Steve
@steveharing.bsky.social
Independent agronomist 🌾🌱 Undisciplined scientist 🔬🧩 Apple grower 🍎🚜 Nature lover 🌎🌄
VirginiaAg.com
VirginiaAg.com
Reposted by Steve
🍇 From UC Davis: Study finds cabernet sauvignon still carries stable epigenetic marks from its parent varieties, revealing centuries-long molecular memory in clonally propagated vines. (Dario Cantù, Carole Meredith)
▶️ www.ucdavis.edu/food/news/ca...
#Viticulture #Genetics
▶️ www.ucdavis.edu/food/news/ca...
#Viticulture #Genetics
Cabernet Sauvignon’s Long Memory Revealed
UC Davis scientists find chemical "switches" that control gene expression in cabernet sauvignon remain stable across hundreds of years of clonal reproduction.
www.ucdavis.edu
November 18, 2025 at 7:14 PM
🍇 From UC Davis: Study finds cabernet sauvignon still carries stable epigenetic marks from its parent varieties, revealing centuries-long molecular memory in clonally propagated vines. (Dario Cantù, Carole Meredith)
▶️ www.ucdavis.edu/food/news/ca...
#Viticulture #Genetics
▶️ www.ucdavis.edu/food/news/ca...
#Viticulture #Genetics
"He is laser-focused on not just the idea of place, but also the practical implications of achieving it." www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2025/11/loca...
Local biodiversity proves the secret to new Viña Artesano wines
Viña Artesano has researched local flora to help its sustainably made wines become "the most Mendoza wines you can make".
www.thedrinksbusiness.com
November 18, 2025 at 1:52 AM
"He is laser-focused on not just the idea of place, but also the practical implications of achieving it." www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2025/11/loca...
A legendary randonneur www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2025/11/77-y...
77-year-old French cyclist survives three days in ravine with wine
A 77-year-old man from southern France has survived three days trapped in a ravine after a 40-metre fall, sustained only by the contents of his shopping bag, including bottles of wine.
www.thedrinksbusiness.com
November 18, 2025 at 1:48 AM
A legendary randonneur www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2025/11/77-y...
'Lavender oil repelled spotted lanternfly in early September on Vitis hybrid ‘Traminette’... We also observed SLF shift preference to V. hybrid ‘Traminette’ over V. vinifera ‘Syrah’ in late September, which may be attributed to cultivar preference or senescence timing...' doi.org/10.1093/jee/...
Potential for plant-derived semiochemicals to repel spotted lanternfly (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) from cultivated grapevines
Abstract. Spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula White [Hemiptera: Fulgoridae]) is a large piercing-sucking insect, native to Asia and invasive in the Unit
doi.org
November 17, 2025 at 2:33 PM
'Lavender oil repelled spotted lanternfly in early September on Vitis hybrid ‘Traminette’... We also observed SLF shift preference to V. hybrid ‘Traminette’ over V. vinifera ‘Syrah’ in late September, which may be attributed to cultivar preference or senescence timing...' doi.org/10.1093/jee/...
"Pollinator-dependent crops benefited from diverse landscapes and greater temperature variability, whereas non-dependent crops showed more stable yields under simpler cropping systems and stable temperatures." doi.org/10.1111/1365...
Landscape and crop diversity contributes to greater yield stability
These findings underscore the importance of promoting crop diversity and maintaining heterogeneous agricultural landscapes, particularly in pollinator-dependent crops. Promoting diverse agricultural ....
doi.org
November 14, 2025 at 4:53 PM
"Pollinator-dependent crops benefited from diverse landscapes and greater temperature variability, whereas non-dependent crops showed more stable yields under simpler cropping systems and stable temperatures." doi.org/10.1111/1365...
"Soil health" is a term that has really started emerging in research over the last decade doi.org/10.1002/saj2...
Is soil health research meeting its potential? Analysis of studies in California and implications for ecosystem services
Soil health studies often overlook the physical dimension. Research on soil quality has been equally or more comprehensive than soil health. Biological indicators gained importance in soil health as...
doi.org
November 13, 2025 at 7:32 PM
"Soil health" is a term that has really started emerging in research over the last decade doi.org/10.1002/saj2...
