Researchers are set to shine a different kind of light on the farming industry after receiving funding to explore how fluorescent materials used in TV and phone screens can detect the presence of pesticides and herbicides in food production.

University of Queensland research shows emissions from the global chocolate industry could be reduced by growing more shade trees over farms in the region that supplies 60 per cent of the world’s cocoa.

A team of researchers from the Spanish National Research Council, an entity attached to the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities, has made a significant advance in plant biotechnology by developing a new method for silencing genes. The novel technique uses ultra-short ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequences carried by genetically modified viruses to achieve genetic silencing, allowing the customization of plant traits. The work, published in the Plant Biotechnology Journal, opens up new avenues for crop improvement, functional genomics, and sustainable agriculture.