Palm oil isn’t inherently bad, and olive oil isn’t inherently good, conservation scientists say in an opinion paper publishing October 16 in the Cell Press journal Cell Reports Sustainability. They argue that the vegetable oil industry is haunted by narratives and myths about different types of oil crops, but the reality is much more nuanced. Almost all oils—including soybean, olive, coconut, and sesame oil—are associated with biodiversity and human rights issues in some contexts, depending on crop management and supply chains. The researchers call for greater transparency and regulation to enable consumers to make informed decisions about their oil choices. 

In the search for eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic herbicides, researchers from Kyushu University, Japan, have identified a potent, weed-inhibiting compound in the leaves of the Manchurian walnut tree (Juglans mandshurica Maxim.). The discovery of the compound, 2Z-decaprenol, and its unique mode of action on plants could lead to the development of more sustainable herbicides. The study was published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

New research has found cover crops that are viable in Washington’s normal “off season” don’t hurt the soil and can be sold as a biofuel source. 

After harvest, farmland often sits fallow and unused until growers seed in the next crop. Soil can erode, weeds can take root, and farmers don’t make any money during that time. Cover crops can eliminate or reduce some of those issues, but many farmers have concerns about their effects on soil quality, a reduced growing window for their primary crop, and the inability to sell the cover crop. 

In a paper recently published in the journal Biomass and Bioenergy, a team led by Washington State University scientists looked at four cover crops grown for multiple years in western and central Washington fields. Two showed promising results.

A new study has found that a naturally occurring soil microbe, Streptomyces coelicolor, can boost protein-building amino acids in wheat. The finding could pave the way for nutrient-rich staple crops — helping combat global malnutrition as fluctuations in weather reduce crop quality.

University of Tennessee AgResearch hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center highlighting new on-site facilities, precision agriculture equipment and laboratory renovations funded through the American Rescue Plan (ARP).

A research team has outlined how synthetic biology can accelerate discoveries in plant–microbe interactions, offering strategies to enhance disease resistance, engineer synthetic symbioses, and manipulate root microbiomes.