Downwind Drift from Grape Airblast Spray Applications: Field Evaluation to Support Mechanistic Model Development
doi.org/10.5344/ajev.2025.25005 Air blast sprayers producing meaningful drift 500'+ downwind from application
doi.org/10.5344/ajev.2025.25005 Air blast sprayers producing meaningful drift 500'+ downwind from application
Downwind Drift from Grape Airblast Spray Applications: Field Evaluation to Support Mechanistic Model Development
Background and goals Pesticide drift and its potential for human and environmental exposure are of significant concern during vineyard airblast spray applications. This study aimed to quantify drift f...
doi.org
November 6, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Downwind Drift from Grape Airblast Spray Applications: Field Evaluation to Support Mechanistic Model Development
doi.org/10.5344/ajev.2025.25005 Air blast sprayers producing meaningful drift 500'+ downwind from application
doi.org/10.5344/ajev.2025.25005 Air blast sprayers producing meaningful drift 500'+ downwind from application
Got some wildflower test plots planted in my home orchard ahead of this afternoon's rain
October 29, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Got some wildflower test plots planted in my home orchard ahead of this afternoon's rain
Got some Kernza and Salish blue in the ground for a small perennial wheat trial I'm running here in Central VA. Looking forward to seeing what comes up
October 24, 2025 at 11:49 AM
Got some Kernza and Salish blue in the ground for a small perennial wheat trial I'm running here in Central VA. Looking forward to seeing what comes up
Identifying deep leverage points to destabilize ‘lock-in’ and empower farmers in the Midwestern agrifood system
doi.org/10.1007/s104... "the objective of this is not the production itself; the objective is for people to thrive, beginning with the farmers, the people that do this."
doi.org/10.1007/s104... "the objective of this is not the production itself; the objective is for people to thrive, beginning with the farmers, the people that do this."
Identifying deep leverage points to destabilize ‘lock-in’ and empower farmers in the Midwestern agrifood system - Agriculture and Human Values
Agricultural systems in the Upper Midwest region of the US are highly productive by some measures. Yet at the same time, these systems do not adequately sustain farmers, rural communities, or land and...
doi.org
October 22, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Identifying deep leverage points to destabilize ‘lock-in’ and empower farmers in the Midwestern agrifood system
doi.org/10.1007/s104... "the objective of this is not the production itself; the objective is for people to thrive, beginning with the farmers, the people that do this."
doi.org/10.1007/s104... "the objective of this is not the production itself; the objective is for people to thrive, beginning with the farmers, the people that do this."
Reposted by Steve
UC Davis scientists developed wheat plants that stimulate the production of their own fertilizer by using the gene-editing tool CRISPR, opening the path toward less air and water pollution worldwide and lower costs for farmers: ucdav.is/471PBwz
#FromLabsToLives #SpeakUp4Science
#FromLabsToLives #SpeakUp4Science
Wheat That Makes Its Own Fertilizer
UC Davis scientists have developed wheat plants that produce their own fertilizer, opening the door for less air and water pollution and lower costs for farmers.
ucdav.is
October 21, 2025 at 10:28 PM
UC Davis scientists developed wheat plants that stimulate the production of their own fertilizer by using the gene-editing tool CRISPR, opening the path toward less air and water pollution worldwide and lower costs for farmers: ucdav.is/471PBwz
#FromLabsToLives #SpeakUp4Science
#FromLabsToLives #SpeakUp4Science
Amino acids as fertilizer for agronomic crops: The next green revolution? doi.org/10.1002/agj2... "…results could point the way for the development of agronomic fertilizers produced by biosynthesis as opposed to the Haber–Bosch process and a positively charged N source that would resist leaching…"
Amino acids as fertilizer for agronomic crops: The next green revolution?
