A multidisciplinary approach has enabled researchers to quantitatively define the relative positioning and arrangement of the polymers in Populus wood and to create a computer model that details the findings. The research into solving this macromolecular puzzle may hold the key to efficiently disentangle and deconstruct biomass for conversion to fuels, chemicals, and materials.
Desiccation is typically fatal for plant vegetative tissues, but a small number of land plants have evolved vegetative desiccation tolerance (VDT), allowing them to dry without dying through a process called anhydrobiosis. Recently, a research group established a genome database, “Drying without Dying,” for desiccation-tolerant plants.
Gene-editing techniques have helped to identify a temperature tolerance factor that may protect wheat from the increasingly unpredictable challenges of climate change.
Farmers in sub-Saharan Africa need to diversify away from growing maize and switch to crops that are resilient to climate change and supply key micronutrients for the population, say researchers.
Scientists have discovered a stealth molecular weapon that plants use to attack the cells of invading gray mold: plant RNA defense systems hidden in unassuming “bubbles”.
Scientists are utilizing environmental DNA (eDNA) shed by living organisms to study biodiversity. EU-funded LeDNA project collects eDNA from lakes to assess and discover species, aiding global biodiversity preservation efforts. On World Biodiversity Day, May 22, 2024, a citizen science survey will test the method’s scalability, involving people worldwide in lake eDNA sampling using a specially designed device. Similarly, the BIOSPACE project explores eDNA in forests, predicting microbial biodiversity with satellite imagery, offering systematic and unbiased insights into lesser-known species for comprehensive biodiversity conservation.
Barley seedlings grow on average 50% more when their root system is stimulated electrically through a new cultivation substrate. In a study researchers have developed an electrically conductive “soil” for soilless cultivation, known as hydroponics.
Older tree plantations can be more attractive to animals who are looking for a new home than younger plantations, according to a new study. In the tropics, older plantations also welcome a greater variety of different plants and animals – though sadly, Christmas tree plantations do not become more biodiverse over time.
Over the past decade, Grapevine Trunk Diseases (GTDs) have emerged as a significant threat to viticulture, causing economic losses, increased management costs and lower wine quality. Traditional defense methods, like using arsenite, have now been banned due to their high toxicity. However, the occurrence of GTDs is increasing in vineyards worldwide as consequence of climate change, there is an urgent need for new strategies to suppress the outbreak of symptoms.
A study shows how a boost in agricultural yield comes from planting diverse crops rather than just one plant species: Soil pathogens harmful to plants have a harder time thriving.
