Perennial rice takes root: With 36,000 acres planted, researchers at Yunnan University in China say their perennial rice requires less labor while yielding as much grain as annually planted rice. (NPR)
Seven pesticides a day: Urine samples obtained as part of the Heartland Study indicate that most people in the Midwest have been exposed to seven or more pesticides on a near-daily basis, said speakers at the American Public Health Association meeting. (Heartland Health Research Alliance)
Buy catfish, help farmers: The USDA should make a “major purchase” of domestically grown catfish to help farmers in the South cope with high feed prices and slowdowns at processing plants, said lawmakers from Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama. (Boozman)
Drought in U.S. intensifies: Below-normal rainfall and above-average temperatures intensified drought conditions in many regions of the U.S. last month. (NOAA)
Seed experiment in space: Two UN agencies are sending sorghum and arabidopsis seeds to the International Space Station in an experiment to see if the low temperatures and microgravity will produce traits that would help crops adapt to climate change. (FAO)