Air pollution interferes with pollination
Butterflies and bees may be confused by common air pollutants, study shows.
Pollinators like bees and butterflies are responsible for one in every three bites we eat. These insects already face...
Agriculture
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Ozone pollution responsible for billions in crop losses
A new analysis reveals massive wheat, rice and corn crop damage across East Asia.
A Chinese-led team of researchers has found that ozone pollution is causing an estimated AU$87 billion in crop damage...
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11 alcohol stories to get you up bright and early on New Year’s Day
Big night? It won’t help, but here are some fun facts about alcohol.
Happy New Year and welcome to 2022! Whether or not you had a party last night, we can all agree the science of ethano...
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5 cow stories to get you in the Christmas moo-d
Here are our five favourite cow science stories that cropped up in 2021.
Eggnog. Cream-covered pavlova. A traditional Aussie barbeque. All these Christmas feast foods require one very imp...
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Sparkling science
If you reach for a glass of bubbly this festive season, take a moment to savour the sophisticated...
Taste a glass of sparkling wine and uncork the science. Some of the 49 million bubbles found in each bottle will hit ...
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The fluctuating fortunes of La Niña
The La Niña weather cycle is here for another year. What does that mean for our grain harvest?
The sky is blue, it’s hot but not too hot, and there’s a gentle breeze in the air. It’s perfect harvest weather. “...
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Video
Want to get into backyard farming?
Is urban agriculture just a nice idea, or a plausible reality?
With half of the world’s population now living in cities, a number that is projected to reach two-thirds in the comin...
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Video
Nature, food and kinship
How has the unique Australian landscape shaped foodways, plant use and kinship systems among Abor...
Bringing Aboriginal food and plant knowledge to a new audience Most people know that Australia is home to many uni...
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Video
Soil carbon sequestration: how will it work?
How much carbon can we farm back into the earth?
Soil carbon sequestration seems like a win for everyone: it improves soil quality, removes CO2 from the atmosphere, a...
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Explainer
What is ‘soil carbon’, and why are we hoping it will mitigate climate change?
It’s part of the federal government’s net-zero plan, but does it really live up to the hype?
A major part of the federal government’s net zero plan is soil carbon sequestration. What is soil carbon, and can it ...
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Chickpea gene collection a boon for world agriculture
Comprehensive genetic library of chickpeas gives one the world’s oldest, and most commonly grown,...
Chickpeas are about to get a whole lot better, because an international team of researchers, including Australian res...
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Women are changing the rules of Australian agriculture
Motivated by social and environmental justice, women are challenging traditional stereotypes and ...
Olympia Yarger’s farming day starts at sunrise. By eight in the morning, she has already collected the eggs. Next, sh...