Researchers at the University of Missouri have found a mix of drones and AI can help farmers measure the health of their corn more efficiently.

In a landmark $2 million initiative, the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) and biotechnology company Meiogenix have launched a collaboration to develop drought- and disease-resistant tomatoes by tapping the genetic power of wild species. The project, funded through a generous Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) Seeding Solutions grant, seeks to ensure a stable tomato supply by leveraging cutting-edge genomics and breeding technologies to address the global threats of environmental stress and pathogens.

Communities supporting America's meat industry have worse air quality and more vulnerable populations compared with similar communities without feedlots, according to new research from the University of Michigan.

Tile drainage is a common practice used in agricultural fields to remove excess water, but it also transports harmful nutrients into water bodies, contributing to algal blooms that deprive aquatic life of oxygen. Woodchip bioreactors are an efficient way to reduce nitrogen pollution by treating the water as it exits the field. However, these denitrifying bioreactors may leach phosphorus from the woodchips into the environment. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign evaluates data from 10 bioreactors in Illinois to determine whether they are a source of phosphorus pollution.

Organic matter helps soil lock in moisture, but exact mechanism was previously unclear. Scientists studied the process by mixing minerals with three types of sugar. Carbohydrates strengthened binding energy of water by five times. Findings could lead to drought-resistant soils or explain how water might persist on other planets.