Researchers have studied how certain bacteria perform photosynthesis using low-energy light, which could be engineered into crops to boost production. By studying the way two bacteria perform the difficult chemistry of photosynthesis, a team has discovered the trade-offs they make when using lower-energy light. This could inform plant genetic engineering that aims to make crop and biomass production more efficient.
Innovative experiments using temperature-controlled field plots have helped to explain the link between early winter temperatures and yield in some of our most marketable arable crops.
Researchers have identified a new reason to protect mangrove forests: they’ve been quietly keeping carbon out of Earth’s atmosphere for the past 5,000 years.
A new banana fungus is rapidly spreading across the globe. It hit Africa a decade ago, and now spreads, a genetic study reveals. They state that the disease poses a threat to Africa’s food security.
The introduction of perennial crops in the alleys of Mediterranean dryland almond orchards reduces greenhouse gas emissions and increases soil carbon sequestration, according to a new study.
Conifers are dominant tree species in boreal forests, but they are susceptible to attack by bark beetles.
While increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere encourage plant growth, they also reduce the nutritional value of plants, which can have a larger impact on nutrition and food safety worldwide. Researchers discovered a new way plants are adapting to the changing climate — information that can be used to help plants grow strong while also maintaining their nutritional value.
A new study in Costa Rica reveals that restoring relatively narrow strips of riverfront forests could substantially improve regional water quality and carbon storage. The analysis, shows that such buffers tend to be most beneficial in steep, erosion-prone, and intensively fertilized landscapes – a finding that could inform similar efforts in other countries.
A new benchmark analysis of nutrient omission trial data provides new guidance on the predictors of yield in smallholder maize and rice cropping systems in sub-Saharan Africa.
A team of environmental scientists has written a follow-up paper to their study published last year that warned that approximately one-third of tree species around the world are in danger of extinction. In this new paper, the group explains why the loss of so many tree species is so devastating and why attempts should be made to reverse such extinctions.
