Researchers found that Pacific Northwest conifers face significant water stress during winter due to freeze-thaw cycles, which disrupts water flow. This challenges the conventional view of summer as the most stressful season for these trees.
Researchers discovered that colonizing rice plants with fungal spores from naturally salt-tolerant plants enhances their ability to withstand cold, salt, and drought. This emerging strategy, called symbiogenics, could help mitigate climate change impacts on global food security.
Researchers found that genetically identical trees grew differently in response to drought conditions depending on their nursery origin. This study reveals a form of molecular 'memory' where trees retain information about their past experiences, influencing their behavior in the environment.
Researchers found that smaller leaves have more tightly packed major veins, which provides redundancy in water transport. This allows them to maintain function even during extreme drought, making them more resistant to the effects of embolism in dry soil.
A Baylor University study reveals that drought conditions make certain chemicals more toxic to fish and other aquatic life by altering the natural pH levels of the water. The researchers found extreme fluctuations in pH levels during record-breaking droughts, coinciding with increased toxicity to aquatic organisms.
Plant hormone ethylene plays a major role in shutting down growth inhibition during mild drought stress. The study shows that plants grow slower when water becomes limiting but can resume growth if the stress is temporary. By targeting this response, crop varieties can be developed to improve productivity and reduce yield losses.
Researchers at Michigan State University have identified the key role of circadian clocks in plant freezing tolerance. The study found that integrating cold-signaling pathways with the circadian clock is crucial for maximum freezing tolerance, paving the way for the development of stress-tolerant crops.
A Purdue University study suggests that drought-exposed leaves may negatively impact soil nutrients by accumulating high levels of tannins. These tannins can interfere with critical enzymes in soil, potentially slowing down decomposition and nutrient cycling.
An epidemiological study on trees reveals earlier spring warming and summer drought as significant risk factors for tree reproduction and survival. The study helps scientists predict which species are vulnerable to climate change by analyzing the effects of climate variability on tree growth and fecundity.
An 18-year study of 27,000 trees found that climate change is more sensitive to tree growth and fecundity than previously thought. Early spring warming and summer drought were identified as key factors affecting tree reproduction and growth. The study provides valuable insights into how climate change impacts specific tree species.
A new study using satellite data shows that the 2010 drought caused a dramatic decline in Amazon forest health, with over 2.5 million square kilometers affected. The researchers used computer models and real-time processing of massive amounts of satellite data to analyze the impact of the drought.
The UK and Vietnam are collaborating on a major effort to improve flood, drought, salt and pest tolerance in rice, addressing growing population demands and climate change threats. The project will sequence the genomes of 30 rice varieties, developing an important genomics platform for breeding rice with improved traits.
A University of Missouri researcher is leading a $6.6 million study to understand the genes that regulate carbohydrate transport in corn plants, aiming to improve yield, drought resistance and biofuel production.
A new study using Africa's historical crop yield data reveals that corn production will decline by at least 20% for 1 degree Celsius of warming under drought conditions. The research also highlights the importance of combining existing knowledge and data from climate and agriculture communities to improve crop forecasting.
Researchers found that flood-tolerant rice plants with the Sub1A gene not only survive flooding but also recover well from drought, growing new shoots. This breakthrough could greatly benefit rice growers and consumers globally.
An international team of scientists has compiled paleoclimate records revealing an extreme megadrought in the Afro-Asian region 17,000 to 16,000 years ago. This drought, known as the H1 megadrought, had significant consequences for Paleolithic humans and raises questions about the potential severity of climate change.
A team of researchers from Kent State University has studied the history of drought in the Pacific Northwest over the past 6,000 years. They used sediment records and tree-ring data to find that drought duration increased in response to decadal oscillations driven by marine processes.
A new tree-ring chronology reconstructs the climate of pre-colonial Mexico on an annual basis for over a millennium, pinning down four ancient megadroughts to their exact years. The record provides insights into the rise and fall of pre-Hispanic civilizations, particularly the Aztecs and Mayans.
Researchers found two severe Amazon droughts in 5 years have caused widespread and severe impacts on the region's rainforests. The carbon impact of these droughts may exceed previous estimates, potentially offsetting the Amazon's ability to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere.
New research predicts increased frequency of drought in eastern Africa, exacerbating existing food shortages and population growth. Scientists link warming Indian Ocean temperatures to decreased rainfall in the region.
