News in Farm to Fork
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NewsStudy finds high rates of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in raw milk
Raw cow and sheep milk is frequently contaminated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria that could pose a threat to human and animal health, reports a new study.
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NewsBiochar and wetter soils offer breakthrough path to slash farm emissions without cutting crop yields
Raising groundwater levels and adding biochar to agricultural peat soils could dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining healthy crop production, according to a new study from Bangor University. The study, published in Biochar (2025), tested how water table management and biochar, a charcoal-like soil additive made ...
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NewsFriendly soil microbes can boost protein in staple crops
Researchers investigated how a bacterium naturally found in the soil that is beneficial to human health can enhance the levels of the amino acid and antioxidant ergothioneine in spring wheat.
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NewsFertilizer boosts soil’s ability to lock away carbon
The 180-year experiment at Rothamsted — the world’s longest-running agricultural trial — has revealed that long-term application of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilisers can significantly increase the amount of carbon stored in farmland soils, helping to mitigate climate change.
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NewsNew study reveals diverse threats from Avian E. coli
New research has determined why various strains of Avian Pathogenic E. coli behave so differently. The study analysed a colibacillosis outbreak in turkeys in the UK, and found a strain called ST-101 was the dominant cause of the outbreak, accounting for nearly 60% of cases.
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NewsRoot chemistry determines how antibiotic resistance spreads from manure to crops
Researchers found that the rhizosphere, the narrow soil zone surrounding plant roots, is a major hotspot for the accumulation of manure-derived ARGs. Across eight common crops, ARG abundance in rhizosphere soil was on average 1.24 times higher than in bulk soil.
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NewsScientists develop safer and more sustainable antimicrobials to prevent infection of cow udders
A new study has unveiled an alternative class of potent antimicrobial compounds that could be used in the agriculture industry to combat multi-drug-resistant bacteria that cause bovine mastitis.
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NewsPoultry growers: Have you checked your water lines lately?
Water quality could impact the kind of microbial populations in poultry drinking water lines and lead to the buildup of a biofilm that can harbor pathogenic bacteria like Salmonella, according to a new study.
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NewsDo imported cut flowers spread livestock viruses?
A study investigated whether Culicoides biting midges are being accidentally exported from Africa to Europe in shipments of cut flowers. Although researchers did detect small numbers of these insects near and inside greenhouses on a Kenyan flower farm, they found none in packaging or transport areas.
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NewsBiodegradable microplastics rewire carbon storage in farm fields
A pioneering two-year field study has revealed that biodegradable microplastics, often hailed as eco-friendly alternatives to conventional plastics, are quietly reshaping the chemistry of farmland soils in unexpected and complex ways. They attracted a special group of microbes known as K-strategists—slow-growing, efficient decomposers.
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NewsViruses help cut farm greenhouse gas emissions by targeting soil microbes
A new study reveals that soil viruses can reduce nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions by selectively infecting the microbes responsible for producing this potent greenhouse gas.
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NewsCheese fungi color changes help unlock secrets of evolution
Color changes in fungi on cheese rinds point to specific molecular mechanisms of genetic adaptation—and sometimes a tastier cheese.
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NewsResearchers capture new antibiotic resistance mechanisms with trace amounts of DNA
Scientists have developed a method to isolate genes from amounts of microbial DNA so tiny that it would take 20,000 samples to weigh as much as a single grain of sugar.
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NewsNovel Bocaparvovirus identified in goats in China
Researchers identified a novel Bocaparvovirus in goat fecal samples using metagenomic techniques, with detection in goats from 3 regions in China: Sichuan, Hunan and Chongqing.