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Tomatoes may combat the damaging effects of radiation

By Guest PostApril 30, 2016Healthcombat, damaging effects, radiation, radiation therapy, ruth edge, tomatoes

A team of researchers from have discovered that lycopene – the red pigment in tomatoes – is extremely successful at guarding against the harmful effects of radiation.

Dr Ruth Edge from The University of Manchester, together with her colleagues Professor George Truscott from Keele University and Professors Fritz Boehm & Christian Witt from Berlin, undertook a study of lycopene (one of the carotenoids – plant pigments found in many fruits and vegetables) and its effectiveness at protecting against radiation at the University of Manchester’s Dalton Cumbrian Facility, part of the Dalton Nuclear Institute.

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New Plant Species from the Heart of Texas

By Guest PostAugust 28, 2014Scienceadvanced civilazations, aggressive invaders, alpine, botanist, chili, clive ballard, cogtracktm, cool pavements, daily crosswords, DNA, doug brown, el paso, flowering plants, friendly aliens, haley gilbert, heat island group, intelligent aleins, keith wesnes, melita vamberger, new history, nordische note, potatoes, red list, reducing smog formation, solar reflectance, thinkstep inc, tomatoes, university of utah, word puzzles

Wrongly ID’d since ’74, Only Three Specimens Known

Collectors found the first two specimens of the prickly plant in 1974 and 1990 in west Texas. Then, for two decades, the 14-inch-tall plant was identified wrongly as one species, then another and then a third. (more…)

Researchers Develop System for Assessing How Effective Species Are at Pollinating Crops

By Guest PostDecember 25, 2013Scienceblueberry growers, david tarpy, efficiency rates, entomology, hannah burrack, north Carolina, pollination by bees, pollination efficiency, pollinator species, pumpkins, specific metrics, state university, tomatoes

From tomatoes to pumpkins, most fruit and vegetable crops rely on pollination by bees and other insect species – and the future of many of those species is uncertain. Now researchers from North Carolina State University are proposing a set of guidelines for assessing the performance of pollinator species in order to determine which species are most important and should be prioritized for protection.

“Widespread concerns over the fate of honey bees and other pollinators have led to increased efforts to understand which species are the most effective pollinators, since this has huge ramifications for the agriculture industry,” says Dr. Hannah Burrack, an associate professor of entomology at NC State and co-author of a paper on the new guidelines and related research. “However, various research efforts have taken a wide variety of approaches, making it difficult to compare results in a meaningful way. (more…)

First Step to Reduce Plant Need for Nitrogen Fertilizer Uncovered in Science Study

By Guest PostOctober 13, 2013Sciencebacteria, beneficial relationship, gary stacey, mechanism, nitrogen fertilizer, pathogen, plant, plant need, rhizobia, soybeans, tomatoes, university of missouri, yan liang

MU scientists say discovery could save farmers billions and protect the environment.

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Nitrogen fertilizer costs U.S. farmers approximately $8 billion each year, and excess fertilizer can find its way into rivers and streams, damaging the delicate water systems. Now, a discovery by a team of University of Missouri researchers could be the first step toward helping crops use less nitrogen, benefitting both farmers’ bottom lines and the environment. The journal Science published the research this month.

Gary Stacey, an investigator in the MU Bond Life Sciences Center and professor of plant sciences in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, found that crops, such as corn, are “confused” when confronted with an invasive, but beneficial, bacteria known as rhizobia bacteria. When the bacteria interact correctly with a crop, the bacteria receive some food from the plant and, simultaneously, produce nitrogen that most plants need. In his study, Stacey found that many other crops recognize the bacteria, but do not attempt to interact closely with them. (more…)

Global Education

By Guest PostMarch 3, 2013Educationabuja, african studies, anthropology, basic ingredient, benin, california state university, cameroon, chelsea rozanski, ghana, global education, Kenya, mune duniya, native hausa language, necessary resources, niger, nigerian translator, nigerian village, phillips elisha, regional chadic language, rice, sacramento, school curriculum, serrena carlucci, spices, Tanzania, tomatoes, ukyau, university of delaware, village care international, volunteer, west african culinary

UD student helps provide children in Nigeria a schoolhouse of their own

In the Nigerian village of Ukya’u, the children have a teacher and sit on benches in a church room, but there are no desks, no separate classes and no school building to call their own.

Chelsea Rozanski, a University of Delaware sophomore who is majoring in anthropology with a minor in African Studies, is working to change that situation. (more…)

MU Scientists Study How to Improve Pesticide Efficiency

By Guest PostMarch 1, 2012Environment, Scienceair space, bell peppers, brad fischer, california, carcinogen, chloropicrin, controversial pesticide, farm workers, florida, fruit, fumigant, gas, ingredient, kaitlan prugger, methyl bromide, methyl iodide, midas, molecular structure, montreal protocol, ozone layer, rainer glaser, rat poison, strawberries, tomatoes, vegetable crops

COLUMBIA, Mo. – In 2007, a controversial pesticide was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use on fruit and vegetable crops, mainly in California and Florida. Farm workers and scientists protested the approval of the pesticide because its active ingredient, methyl iodide, is a known carcinogen. Now, MU researchers are studying the molecular structure of the pesticide to determine if the product could be made more efficient and safer for those living near, and working in, treated fields. (more…)

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