Entries by Tracy Mumma

University of Idaho Opens Western Rural Development Center

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The University of Idaho announced that it will operate the Western Rural Development Center (WRDC), tasked with organizing research-based studies and educational outreach programs to address problems facing rural communities. The Center is one of four nationally, funded by the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) to “link science-based research and educational outreach […]

North Carolina Berry Grower Finds Method for Growing Raspberries Successfully

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North Carolina berry grower Cal Lewis has succeeded in growing raspberries on the Carolina coast with the long cane method, reports North Carolina State University. Although the climate is ordinarily too warm to produce raspberries on a commercial scale, Lewis and NC State researchers tried production with primocanes grown in containers in a cooler climate. […]

Guidebook Helps Solar Developers Integrate Pollinator Health

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The Honey Bee Health Coalition released a new guidebook, Guidelines for Developing Pollinator-Friendly Utility-Scale Solar Projects, that’s available free online. This comprehensive guide is designed to help solar developers and project stakeholders integrate pollinator health and habitat benefits into the design and management of utility-scale solar (USS) projects. The guide aims to support the creation […]

Carl Linnaeus’ Study of Livestock Forage Preferences Analyzed

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Scientists have analyzed data from a study conducted by Carl Linnaeus 275 years ago to determine livestock preferences for different varieties of plants. Linnaeus conducted tests with 643 different plant species and several different species of livestock, but the results were never analyzed. Now, researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden have compiled and analyzed the […]

Research Project Focuses on Biodegradable Polymer Film Development

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A team of scientists has begun a project to develop composite nutrient-containing degradable polymers for mulch films. Researchers from Lehigh University; the University of Massachusetts Lowell; USDA Agricultural Research Service in Maricopa, Arizona; and Ben Gurion University in Israel received funding from USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture for a multi-year project. “Our work […]

Agroforestry Demonstration Farm Network Launching in Wisconsin

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The Savanna Institute and the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Wisconsin are launching an Agroforestry Demonstration Farm Network. The organizers announced plans for field days and community-building events at farms across the state, starting next summer. There will also be opportunities for farms to host on-farm research and connect with experts in the industry. The […]

Consumer Survey Shows Public Unfamiliar with Regenerative Agriculture

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Purdue University’s Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability found in the August 2024 Consumer Food Insights Report that the public largely lacks familiarity with regenerative agriculture. The survey of 1,200 consumers across the United States shows that around 43% of survey respondents said they were “not at all familiar” with the term “regenerative agriculture,” […]

Spanish Researchers Calculating Soil Footprint of Crops

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Researchers at the University of Córdoba in Spain are proposing a method to calculate, compare and communicate how different crops affect the loss of agricultural soil. While concepts like the carbon footprint or water footprint of different crops are well understood, the soil-erosion effects that particular crops have are less recognized. These scientists developed the […]

How Human and Ecosystem Health Intertwine

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By NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Nina Prater Sometimes cause and effect are easy to understand. Habitat destruction, for example, obviously leads to a decline for those creatures that depend on that habitat. Less milkweed means fewer monarch butterflies. Cause, effect. But sometimes the cause and effect are not immediately apparent. Take this example outlined in […]

New Tool Identifies Optimal Photovoltaic Materials for Agrisolar Performance

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Scientists from Swansea University in the United Kingdom have developed a new tool to help identify optimal photovoltaic (PV) materials capable of maximizing crop growth while generating solar power in agrivoltaic installations. The team has developed an innovative freeware tool that predicts the light transmission, absorption, and power generation of different PV materials in nearly […]