agriculture

Earth’s Atmosphere Faces ‘Thirstwaves,’ Scientists Warn

Earth’s Atmosphere Faces ‘Thirstwaves,’ Scientists Warn

Scientists have coined the term “thirstwaves” to describe extended periods of atmospheric thirst when the Earth’s atmosphere more readily takes up moisture from the planet’s surface. This new term differs from droughts or heatwaves. During thirstwaves, the Earth’s atmosphere could take more water from soil and plants, prompting concerns over how these periods could affect […]

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    U.S. Honeybee Deaths Reach Record High: Survey

    U.S. Honeybee Deaths Reach Record High: Survey

    Honeybee deaths in the United States have surged to record highs, with commercial beekeepers reporting having lost an average of 62 percent of their colonies over the winter, according to an ongoing survey by nonprofit Project Apis m. Data for the survey was collected from 702 respondents who are responsible for roughly 1.84 million colonies […]

    UK to Cut Pesticide Use on Farms 10% by 2030

    UK to Cut Pesticide Use on Farms 10% by 2030

    The UK government has announced plans to reduce pesticide use on farms 10% by 2030. The target is the first pesticide national action plan (NAP) from the government in a decade and is meant to help reduce harm to pollinators and improve agricultural productivity via more sustainable methods. The new action plan follows the ban […]

    Climate Change Threatens Earth’s Major Crops, Study Finds

    Climate Change Threatens Earth’s Major Crops, Study Finds

    With global average temperatures expected to continue to rise in the coming decades, scientists have projected that warming will significantly harm global agriculture as it weakens crop yields and disrupts food production. Now, new research finds that warming will disrupt many of Earth’s major crops and harm global crop diversity. The study, conducted by researchers […]

    New Low-Cost Beehive Sensors Could Help Save Honeybee Colonies

    New Low-Cost Beehive Sensors Could Help Save Honeybee Colonies

    Increased pesticide use, habitat loss and climate change have been contributing to a decades-long decline in global honeybee numbers. Now, a computer science team from University of California, Riverside (UCR), has come up with an innovative way to help. They developed a sensor-based technology with the potential to revolutionize commercial beekeeping, reduce colony losses and […]

    Gap Between Water Supply and Demand to Widen as Climate Warms: Study

    Gap Between Water Supply and Demand to Widen as Climate Warms: Study

    Stronger water management efforts will be essential to overcoming the gap between supply and demand as the planet continues to warm, according to a new analysis by Lorenzo Rosa, principal investigator at Carnegie Science, and Matteo Sangiorgio, a researcher at the Polytechnic University of Milan. For the study, the pair of researchers quantified issues of […]