Exploiting a genetic quirk in potatoes may cut fertilizer needs
Science News was founded in 1921 as an independent, nonprofit source of accurate information on the latest news of science, medicine and technology. Today, our mission remains the same: to empower people to evaluate the news and the world around them. It is published by the Society for Science, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) membership organization dedicated…
The US port strike isn’t just hitting imports. America’s farmers could...
The US port strike on the East and Gulf Coasts could threaten farm exports amid harvest season.The National Grain and Feed Association warned of supply chain disruptions and lower farmgate prices.President Joe Biden urged fair negotiations, highlighting the economic risks and worker wage concerns. Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized…
Trump is threatening tariffs on yet another business — and economists...
Donald Trump has lodged a hefty threat against John Deere: move manufacturing to Mexico, and your imported products will face a 200% tariff.Now, trade economists say Trump's latest trade threat makes no sense.On Monday, the former president said at an agricultural policy roundtable in Smithton, Pennsylvania, that he would impose the massive tariff if John…
‘Smart lighting’ might make vertical farming more affordable
Extreme Climate Survey Science News is collecting reader questions about how to navigate our planet's changing climate. What do you want to know about extreme heat and how it can lead to extreme weather events? This “smart lighting” could potentially cut vertical farms’ electricity costs by up to 12 percent, says Leo Marcelis, a horticulturist…
Solasta Bio, a Scottish startup replacing insecticides with greener alternatives, raised...
Solasta Bio, an agriculture tech startup based in Glasgow, has raised $14 million in Series A funding.Founded by former professors, Solasta specializes in green insecticides for managing crop damage. The startup synthesizes peptides — short chains of amino acids that make up proteins — to create specialized insect control agents.Based on years of research, Solasta…
Can scientists make fruits and veggies resilient to climate change?
In 2023, a new type of apple made its commercial debut at a trade show in Berlin. The Tutti is crisp, juicy and has that perfect blush tinge — a lovely cultivar that took decades to produce. But it has a bigger claim to fame: It is designed to thrive at temperatures as high as…
Florida’s ban on lab-grown meat challenged as unconstitutional
Upside Foods Florida’s ban on cultivated meat is being challenged in federal court in a lawsuit that was filed yesterday. The case is being brought by the cultivated meat firm Upside Foods and the Institute of Justice (IJ), a nonprofit public interest law firm. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the legislation making the sale of…
50 years ago, scientists ID’d a threat to California wine country
Science News was founded in 1921 as an independent, nonprofit source of accurate information on the latest news of science, medicine and technology. Today, our mission remains the same: to empower people to evaluate the news and the world around them. It is published by the Society for Science, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) membership organization dedicated…
Nitrogen-using bacteria can cut farms’ greenhouse gas emissions
Fritz Haber: good guy or bad guy? He won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1918 for his part in developing the Haber-Bosch process, a method for generating ammonia using the nitrogen gas in air. The technique freed agriculture from the constraint of needing to source guano or manure for nitrogen fertilizer and is widely…
Chocolate made with fewer calories, less waste
Commercialization has not dealt kindly with the Mayan Food of the Gods. Modern chocolate products are filled with sugar and calories, contributing to the obesity epidemic in the West. And the cocoa crop is hardly in great shape; climate change is decreasing production, causing prices to rise; farmers in West Africa have responded by clear-cutting…
