State of Science :: Environment

 

Habitat Destruction Driven by Misguided Efforts to Promote Food Safety
These pictures tell a thousand words.

Buyers of fresh cut leafy greens are forcing California farmers to pursue a "bare-earth" policy that is bad for the environment, wildlfie, and farmers. Even worse, removing habaitat and grass cover is more likely to increase food safety risks than reduce them.

 

Scientists Estimate That Pesticides are Reducing Legume Crop Yields by ONE-THIRD Through Impaired Nitrogen Fixation
The impacts of pesticides on nitrogen fixation by Rhizobia bacteria is much greater than previously thought. An important new study links this impairment of signalling processes within plants, and between plants and soil bacteria, to pesticides and other soil contaminants.

 

Organic Farming Improves Soil Quality
Nine long-term trials show that after an average of 10 years organic farming increases soil organic matter content by about 14% compared to conventional farming.

 

Assessing Soil Quality in Organic Agriculture
Tracking and managing changes in soil quality as farmland is transitioned from conventional to organic production is among the critical challenges facing farmers. This "Critical Issue Report" (CIR) was written by two leading Agricultural Research Service scientists, describes a "minimum data set" approach to manage changes in soil quality.

 

Impacts of Organic Farming on the Efficiency of Energy Use in Agriculture
State of Science Review on the impacts of organic production systems on the efficiency of energy use in farm production.