Researchers found a genetic mutation in Arabidopsis thaliana that reduces stomata, conserving water while maintaining carbon dioxide intake. The mutant plant exhibits 20% reduced transpiration and increased drought tolerance.
Researchers evaluated five common green roof plants under various drought treatments, finding that saxifrage pink thrived despite its shallow substrate requirement. The study highlights the importance of selecting plant species suitable to rooftop conditions and substrate depth for optimal growth.
A new study suggests that a 60-year drought like the one in the 12th Century could occur in the Southwest, with devastating impacts on ecosystems and water systems. The team analyzed past temperatures and droughts to identify plausible worst-case scenarios, highlighting the need for improved water management planning.
Research on self-fertilization reveals that it may not always be an evolutionary advantage but can evolve as a side-effect of drought-avoiding life cycles. Flower shape evolution is also influenced by pollinator preferences, with different shapes preferred by different types of insects.
The University of Maryland is leading a $5 million NSF-funded research partnership to develop drought-tolerant canola crops. The project will analyze guard cells in the canola plant to understand how plants respond to drought and improve water use efficiency.
A new study predicts widespread droughts across much of the globe within decades, with most of Western Hemisphere and Eurasia at risk. Drought conditions are expected to worsen as warming temperatures lead to reduced rainfall and increased evaporation.
The study predicts that severe and prolonged droughts will affect much of the globe in the next 30 years, with dry conditions increasing substantially across Eurasia, Africa, Australia, and parts of North America. By the end of the century, densely populated regions may face extreme drought conditions.
The Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) varieties, developed through a public-private partnership, show promising results with preliminary evidence of 24-35 percent higher yields. The project aims to test transgenic maize in confined field trials to evaluate their potential in drought conditions.
Researchers at Van Andel Research Institute have identified synthetic compounds that can mimic the effects of plant hormone abscisic acid, helping plants retain water during drought. These findings could lead to sprays that use a plant's natural defenses to improve drought tolerance and combat global food shortages.
Researchers found that winter drought stress can delay orange flowering by 2-4 weeks, allowing for safer mechanical harvesting and reducing young fruit loss. The technique, tested on 'Valencia' sweet oranges, improves late-season harvests without negative impacts on yield or fruit quality.
Researchers at Medical College of Wisconsin and University of California, Riverside create synthetic chemical mimicking abscisic acid to improve crop resistance to drought. The discovery paves the way for developing new molecules that activate or turn on receptors.
Plant scientists have made a significant advance in developing drought-resistant crops by understanding how the synthetic chemical pyrabactin works. By identifying subtle differences between receptors in their binding pockets, researchers can now develop more effective chemicals for bringing drought-resistance to plants.
A team of Wisconsin researchers has identified the protein targets in cells of a key hormone that controls how plants respond to environmental stresses such as drought. The study's findings could help underpin the development of new crop plant strains capable of thriving in hotter, dryer climates.
A new study by NASA researchers found that global plant productivity declined by 1% between 2000 and 2009 due to regional drought, contradicting previous findings of increased productivity with warming temperatures. The decline in plant growth has significant implications for food security and the global carbon cycle.
Scientists studied the impact of a prolonged Sun cycle on Earth's conveyor belt and found that it may have led to a longer cycle. Additionally, researchers examined how global water supply sharing affects drought vulnerability, finding that sharing water globally during times of drought can increase societal resilience.
A new study examining the effects of drought in the Amazon found that relatively undisturbed forests are tolerant of seasonal drought. The research used remote sensing and field-based studies to demonstrate this resilience and identified potential mechanisms controlling vegetation productivity across the Amazon Basin.
Researchers found that ferns in the northern end of the redwood forest ecosystem are better equipped to absorb fog water than those in the southern region. This has important implications for the structure of plant communities and how ecosystems function during drought periods. The study suggests that native ferns may be able to acclim...
A study by ISU researcher Diane Debinski found that drought conditions could lead to a shift from flowering plants to shrubs in montane meadows. This change could impact wildlife populations, including elk, bison, and pollinators like butterflies. Medium-moisture meadows may be particularly vulnerable to climate change.
The US Department of Agriculture has released two new kidney bean germplasm lines, TARS HT-1 and TARS HT-2, that are tolerant to high temperature conditions. These germplasm lines can improve yields under hot summer conditions for farmers in regions prone to high temperature stress.
Researchers recommend using water conservatively and developing ways to harness energy from the sun, wind, and Earth to cope with projected climate changes in the West and Southwest. The region is expected to experience widespread drought, wildfires, and decreasing snowpack.
