The Future of Food, Agriculture, and Aquaculture

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caltrek
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50 Teaching Garden Grants Awarded to Support Nutrition Education
March 2, 2023

Introduction:
(EurekAlert) DALLAS, March 2, 2023 — Fifty communities nationwide are expanding hands-on nutrition education with $2,500 grants from the American Heart Association’s Teaching Gardens® program, helping address healthy eating challenges facing our nation’s children and families. Access to healthy foods directly impacts a person’s health over their lifetime, but most children are not eating recommended amounts of fruits or vegetables, consuming less than one serving of each per day.[1]

Including these new awards, the American Heart Association, a global force for healthier lives for all, with support from CAULIPOWER, makers of ready-to-use plant-powered food items, has now funded 150 grants over three years to schools and community gardens nationwide. The financial grants boost garden-based learning, helping enable equitable access to healthy foods and innovating nutrition education nationwide.

Through the Association’s Teaching Gardens® program, part of its Teaching Gardens Network, schools and community gardens turn the outdoors into a classroom with an interactive nutrition curriculum to help kids make healthy food choices and build positive, lifelong nutrition habits.

“It’s critical that all kids have access to fresh fruits and vegetables and to proper nutrition education regardless of where they live to support growth and create a strong foundation for a healthy life,” said Michelle Albert, M.D., MPH, FACC, FAHA, volunteer president of the American Heart Association, professor of medicine at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) and Admissions Dean for UCSF Medical School. “We had the difficult task of selecting just 50 awardees out of nearly 250 applicants this year. Congratulations to all of the grant recipients and thank you for your commitment to supporting healthy kids by building healthier communities.”

According to the Association’s Heart Disease and Stroke 2023 Statistical Update, it's estimated that children and teens consume less than 1 serving of fruits or vegetables per day, which puts them at higher risk of cardiovascular risk factors, such as childhood diabetes and high blood pressure.

Developing cardiovascular risk factors early in life exponentially increases a child’s risk of heart disease and stroke in adulthood.
[1] https://newsroom.heart.org/news/50-teac ... c6be#_ftn1
Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/981446

To visit the American Heart Association’s Teaching Gardens® program website: https://www.heart.org/en/professional/ ... g-gardens
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Gene Editing Technique Highlighted as Possible ‘Savior’ for Climate Change Threatened Rice Crops
March 3, 2023

Introduction:
(EurekAlert) A review of gene editing techniques suggests that the CRISPR/Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/Cas) method could be a possible ‘saviour’ for rice crops threatened by climate change and high food demand.

The study, published in CABI Reviews, highlights that while rice is one of the most consumed cereals worldwide and feeds about three billion people, climate-induced abiotic and biotic stresses have affected the production and quality of rice crops.

Dr Antonio Costa de Oliveira, lead author of the Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil, and a team of fellow scientists found that the CRISPR/Cas tool was efficient in gene editing in studies related to yield, tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses and rice grain quality.

However, the review, which sought to describe the different gene editing techniques and their respective applications in rice breeding, argues that the impact of the CRISPR/Cas approach in breeding programmes depends upon the cultivation of the edited plants on a large scale in the field.

Further extract:
The study outlines that a 50% increase in the current consumption of rice is projected for 2050 – which would mean a demand as high as 1.125 billion tonnes.
Read more of the EurekAlert article here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/980975

For a more detailed presentation of the results of the study as published in CABI Reviews: https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/d ... 2023.0008
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$25 Million MU Grant to Help Farmers Adopt Climate-Smart Practices
March 2, 2023

Introduction:
(University of Missouri) In recent years, floods, droughts and other severe weather have significantly impacted farmers throughout the country. In an effort to help farmers adapt to the changing climate, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded the University of Missouri $25 million – the largest federal research, education and extension grant ever awarded to MU – from the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Program.

“As Missouri’s flagship, AAU, land-grant university, MU is committed to addressing local and global challenges to improve society,” University of Missouri President Mun Choi said. “This grant demonstrates the confidence the nation has in MU scientists who continually seek answers on some of society’s toughest issues. We expect that the discoveries made during this transformational project will be expanded to address similar challenges throughout the nation and world.”

The five-year project is aimed at helping Missouri farmers adopt climate-smart practices that will ultimately help farmers improve the resiliency of their crops and livestock in the midst of growing threats from climate change.

Rob Myers, an adjunct professor in the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) and director of the MU Center for Regenerative Agriculture, will lead the project.

“Growing up on a farm, I’ve seen firsthand challenges that can arise from extreme weather, whether it’s flooding from excessive rain or drought from not enough rain,” Myers said. “Climate change ultimately impacts our food production and food prices, so our goal is to help farmers with different practices that will make their farms more resilient.”

Read more here: https://showme.missouri.edu/2022/25-mi ... actices/

From EurekAlert concerning this same grant:
(EurekAlert) The project aims to help double the acreage of cover crops in the U.S. to 40 million acres by 2030. Cover crops — plants that are used to protect and improve soil during a time when other crops are not being grown — help reduce soil erosion, improve soil health, smother weeds, control pests and diseases, and improve biodiversity.

