Scientists at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have developed new cooling technology that promises to enhance crop yields and introduce new crops to arid regions like Saudi Arabia at affordable costs. The study can be read in Nexus.

The study shows how the technology, which is a combination of nanotech plastic and biodegradable mulch, lowers the temperature of miniature greenhouses in Saudi Arabia by 25 degrees Celsius and nearly doubles crop yields. In addition, it does so sustainably, as far less energy is consumed than that normally required to maintain greenhouses.

A major new UK study warns that evolving swine flu viruses in Europe could pose a serious future pandemic threat if left unchecked.

The Royal Veterinary College's (RVC) study emphasises the urgent need for robust pandemic preparedness and vaccine effectiveness in both animals and humans.

Swine flu is widespread in pig farming, affecting an estimated 50% of UK production pigs, although human cases remain rare.

Farmers and growers across England are being asked to help shape a major government-backed review into farming profitability, led by former NFU president Baroness Minette Batters.

In an open letter published this week, Baroness Batters urged industry bodies to identify the biggest barriers to farm profitability and submit evidence and practical solutions by 11 July.

“I want to be radical and embrace ‘blue sky thinking’ about what can be done differently,” she said. “But the solutions must be deliverable in the world we live in – not the world we’d like to live in.”

Defra and Apha would struggle to cope with a more severe outbreak of animal disease owing to a lack of Government planning, a new report has revealed.

The latest study from National Audit Office (NAO) said factors such as climate change and anti-microbial resistance mean disease outbreaks are becoming increasingly frequent, leaving livestock more vulnerable. Yet despite this, the Government lacked an action plan to improve resilience or meet the challenges.

Scientists are racing to develop the innovations that could save British farming from disaster as the UK faces its harshest drought in nearly 70 years.

As the UK sees its driest spring since 1956, researchers at the James Hutton Institute have highlighted their vital role in helping agriculture cope and to prepare for future challenges.

Cutting-edge techniques such as marker-assisted selection, genomic selection, gene editing, and precision breeding are used to identify and tweak genes that control drought response. Meanwhile, drones and sensors provide real-time monitoring to accelerate development of climate-resilient crops in field conditions.

A parched spring has left UK crops under stress, with key cereals already showing signs of reduced yield and farmers bracing for a challenging harvest.

This is according to the latest analysis from AHDB and RSK ADAS Ltd, which warns that the prolonged spell of dry weather has put considerable strain on crop development.

As of late May, only 36% of winter wheat crops were rated in good or excellent condition, a significant drop from 60% just one month earlier.

To achieve the European Green Deal's goal of 25% organic agriculture by 2030, researchers argue that new genomic techniques (NGTs) should be allowed without pre-market authorization in organic as well as conventional food production.

NGTs—also known as gene editing—are classified under the umbrella of GMOs, but they involve more subtle genetic tweaks. In an opinion paper published in Cell Reports Sustainability, researchers describe how NGTs could enable rapid development of crops that are climate-resilient, produce higher yields, and require less fertilizers and pesticides.

"This is an excellent opportunity to modernize European agriculture, to make it more science-based, and to support the goal of improving sustainability inside the European Union," says first author Alexandra Molitorisová, a food law researcher at the University of Bayreuth.

Global wheat yields are around 10% lower than they would have been without the influence of climate change, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The research, which analysed climate and crop data over the past 50 years, highlights the growing impact of hotter and drier conditions on staple crops worldwide.

The study, referenced in reports by Carbon Brief and other outlets, used climate datasets and crop models to compare yields with and without climate change effects across key grain-producing countries including China, the EU, Russia, the US, Canada, Argentina, and Brazil.

According to the findings, yields for barley fell by 12-14%, wheat by 8-12%, and maize by around 4%. The impact on soya beans was less clear, with reductions ranging between 2% and 8%, while rice yields showed mixed results.

Domestic wheat growers could be set to lose a vital market if Associated British Foods decides to shut down Vivergo Fuels, its bioethanol plant near Hull, East Yorkshire.

The company has indicated that, following the US trade deal, the site could be forced to shut within a matter of weeks if the government does not intervene and stop the UK being undercut by cheaper US ethanol imports.

Vivergo Fuels is the UK’s largest bioethanol plant. It is capable of processing more than 1m tonnes of wheat annually, the equivalent to 9% of the total UK wheat crop last year. The plant is also the UK’s largest single source animal feed supplier, producing roughly 400,000t of feed, alongside 420m litres of bioethanol.

Farmers have said they face losing harvests because crucial agricultural chemicals will be banned under Labour’s deal with the European Union.

The UK will have to ban almost 30 widely used pesticides and fungicides after Sir Keir Starmer committed Britain to following EU laws.

Growers warned that removing them could lead to significant falls in food production, further eroding their already tight profit margins.