Researchers from University of Haifa found that North Atlantic Ocean temperature changes can lead to droughts in the Sahel region, and conversely, rising temperatures bring rain. The study analyzed climate parameters over the 20th century, identifying correlations between Atlantic waves and droughts in the region.
A new study found a connection between La Niña-like sea surface temperatures in the central Pacific and droughts in western Europe and the American West. The cooler Pacific Ocean led to arid conditions, contributing to the departure of the Anastazi people.
A new study finds that trinexapac-ethyl reduces water depletion, evapotranspiration rates, and improves turf quality in creeping bentgrass during drought stress. The treatment maintains higher leaf relative water content and osmotic adjustment under drought conditions.
Researchers found that dehydrin proteins play a key role in helping plants like the resurrection fern survive up to 95% water loss, allowing water to act as a lubricant between cell walls. This discovery could lead to developing drought-resistant crops by localizing and transferring the dehydrin gene.
A study suggests that severe droughts and heavy monsoon rains may have weakened Angkor's economy and led to its downfall. The research, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found evidence of a mega-drought lasting three decades, which could have exacerbated crop failure and infectious disease.
A naturally occurring plant hormone, cytokinins, has been found to increase cotton yields during drought conditions. Commercially produced cytokinins stimulate the growth of the main plant stem and branches, promoting cell division and growth.
A team of researchers has identified 1.1 million base pairs of DNA in the soybean genome, including traits that affect plant development, disease resistance, and nutrition. This knowledge will enable scientists to create more resilient crops, reducing hunger and improving food security worldwide.
Researchers will apply basic science discoveries from the LOX gene family to improve corn breeding for drought tolerance and aflatoxin resistance. The four-year project will help reduce losses caused by mycotoxins in Texas, estimated at $13 million in 2008.
A new study by U of T researchers reveals that forest trees use different drought response gene programs at different times of the day, not just in the middle of the day as previously thought. This critical finding has implications for conserving and breeding drought-resistant trees.
A team of scientists, led by UCR professor Sean Cutler, has made significant discoveries on how plants survive drought using the stress hormone abscisic acid. Recent studies have built upon Cutler's initial findings, shedding light on the signaling pathway that enables plants to adapt to water scarcity.
A new water management framework developed by NC State University researchers can help plan for droughts or excess rain, making efficient use of water resources. By using climate forecasts, water managers can reduce vulnerability to drought and increase benefits for poor farming communities.
Scientists discovered how plant hormone ABA interacts with protein PYR1 to trigger drought response. This interaction enables PP2C molecules to be hijacked, allowing plants to increase water uptake and storage while decreasing water loss. The study offers new approaches for increasing crop tolerance to water shortages.
Scientists will study switchgrass varieties under drought conditions to improve forecasts on productivity and identify genetic mechanisms of drought tolerance. The research aims to develop models predicting how climate change affects switchgrass production in North America.
Researchers at Scripps Research and UC San Diego have solved the structure of a critical molecule that helps plants survive during droughts. The study provides important clues about how hormones regulate crucial physiological responses in humans, potentially improving crop yields worldwide.
A new study finds that a 2005-2007 drought in the southeastern United States was not exceptional but rather part of a normal dry period, while population growth and poor planning are major contributors to water scarcity. The region's future droughts are uncertain and could strike at any time due to unpredictable weather patterns.
A three-year, $2.4 million grant will develop a systems biology approach to combat the effects of drought on staple food crops like maize, wheat, and rice. The project aims to identify key regulatory genes and signaling pathways that can improve drought resistance.
University of Calgary scientists discovered that stressed crops emit more methane, a potent greenhouse gas 23 times more effective than carbon dioxide. Climate change factors such as temperature, drought, and UV-B radiation enhance methane emissions from six Canadian crops.
Researchers at MU College of Agriculture are constructing drought simulators to study how plants respond to various drought conditions. The project aims to develop more tolerant crop plants and improve water efficiency in agriculture.
The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is developing drought-tolerant rice to help farmers cope with water shortages affecting 15-20 million hectares of irrigated rice. Genetically modified rice may also play a role in boosting production and improving grain quality during postharvest
A new study by researchers at the University of Georgia suggests that drought conditions in an area's fall and winter may lead to a statistically significant reduction in tornado activity during the following spring. In contrast, wet autumns and winters were found to have nearly twice as many spring tornado days as drought years did.