Amino acids could potentially replace inorganic fertilizers for agronomic crops. Corn (Zea mays L.) grows equally well with L-lysine as the N source as with ammonium nitrate. The positively charged ...
doi.org
October 21, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Amino acids as fertilizer for agronomic crops: The next green revolution? doi.org/10.1002/agj2... "…results could point the way for the development of agronomic fertilizers produced by biosynthesis as opposed to the Haber–Bosch process and a positively charged N source that would resist leaching…"
Reposted by Steve
Are you familiar with "microbials," the tiny biological products being sold to farmers with the promise of higher yields and greater plant health? It's a promising billion-dollar industry — without much oversight.
Researcher Brianna Almeida digs in:
ambrook.com/offrange/tec...
Researcher Brianna Almeida digs in:
ambrook.com/offrange/tec...
Should Farmers Use Microbial Biological Products? It Depends. - Offrange
Microbial products made for improving crop growth, also known as biologicals, are a billion-dollar industry, but the promises touted by these products might be too good to be true.
ambrook.com
October 19, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Are you familiar with "microbials," the tiny biological products being sold to farmers with the promise of higher yields and greater plant health? It's a promising billion-dollar industry — without much oversight.
Researcher Brianna Almeida digs in:
ambrook.com/offrange/tec...
Researcher Brianna Almeida digs in:
ambrook.com/offrange/tec...
Reposted by Steve
Today we celebrate #WorldFoodDay & the 80th anniversary of @fao.org!
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN provides crucial data to understand food & agricultural systems around the world & how they’re changing.
Much of our work on these topics would not be possible without them.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN provides crucial data to understand food & agricultural systems around the world & how they’re changing.
Much of our work on these topics would not be possible without them.
October 16, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Today we celebrate #WorldFoodDay & the 80th anniversary of @fao.org!
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN provides crucial data to understand food & agricultural systems around the world & how they’re changing.
Much of our work on these topics would not be possible without them.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN provides crucial data to understand food & agricultural systems around the world & how they’re changing.
Much of our work on these topics would not be possible without them.
"The concept of multifunctional agriculture often focuses on reconciling food production with other ecosystem services... In this paper, we take multifunctionality not as a goal but as a starting point, inherent to agriculture." doi.org/10.1007/s10460-025-10789-y
The farmer I want to be: farmers’ role identity in multifunctional agricultural landscapes - Agriculture and Human Values
Farmers (are expected to) fulfil diverse economic, environmental, and social roles or functions. Yet the relative importance of these functions remains contested both within farming communities and in...
doi.org
October 14, 2025 at 7:06 PM
"The concept of multifunctional agriculture often focuses on reconciling food production with other ecosystem services... In this paper, we take multifunctionality not as a goal but as a starting point, inherent to agriculture." doi.org/10.1007/s10460-025-10789-y
Kind of wild to see reports looking back at declines in US ag over the last 5-10 years and think about how we've continued to double down on this decline over the last ~9 months
www.agdaily.com/crops/study-...
www.agdaily.com/crops/study-...
Study: Long the world's ag powerhouse, U.S. now looking more flabby
A new University of Illinois and Texas Tech study warns that U.S. farm exports are slipping amid trade tensions and rising global competition.
www.agdaily.com
October 14, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Kind of wild to see reports looking back at declines in US ag over the last 5-10 years and think about how we've continued to double down on this decline over the last ~9 months
www.agdaily.com/crops/study-...
www.agdaily.com/crops/study-...
Reposted by Steve
Does the news reflect what we die from?
October 7, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Does the news reflect what we die from?
Reposted by Steve
In 2020, wildfires in California and Oregon cost the U.S. wine industry an estimated $3.7 billion in losses. And with climate change fueling ever longer, drier fire seasons, winemakers are desperate for new defenses.
Now, a new study offers a surprising new lead. https://scim.ag/42m7vHB
Now, a new study offers a surprising new lead. https://scim.ag/42m7vHB
Wildfire smoke is charring your wine. This microbe could help
Bacteria already living on grapes can break down smoky chemicals that wreck flavor
scim.ag
October 3, 2025 at 9:57 PM
In 2020, wildfires in California and Oregon cost the U.S. wine industry an estimated $3.7 billion in losses. And with climate change fueling ever longer, drier fire seasons, winemakers are desperate for new defenses.
