The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA) AgResearch, in partnership with the Enterprise Sensor Systems LLC (EnSenSys) of Alamo, Tennessee, has been awarded a grant through the AI TechX Seed Fund to collaborate on “Rapid Identification of Cattle with Infectious Diseases Using AI and Hyperspectral Imaging.”

Land use change and the increased agrochemical use associated with agricultural intensification significantly alter farmland biodiversity and associated ecosystem services worldwide. Vineyards as ecologically, culturally, and economically important agroecosystems, are particularly vulnerable, facing numerous pests and diseases while only a small proportion adopt sustainable management practices. Nevertheless, under suitable conditions, vineyards can support diverse and abundant predator communities capable of delivering effective natural pest control services. The collaborative study conducted by researchers from the HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research and the University of Milan investigated the role of flying vertebrate predators – birds and bats – in vineyard natural pest control. Their findings, published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, demonstrate that these predators not only help regulate pest populations but also increase economic benefit to farmers.

INRAE and CNRS have conducted a study of 150 grasslands in temperate zones to identify ecological thresholds beyond which changes in biodiversity can lead to the overall dysfunction of these ecosystems. The study analysed plant biodiversity, agricultural practices and climate data over 13 years. The results, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, show that above a fertilisation level of 80 kg of nitrogen per hectare per year, grassland species lose their ability to coexist. This causes an acute decline in the diversity and functioning of these grasslands, making them extremely vulnerable to climate hazards. Understanding these thresholds would enable farmers to adjust their practices to balance grassland use with the preservation of the ecosystem services they provide, while also maintaining ecosystem stability amid climate hazards.