new global nitrous oxide report.

Canadian researchers have embarked on a mission to produce year-round berry crops pretty much anywhere. The Agrotunnel vertical farm provides optimum growing conditions monitored by AI, and meets electricity needs with proprietary solar panels.

It's super-sustainable, easily made and nutrient-dense. And it puts all other food production to shame. Now, the first air-protein factory is open. It's the food of the future, and soon a $100 million industry – but will you be putting it on your plate?

This indoor vegetable-growing machine uses artificial intelligence, cameras, climate control and a smartphone app to deliver a constant supply of fresh herbs and vegetables using minimal time, energy and effort.

Upending existing theories, there was no peaceful transition of power from hunter-gathers to the first farmers. New DNA analysis reveals that instead it was a deadly takeover – one that completely wiped out the hunter-gathers within a few generations.

There's been a takeover of North America's soil by scores of non-native earthworm species this past century. It's time we pay more attention to the invaders and their potentially major impact on the continent's ecosystem, says a new Stanford study.

Herbicides were once touted as ‘miracle’ chemicals, but their days may be numbered as researchers work on targeted SynComs, microbial sharp-shooters that can take out weed infestations, enrich soil and, importantly, are safe for us and the environment.

With an eye toward creating food for people with certain health conditions, scientists in Italy grew radish, pea, arugula, and Swiss chard plants, precisely controlling certain nutrients. And they did it without any soil.

Chinese scientists have developed a cost-effective method of converting coal into protein, which they say could feed livestock much more efficiently than natural plants, while using a tiny fraction of the land.

With nearly half the world's soil degraded, growing enough food to feed a global population is getting increasingly difficult and costly. Scientists believe they've got one solution, and it's already all around us: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.