Making farming better for bees: can we breed crops that produce more nectar and pollen?

Our research shows this idea is likely to benefit bees more in summer than in spring.

Ciaran Harris, PhD Candidate in Pollinator Ecology, University of Sussex • conversation
Nov. 6, 2024 • ~7 min

How farmers can install solar panels in fields without damaging the rest of their operation

Agrivoltaics, which pairs solar panels with farming, offers a path to decarbonise agriculture. But how do we make it work for crops and energy? A new tool may hold the answer.

Austin Kay, Researcher in Sustainable Advanced Materials, Centre for Integrative Semiconductor Materials, Swansea University • conversation
Oct. 17, 2024 • ~7 min

How farmers can use solar power without damaging the rest of their operation

Agrivoltaics, which pairs solar panels with farming, offers a path to decarbonise agriculture. But how do we make it work for crops and energy? A new tool may hold the answer.

Austin Kay, Researcher in Sustainable Advanced Materials, Centre for Integrative Semiconductor Materials, Swansea University • conversation
Oct. 17, 2024 • ~7 min

Socially distanced layout of the world’s oldest cities helped early civilization evade diseases

Whether intentional or not, the way mega-settlements in southeastern Europe from 6,000 years ago were laid out would have cut down on the spread of disease.

R. Alexander Bentley, Professor of Anthropology, University of Tennessee • conversation
Oct. 15, 2024 • ~11 min

Healthy soils are good for your gut, brain and wellbeing – here’s why

From improving our gut microbiome to brain function, healthy and nutritious soil has lots of human health benefits.

Jose David Henao Casas, Postdoctoral Researcher, Water and Climate Risk Department of the Institute for Environmental Studies, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam • conversation
Aug. 30, 2024 • ~5 min

A more varied diet would help the world’s economy as well as its health

Humans rely on a very narrow selection of plant and animal food products – but more diversity could boost local and regional economies.

Emmanuel Junior Zuza, Senior lecturer, Royal Agricultural University • conversation
Aug. 19, 2024 • ~8 min

Good flooding? Scientists use rice cultivation to preserve soil in Florida’s Everglades Agricultural Area

A soil expert explains why flooding rice fields in South Florida benefits the agriculture-rich region.

Jehangir Bhadha, Associate Professor of Soil, Water and Nutrient Management, University of Florida • conversation
Aug. 8, 2024 • ~7 min

The first farmers often made landscapes more biodiverse – our research could have lessons for rewilding today

Scientists analysed thousands of years of pollen data and made a surprising discovery.

Brennen Fagan, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity, University of York • conversation
July 26, 2024 • ~7 min

From robots and drones to sheep trackers, new tech can help farmers monitor and improve soil health

Farmers and soil scientists are starting to use clever tech to reliably measure changes in soil condition.

Jennifer Rowntree, Associate Professor in Ecological Genetics, School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth • conversation
July 10, 2024 • ~8 min

What actually makes avocados bad for the environment?

Avocados are a thirsty crop with a carbon footprint that’s more than twice that of bananas.

Thomas Davies, Honorary Researcher, Environment Centre, Lancaster University • conversation
June 19, 2024 • ~8 min

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