Category

Agriculture

A journey across generations – Inheritance of the plant microbiome via the seed

By | Agriculture, News, Plant Science

What defines us and other living organisms more strongly: genes or the environment? Only recently, researchers were able to prove experimentally that even microorganisms can be inherited from one plant generation to the next via the seed. In a new article, scientists examine the process of microbial inheritance via the seed in more detail and identify factors that significantly influence the assembly of the plant microbiome. With their basic work, the authors create an important milestone of microbiome research.

Read More

Researchers Solve Pre-harvest Sprouting in Rice and Wheat

By | Agriculture, News

Seed dormancy is an important survival tool for plants since it allows them to weather conditions not conducive to survival. At the same time, excessive dormancy may lessen cultivation time. In response, farmers often plant low dormancy cultivars of rice and wheat in order to achieve a higher, more uniform emergence rate after sowing. Unfortunately, this practice has led to an unwanted worldwide production problem called pre-harvest sprouting, which severely reduces both grain yield and quality.

Read More

NET locus regulates both flavor quality and nutrient metabolite accumulation in rice

By | Agriculture, News, Plant Science

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most important crops worldwide, providing much of the calorific needs for half of the global population. Economic development and rising living standards have led to the demand for rice gradually shifting from satisfying the need to “be full” to satisfying the need to “eat well,” and combining flavor with nutrition is essential for the latter. Much research has focused on improving the eating and cooking quality (ECQ) of rice to meet the demand for “tasty.” However, effort to improve comprehensive nutrition in rice remains fragmented.

Read More

​​Inbred to Well-Fed: Maize Breeding Efforts to Improve Food Security and Safety in Africa​​​​

By | Agriculture, News, Plant Health

Over 300 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa depend on maize for nearly 30% of their caloric intake, and the popularity of maize is expected to continue its upward trend. As the demand for maize increases, so does the need for sustainable and safe production, yet numerous biotic and abiotic stressors threaten this staple crop.

Read More