SCIENCE NEWS
Science News
Understanding how to control ‘jumping’ genes
Texas A&M scientists connect Serrate protein and gene transcription Media contact: Blair Fannin, 979-845-2259, b-fannin@tamu.edu COLLEGE STATION – A team of Texas…
New type of photosynthesis discovered
Colony of Chroococcidiopsis-like cells where the different colours represent photosynthesis driven by chlorophyll-a (magenta) and chlorophyll-f (yellow).Credit: Dennis Nuernberg The discovery…
Consumers’ food choices can help reduce greenhouse emissions contributing to climate change
HARTFORD, Conn. and BOSTON (June 7, 2018)—Changes in diet have been proposed as a way to reduce carbon emissions from…
Interconnected benefits of urban agriculture
From a vacant plot in a blighted neighborhood springs neatly combed rows of plants put in by the neighbors. They…
Organic insect deterrent for agriculture
Traditional insecticides are killers: they not only kill pests, they also endanger bees and other beneficial insects, as well as…
A community of soil bacteria saves plants from root rot
Root bacteria are known to form symbiotic relationships with plants by improving the plants' supply of nutrients. Yet as scientists…
Food, fuel and more will be produced in sea farms of future
Meet the farm of the future, where common seaweed is being upgraded from an environmental problem to a valuable natural…
Stressed parents, stronger offspring
In 2012 plant scientists at Lancaster were among the first in the world to publish data explaining how plants exposed…
Golden-C: A new mango drink enriched with antioxidants from mas cotek
Antioxidants present in mango fruit drink by adding the extracts of naturally occuring traditional herbs in Malaysia. Ficus deltoidea (leaves and…
Stress-tolerant tomato relative sequenced
The genome of Solanum pennellii, a wild relative of the domestic tomato, has been published by an international group of…
Organic apple orchards benefit from green compost applications
In traditional apple orchards, effective management practices rely on two interrelated components: finding ways to manage competitive vegetation under the…
Horticulture: Sensor-based irrigation systems show potential to increase greenhouse profitability
Wireless sensor-based irrigation systems can offer significant benefits to greenhouse operators. Advances in sensor technology and increased understanding of plant…
Two biodegradable mulches found to be suitable polyethylene alternatives
Polyethylene plastic mulch offers a range of benefits and has become standard for growers of a variety of agricultural and…
Bright pulses of light could make space veggies more nutritious
Exposing leafy vegetables grown during spaceflight to a few bright pulses of light daily could increase the amount of eye-protecting…
Team models photosynthesis, finds room for improvement
Teaching crop plants to concentrate carbon dioxide in their leaves could increase photosynthetic efficiency by 60 percent and yields by…
Plant scientists unravel a molecular switch to stimulate leaf growth
Ghent – 24 January 2014. Mechanisms that determine the size of plants have fascinated plant scientists of all times, however…
Genetic Discovery Points to Bigger Yields in Tomato, Other Flowering Food Plants
Every gardener knows the look of a ripe tomato. That bright red color, that warm earthy smell, and the sweet…
Risk Assessment for Pesticides in EU Unsuitable for Use in Field
The method used to approve pesticides in the EU needs to be revised. This was confirmed by a recent study…
Toxic Substances in Banana Plants Kill Root Pests
Bananas are a major food staple for about 400 million people in the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa…
System Developed for Assessing How Effective Species Are at Pollinating Crops
From tomatoes to pumpkins, most fruit and vegetable crops rely on pollination by bees and other insect species -- and…
'Perfect Storm' Needed for Salmonella to Spread in Post-Harvest Tomatoes
University of Florida researchers have gained new insight into produce-associated salmonella that they hope will eventually reduce the number and…
High Tunnel, Open-Field Production Systems Compared for Lettuce, Tomato
In the mild coastal climate of western Washington, agricultural growers are learning more about the advantages of growing popular fresh-market…
Research Reveals How Farmers Could Mitigate Nitrous Oxide Emissions
Farmers may be able to help reduce emissions of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O) by incorporating copper into crop…
New Habanero-Type Pepper Introduced
The Agricultural Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences of…
Banana Disease Spreading: Panama Disease Spreads Among Bananas Again
Panama disease is causing significant damage in banana cultivation in Southeast Asia. Together with a number of partners, scientists from…
Large-Scale Deep Re-Sequencing Reveals Cucumber's Evolutionary Enigma
In a collaborative study published online today in Nature Genetics, researchers from the Genome Centre of Chinese Academy of Agricultural…
Mathematical Study of Photosynthesis Clears the Path to Developing New Super-Crops
How some plant species evolved super-efficient photosynthesis had been a mystery. Now, scientists have identified what steps led to that…
Maximizing Broccoli's Cancer-Fighting Potential
Spraying a plant hormone on broccoli -- already one of the planet's most nutritious foods -- boosts its cancer-fighting potential…
