News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on RNA demethylation increases rice and potato yields 50%. Parent comment

Re:RNA demethylation increases rice and potato yields 50% by parineum on Friday July 23, 2021 @04:40AM (#27928546)
That article body doesn't support soil depletion as the cause. It asserts it and then cites a study that doesn't support it. Pretty similar to what you just did actually.

>Davis and his colleagues chalk up this declining nutritional content to the preponderance of agricultural practices designed to improve traits (size, growth rate, pest resistance) other than nutrition.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:RNA demethylation increases rice and potato yields 50% by leereeves on Friday July 23, 2021 @05:03AM (#27928674)
The article only cites a few studies that show the nutrient content of crops is decreasing. For example, the study you mentioned [1] was "Changes in USDA Food Composition Data for 43 Garden Crops, 1950 to 1999" and showed "apparent, statistically reliable declines" in 6 nutrients.

The part of the article that you've quoted is simply Davis' opinion, not the subject of that study. The author has a different opinion. I don't know who is right, which is why I said it's "not an uncommon view".

I don't know if that debate has been settled. The article doesn't cite any studies examining the cause of this nutrient depletion, and I didn't find any studies of the cause with a few Google Scholar searches for soil depletion and related terms. If you know of any research that answers the question I'd love to read it.

1: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07315724.2004.10...

[ Parent | on HN ]