The Future of Food, Agriculture, and Aquaculture

[weatheriscool]

[caltrek]

War Induced Fertilizer Shortage May be Reducing U.S. Soil and Water Pollution
By Kimberly Van Meter and Nandita Basu
June 24, 2026

Introduction:

(The Conversation) American farmers are expected to plant several million fewer acres of corn in 2026 than they did in 2025, as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz throttles a key fertilizer trading corridor, along with the energy and raw materials needed to produce and transport fertilizer.
The closure is disrupting deliveries of about one-third of the world’s traded agricultural fertilizers. Fertilizer prices are rising, and farmers worldwide are cutting back on fertilizer use or shifting to less fertilizer-intensive crops.

Further Extract:

…decades of farmers using more fertilizer than they needed have quietly built up large reserves of nutrients in the soil, which crops can draw on, even when farmers aren’t applying fertilizer. Indeed, research has shown that in highly intensive agricultural systems, fertilizer application can be cut substantially with little to no effect on crop yields.

Conclusion:

The limits of resilience

…Not every farm or field has enough leftover nutrients to maintain yields with less fertilizer, and the buffers that do exist in some fields will not last indefinitely. In parts of the world where the soil is low in nutrients, such as regions of sub-Saharan Africa, improving access to fertilizers remains essential for increasing food production and supporting livelihoods.

In places where nutrients have accumulated over decades of intensive use, the soil may serve as a buffer against losses in yield, at least for some amount of time, though exactly how much will vary with each field. The current growing season may provide opportunities to discover how strong that buffer is, and whether reducing fertilizer applications improves downstream water quality.

Read more here: https://theconversation.com/war-induce ... n-282553

[caltrek]

Marigolds Could be the Next Big-Source of Plant Based Protein
By Leigh Hataway
July 9, 2026

Introduction:

(Futurity) As demand for new plant-based protein sources grows, a new study suggests the next big thing may be in a pot in your backyard: marigolds.

The researchers found that marigold flowers contain about the same amount of protein as conventional plant protein sources like quinoa. But marigold protein has several key traits that may make it particularly well suited to the plant protein market.

Marigold protein extracts stay stable at higher temperatures than other plant proteins like chickpea and pea. That may make it ideal for baking purposes.

The amino acid composition present in some of the flower’s proteins may lend an umami flavor to foods.

And some of the proteins enhanced emulsification. That means marigold flower protein could help bind together foods like salad dressings.

Read more here: https://www.futurity.org/marigolds-foo ... -3340032

caltrek’s comment: Aside from sour grass, I was first introduced to the idea of edible flowers at a farmers’ marker in Maine. An interesting proposition.