Food & Agriculture

CCE helps NYS gardeners test their soil for nutrients, contaminants

Cornell Cooperative Extension Harvest New York runs the Community Gardens Soil Testing Program, which offers free test results and advice to home gardeners anywhere in the state.

Handle with care: Soft robot gripper picks ripe fruit without bruising

Cornell researchers used stretchable fiber-optic sensors to create a soft robot gripper that can predict the ripeness of strawberries by touch, then pick them without causing any damage.

Animal and human waste could slash synthetic fertilizer use in US

Waste could fulfill 102% of nitrogen and 50% of phosphorus needs for the nation’s agriculture, and significant amounts could be distributed locally and sustainably. 

5.5M ground nesting bees make home in Ithaca cemetery

An Ithaca cemetery is home to one of the largest and oldest recorded aggregations of ground nesting bees in the world. 

Northeast farmers could profit from grass-fed beef if they expand, join forces

A new analysis finds that grass-fed beef can compete with grain-fed beef in New York state and New England, particularly if production is scaled up.

Why trade wars land harder in some states

New research shows the American economy behaves less like a single market than a patchwork of highly specialized local systems.

Cornell Atkinson research grants support future sustainability leaders

Cornell Atkinson has announced 40 research grants to support undergraduate and graduate student researchers whose work will support sustainability, biodiversity and agriculture. 

Around Cornell

A revived device reveals scents that attract and deter crop pests

The device, called an electroantennogram, allows researchers to identify the exact scent molecules detected by an insect’s antennae. 

On storm-ravaged Vieques, a microgrid builds resilience

A small Puerto Rican island still lacks reliable power nine years after Hurricane Maria - a new collaboration with Cornell is bringing relief.