Category

Plant Science

Proteins control light-induced seed germination in Arabidopsis thaliana

By | News, Plant Science

The seeds of a plant are relatively well protected against harmful environmental influences, while a seedling is very vulnerable. Therefore, plants in the early stage of development must closely control their seed germination: In time windows with good conditions they germinate very quickly, while in unfavorable conditions they effectively suppress seed germination. Incident light, which the plants perceive through a group of photoreceptors called phytochromes, plays a central role in this process.

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Using CRISPR to turn off genes in corn and rice to improve crop yields

By | Agriculture, News, Plant Science

A team of researchers affiliated with a large number of institutions in China and one in Germany has found that turning off a certain gene in corn and rice can lead to improvements in crop yields. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes mapping the genomes of both plants as a way to search for genes associated with grain yield using CRISPR gene editing to improve yields in test crops.

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Aquatic plants can be effective in removing contamination of estuary by iron mine tailings, study shows

By | News, Plant Science

Researchers have analyzed the mechanisms by which estuarine plants absorb iron, and used their findings to recommend a promising phytoremediation technique for the rehabilitation of water and soil contaminated by environmental disasters such as the 2015 collapse of the Fundão iron mine tailings dam in Mariana, Minas Gerais state (Southeast Brazil).

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Clarifying hormonal interactions during parthenocarpic fruit formation in horticultural crops

By | Agriculture, Fruits and Vegetables, News, Plant Science

Plant hormones are well known for their important roles in plant development, including fruit development, and many researchers have devoted significant effort towards understanding the relationship between plant hormones and parthenogenesis. What are the latest research advances in hormones and parthenogenesis? What are the molecular mechanisms that underlie parthenocarpic fruit formation, specifically the role of plant hormones? Until recently, a current summary of this information was lacking.

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Artificial intelligence application for detecting diseases and pests in horticultural crops 

By | Agriculture, Fruits and Vegetables, News, Plant Health, Plant Science

Doctor X Nabat is the name of an application for the early detection of diseases and pests in horticultural crops, developed by an international team (Spain, Dubai, Egypt, Tunis, United Arab Emirates). This tool, aimed at farmers and agriculture experts, is available for devices with Android systems and computers. The tool has been tested in tomato, pepper and cucumber crops.

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