“It was really pivotal to get this funding because one of the biggest factors that could limit future growth in acres of cover crops is having an adequate seed supply,” Myers said. “We also really need improved varieties that are well-adapted to different regions, soil types and cropping systems, so that farmers can get maximum benefit from the cover crops they are using.”

The project involves collaboration among 14 MU faculty, 38 scientists from across the country, 17 states, 12 universities, three seed companies, the American Seed Trade Association, three USDA Agricultural Research Service locations and three USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Plant Materials Centers.
Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/981597
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In His New Book, Julian Mcclements Explains Why He Is Committed to Eating ‘Meat Less’
March 2, 2023

Introduction:
(EurekAlert) Distinguished Professor of Food Science and prolific author David Julian McClements has a new book out this month – Meat Less: The Next Food Revolution (Springer, 2023).

Meat Less describes McClements’ journey to vegetarianism, a shift inspired by his daughter and his ongoing research work on developing healthier and more sustainable foods.

“In writing this book I take the viewpoint that there are no easy answers and that everyone must make the decision to eat meat or not based on their own values,” says McClements, a pioneering scientist who has written 11 books that explore the physics, chemistry and biology of improving the quality, safety and healthiness of foods.

At UMass, McClements is part of a multidisciplinary team that holistically explores the science and technology – including protein chemistry, soft matter physics, food engineering, sensory science, gastrointestinal fate and gut microbiome effects – behind the design and fabrication of plant-based foods that are better for humans and the planet.

In Meat Less, McClements examines the impact of meat consumption on the environment, human nutrition, animal welfare and food safety, delving into how much eating meat contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, biodiversity loss, antimicrobial resistance and zoonotic diseases (infections that spread between people and animals), as well as their impact on human health and well-being.
Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/981532
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Researchers Have Revealed the Giant Genome of Faba Bean, Unlocking the Potential of a Global Protein Crop
March 10, 2023

Introduction:
(EurekAlert) An international team of researchers has managed to read the whole genome of faba bean, and to put the new genome to immediate use, finding a key gene for seed size, an important food characteristic.

Faba bean is an ancient, sustainable source of protein that is globally important today and increasingly used to make meat substitutes in Finland. However, its enormous genome—four times that of humans and 30 times that of rice—has been impossible to read as a whole, hindering efforts by scientists and breeders to find genes that would make it easier for farmers to grow and for industry to process into delicious foods.

Using cutting-edge technology, an international team of researchers, led by the Universities of Helsinki, Aarhus (DK) and Reading (UK), and by Natural Resources Institute Finland have now managed to read and assemble the whole genome of faba bean. They put the new genome to immediate use, finding a key gene for seed size, an important food characteristic.

Towards plant-based diets


“An improved faba bean will contribute to a green bioeconomy by promoting sustainable food systems. To meet the growing demand for protein while preserving biodiversity and reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, consumption of animal-based foods will have to decrease, while the proportion of plant-based food should increase. Faba bean can be a big help in this,” says Alan Schulman, a Head of Research at the Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki and Research Professor at Natural Resources Institute Finland.

Food production is responsible for a quarter of the climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions, of which the largest contribution comes from animal-based production. Legume-based plant protein grown for Europe, in Europe, confers many benefits and faba bean is the legume best suited in the Nordic and Baltic countries.
Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/982366
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Australian Firm Obtains Mammoth DNA Sequence, Makes Mammoth Meatballs
James Felton
March 28, 2023

Introduction:
(IFL) A firm in Australia has used the DNA from a mammoth to make mammoth meatballs. Vow hopes that by creating meats from unusual (and extinct) animals, they can start a conversation about these cultured meat alternatives, and tempt people away from traditional meat sources that are no longer sustainable during the climate crisis.

To create the meatball, Vow used the DNA sequence of a mammoth muscle protein. Where there were gaps in the sequence, DNA from elephants was used, before the meat was grown inside myoblast stem cells taken from sheep, The Guardian reports. The whole process took a few weeks and can be grown "indefinitely" according to the meatball's creators.

Though the team chose mammoth because "it’s a symbol of diversity loss and a symbol of climate change," Vow cofounder Tim Noakesmith told The Guardian, the process could work where a biopsy from the target animal about the size of an almond is available.

This means that the dodo, which humans drove to extinction via hunting and the introduction of rats and pigs, is something we can't bring back to chow down on one last time.

"There's just not enough genetic information to make that work," the team explained to Good Morning Britain, adding "dodo nuggets was actually the first idea that we had. We pivoted to mammoth because there's just more information known about it."

