Agriculture
Silage: Rocket-fuel for cows
Silage provides key nutrition for livestock and allows farmers to manage feed - we ask University of Melbourne experts what it is, and why it smells?
Talking dirty: The conversation between plants and soil
Nitrogen pollution caused by farming practices is a major problem, but University of Melbourne research has discovered an environmentally friendly alternative.
The grand challenge of feeding 9 billion people
Sustainable agriculture expert Tim Reeves on the radical changes required in agricultural practice, public policy and consumer behaviour to feed Earth.
From Burundi to Australia: Transplanting farming know-how
Former Burundian refugees in rural Mildura are helping University of Melbourne researchers discover how different farming methods could be used in Australia.
Losing respect for our food
With increasing populations worldwide, greater demand for meat and an array of environmental issues, agriculture is facing a perfect storm of challenges.
Save our soils: Why dirt matters
Soil health is vital for human nutrition and the environment, but we manage it poorly; around two thirds of Australian agricultural land has unhealthy soil.
Genetic snip and snap
Molecular biologist Professor Jacob Corn on the benefits and ethical challenges of CRISPR gene editing technology, covering human health and food security.
Finding quinoa’s sweet spot to feed the world
The sequencing of the quinoa genome has created an opportunity to breed a quinoa plant that isn't just a superfood, but a sustainable super crop.
Global warming’s companion crisis
Environmental physicist Mark Sutton on how our fast-growing 'nitrogen footprint' from agriculture and industry is threatening our health.
Global food security under threat from crop and livestock diseases
Infectious diseases expert Professor John Fazakerley, of the University of Melbourne, on getting to grips with threats to global food security.