Virtual reality is entering the agricultural science classroom, and University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture researchers are helping teachers incorporate and create their own virtual reality resources.

With a $500,000 grant from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, a faculty team in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications is building on their findings from a previously funded USDA grant project aimed to further develop efforts to train secondary school teachers and bring virtual reality (VR) to the classroom through the Agriscience Metaverse Academy.

As climate change increases the frequency of drought, excessive rainfall, and other extreme weather events, farmers face growing uncertainty about crop production. Understanding how farmers perceive and respond to that uncertainty can help improve agricultural policy and climate adaptation strategies. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Michigan State University examines farmer risk preferences when dealing with climate impacts.

In a study published in Science, researchers used silver nanoparticles to assemble a theorized, but never-before observed crystal metallic structure.

Weak electromagnetic fields show an unexpectedly long-lasting effect on migratory behaviour, according to a recent study by an international research team published in the journal Science. The researchers led by Dr Oliver Lindecke of the University of Oldenburg, Germany, report that broadband radio-frequency fields, ranging from long- to ultra-high-frequency bands, disrupt the orientation of soprano pipistrelle bats.

A new invention from a team that includes a University of Maryland engineer halts the copper degradation cycle that turns statues, roofs, and even nickels green. The researchers have developed a liquid reactive ink that can print copper onto nearly any surface without oxidation or corrosion.