New study suggests mushrooms could help with weight loss.

New study suggests mushrooms could help with weight loss.Eating a mushroom-rich breakfast may result in less hunger and a greater feeling of fullness, thereby helping you avoid consuming extra calories later, new research suggests. The findings, published in the journal Appetite, suggest that meat can be replaced by mushroom in some meals. "As with previous published research, this study indicates there may be both a nutritional and satiating benefit to either substituting mushrooms for meat in some meals or replacing some of the meat with mushrooms," said study author Joanne Slavin, Professor at the University of Minnesota in the US. Because protein appears to be the most satiating macronutrient according to the scientific literature, researchers wanted to match the amount of protein in the mushroom and meat interventions to essentially control for the influence of protein on satiety.

Organic pepper production above the soil in new system NatureFresh Farms.

Organic pepper production above the soil in new system NatureFresh Farms,this is a breakthrough in sustainable organic cultivation. Over the last seven years, Van der Knaap’s R&D team have been working with their partners to develop a cultivation system for growing organically above the soil. Led by Karel de Bruijn, R&D Manager of Van der Knaap, a reactor was developed that converts proteins intro nitrate (NO3) nitrogen. The nutritional solution produced with the reactor is free from organic residues, fungi and bacteria.

Vietnamese farmers trial new Ilyra smartphone control system.

Vietnamese farmers trial new Ilyra smartphone control system.Doctor Duong Trong Hai, Director of the Institute of Science and Technology has introduced the Ilyra agriculture ecosystem along with his associates which enables anyone to cultivate vegetables using the VietGap process. Using the automatic Ilyra system, farmers don’t have to go to the garden but can still control the farming experience via their smartphone or computer. All the watering, fertilizing, spraying, or harvesting processes are programmed. This allows anyone even those who don’t have any farming technique to cultivate. Doctor Duong Trong Hai said that in addition to automation, the system also enables origin tracing. “The system is useful for farmers and big agricultural producers because it enables growers to make their cultivation process transparent. The public or agencies can collect accurate information about products from the system,” said Doctor Hai.

Israel: Growing crops with underground heating and cooling

Israel: Growing crops with underground heating and cooling.Fresh, local strawberries in the middle of winter – that’s the vision of agtech Roots Sustainable Agricultural Technologies which is raising $5 million in an initial public offering. Roots sells an underground heating and cooling system for crops that increases yields and allows crops to be grown out of season. Water flows through underground pipes, heating or cooling the soil in a crop’s root zone by as much as 10 degrees. Developed in Israel, co-founders Sharon Devir and Boaz Wachtel have tested the technology in some of the world’s harshest conditions to deliver consistent produce no matter the time of year.

Bamboo shoots may offer prebiotic potential..

Bamboo shoots may offer prebiotic potential. Newly identified polysaccharides from bamboo shoots have the potential to be used as functional ingredients by industry, say researchers.

Egg shell powder a ‘novel’ treatment against inflammatory bowel disease.

Egg shell powder a ‘novel’ treatment against inflammatory bowel disease.Fine powder made from eggshell membrane showed positive effects against inflammatory bowel disease, according to in vitro and in vivo studies.

Asia's rising cases of IBD make it a truly 'global disease'.

Asia's rising cases of IBD make it a truly 'global disease' Asia's developing nations are facing increasing rates of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), similar to those witnessed in the West over the last century.