Agriculture articles from across Nature Portfolio

Reductions in meat consumption require dietary shifts and structural changes to our food system. Yet, a simple measure such as reducing the size of meat portions can already have an impact — and may help kick-off a longer-term shift.

By comparing related plants, researchers have identified a cause of a switch in gene expression that enabled a more efficient form of photosynthesis to evolve — paving the way for engineering crops that are more productive.

A genetic regulator of tomato sweetness has been identified through comparison of wild and domesticated varieties of the plant. Genetically engineering tomatoes to alter this gene increases sugar content without affecting fruit size.

Two major discourses for agricultural sustainability, agroecology and sustainable intensification, have produced extensive research bases, but do not engage or overlap with each other. This analysis examines how these ‘silos’ may hamper further research.

Alternate wetting and drying (AWD) optimizes water use in rice cultivation. This study shows that a soil water potential-based AWD scheme could minimize yield loss while increasing water productivity in 37% of global irrigated rice areas.

Single-nucleus RNA sequencing gives insights into heterogeneity during bovine skeletal muscle differentiation, informing the design of improved medium formulations for cultivated meat production.

European agricultural subsidies are mainly allocated to rural regions where agriculture is intensified such as southern Europe, the Lowlands, and the Balkans, instead of Nordic and Central Europe which are more sustainable, according to a spatial hotspot analysis of 24 sustainability indicators

There are continuing questions on how much investments in land-based mitigation activities could deliver in terms of abatement. This study shows that annual investments of $2.4billion in the U.S. land could deliver abatement of around 80 MtCO2e/yr.

The Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) is a global movement, launched in 2023, to improve human nutrition in the face of a changing climate and degraded lands. VACS emphasizes an integrated approach to investments in crops and soils, concentrating on the potential of traditional and indigenous ‘opportunity crops’. VACS also addresses priorities, including climate change and drought, biodiversity, soil fertility, gender equality and women’s empowerment, water, sanitation and health.

Dramatic improvements in soil health are necessary to increase agricultural production and reduce crop failures. We provide recommendations for scaling of soil health and fertility management in Africa through practical approaches to prioritization, evidence-based policy and effective extension.

Sustainable-development researcher Olena Melnyk talks about moving her life and research career from Ukraine to Switzerland.

Reductions in meat consumption require dietary shifts and structural changes to our food system. Yet, a simple measure such as reducing the size of meat portions can already have an impact — and may help kick-off a longer-term shift.

By comparing related plants, researchers have identified a cause of a switch in gene expression that enabled a more efficient form of photosynthesis to evolve — paving the way for engineering crops that are more productive.

A genetic regulator of tomato sweetness has been identified through comparison of wild and domesticated varieties of the plant. Genetically engineering tomatoes to alter this gene increases sugar content without affecting fruit size.