News by Subject Agriculture

Pathogenic bacteria that stubbornly lurk in some apple-packing facilities may be sheltered and protected by harmless bacteria that are known for their ability to form biofilms, according to Penn State researchers, who suggest the discovery could lead to development of alternative foodborne-pathogen-control strategies.

New research from the University of Warwick has pioneered an economic perspective on controlling livestock diseases. Focusing on Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), bovine TB (bTB) and bluetongue virus (BTV), the researchers draw striking conclusions about the role of movement bans in controlling an outbreak.

A Nature Communications paper by Worcester Polytechnic Institute biologist Jagan Srinivasan has shown that a key biological component in the communication system of the nematode C. Elegans can be repurposed to take on a different job,. This critical finding about the workings of evolution could one day affect research into drug interactions, agricultural bio-engineering, and a better understanding of genetic inheritance through multiple generations.

New research by Clemson University scientists Shari Rodriguez and Christie Sampson in the open-access journal PLOS Biology, examines the effects non-carnivorous species such as feral hogs and elephants can have on humans and livestock and the potential consequences of excluding these animals from research focused on mitigating wildlife impacts on livestock.

One quarter of the world's tropical land could disappear by the end of the century unless meat and dairy consumption falls, researchers have warned.

The greater frequency of droughts, combined with underlying economic, social, and environmental risks means that dry spells have an increasingly destructive impact on vulnerable populations, and particularly on children in the developing world. In a new study by researchers from IIASA and the USA, the team set out to map at-risk populations at the global scale.