Despite not being an essential element for plant growth, silicon increases plants’ tolerance of biotic stresses, such as pests and diseases; and abiotic ones, such as drought and salinity. The effects of this element, the second most abundant in the planet’s crust, have not been widely studied, in general, and with regard to olive trees knowledge has been even scarcer.
Mycorrhizal symbiosis helps plants expand their root surface area, giving plants greater access to nutrients and water. Although the first and foremost role of mycorrhizal symbiosis is to facilitate plant nutrition, how mycorrhizal types mediate the nutrient acquisition and interactions of coexisting trees in forests has not been clear to scientists.
A team of scientists discovered the gene in agave that governs when the plant goes dormant and used it to create poplar trees that nearly doubled in size, increasing biomass yield for biofuels production and carbon sequestration.
An internal circadian clock controls the distinctive concentric rings of flowering in sunflowers, maximizing visits from pollinators, a new study from plant biologists shows.
Researchers have been able to show which genes inhibit self-fertilisation in grasses. Plant scientists can now use this mechanism in a more targeted way to breed new varieties of forage grasses as well as rice or barley.
Following a year when temperature records have been smashed, research, offers much-needed hope for improving crop resilience and food security in the face of climate change.
A new study identifies the genetic underpinnings for why broccoli heads become abnormal when it’s hot, providing insight into effects of climate-induced warming for all crops and pointing the way for breeding heat-resistant new varieties.
Researchers surveyed more than 2,800 people to assess how accepting they might be of gene-edited table grapes, even though none are yet on the market. Most participants cared more about the grapes’ taste, followed by their appearance, than how the grapes were bred.
A recent study has revealed a novel cold domesticated repair mechanism for DNA damage in rice, providing corresponding elite modules for the improvement of chilling tolerance trait in rice with the codon repeats at a single site.
In the far north of the planet, climate change is clearly noticeable. A new study in Finland now shows that in parallel there have been dramatic changes in pollinating insects. Researchers have discovered that the network of plants and their pollinators there has changed considerably since the end of the 19th century. As the scientists warn in an article, this could lead to plants being pollinated less effectively. This, in turn, would adversely affect their reproduction.
