An international team of researchers from the University of Oxford, the University of Birmingham and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev have found that the way in which people use the internet is closely tied to patterns and rhythms in the natural world.
Researchers link root water uptake to root traits and assess (poor) performance of common models.
A research team managed to overcome the challenges inherent in the DNA of the soybean cyst nematode to sequence its genome. The project could lead to better management practices to combat the top pest that threatens Iowa soybeans and allows plant breeders to see both sides of the “arms race” between soybean cyst nematodes and the defense mechanisms of soybeans.
Salisbury University has signed the first agreements with prospective industrial hemp growers under a new Maryland Department of Agriculture pilot program to legalize the crop with a university research component.
Crop differences go beyond appearance and taste. Certain plants are more efficient in how they grow and reproduce. The Feb. 22 Sustainable, Secure Food blog explains how this difference in plant metabolism is important for future food security.
Want to help pollinators? Gardens with more woody vegetation provide additional food and shelter.
New research finds that some yeast picked up a whole suite of genes from bacteria that gave them the new ability to scavenge iron from their environment. It’s one of the clearest examples yet of the transfer of genes from one branch on the tree of life to another.
New research reveals that foreign honey bees often account for more than 90 percent of pollinators observed visiting flowers in San Diego, a global biodiversity hotspot. The monopoly may strongly affect species that are foundational to the stability of the region’s plant-pollinator interactions.
As National Strawberry Day approaches on Feb. 27, University of Florida scientists have found another variety that can grow in South Florida. It’s largely unknown to American consumers, it’s temptingly tasty and it’s good for local markets, UF researchers say.
What would be the purpose of a flower that doesn’t bear seeds? Research with crop wild relatives suggests the extra flowers make a small but significant contribution to yield.
Great forest fires are ever more frequent globally and their consequences more severe and destructive.
American kestrel. Chinese mantis. Candleflame lichen. The highly diverse list of species spotted at Rutgers University may be unique globally. Indeed, more than 1,600 kinds of animals, insects, plants and other life forms have been reported so far at 24 Rutgers campuses and properties across New Jersey as part of a new long-term “Flora and Fauna of Rutgers University” biodiversity project.
Plants are master chemists, and Michigan State University researchers have unlocked their secret of producing specialized metabolites. The research, published in the latest issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, combined plant biology and machine learning to sort through tens of thousands of genes to determine which genes make specialized metabolites.
Researchers at Berkeley Lab have used one of the most advanced microscopes in the world to reveal the structure of a large protein complex crucial to photosynthesis, the process by which plants convert sunlight into cellular energy. The finding will allow scientists to explore for the first time how the complex functions and could have implications for the production of a variety of bioproducts, including plastic alternatives and biofuels.
Data mining methods that draw on computer science and statistics can bring new clarity for plant scientists trying to design better crop varieties, according to newly published research from an ISU agronomist. The study outlines several data management approaches that can help plant breeders predict the traits of potential hybrids faster and cheaper than growing and testing the plants.
Often, energy pipelines pass through previously undisturbed areas. These areas need to be managed carefully to re-establish ecologically functioning systems. A new study shows teams can increase the chance of successful land reclamation by first collecting soil data at short intervals. More collections can also lead to significant cost savings.
The importance of the mycorrhizal symbiosis to plant growth has led to a large body of research into their formation and function, yet there are critical unanswered questions. Howard Berg, director of the Imaging and Microscopy Facility at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and his collaborators have discovered a previously unknown compartment within these symbiotic cortical root cells that could be important for nutrient exchange and molecular communication between the symbiotic partners.
Artificial leaves mimic photosynthesis — the process whereby plants use water and carbon dioxide from the air to produce carbohydrates using energy from the sun. But even state-of-the-art artificial leaves, which hold promise in reducing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, only work in the laboratory because they use pure, pressurized carbon dioxide from tanks.
Imagine using a robotic arm to grip and puncture the trunk of a citrus tree to deliver chemicals into the vascular parts of the plant, reducing its susceptibility to the citrus greening disease.
Light pollution affects the skies over most of the world's key wildlife areas, new research shows.
Nian Wang, a professor of microbiology and cell science with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, will help an investigation in which researchers take the best genes from one plant and transfer them into another. With that combination, Wang and the research team believe they’ll move closer to growers’ goal of citrus that copes better with greening.
Two groups of sRNAs are abundant during development of pollen in the anthers. One of these pathways for sRNA production, previously believed present in grasses and related monocots, has now been demonstrated to be present widely in the flowering plants, evolved over 200 million years ago, and is arguably one of the evolutionary innovations that made them so successful.
Gypsum, a source of calcium and sulfur, can benefit crops and soils. When recovered from power plant smokestacks, it brings the additional benefits of recycling.
Prehistoric peasant farmers struggling to put more food on the table fueled the global spread of some of the world’s first and most important domesticated grain crops beginning as early as 7,000 years ago, according to an international study led by anthropologists at Washington University in St. Louis.
