Agriculture

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 21-Oct-2026 21:17 ET (22-Oct-2026 01:17 GMT/UTC)

16-Jul-2026

 

What would it cost farmers if Illinois banned glyphosate?

College of ACES at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new analysis from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the Illinois Soybean Association finds that Illinois corn and soybean farmers could lose up to $609 million per year — representing a 3.6% revenue loss — if the state banned the weedkiller glyphosate.

Journal

Weed Technology

Funder

Illinois Soybean Association

16-Jul-2026

 

A tiny gene edit makes rice safer without reducing harvests

Okayama University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Cadmium is a highly toxic heavy metal, and rice is a major source of dietary cadmium intake worldwide. Reducing cadmium accumulation in rice grains without affecting crop yield remains challenging because cadmium shares transport pathways with essential minerals. Now, researchers identified a point mutation in the rice transporter gene OsNramp5 that significantly lowers grain cadmium accumulation while maintaining yield and essential mineral content, providing a promising strategy for breeding safer rice.

Journal

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Funder

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, JSPS Program for Forming Japan’s Peak Research Universities, Hainan Excellent Talent Team, National Natural Science Foundation of China, CAS Project for Young Scientists in Basic Research

15-Jul-2026

Roadless rule helps protect clean drinking water for 25 million Americans, new study shows

University of Washington
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new University of Washington study maps how the 2001 roadless rule protects U.S. rivers, and how rescinding the rule could impact access to clean drinking water, biodiversity, outdoor recreation and more.

Journal

PLOS Water

15-Jul-2026

 

Large precolonial villages in the Brazilian Cerrado practiced maize-based polyculture

Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New study helps resolve one of South American archaeology's longest-running debates: the role of maize in precolonial societies. Evidence reveals that large villages in central Brazil were supported by polyculture maize farming while neighboring societies maintained diversified food production strategies. 

Journal

Science Advances

15-Jul-2026

Shift to healthy, sustainable diets would reshape global agriculture

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Following recommendations to shift to healthier diets, improve farm productivity and halve food waste, could reduce global agricultural land use by up to 6% by 2050 and lead to a 42% decline ($630 billion) in global livestock production value compared to 2020.

Journal

Nature

Funder

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

15-Jul-2026

Healthier, more sustainable diets would reshape global agriculture; a new study shows by how much

Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Transitioning to healthier, more sustainable global food systems by 2050 would substantially reshape agriculture by reducing livestock numbers and decreasing land use, according to a new study published in Nature. Led by Cornell University, with contributions from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP), the research highlights both the possibilities and challenges of a global food system transformation. It also underscores the urgent need for proactive agriculture and food policies to drive this transformation and manage its socioeconomic impacts.

Journal

Nature

14-Jul-2026

 

China’s climate goals could reshape the global palm oil industry

Shenyang Agricultural University Collaborative Journals
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Palm oil is found in foods, cosmetics, detergents, fuels, and many other everyday products. It supplies about 30% of the world’s vegetable oil while producing substantially more oil per hectare than crops such as soybean. Yet its expansion has also been linked to deforestation, peatland degradation, biodiversity loss, and high greenhouse gas emissions.

Journal

Agricultural Ecology and Environment

14-Jul-2026

 

University of Tennessee, partners win up to $160M for NSF Regional Innovation Engine to drive rural economic development

University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Grant and Award Announcement

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is part of a team that has won up to $160 million over the next 10 years from the National Science Foundation for the BRIDGES Engine, a collaborative initiative that will generate millions of dollars in additional annual income for Tennessee farmers and create thousands of jobs across the state. 

14-Jul-2026

China's water quality gains came at a cost to agriculture

Cornell University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The study found that agricultural value added fell 58% in communities facing the greatest pressure to reduce pollution, highlighting the uneven economic effects of China's environmental regulations.

Journal

Journal of Environmental Economics and Management