Scientists propose 4 new uses for old veggies
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 9-Oct-2025 12:11 ET (9-Oct-2025 16:11 GMT/UTC)
Food waste is more than just the starting material for compost. From dried-up beet pulp to millipede-digested coconut fibers, scientists are finding treasure in our trash. Four recent papers published in ACS journals detail how food waste contains sustainable solutions for farming and new sources of bioactive compounds for pharmaceuticals.
Planting wheat earlier in the spring to avoid crop damage from ever-hotter summers may not keep harvests on pace with current levels.
New research at Washington State University challenges assumptions that earlier planting could offset the effects of a warming climate. Researchers used computer modeling to show that moving crop plantings earlier in the season brings about other plant growth issues that could hinder productivity.
The findings were published in Communications, Earth, and Environment.
Root-knot nematodes cause widespread damage to crops, but chemical pesticides that control them also severely harm soil fertility. Soil-dwelling slime mold secretes compounds that repel these nematodes, but their specific nature was unknown. Using novel culturing techniques, researchers have identified 14 compounds of high potency in repelling nematodes, paving the way for the development of non-toxic control methods.