Midwest Fights Weeds With Bugs

Turns out that many plants have multiple names—some have hundreds

(NEWSER) - A comprehensive scientific study will trim some 600,000 duplicates from the world’s list of flowering plants, the Guardian reports. After centuries of scientists naming “new” plants that had already been discovered, we currently count the number of plant species at about 1 million—but a more realistic number is 400,000, a joint American-British study team says. More»

System of fish and fertilizer is catching on

(NEWSER) - Aquaponics—the word is a blend of hydroponics and aquaculture, the cultivation of fish—is backyard agriculture using only fish droppings as fertilizer. And it's not for everyone, at least yet. One man’s greenhouse “wouldn’t look out of place on a wayward space station where pioneers have gone to escape the cannibal gangs back on Earth,” Michael Tortorello writes. But you can’t argue with the results: He’s pulled 347 tomatoes from a single plant. More»

USDA says small farms are becoming more popular even as large farms grow

(AP) - Most evenings, Gary Mithoefer can be found at the end of a long gravel driveway off a busy highway, tending two garden plots filled with white sweet potatoes, squash, cabbages, and a dozen other vegetables still thriving in early fall. The 62-year-old, who gardens after his workday ends at his state highway job, is one of a growing number of Americans rolling up their sleeves and digging into the dirt to raise crops or livestock on a small scale. More»

(NEWSER) - For growers and gardeners of all kinds, Smart Grow mats could be revolutionary. Tucked around the stems of plants, the cheap, natural mats keep weeds and pests away as they spur growth. There’s just one thing holding them back: They’re made from human hair. “No matter what you do,” says CEO Blair Blacker, some people just “won’t get over it.” More»

Hardy, saltwater-loving plants could produce biofuels from otherwise unusable land

(NEWSER) - A worldwide shortage of prime farmland has scientists taking a closer look at plants that thrive on briny water, Wired reports. Plants that can grow in earth too salty for other crops have huge potential for use as biofuel as well as food: One variety produces 1.7 times more vegetable oil per acre than sunflowers, according to a study in the journal Science. More»