Citizen scientists can contribute to an effort to enter thousands of preserved organism samples from the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory into an easily searchable database. An ISU scientist overseeing the project said there’s no telling what kind of discoveries may await among the various specimens of plants, insects and animals.
A team of University of Utah engineers have received a $2.2-million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to design and build small chemical sensors that can “sniff” out when a plant is being attacked by insects or overwhelmed by weeds. The research is to benefit the production of biomass from corn, which is used to create ethanol for gasoline.
A new study led by Danforth Center principal investigator Nigel Taylor and research scientist Narayanan Narayanan, shows that field-grown cassava plants overexpressing a combination of plant genes can accumulate significantly higher concentrations of iron and zinc.
“For AB InBev, brewing quality beer starts with the best ingredients. That requires a healthy environment and thriving communities,” said Gary Hanning, Global Director of Barley Research at AB InBev. “Benson Hill’s powerful Breed application positions us at the forefront of innovation to develop more resilient and sustainable varieties of barley for growers and the best quality malt for our brewers.”
The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and TechAccel are launching RNAissance Ag LLC, a new company that holds the exclusive license to RNA-interference technology developed at the Danforth Center. The new company will use the proprietary technology in the development of sprayable insect control measures.
A new advanced line of rice, with higher yield, is ready for final field testing prior to release. On average, it has a protein content of 10.6%, a 53% increase from its original protein content. It also needs less heat, time, and usually less water to cook.
A pioneering study undertaken at the Institute of Evolution has identified a new protein family, which is present in most of the cereal species and is responsible for fighting harmful diseases.
Hotter temperatures may offset the negative effects of higher carbon dioxide levels on seed quality, according to a two-year soybean field study.
Some farm fields this time of year look messier than others. The January 22nd Sustainable, Secure Food blog explains what drives a grower’s decision when it comes to managing their fields in the winter.
How do plants space out their roots? A Japanese research team has identified a peptide and its receptor that help lateral roots to grow with the right spacing. The findings were published on December 20, 2018 in the online edition of Developmental Cell.
Researchers found an efficient approach to managing nitrogen in agriculture and reducing its environmental impact. It's all about being green.
For years, University of Florida scientists looked for a few characteristics in a more desirable strawberry. Among those traits was a higher yield in November and December -- the early part of the Florida season when prices are highest. They also sought better fruit for the consumer. That meant a longer shelf life, better flavor, improved shape and other traits, said Vance Whitaker, an associate professor of horticultural sciences at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
Winter soil freezes, heaves, and moves! The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) Jan. 15 Soils Matter blog looks at the freeze-thaw cycle, how it changes soil on a microscopic level, and the reaction of Alaska’s unique permafrost soils.
Arbor Biosciences and the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC) announce today a strategic partnership to produce a standardized exome panel for research and development.
“The goal of AOCC is to improve the productivity and sustainability of highly nutritious crops that are critical to the health and livelihood of African farmers and consumers through the adoption of modern breeding methods,” Howard-Yana Shapiro, Chief Agricultural Officer, Mars, Incorporated.
Just like land plants, algae use sunlight as an energy source. Many green algae actively move in the water; they can approach the light or move away from it. For this they use special sensors (photoreceptors) with which they perceive light.
Identified genes involved in plant cell wall polysaccharide production and restructuring could aid in engineering bioenergy crops.
Benson Hill has more than doubled its employee base since 2017 and continues its growth trajectory with career opportunities across technical, commercial and other functional roles.
Years of drought have parched California’s vast agricultural lands, prompting farmers to drill deeper and deeper into aquifers to irrigate their fields. But this often means higher water costs for everyone – and inefficient use of a precious resource. Cornell researchers have a solution: Coordinate water use, taking into account all the farms drawing water from a particular aquifer. The approach offers the farms a significant payoff when crop prices are high.
A confounding new disease is killing beech trees in Ohio and elsewhere, and plant scientists are sounding an alarm while looking for an explanation. In a study published in the journal Forest Pathology, researchers and naturalists from The Ohio State University and metroparks in northeastern Ohio report on the emerging “beech leaf disease” epidemic, calling for speedy work to find a culprit so that work can begin to stop its spread.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have discovered how grasses count the short days of winter to prepare for flowering. The new research provides valuable insight into how winter-adapted grasses gain the ability to flower in spring, which could be helpful for improving crops, like winter wheat, that rely on this process.
University of Adelaide researchers have discovered a new complex carbohydrate in barley. The first of its kind to be discovered in over 30 years, the cereal polysaccharide has potential applications in food, medicine and cosmetics.
Fresh food is so attractive to astronauts that they toasted with salad when they were able to cultivate a few lettuce heads on the International Space Station three years ago.
A new study examines how the switch to conservation tillage has impacted a southwestern Ohio lake over the past decades. From 1994 to 2014, an unusually long timespan, the researchers measured concentrations of suspended sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus in streams draining into Acton Lake.
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