Biochar is often promoted as a long-lasting solution for improving soil fertility, raising soil pH, storing carbon, and helping crops access nutrients. But a new 8-year field study published in Biochar suggests that its benefits may be more temporary than many farmers and land managers expect.

Insect-eating bats may be helpful consumers of pests of crops including grapevines, orchard fruits, and vegetables, per study following six horseshoe bat colonies in northern Spain

Traditionally farmed landscapes can help produce food while also protecting nature and keeping cultural traditions alive. A research team led by the University of Göttingen examined “Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS)” as defined and recognized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The researchers found that these landscapes can offer practical lessons for sustainable land use worldwide — but only if strategies are adapted to local people, environments and farming traditions. The results were published in Ecology & Society.

SAN ANTONIO —June 17, 2026— SwRI is developing electronics and flight software for the NASA/U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Landsat 10 satellite that is set to launch in 2031 to collect new and improved Earth observation data. The mission is a continuation of NASA’s and USGS’ partnership on the ongoing Landsat program, which has launched nine satellites since 1972 and provided over 10 million images of the Earth’s surface.

A major milestone for marine conservation has arrived in The Bahamas. FAU Harbor Branch, in partnership with The Island School’s Cape Eleuthera Institute and supported by Chef José Andrés’ Longer Tables Fund, has successfully launched the Queen Conch Mobile Lab following its first egg masses and hatch. Designed to produce up to 2,000 juvenile queen conch each year, the innovative mobile hatchery is helping restore one of the Caribbean’s most iconic and threatened marine species while advancing long-term ocean conservation across the region.

A new study identifies four critical systemic flaws undermining forest carbon credit integrity and proposes a four-pillar reform framework to restore trust and align forest carbon projects with real climate and ecological benefits.

Andrew Muhammad, professor and Blasingame Chair of Excellence in Agricultural Policy at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, is the 2026 recipient of the R.J. Hildreth Public Policy Award from the Farm Foundation.

The R.J. Hildreth Award for Career Achievement in Public Policy honors career achievement in the field of public policy, through government service, as educators, or those researching agricultural policy. Farm Foundation is a 90-year-old independent organization that brings together farmers, industry leaders, policymakers, academics and other professionals to explore and solve issues shaping food and agriculture. The award was presented at the foundation’s round table meeting on June 16 in St. Louis.

Biochar, a charcoal-like substance made from biomass, offers a promising pathway for storing carbon in agricultural soils, helping to offset climate change. Despite its potential, the precise mechanisms, particularly the role of diverse microbial communities, influencing its long-term effectiveness remain poorly understood. A comprehensive analysis, published in Carbon Research, examines how biochar application impacts soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration in Chinese croplands, shedding light on the critical interactions with soil microorganisms.

Researchers from Northwest A&F University compiled an extensive dataset from 90 prior studies conducted across China, incorporating 392 observations and over 2600 data points related to SOC and microbial characteristics. Their meta-analysis combined quantitative data extraction, geographical mapping, and linear mixed-effects modeling to spatially predict carbon sequestration rates and explore the nuanced responses of soil microbial communities to varying biochar application rates and durations. This robust approach allowed for a broad assessment of biochar's impact across diverse Chinese agricultural regions.

Researchers developed a simpler and more cost-effective method to measure DNA-bound phosphorus, a biologically active form of phosphorus linked to soil microbes. The study found that this hidden nutrient pool is closely associated with microbial activity and soil fertility. The findings could support more sustainable phosphorus management and agricultural production.