News

MIT engineers found that the sound of falling droplets can shake rice seeds out of dormancy and speed up germination.

Researchers in Kashmir say they have standardized cultivation methods for Gucchi mushroom under controlled conditions, even as wild output has fallen from about 2,000 quintals in 1991 to just 88 quintals in 2018.

Authorities and farmers in Central Java are accelerating rice planting and water planning as El Niño raises the risk of a longer, drier 2026 season.

More than a year after Hurricane Helene, farms in Tennessee and North Carolina are still rebuilding the topsoil that floodwater stripped away or buried under sand and silt.

Nepal’s Banke district is producing more wheat even as the planted area keeps falling, helped by better seed, wider irrigation and favorable weather.

A new project in Idaho is studying soil far below the normal plow layer to see how deep horizons store carbon, water and long-term resilience for agriculture.

Indonesia’s Public Works Ministry says 400 irrigation pumps are ready for deployment and more will be added if needed to protect crop production in the coming dry season.

CropLife India has issued fresh guidance for the zaid season after rain and hail damaged rabi crops. It says farmers should avoid sowing delays, use resilient varieties, and watch closely for pests, diseases, and fake crop-protection products.

Unseasonal rain and hail have damaged about 249,000 hectares of rabi crops in India. Wheat has been hit hardest, while the government is pairing crop-loss assessment with fertilizer and kharif-preparation measures.

Canadian researchers have identified genes involved in how plants pause and restart growth under cold, salt and drought stress, opening new routes for more resilient crops.

Connecticut is investing $37.9 million in the Windsor laboratory of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, a facility that handles thousands of plant and soil samples for farmers every year.

Warm weather and early mountain snowmelt refilled southern Alberta reservoirs this winter, strengthening the case for new water storage projects for farms.

An unusually dry winter followed by heavy rain is damaging Darjeeling's premium first flush and putting more pressure on one of India's best-known tea regions.

March storms and heavy rain in Bangladesh have left maize growers facing new crop losses, weaker cash flow and a renewed risk of debt.

A two-year rainfall deficit is pushing parts of Turkey into chronic drought, raising risks for crops, reservoirs and drinking-water supplies.

Market participants expect India’s cotton area to grow in 2026 as stronger prices and possible El Nino conditions make the crop more attractive.

Indonesia says it is strengthening water access, pumping and seed support in West Java to protect rice production ahead of a potentially longer and drier 2026 dry season.

Rice farmers in Malaysia's Kerian district say a two-week irrigation delay tied to critically low Bukit Merah Dam levels is threatening planting schedules, yields and farm cash flow.

Australia’s blueberry industry has expanded into a sector worth more than A$500 million. That growth is now bringing sharper debate over chemical drift, water use and how intensive berry farms should be regulated.

Global demand for Philippine ube is rising, but growers say production is becoming more vulnerable to erratic rain, heat and stronger typhoons.

A field study using fiber-optic sensing found that repeated tillage damages soil structure and reduces the ability of farmland to retain water.

England has released the first experimental national soil-health indicators covering runoff mitigation, carbon storage and sustainable arable crop provision using 2023-2024 baseline data.

A sixth seasonal snowfall in Nepal’s Mustang is being treated as timely relief for herders and growers after several years of weaker snow conditions.

A Canadian farm-led initiative delivered yam planting material and fertilizer to Jamaican growers hit by severe hurricane damage.

A PLOS ONE field study reports that integrating early-bulking potato genotypes 7 Alu and Sagitta enabled four to five crops per year and sharply improved system-level productivity.

New modeling suggests cassava can spread to more African regions, but cassava brown streak disease risk may expand even faster.

A Scientific Reports study applied a CEC-based fertility index for variable soybean seeding and reported higher yields and net returns than fixed-rate seeding.

Nature Genetics reports a genomics-guided maize breeding strategy for high-density planting, with new hybrids delivering 4.1–9.2% higher yields than Yufeng303 across test environments.

