Hacker News with Generative AI: Agriculture

Scientists discover new way to convert corn waste to low-cost sugar for biofuel (news.wsu.edu)
RICHLAND, Wash. — Scientists at Washington State University have found a new way to produce sugar from corn stalks and other crop waste, potentially opening a new pathway to sustainable biofuels.

Science, Biofuels, Agriculture, Sustainability

37 points by gnabgib 3 days ago | 16 comments

Catastrophic fires and soil degradation: possible link with Neolithic revolution (springer.com)
The Levant is one of the main centers of domestication of wild plants for human use during the early Holocene Neolithic revolution, evidencing the first transition to agriculture (Wood 2011).

Agriculture, Climate Change, History, Archeology, Environment

14 points by Hooke 5 days ago | 0 comments

Deadly Screwworm Parasite's Comeback Threatens Texas Cattle, US Beef Supply (bloomberg.com)
After being eradicated in the US in the 1980s, the screwworm could be back as soon as this summer.

Agriculture, Texas, Pests, Biology, Livestock

128 points by nkurz 6 days ago | 179 comments

The US has approved CRISPR pigs for food (technologyreview.com)
Pigs whose DNA makes them resistant to a virus could be the first big consumer product using gene editing.

Gene Editing, Food Technology, Agriculture, Biotechnology

142 points by DocFeind 6 days ago | 160 comments

Art of the Hedgerow (engelsbergideas.com)
It is often quoted that, since 1945, 50 per cent of English hedgerows have ‘disappeared’ from the landscape.

Environment, England, History, Agriculture

7 points by royalroad 10 days ago | 1 comments

One-sixth of the planet's cropland has toxic levels of one or more metals (elpais.com)
The first 30 centimeters of soil are the foundation of life. This foot-deep slice of the pedosphere is the vital space for most plant roots. When roots go deeper, it’s to anchor the plant, not to nourish it. Within this narrow band, bacteria, fungi, nematodes, and countless other microscopic organisms form the so-called biological crust, which in turn supports the larger life forms above.

Environment, Agriculture, Soil Science, Pollution, Sustainability

91 points by PaulHoule 10 days ago | 51 comments

There Is One Clear Winner in the Corn vs. Solar Battle (cleantechnica.com)
“Solar energy is often framed as a threat to croplands. However, vast croplands in the Midwestern United States already support corn ethanol biofuel, a form of energy with a greater land-use footprint per unit energy (~30×) and potential environmental impact (e.g., excessive fertilizer application) than solar energy. We envisioned sustainable agro-ecosystems that can result from converting a small proportion of corn ethanol croplands into ecologically informed solar facilities (i.e., ecovoltaics).

Renewable Energy, Solar Energy, Agriculture, Environmental Impact

9 points by joak 11 days ago | 3 comments

Catastrophic fires and soil degradation: possible link with Neolithic revolution (springer.com)
The agricultural revolution of the Neolithic period in the Levant has puzzled researchers trying to resolve climatic vs. anthropogenic chain of events.

Agriculture, Climate Change, History, Environmental Science, Archaeology

12 points by Hooke 13 days ago | 1 comments

Controversial tree farms powering Apple’s carbon neutral goal (technologyreview.com)
The tech behemoth is betting that planting millions of eucalyptus trees in Brazil will be the path to a greener future. Some ecologists and local residents are far less sure.

Environment, Sustainability, Technology, Agriculture, Brazil

17 points by gnabgib 14 days ago | 1 comments

Remineralizing soils? The agricultural usage of silicate rock powders: A review (sciencedirect.com)
Soil nutrient depletion threatens global food security and has been seriously underestimated for potassium (K) and several micronutrients.

Agriculture, Soil Science, Environmental Science, Food Security, Sustainability

10 points by mooreds 15 days ago | 0 comments

A dozen states sue the Trump administration to stop tariff policy (apnews.com)
Vineyards in NY wine country push sustainability as they adapt to climate change

Politics, Lawsuits, Trade, Climate Change, Agriculture

13 points by bloppe 15 days ago | 0 comments

Chinese-owned farms press for repeal of California animal welfare law (kiowacountypress.net)
The largest pork producer in America is owned by a Chinese company, and a lot of people don’t like that.

Agriculture, Politics, China, California, Animal Welfare

25 points by miles 15 days ago | 1 comments

Pollen-replacing food for honey bees brings new hope for survival (news.wsu.edu)
Scientists have unveiled a new food source designed to sustain honey bee colonies indefinitely without natural pollen.

Bees, Food Science, Sustainability, Agriculture

12 points by geox 16 days ago | 1 comments

The complex origin story of domestic cats (phys.org)
Researchers looking into the origin of domestic cats have long considered that cats likely accompanied early farmers during the Neolithic, spreading through Europe alongside the adoption of agriculture.

Cats, Genetics, History, Agriculture, Europe

139 points by gmays 17 days ago | 86 comments

Inactive components in agricultural runoff may contribute drinking water hazard (phys.org)
Inactive ingredients in agricultural, pharmaceutical, and other common products have typically been excluded from consideration as potential contaminants in drinking water.

Water Contamination, Environmental Science, Agriculture

6 points by PaulHoule 18 days ago | 1 comments

The 'king of poisons' is building up in rice (grist.org)
As the planet heats up, this popular process of growing rice is becoming increasingly more dangerous for the millions of people worldwide that eat the grain regularly, according to research published Wednesday in the journal Lancet Planetary Health.

