Organic soil amendments work together to help sandy soils hold water longer, study finds
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Updates every hour. Last Updated: 19-Jun-2026 16:15 ET (19-Jun-2026 20:15 GMT/UTC)
Change is afoot in the U.S. beef supply chain. More dairy cattle seem to be specifically bred to generate a calf to be sold as beef, but so far documentation for the trend is mostly anecdotal.
In an invited talk at the USDA’s 102nd Annual Agricultural Outlook Forum, University of Tennessee agricultural economist Charles Martinez is poised to show the impact of beef on dairy crossed cattle on the U.S. beef supply chain and propose a new category for recording cattle market data: beef on dairy. Martinez says documenting this developing market will help industry analysts understand the true nature of the U.S. beef supply chain as well as the economic state of the beef and dairy industries.
The European Union has set the target of reducing the production of fossil-based plastics by 20% and microplastic emissions into the environment by 30% by 2030. The persistent accumulation of plastics leads to the release of microplastics and toxic substances that contaminate soil and threaten ecosystems. In this respect, plastics currently used in agriculture are a particularly relevant example, as they are in direct contact with the environment and their recovery is not always feasible, meaning they may ultimately be released. In recent years, bio-based and biodegradable materials have emerged, but further research is needed to improve their performance so that they can become a real alternative to conventional plastics. Likewise, it is essential to analyse the environmental impact of these new materials and compare it with that of existing ones to confirm that they represent a genuine improvement.
The INSOIL project, which brings together 16 centres from eight European countries and is coordinated by the Institute of Packaging, Transport and Logistics Technology, with the participation of the Universitat Jaume I of Castelló, addresses pollution caused by plastics, fertilisers and plant protection products in agriculture. It does so through the development of three families of fully bio-based, safe and soil-biodegradable plastic products—mulch films, seedling protectors and coatings for controlled-release fertilisers—aimed at contributing to more sustainable agricultural production.
To create these new products, INSOIL will make use of six types of second- and third-generation bio-based raw materials (biogenic CO₂ emissions, waste from the pulp and forestry industry, by-products from agriculture and food processing, and microalgal and microbial biomass) and will develop functional prototypes of plastic products. These products will be validated under real conditions with end users, namely leading fruit and vegetable producers in southern and northern Europe.