Aggressive Fungal Pathogen Causes Mold in Fruits, Vegetables
A research team led by a molecular plant pathologist at the University of California, Riverside has discovered the mechanism by…
New Biological Agent to Fight Invasive Weed
University of Rhode Island entomologists reached a milestone in their efforts to control the invasive weed swallow-wort this month with…
First Step to Reduce Plant Need for Nitrogen Fertilizer Uncovered
Nitrogen fertilizer costs U.S. farmers approximately $8 billion each year, and excess fertilizer can find its way into rivers and…
Urban Agriculture: The Potential and Challenges of Producing Food in Cities
In many cities around the world, patrons of high-end restaurants want quality food that is flavorful and fresh. To satisfy…
Purple Sweet Potatoes Among 'New Naturals' for Food and Beverage Colors
Mention purple sweet potatoes, black carrots or purple carrots, and people think of dining on heirloom or boutique veggies. But…
Sensors Allow for Efficient Irrigation, More Control Over Plant Growth
As water use and runoff regulations become more stringent and concerns about dwindling water supplies become more of an issue…
Creating Plants That Make Their Own Fertilizer
Since the dawn of agriculture, people have exercised great ingenuity to pump more nitrogen into crop fields. Farmers have planted…
Genetic Treasure Hunting in Sorghum May Benefit Crop Improvement
A consortium of researchers from The University of Queensland, the Queensland Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF Qld) and…
Making Plants' Inner Qualities Visible
Not only psychologists would be happy to be able to look inside their patients' heads -- a plant's "inner qualities…
Virus to Control Potato Moth
New biological insecticides have emerged in recent years which make use of so-called "entomopathogenic" viruses that are harmful to insects…
Pesticides Contaminate Frogs from Californian National Parks
Pesticides commonly used in California's Central Valley, one of the world's most productive agricultural regions, have been found in remote…
Secret of Plant Geometry Revealed: How Plants Set the Angles of Their Branches
While the other principle features governing the architecture of plants such as the control of the number of branches and…
World-Changing Technology Enables Crops to Take Nitrogen from the Air
A major new technology has been developed by The University of Nottingham, which enables all of the world's crops to…
Magnets Help Plants Grow
Water is scarce in the West Bank and residents rely on shallow wells to fulfill their needs. Water from these…
Pollinators Easily Enhanced by Flowering Agri-Environment Schemes
Agri-environment schemes aimed to promote biodiversity on farmland have positive effects on wild bees, hoverflies and butterflies. Effects on diversity…
Self-Fertilizing Plants Contribute to Their Own Demise
Many plants are self-fertilizing, meaning they act as both mother and father to their own seeds. This strategy -- known…
To Germinate, or Not to Germinate, That Is the Question…
Scientists at the University of York have uncovered new insights into the way seeds use gene networks to control when…
New Target to Boost Plant Resistance to Insects and Pathogens Identified
Plants can't swat a bug or run away from one, but that doesn't mean that plants can't fight back. Plants…
Less Oxygen Triggers Grasshopper Molting, Farmers Could Benefit
Less oxygen = shorter time between molts = shorter life-span = fewer hungry grasshoppers. And for farmers, that's very good…
Strengthening Legumes to Tackle Fertilizer Pollution
An international team of scientists aims to lessen the reliance on these fertilizers by helping beans and similar plants boost…
Gene Discovery May Yield Lettuce That Will Sprout in Hot Weather
A team of researchers, led by a University of California, Davis, plant scientist, has identified a lettuce gene and related…
Flower Power Fights Orchard Pests
Washington State University researchers have found they can control one of fruit growers' more severe pests, aphids, with a remarkably…
Diverse Bacteria On Fresh Fruits, Vegetables Vary With Produce Type, Farming Practices
Fresh fruit and vegetables carry an abundance of bacteria on their surfaces, not all of which cause disease. In the…
Phosphorus Starvation Linked to Symptoms of Citrus Disease Huanglongbing in New Study
The citrus disease Huanglongbing (HLB), meaning "yellow shoot disease" in Chinese and also called citrus greening in English-speaking countries, is…
Discovery of Genetic Mechanism Allowing Potato Cultivation in Northern Latitudes
An international team of scientists headed by Wageningen University, part of Wageningen UR, has discovered a genetic mechanism which allows…
A Promising Fruit: The Tree Tomato
A researcher at the UPM is collaborating in the characterization of genetic resource of the tree tomato to enhance its…
Floral Signs Go Electric: Bumblebees Find and Distinguish Electric Signals from Flowers
Flowers' methods of communicating are at least as sophisticated as any devised by an advertising agency, according to a new…
Video-clip library
Invest in modern flower growing technology
Invest in modern flower growing technology
Differentiate orange, crispy crispy, melon Vietnam and China
Differentiate orange, crispy crispy, melon Vietnam and China
Applying Korean science and technology in agricultural production in Vietnam