New study shows that under low warming, planting trees increases global water inequality; under high warming, it reduces overall water availability.

Denmark is investing heavily in restoring carbon-rich agricultural soils as wetlands to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, new research from Aarhus University shows that financial compensation alone is not enough to persuade landowners to participate.

Based on in-depth interviews with Danish farmers and landowners, the study highlights that decisions are shaped not only by economics, but also by identity, responsibility, uncertainty, and a deep attachment to the land. Farming practices are closely tied to values about what it means to be a “good farmer,” and these social norms can make it difficult to accept land-use changes such as rewetting fields.

The findings underline that successful climate policies must go beyond financial incentives and address the social and cultural dimensions of land management.

KAIST-KIMM-Korea University collaboration succeeds in transferring precision nano-circuits to plant leaves, lotus leaves, and curved lenses without any damage.

The method floats thin metal films on water to transfer them directly and completely eliminating the need for heat, pressure, adhesives, or toxic solvents.

Expected to serve as a next-generation sensor platform for smart agriculture, wearable healthcare, and bioelectronics.

Okayama University of Science and Murakami City, Niigata Prefecture, have launched a joint research project to establish the world’s first fully closed-cycle land-based aquaculture system for chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) using the university’s proprietary “Third Water” technology. The project aims to address the dramatic decline in salmon returns caused by climate change and changing marine ecosystems. More than 2,000 juvenile salmon are currently being reared in a 35-ton closed recirculation aquaculture system at the university’s Next-Generation Aquaculture Center. Researchers expect the fish to reach market size within one to two years. If successful, the project could provide a sustainable alternative to ocean-dependent salmon production and contribute to the long-term resilience of salmon fisheries in Japan and worldwide.

Biochar has often been praised as a “black gold” for sustainable agriculture, pollution control, and carbon storage. Yet despite its promise, its wider use has been limited by a practical challenge: compared with materials such as activated carbon, graphene, and carbon nanotubes, biochar often has lower surface area and electrical conductivity. Expensive post-treatment methods can improve its performance, but they may also increase cost, energy use, and secondary pollution.

A new robotic “gripper” designed to pick fruit could mean supermarket shoppers enjoy better quality produce as well as new options like pawpaws, according to West Virginia University researcher Anand Mishra.

A new study found that plants may reveal recent PFAS contamination linked to airborne deposition that can go undetected in soil analyses. Conducted in agricultural fields near the conflict zone in southern Israel, the research showed that potato leaves contained substantially higher concentrations of certain PFAS than the surrounding soils, suggesting direct exposure from the atmosphere rather than uptake through roots alone. While the study did not identify specific sources and found no clear relationship between soil PFAS concentrations and distance from the conflict zone, the findings raise the possibility that military-related activities, including the use of aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF) and potentially explosives-related sources, may contribute to atmospheric PFAS deposition. The results suggest that vegetation can serve as a sensitive indicator of recent airborne contamination and complement traditional soil-based environmental monitoring.