EurekAlert! News by Subject: Agriculture

Agriculture

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 20-Jun-2026 11:15 ET (20-Jun-2026 15:15 GMT/UTC)

24-Mar-2026

How plants stop growing to survive stress

University of California - Riverside
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A UC Riverside researcher worked years into retirement to uncover the biology behind plants' response to environmental stress. Her dedication could help secure crops - and food - in a more volatile environment.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

24-Mar-2026

Biochar-based nanotechnology cleans toxic herbicide from soil while protecting crops

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study has developed an innovative biochar-based nanomaterial that can rapidly remove harmful herbicides from soil while simultaneously protecting crops from contamination. The research offers a promising solution to one of agriculture’s most persistent challenges: balancing soil remediation with food safety.

Journal: Biochar

24-Mar-2026

From seed to whole plant: An innovative visual marker system to enhance selection efficiency in soybean genome editing

KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers in China developed a novel visual system, the VSES2-4 systems enabled rapid identification of transgenic soybean plants under natural light. Using the VSES4 system, transgenic plants could be distinguished at various developmental stages without compromising genome editing efficiency. The VSES4 system significantly accelerates transgenic line screening and reduces labor-intensive procedures in soybean genome editing.

Journal: Journal of Integrative Agriculture
Funder: Jilin Science and Technology Development Program, China, Jilin Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Project, China, Jilin Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Project, China, Jilin Province Development and Reform Commission

24-Mar-2026

The food commodities driving deforestation globally

Chalmers University of Technology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Maize, rice and cassava drive more deforestation than major export-oriented crops like cocoa, coffee, and rubber. This has been shown by researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, in the most comprehensive global survey of how different commodities are causing deforestation. The study confirms the major impact of meat production, but reveals several overlooked drivers of deforestation.

Journal: Nature Food

24-Mar-2026

Use of controversial weedkiller inadvertently selects for drug-resistant bacteria that can spread to hospitals

Frontiers
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In October 2025, the WHO again sounded the alarm on the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria in hospitals around the world. Researchers have now found evidence that the use of weedkillers, in particular glyphosate, can drive the evolution of antimicrobial resistance in soil bacteria as a side-effect of developing resistance to the weedkiller itself. They hypothesized that resistant bacteria can be transmitted between hospitals and impacted soils in both directions through wastewater and other environmental pathways.

Journal: Frontiers in Microbiology

23-Mar-2026

Advances in optical biosensors for pesticide detection

Research
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The research team of Xu Yan and Hongxia Li from Jilin University systematically reviewed the fundamental theories and latest breakthroughs in optical biosensors for pesticide detection. Their work offers new ideas for tackling pesticide residue monitoring challenges. This review thoroughly covers key optical sensing techniques, including fluorescence (FL), colorimetry (CL), surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and chemiluminescence. It also examines the working mechanisms of various molecular recognition elements, such as enzymes, antibodies, aptamers, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), and supramolecular host–guest complexes.

Journal: Research
Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Natural Science Foundation of Jilin Province

23-Mar-2026

Why plants fail in dry soil

ETH Zurich
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Plants must extract water from the soil through their roots – overcoming the resistance of the capillary forces that retain the water in the soil.

Model calculations indicate these capillary forces rise very rapidly once the soil pores start to dry out. A plant’s suction capacity fails when the pores in the soil are nearly empty.

These results explain why efforts to develop drought-resistant plants have so far failed.

Journal: Science

22-Mar-2026

Single-cell imaging and machine learning reveal hidden coordination in algae’s response to light stress

INsociety
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers from several Parisian institutions worked together to develop a non-destructive approach to study how unicellular organisms respond to stress, focusing on cell-to-cell differences.

Journal: New Phytologist
Funder: HORIZON EUROPE European Innovation Council

21-Mar-2026

Ammonia from pig farms fuels hidden nitrous oxide emissions through microbial nitrification

Maximum Academic Press
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A research team has revealed an overlooked climate feedback near intensive livestock farms: ammonia (NH₃) from pig production can significantly increase soil nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions.