Author: staff

Washington State University scientists successfully tested a new way to produce sustainable jet fuel from lignin-based agricultural waste. Published in the journal Fuel Processing Technology, the team’s research demonstrated a continuous process that directly converts lignin polymers, one of the chief components of plant cells, into a form of jet fuel that could help improve the performance of sustainably produced aviation fuels. “Our achievement takes this technology one step closer to real-world use by providing data that lets us better gauge its feasibility for commercial aviation,” said lead scientist Bin Yang, professor in WSU’s Department of Biological Systems Engineering. A…

The global 2024 Farmer Voice survey has discovered that 75 percent of farmers are already impacted by climate change or worried about its impacts, and 71 percent of them report reduced yields as a major concern. Climate change can impact yield in a variety of extreme ways, from precipitation scarcity that hinders snowpack and depletes aquafers to sparking aggressive storms that cause flooding and lead to erosion and chemical runoff.  “The Farmer Voice study underlines that farmers continue to face accelerating economic and environmental challenges in their important work — providing food to the world. They want innovation to help…

Lots of manufacturers make pickup trucks that are intended to be workhorses, but how about a truck that is upgraded and tailored specifically to the demands of American farms and ranches? That’s what The Certified Agriculture Group is hoping to accomplish with the newly launched AGwagon. Designed by more than a dozen farmers and ranchers — for their fellow farmers and ranchers — this truck is purpose-built to exceed the expectations today’s agriculture puts on its equipment. Spawned from a partnership between The Certified Agriculture Group and Fox Factory Performance Vehicle Development, the makers say that AGwagon combines rugged durability…

Nitrogen management is a concern for dairy farmers, especially those in Pennsylvania and elsewhere in the U.S. Northeast who use manure as a fertilizer and employ no-till agriculture for improved soil health, lower fuel and labor costs, less dust and erosion, and better water conservation. So, a team of Penn State agricultural scientists conducted a study on dairy manure management strategies for ecosystem services in no-till crop systems. In findings recently published in Agronomy Journal, they report a new strategy that achieves multiple conservation goals while maintaining corn yield: injecting manure into a growing cover crop in early spring. This…

As the United Nations General Assembly convenes a so-called High-Level Meeting about antimicrobial resistance (AMR), new data has been released that forecasts a dire toll ahead. The data, compiled from more than 200 countries, noted that AMR is poised to jeopardize food security for over 2 billion people and increase annual health care costs by $159 billion annually by 2050. The analysis, produced by a global partnership of leading health and development organizations, is the first to comprehensively forecast the economic and health burdens of AMR on both humans and food-producing animals. It also found a return of $28 for…

A potential strike at U.S. East Coast ports could have far-reaching effects on American farmers, ranchers, and consumers, warns the American Farm Bureau Federation’s economist Daniel Munch. If the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance fail to reach an agreement by the end of September, significant disruptions are likely to occur, with consequences rippling across the agricultural sector. The ILA, North America’s largest maritime workers’ union, represents 85,000 longshoremen who load and unload cargo at ports along the Atlantic, Gulf coasts, Great Lakes, Puerto Rico, and the Bahamas. The USMX, on the other hand, represents about 40…

Weeds are a major factor limiting yield in organic vegetable and other horticultural crop systems, and the lack of effective biological weed-management solutions is considered by experts to be a significant obstacle to the adoption of organic farming practices. Many organic systems deliver up to 34 percent less yield than their conventional counterparts, thus requiring more land to grow the same amount of food. To address this problem, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded a four-year, $1 million grant to a team led by plant scientists and an economist from Penn State to investigate anaerobic soil disinfestation, a microbial-driven…

Midwestern soils are among the most productive in the world, thanks in part to extensive tile drainage systems that remove excess water from crop fields. But water isn’t the only thing flowing through tile drains. Nitrogen moves along with soil water into drainage ditches, streams, and ultimately into the Mississippi River Basin, where the nutrient contributes to massive algal blooms and hypoxic conditions that impact aquatic life in the Gulf of Mexico. A recent study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign provides a new look at the sources and processes affecting the nitrogen load in tile drainage water. The study reveals an unexpectedly large…

Since its debut in April 2024, Dairy MAX’s Fortnite Farm Tycoon map has successfully sold over 400,000 pounds of milk through its innovative blend of ecommerce and gaming. As youth gaming reaches unprecedented levels, this virtual environment allows players to immerse themselves in the world of dairy farming, giving them hands-on experiences in managing a farm, making agricultural decisions and learning about the importance of dairy farming in a fun, interactive setting. The Farm Tycoon experience allows players to build and manage their own farm for success, claiming plots, upgrading infrastructure and engaging in activities that simulate real-world farm operations. In addition, facts are woven throughout…

Former President Donald Trump has escalated his economic protectionism rhetoric, this time targeting Illinois-based agricultural equipment giant John Deere. During a speech Monday evening in Smithton, Pennsylvania, Trump announced his intent to impose a 200 percent tariff on the company’s imports into the U.S. if it proceeds with relocating part of its production to Mexico. The move comes in response to Deere’s recent decision to expand operations in Mexico while laying off hundreds of workers in its Midwest facilities, including Iowa. This decision has sparked outcry among the company’s employees and from local political leaders who fear job losses and…