How Can Pesticides Affect the Development of Aquatic Life?

Agriculture uses pesticides to maintain continuous food production. But what is the effect of these chemicals on aquatic animals? With this in mind, researchers from Brazil collaborated to study the effect of one of the most used pesticides in the country on zebrafish.

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A Tale of Two Fungi: Wheat Rust and Its Parasite

Wheat is crucial to the global food supply. However, pathogenic fungi, such as rusts, can destroy wheat crops by depleting nutrients. In order to reduce damage caused by rusts, biological control measures are under investigation. Here, we see evidence that another fungus can actually prey on the rust fungus, reducing the rust’s ability to cause disease in wheat.

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Bridging the gap: Earthworms bring scientists and farmers together to improve soil health

Scientists and farmers have more in common than many people realize, including a desire to improve the health of our soils. By partnering together to study earthworms in farm fields, scientists and farmers are discovering how different agricultural practices impact soil health. Read on to learn more about how earthworms help bridge the gap between scientific research, farm management, and soil health!

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The secret’s in the soil: Can soil organic matter protect crops from drought?

Global climate change means that droughts are becoming more frequent and intense in many agricultural areas. Recent evidence suggests that the secret to protecting crops against drought may lie beneath our feet – read on to learn more about how farmers can manage their soil as a way to help protect their crops against droughts!

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Flying on the Edge – Bees use linear features to navigate

Ever noticed how straight roads or the edges of crop fields are? Humans love turning naturally curvy land into straight lines. While land modification poses significant threats to many animals, some can take advantage of these changes. A new study found that bumble bees exploit human-made lines and edges to navigate to food sources. Taking the path most traveled may make all the difference for these bees.

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