Read more here: https://www.iflscience.com/australian- ... lls-68184

caltrek’s comment: I hesitate to even post this article as I have provisionally become a recent convert to the virtues of a plant based whole foods diet. Mammoth meatballs will thus probably not be recommended for your health, at least not by the nutritionists that I follow such as T. Colin Campbell.
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Re: The Future of Food, Agriculture, and Aquaculture

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caltrek wrote: Tue Mar 28, 2023 3:20 pm
Mammoth meatballs

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New Soil Sensor May Improve Efficiency of Crop Fertilization
March 28, 2023

Introduction:
(EurekAlert) UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Measuring temperature and nitrogen levels in soil is important for agriculture systems but detecting them apart from one another is difficult to do. Huanyu “Larry” Cheng, James L. Henderson, Jr. Memorial Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Penn State, led researchers in the development of a multi-parameter sensor that can effectively decouple temperature and nitrogen signals so that each can be measured accurately. The results were recently published by Advanced Materials.

“For efficient fertilization, there is a need for continuous and real-time monitoring of soil conditions, specifically nitrogen utilization and soil temperature,” Cheng said. “This is essential for evaluating crop health, reducing environmental pollution and promoting sustainable and precision agriculture.”

Using nitrogen as a fertilizer is common practice in agriculture, and the goal is to use the ideal amount for the best crop output. When too little is nitrogen is used, the crop’s yield may be less than optimum. When too much is used, fertilizer is wasted, plants can burn and harmful nitrogen gases are released into the environment. Accurate detection of nitrogen levels — specifically, the loss of nitrogen in the form of a gas — can help farmers achieve optimal levels of fertilization for plant growth.

“Plant growth is also impacted by temperature, which influences the physical, chemical and microbiological processes in soil,” said co-author Li Yang, professor in the School of Artificial Intelligence at China’s Hebei University of Technology. “Continuous monitoring enables farmers to develop strategies and interventions when temperatures are too hot or too cold for their crops.”

Unfortunately, both gases and temperature — along with relative humidity variations — can cause changes in the resistance reading of the sensor, so the sensor cannot tell them apart. Sensing mechanisms that can obtain nitrogen gas and temperature measurements independent of each other are rarely reported, according to Cheng.
Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/984275

caltrek’s comment: It is actually rather heartening to see that there continues to be research cooperation between China and the U.S. despite all the barrages of cold war rhetoric that grabs the headlines.
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How Plants Cope with the Cold - and Why It Matters for Future Crops
March 30, 2023

Introduction:
(John Innes Center) On bright chilly mornings you can either snuggle down under the duvet or leap up and seize the day.

However, for photosynthesising plants, this kind of dawn spells danger, so they have evolved their own way of making cold mornings tolerable.
Research led by the John Innes Centre has discovered a cold “coping” mechanism that is under the control of the plant biological clock and could offer solutions to breeding more resilience into crops less suited to cold climates.

“We’ve identified a new process that helps plants tolerate cold. It’s controlled by the biological clock of plants, and we think it could be especially important on cold, bright mornings,” says Professor Antony Dodd, a group leader at the John Innes Centre.

“Crops such as winter wheat and winter oilseed rape experience cold temperatures for periods of their cultivation,” he continues. “We think that the mechanism that we have discovered could provide greater resilience of photosynthesis to cold temperatures. It represents an interesting target for future precision breeding of climate resilient crops.”
Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/984560
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A Solar Solution to the West’s Changing Climate
by Jane Palmer
March 17, 2023

Introduction:
(Ensia) The summer of 2022 was tough for farmers in the American West: Hot, dry conditions led snow to melt early, reservoirs to run low and streams to pare down to mere trickles. For many, that meant less water to grow crops and reduced yields. But Byron Kominek, a farm manager near Longmont, Colorado, enjoyed an abundant harvest of peppers, tomatoes, squash and lettuces.

When his family farm stopped making a profit, Kominek installed solar panels on the plot and invited Sprout City Farms to grow crops beneath them. It’s a setup known as agrivoltaics — where solar panels and agriculture occupy the same land — and the duo effectively harvests the sun twice, for both food and electricity.

Protected from the high midday sun, plants under panels become mini swamp coolers: As they open their pores to photosynthesize, water escapes from their leaves — creating a cooler microclimate. This reduction in heat increases the efficiency of the panels — even as the panels are sheltering the crops beneath from overexposure to the hot sun. Consequently, agrivoltaics can provide benefits to both farmers and electricity producers. In the past few years another possible advantage has come to the fore: crops grown under panels need less water.

“If you spilled your water in the shade versus the sun, where would it stay wet longer?” asks Greg Barron-Gafford, a University of Arizona professor who has helped set up the site as well as experimental agrivoltaic plots in Arizona, Africa and Israel.

At one such site, Biosphere 2 near Oracle, Arizona, Barron-Gafford has found that some crops beneath solar panels only need watering every couple of days, compared to every few hours for those grown in direct sunlight. Agrivoltaic cherry tomatoes proved 65% more water efficient than those grown under an open sky, for example, and the total fruit production doubled. Researchers are now scrutinizing how different spacings of panels are impacting the water needs of a range of crops in the hot, dry climate of the Sonoran Desert.
Read more here: https://ensia.com/features/solar-panel ... -climate/
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