Bugs like hoverflies and ladybirds safeguard Britain’s apples. Planting wildflowers around orchards creates homes for these beneficial insects, curbing apple damage by pests. Research suggests adding flower margins could boost apple harvests by 6.9%, reducing reliance on pesticides and promoting sustainable agriculture. Conserving insects leads to better yields.
Weedy rice, a persistent agricultural pest resembling cultivated rice, thrives by hybridizing with wild rice in Southeast Asia, giving it a competitive edge. Genetic studies reveal diverse pathways to adaptation, complicating efforts to manage this costly weed. Farmers employ various methods, yet weedy rice’s adaptability poses ongoing challenges to rice cultivation.
Climate change poses a threat to yields and food security worldwide, with plant diseases as one of the main risks. An international team of researchers has now shown that further spread of the fungal disease wheat blast could reduce global wheat production by 13% until 2050. The result is dramatic for global food security.
A groundbreaking weed database, comprising 928 species, offers insights into historical agricultural practices and the future of farming amid climate change, sheds light on ancient agricultural techniques and informs modern food system resilience.
Plant architecture arises from organogenesis and extension processes. Barley’s main axis comprises repeating units called phytomers, each with organs and internodes. Researchers studied barley’s phytomer initiation and elongation, identifying genetic factors affecting internode length. Shorter proximal internodes improve floral survival, potentially reducing lodging. Local adaptations influence internode lengths, reflecting dynamic canopy microclimates.
New research reveals that human crop domestication alters plant-associated microorganism communities, with similar impacts across independently domesticated crops. The study suggests engineered plant microbiomes could enhance growth, stress tolerance, and disease resistance. Understanding these dynamics may improve crop yields and food security by leveraging beneficial microorganisms.
Researchers describe mechanisms relating to the development of the tomato plant (Solanum lycopersicum) and point to ways of creating novel technologies for tomato yield improvement.
Gene-editing techniques have helped to identify a temperature tolerance factor that may protect wheat from the increasingly unpredictable challenges of climate change.
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.
