A recent study published in the Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science evaluated the impact of organic and conventional management systems on soil health in rice fields growing basmati rice in India. Researchers found that under organic management, soils had improved physical, chemical and biological properties indicative of soil health. For example, organic rice […]

The opinion piece, “Eliminate the double standard in conventional and organic pesticide perceptions” published by Ryan Tipps on the Ag Daily website misses the mark when looking at pesticide use on organic and conventional crops.  Research consistently shows that organic food has fewer pesticide residues on it, which make sense, because organic farmers can’t use […]

A new study published in the scientific journal Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment has found that organic vineyards in Spain are home to more butterflies and plants than their conventional counterparts. Researchers surveyed butterflies, plants, moths, and birds in organically farmed vineyards and conventional vineyards. They also collected additional focused biodiversity survey data for the grass […]

The majority of research on the effects of neonicotinoid pesticides on bees is conducted almost exclusively on one species—the European honeybee. To understand if these effects hold constant across other bee species, researchers conducted laboratory tests on four different bumblebees species to understand the effects of exposure to neonicotinoids at doses that bees would be […]

A new study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health has found that exposure to multiple neurotoxic pesticides near the homes of pregnant women in farming communities is associated with lower IQs in their children. Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley investigated the effect of prenatal exposure to multiple pesticides […]