Farmers in Australia’s Riverina say rabbit pressure is causing losses of up to $100,000 a year on individual properties, with crop damage, baiting costs and weakening biological control turning a long-running pest issue into a major production expense.

Johns Hopkins researchers found that tomatoes, carrots and lettuce irrigated with treated wastewater tend to accumulate trace pharmaceuticals mainly in leaves, while edible tomato fruits and carrot roots contain much lower concentrations.

A Scientific Reports study found that combining naphthalene acetic acid and salicylic acid improved cucumber performance under salinity, supporting growth, fruit quality and antioxidant activity.

Nanoplastics are emerging agricultural contaminants. Two decades of engineered nanomaterials research offer methods and mechanistic insight, but nanoplastics’ polymer diversity, weathering, and additive loads require hybrid characterization and focused study of plant, soil, and microbial impacts.

Biologically synthesized silica nanoparticles using chia seed extract enhanced stability and surface area, and when used at 100 ppm for nano‑priming improved germination, biomass and multiple physiological and biochemical markers in Oryza sativa L. var. Sakha 108 seedlings.

Laboratory tests show a staple legume can germinate, grow, flower and produce viable seed in simulated moon soil when compost-like organic matter and beneficial fungal partners are added, but experiments used terrestrial simulants and Earth conditions.

A provisional liquidator has been appointed to Hughes Agriculture & Farming Ltd (Co Kilkenny) to realise €2.8m of carrots, parsnips and daffodil bulbs before the season ends amid insolvency and unpaid debts.

An improved faba bean reference (Hedin/2 v.2) and GWAS identified a single major variant that discriminates winter from spring types and explains most winter-hardiness variation.

In Madera County, tightening groundwater pumping rules are already driving orchard removals and layoffs; authorities expect deeper cuts in groundwater use by 2040.

Since 2015 Dr. Gurdev Chand has led hydroponics adoption in Jammu & Kashmir, enabling year‑round fodder and vegetable production, standard protocols for diverse crops, and a NABARD-backed Rs. 314.25 lakh blueberry project.

NIMET advises farmers to wait for soil moisture to reach 50% and for rains expected between April 15 and end of April before planting; government support and security concerns were discussed.

West African cocoa farmers are hit by recent cocoa price drop.

CSIR conducted a two-day national workshop titled “Farm Data to Decisions: Workshop on Smart Agro-Technologies for Soil and Crop Health” at the Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS) of Kerala Agricultural University, Kumarakom, Kerala, on 5–6 March 2026.The event opera...

A cross-sectional study of 314 agricultural workers across seven major farming areas in Morocco found that most respondents could not name the pesticides they used. Among those with complete data (n = 300), 86.3% were unable to name the pesticides.Only 33.3% (n = 100) demonstr...

Female farmers feel overlooked and under-represented, with researchers noting patchy recognition of their contributions over decades. The piece states 2026 is the International Year of the Woman Farmer and stresses the need to shift social narratives to view women as independe...

The government of Jammu and Kashmir is scaling up programs that enhance safety and opportunities for women in agriculture. Significant progress over the past five to six years highlights strides in gender equality and sector development.Officials note the rollout includes fina...

In India, reports indicate that residues of pesticides are found on widely consumed fruits, raising public health concerns as traces can enter the body with daily consumption. Long-term exposure is linked to potential issues including cancer, hormonal disruption, and developme...

Tropical fruit growers in Alanya district of Antalya will receive training on good agricultural practices and pesticide residue management as part of a new initiative to raise production standards and export potential for the region.Ali Hüddoğlu, head of the Alanya Tropical Fr...

Modern contract farming provides farmers with not just price certainty but also technical support and reliable market access. Transparent pricing and timely payments create predictable income conditions. Text about transparency.Today’s contract farming models go beyond simple...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged making the agriculture sector export-oriented in India. He stated that expanding agricultural exports should be a priority for sector development. The summary notes a focus on market diversification and strengthening export positions, but no...