Now, a new study offers a surprising new lead. https://scim.ag/42m7vHB
Now, a new study offers a surprising new lead. https://scim.ag/42m7vHB
USDA funding delays under Trump compromise agricultural research doi.org/10.1126/science.z6m1yp4 "We are all juggling"
USDA funding delays under Trump compromise agricultural research
Sharp drop in grant awards leaves researchers frustrated
doi.org
October 2, 2025 at 2:57 PM
USDA funding delays under Trump compromise agricultural research doi.org/10.1126/science.z6m1yp4 "We are all juggling"
Great article on peasants as environmental stewards. aeon.co/essays/the-p... Peasants are central to agroecology, but we have a complicated relationship with the term in the US. Read to the end for a poignant quote that might resonate with a lot of US farmers
The planet, and human social life, depend on peasant farmers | Aeon Essays
Far from being a relic of the past, peasants are vital to feeding the world. They need to be supported, not marginalised
aeon.co
October 2, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Great article on peasants as environmental stewards. aeon.co/essays/the-p... Peasants are central to agroecology, but we have a complicated relationship with the term in the US. Read to the end for a poignant quote that might resonate with a lot of US farmers
Empirical evidence supports neither land sparing nor land sharing as the main strategy to manage agriculture–biodiversity tradeoffs doi.org/10.1093/pnas... ¿por que no los dos?
Validate User
doi.org
September 22, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Empirical evidence supports neither land sparing nor land sharing as the main strategy to manage agriculture–biodiversity tradeoffs doi.org/10.1093/pnas... ¿por que no los dos?
Reposted by Steve
“The 40th anniversary concert comes at an auspicious time, as American farmers face perhaps the bleakest economic conditions since the 1980s farm crisis that spurred the first Farm Aid.”
Farm Aid Turns 40 and Returns to Crisis Mode
www.nytimes.com
September 19, 2025 at 4:43 PM
“The 40th anniversary concert comes at an auspicious time, as American farmers face perhaps the bleakest economic conditions since the 1980s farm crisis that spurred the first Farm Aid.”
Reposted by Steve
Seed banks are critical for preserving the genetic diversity of imperiled plants. But did you know there are some species--including up to a third of Hawai‘i’s at-risk plant species--whose seeds simply cannot be banked? How do we save those?
Enter: pollen banking.
Enter: pollen banking.
Banking on Pollen
When seed saving doesn’t work, pollen may be the answer to preserving botanical heritage.
www.biographic.com
September 11, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Seed banks are critical for preserving the genetic diversity of imperiled plants. But did you know there are some species--including up to a third of Hawai‘i’s at-risk plant species--whose seeds simply cannot be banked? How do we save those?
Enter: pollen banking.
Enter: pollen banking.
Reposted by Steve
Nature reports on the momentum that is building in Europe for regenerative agriculture, a set of approaches that could help farms to weather the changing climate and make them more profitable. #plantscience 🧪
A revolution is sweeping Europe’s farms: can it save agriculture?
Momentum is building for regenerative agriculture, a set of approaches that could help farms to weather the changing climate and make them more profitable.
go.nature.com
September 13, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Nature reports on the momentum that is building in Europe for regenerative agriculture, a set of approaches that could help farms to weather the changing climate and make them more profitable. #plantscience 🧪
Herbivores induce plant chemical defenses based on the identity of their attacking parasitoid doi.org/10.1002/oik.... "...we found evidence for specific plant responses to feeding by different herbivore–parasitoid combinations that was... dependent on parasitoid identity."
Herbivores induce plant chemical defenses based on the identity of their attacking parasitoid
Many parasitoids increase plant fitness by decreasing herbivore feeding damage. Solitary parasitoids (where only one individual completes development per host) generally cause their hosts to feed les...
doi.org
September 19, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Herbivores induce plant chemical defenses based on the identity of their attacking parasitoid doi.org/10.1002/oik.... "...we found evidence for specific plant responses to feeding by different herbivore–parasitoid combinations that was... dependent on parasitoid identity."