A new study explores the deep, multi-faceted concerns of small- and mid-scale farmers about the direction of farming and food systems in the United States.
agriculture
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Serendipity in Space: NASA’s Eye in the Sky
The Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) mission, proposed for early termination, has turned out to be a boon to forest and agricultural management.
Posted inNews
Microplastics Have Widely Varying Effects on Soil
A new study finds that a microplastic concentration of just 0.4% alters the drainage of soil, which could affect the growth of crops and other plants.
Posted inNews
How Might Leftover Corn Stalks Halt Fugitive Carbon?
Bio-oil made from plant waste could help limit carbon emissions from orphaned oil and gas wells. But would it help or hinder farmers’ bottom line?
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Smallholder Farmers Face Risks in China’s Push for Modern Agriculture
A study of a circular agriculture project in China shows both the promise and the political challenges for smallholder farmers’ autonomy and fair representation.
Posted inOpinions
Protein-Powered Biosensors with a Nose for Environmental Ills
Odorant-binding proteins derived from pigs, bovines, and other animals are the next frontier in localized, climate-smart sensing of pesticide spills, greenhouse gas precursors, and more.
Posted inNews
Nitrogen Needs Could Be Limiting Nature’s Carbon Capacity
A new study suggests that past calculations of biological nitrogen fixation were overestimated by up to 66%—and that farms growing nitrogen-fixing crops may be filling in the gaps, for better or worse.
Posted inNews
El queso en tiempos de la agricultura industrial y el cambio climático
Los pastizales y la dieta de las vacas están cambiando a medida que se calienta el clima, pero un experimento agrícola en Francia revela la importancia de proporcionar pastos a las vacas.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Tracking the Sinking Ground from Coal Seam Gas Extraction
A new model shows how coal seam gas extraction causes land to sink by linking groundwater loss and coal shrinkage, helping predict impacts on farming in gas-producing areas.