Climate Change, Food Safety, Health, Rice, Agriculture

8 points by libpcap 19 days ago | 1 comments

Baby chickens became America's hottest commodity (grist.org)
Murdoch’s Ranch & Home Supply in Helena, Montana, doesn’t often see a crowd. But, these days, the line to get in the door can be hours long. People have yelled at one another as they jockey for position and, inside, employees field as many 200 calls a day from eager patrons. Everyone is after the same thing: baby chickens.

Agriculture, Business, Supply Chain, Montana

10 points by rntn 19 days ago | 1 comments

Certain sunflower strains can be induced to form seeds without pollination (phys.org)
Syngenta Biotechnology China-led research, with partners in the U.S., France, the UK, Chile, the Netherlands, Argentina, and across China, has discovered that sunflowers can form viable haploid seeds through parthenogenesis in the absence of pollination.

Agriculture, Genetics, Science, Biology

5 points by PaulHoule 20 days ago | 0 comments

Europe deplores America's 'chlorinated chicken.' How safe is our poultry? (npr.org)
When President Trump recently griped about Europe's distaste for buying American chicken, his comments touched on a long-running and divisive trade spat that's flared up from time to time.

Food Safety, Trade, Politics, Agriculture

17 points by srameshc 21 days ago | 3 comments

Climate change will make rice toxic, say researchers (insideclimatenews.org)
Rice, the world’s most consumed grain, will become increasingly toxic as the atmosphere heats and as carbon dioxide emissions rise, potentially putting billions of people at risk of cancers and other diseases, according to new research published Wednesday in The Lancet.

Climate Change, Food Security, Health, Science, Agriculture

8 points by jnord 22 days ago | 1 comments

USDA's Regional Food Business Centers Caught in Federal Funding Freeze (civileats.com)
The program, which supports business development for local and regional farms, has been put on ice since the Trump administration took office.

Agriculture, Government Funding, Food Industry, Rural Development, Policy

9 points by mooreds 22 days ago | 0 comments

Climate change will make rice toxic, say researchers (insideclimatenews.org)
Rice, the world’s most consumed grain, will become increasingly toxic as the atmosphere heats and as carbon dioxide emissions rise, potentially putting billions of people at risk of cancers and other diseases, according to new research published Wednesday in The Lancet.

Climate Change, Food Safety, Health, Science, Agriculture

4 points by LinuxBender 22 days ago | 0 comments

Peru's ancient irrigation systems turned deserts into farms because of culture (theconversation.com)
Seeing the north coast of Peru for the first time, you would be hard-pressed to believe it’s one of the driest deserts in the world.

Ancient History, Agriculture, Peru, Culture, Deserts

158 points by PaulHoule 22 days ago | 78 comments

Healthy soil is the hidden ingredient (nature.com)
Around 60% of the European Union’s soils are considered unhealthy, but geographer Jesús Rodrigo Comino is determined to help change that in his native Spain.

Environment, Science, Agriculture, Sustainability, Spain

262 points by gnabgib 23 days ago | 144 comments

How dairy robots are changing work for cows and farmers (ieee.org)
Robots are taking over much of the daily manual labor at dairy farms, including milking, feeding, cleaning, and more. It makes dairy farmers’ lives easier, and makes the cows happier, too.

Robotics, Agriculture, Dairy Farming

225 points by DonHopkins 24 days ago | 170 comments

Robotic Gripper Based on Measuring Tape Is Sizing Up Fruit and Veggie Picking (today.ucsd.edu)
It’s a game a lot of us played as children—and maybe even later in life: unspooling measuring tape to see how far it would extend before bending. But to engineers at the University of California San Diego, this game was an inspiration, suggesting that measuring tape could become a great material for a robotic gripper.

Robotics, Engineering, Agriculture, Innovation

7 points by gnabgib 27 days ago | 0 comments

Coffee Too Weak? Try This (publishing.aip.org)
WASHINGTON, April 8, 2025 – Tens of billions of kilograms of coffee are consumed around the world each year. However, due to its very specific agricultural needs, coffee can be difficult to cultivate, and ongoing climate change threatens its growth.

Coffee, Climate Change, Agriculture

21 points by paulpauper 28 days ago | 1 comments

DIY experimental reactor harnesses the Birkeland-Eyde process (arduino.cc)
Nitrogen is critical for farming at scale and without some form of nitrogen to enrich the soil, we couldn’t grow staple crops efficiently enough to feed our large global population. Serious science goes into the production of fertilizers and the Birkeland-Eyde process was one early example. It uses electrical arcs to turn nitrogen in the air into nitric acid. Marb is an enthusiastic citizen scientist and built his own experimental reactor to harness the Birkeland-Eyde process.

DIY, Science, Nitrogen, Agriculture, Fertilizers

77 points by PaulHoule 34 days ago | 21 comments

The Life of a Dairy Cow (vox.com)
The surprising truth about milk is hiding in plain sight.

Dairy Farming, Animal Welfare, Agriculture

18 points by Luc 36 days ago | 8 comments

Coffea stenophylla: A forgotten bean that could save coffee from extinction (smithsonianmag.com)
One leading botanist is scouring remote corners of the earth to find new species that could keep our mugs full

Coffee, Botany, Climate Change, Extinction, Agriculture

170 points by derbOac 37 days ago | 138 comments