Monday links
December 04, 2017
What’s the latest in the fields of agriculture, food safety, animal science and toxicology? Check it out here.
Animal Science:
Getting a better handle on methane emissions from livestock — American Chemical Society
Livestock contribute a hefty portion to the average person’s diet, but at a cost to the environment: a lot of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Just how much gas the animals release, however, is the subject of debate. Now, one group reports that a new approach could shed light on how accurate current data are.
History of dairy cow breeds: Red and White — Michigan State University
Have you ever looked at a dairy cow and wondered about the history of the breed? Red and White cattle are unique because they have genetics from several different breeds of dairy cows. Most Red and White cows are Holstein cattle, but they may also have genetics from other cattle that have reddish coats.
Food Safety:
Experts say food has key national security role — Agri-Pulse
A cadre of scholars has set out to demonstrate a clear linkage between food security and national security, not only in developed nations but also — and especially — in developing and war-torn countries.
5 burning questions about the rise in foodborne illness — Food Safety Tech
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of foodborne illness outbreaks resulting from imported foods increased from 2005 to 2010. What can we do to stop the spread of foodborne illness, and why is it on the rise?
Agriculture:
Drought-resistant plant genes could accelerate evolution of water-efficient crops — Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Scientists at the Department of Energy have identified a common set of genes that enable different drought-resistant plants to survive in semi-arid conditions, which could play a significant role in bioengineering and creating energy crops that are tolerant to water deficits.
Thin tidings: Christmas tree supply tightening as demand increases — AgWeek
Customers who wait until the last minute to get a Christmas tree may not have much to choose from as suppliers deal with a tightening market, industry leaders said this week. Parts of the U.S. may see a lower supply than normal.
Toxicology:
Massachusetts considers courtroom opioid ban — The Patriot Ledger
The potency of certain opioid painkillers has Massachusetts’ judiciary considering whether to ban the substances from being brought into courtrooms as evidence, a move some experts say is driven by a misunderstanding of the real dangers.
Offbeat:
More mammoth bones recovered from Michigan farm — University of Michigan
Paleontologists conducted a second investigation this week at a Michigan farm — which has now been renamed Mammoth Acres — where the skull, tusks and dozens of intact bones of an ice age mammoth were pulled from the ground in 2015.
Animal Science:
Getting a better handle on methane emissions from livestock — American Chemical Society
Livestock contribute a hefty portion to the average person’s diet, but at a cost to the environment: a lot of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Just how much gas the animals release, however, is the subject of debate. Now, one group reports that a new approach could shed light on how accurate current data are.
History of dairy cow breeds: Red and White — Michigan State University
Have you ever looked at a dairy cow and wondered about the history of the breed? Red and White cattle are unique because they have genetics from several different breeds of dairy cows. Most Red and White cows are Holstein cattle, but they may also have genetics from other cattle that have reddish coats.
Food Safety:
Experts say food has key national security role — Agri-Pulse
A cadre of scholars has set out to demonstrate a clear linkage between food security and national security, not only in developed nations but also — and especially — in developing and war-torn countries.
5 burning questions about the rise in foodborne illness — Food Safety Tech
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of foodborne illness outbreaks resulting from imported foods increased from 2005 to 2010. What can we do to stop the spread of foodborne illness, and why is it on the rise?
Agriculture:
Drought-resistant plant genes could accelerate evolution of water-efficient crops — Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Scientists at the Department of Energy have identified a common set of genes that enable different drought-resistant plants to survive in semi-arid conditions, which could play a significant role in bioengineering and creating energy crops that are tolerant to water deficits.
Thin tidings: Christmas tree supply tightening as demand increases — AgWeek
Customers who wait until the last minute to get a Christmas tree may not have much to choose from as suppliers deal with a tightening market, industry leaders said this week. Parts of the U.S. may see a lower supply than normal.
Toxicology:
Massachusetts considers courtroom opioid ban — The Patriot Ledger
The potency of certain opioid painkillers has Massachusetts’ judiciary considering whether to ban the substances from being brought into courtrooms as evidence, a move some experts say is driven by a misunderstanding of the real dangers.
Offbeat:
More mammoth bones recovered from Michigan farm — University of Michigan
Paleontologists conducted a second investigation this week at a Michigan farm — which has now been renamed Mammoth Acres — where the skull, tusks and dozens of intact bones of an ice age mammoth were pulled from the ground in 2015.
Category: Food Safety, Agriculture