The Perspectives from the Global South team (ECHOES) at the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology has launched the Executive Report: Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Food Systems during a series of activities at COP30.

In an innovative twist to sustainable agriculture, a new study reveals how sugarcane waste can be transformed into biochar—a powerful soil amendment that enhances soil quality. This research not only highlights a green approach to waste management but also provides a significant boost to soil health, offering a win-win for both the environment and farming practices.

To meet ambitious U.S. Department of Energy targets for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), production of purpose-grown energy crops must ramp up significantly. Although researchers have made substantial progress in understanding the management and conversion of these crops, key knowledge gaps hold the industry back. Now, two new studies from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign help fill in the blanks for Miscanthus and switchgrass management. 

What would happen if farmers around the globe were to switch over to sustainable pest management? An international study headed by the University of Bonn and ETH Zurich focused on precisely this question. The study is based on assessments provided by more than 500 leading experts from around the world who work in various disciplines from ecology through to economics. Most of those surveyed believe that the consequences of such a transformation would be positive in the long term – even from an economic perspective. However, the main effects of this transformation will vary around the world depending on the region. The results were recently published in the journal Nature Communications. 

Field trials show that applying T6P as a foliar spray can increase photosynthesis by adjusting the balance between supply (photosynthetic sugar production) and demand (growth processes requiring sugars). 

Salt stress is a major factor that impairs plant growth and yield. In a breakthrough, researchers from Waseda University have revealed that Arabidopsis thaliana myosin XI-1—a member of the motor protein myosin XI—significantly regulates adaptation to salt stress via intracellular sodium ion (Na⁺) homeostasis. It can thus serve as a promising molecular target for the development of salt-tolerant crops, contributing to sustainable farming in saline-affected regions.

An international study published in Science reveals that mixing grasses, legumes and herbs in agricultural grasslands can boost productivity, cut nitrogen use and help farmers adapt to climate change.