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.
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.
Aquaporins, which move water through membranes of plant cells, were not thought to be able to permeate sugar molecules, but researchers have observed sucrose transport in plant aquaporins for the first time, challenging this theory.
Planting flowers beside food crops on farms in India attracts bees, boosts pollination and improves crop yield and quality, researchers have found.
The slash-and-burn agriculture practiced by many Indigenous societies across the world can actually have a positive impact on forests, according to a new study done in Belize.
