Researchers evaluated genetic effects of 25 traits in popcorn inbred lines under water-stressed conditions, revealing key mechanisms for improving yield stability. The study identified physiological markers such as NDVI and SPAD for drought tolerance screening, highlighting potential breeding strategies to enhance drought tolerance in ...
Knocking out the OsDT5 gene boosts drought resistance in rice, corn, and wheat, as well as the bryophyte Physcomitrium patens. The study provides a unified mechanistic framework for drought adaptation in terrestrial plants.
Global climate change intensifies extreme weather events like heatwaves and droughts, altering wildfire patterns worldwide. The study quantifies the impact of 'hot drought' on 2025 LA wildfires, showing an increased risk by up to 210%. Additionally, strong Santa Ana winds played a significant role in fire spread.
The report debunks the 'climate war' theory, revealing that Syria's civil war was rooted in policy and socioeconomic failures. The agricultural sector rebounded quickly after a severe drought, with satellite imagery showing cropland activity returned to near-record levels just before the war began.
A study using RGB high-throughput phenotyping demonstrates that simple imaging can distinguish between drought and disease in tomatoes. The method identified distinct stress signatures for various biotic stresses, including viruses, fungi, and nematodes, as well as drought.
A novel phenotyping platform has identified a major QTL and candidate gene GmWRKY58 linked to drought resilience in soybean. The low-cost platform uses automated load-cell weighing devices to record pot weight, estimating transpiration rates and detecting key traits such as stress recognition time point and decrease under stress.
The Amazon is shifting to a hotter, drier climate with more intense droughts, stressing trees and increasing mortality rates. By 2100, hot drought conditions could occur up to 150 days per year, affecting tree species that are vulnerable to heat stress.
A severe drought around 61,000 years ago may have driven the decline and eventual extinction of Homo floresiensis, also known as Hobbits. The species abandoned their cave in Liang Bua due to prolonged drought and competition for resources.
Researchers at Colorado State University found that some tropical forest plants are adapting to drought by growing longer root systems, potentially helping reduce vulnerability. The study's findings suggest flexibility under drying conditions may rescue the forest, but long-term implications remain uncertain.
A study found that overexpressing the poplar sex-determining gene FERR improves drought tolerance by enhancing stomatal closure, increasing root biomass, and boosting antioxidant activities. The findings suggest that FERR plays a critical role in regulating the ABA signaling pathway to boost plant resilience against water scarcity.
A recent study published in Global Change Biology found that functional diversity helps keep forest growth stable during prolonged periods of drought. Trees with different water-use strategies show stronger growth in drought years than those with opposite strategies.
The study reveals that North America and Europe will experience significant warming (3.7-3.8°C) and drought expansion by the end of the 21st century due to land-air coupling, which amplifies the impact of GHG emissions. If uncontrolled, this could lead to severe climate risks, including reduced Gross Primary Productivity.
Researchers found extreme warming of Amazon lakes in 2023, with water temperatures soaring above 40°C and lake levels plummeting to record lows. The study highlights the vulnerability of tropical lakes to intense warming and calls for better monitoring of these ecosystems under climate change.
A new University of California, Davis study finds that drought in California pushes the price of water from rivers, lakes, and reservoirs up by $487 per acre-foot, more than triple the cost during an average wet year. Managing groundwater and surface water together could keep water prices steady and support the state's economy.
A new algorithm detects and quantifies dense root clusters from digital images, achieving higher accuracy than traditional visual trait methods. This approach provides a scalable, customizable tool for high-throughput plant phenotyping and identifies genetic markers linked to adaptive traits.
A recent University of California San Diego-led study shows that understanding the origin of rainfall is crucial in reshaping drought planning and land management. The research reveals that regions with high reliance on land-sourced moisture are more vulnerable to drought, soil moisture loss, and yield declines.
Researchers studied the genetic response of umbrella acacia and splendid thorn acacia to drought stress. The study found that umbrella acacias prioritize continued growth over water conservation when water is scarce, using up all accessible water to survive severe droughts. In contrast, splendid thorn acacias invest in water conservati...
Researchers found that soil microbes retain a long-term memory of past climate conditions, influencing plant responses to new droughts. Microbial legacies from drier soils improved native grasses' drought tolerance but not maize.
Researchers identified AMO as key driver of compound hot drought events in Northern East Asia, with periods of weakening and strengthening linked to changes in climate. The study provides a new physical perspective for understanding variability in the region's hot droughts and offers insights for improving decadal climate prediction.
A new study warns that peatland carbon loss could quadruple under extreme drought events and warmer temperatures, threatening the planet's carbon sink. Researchers found that elevated carbon dioxide levels exacerbated carbon release during droughts, wiping out hundreds of years of accumulated carbon.
Research reveals that even native ecosystems can't adapt to extreme drought conditions, leading to significant impacts on plant growth and productivity. Productivity declines by up to 77% in four years under consecutive extreme droughts.
A global research effort by Colorado State University reveals that extreme, prolonged droughts in grasslands and shrublands result in more than twice the loss of plant productivity compared to moderate droughts. The study suggests that these ecosystems lose their ability to recover over time under prolonged dry conditions.
Research findings from the International Drought Experiment reveal that consecutive extreme drought years lead to significant declines in ecosystem productivity, with some sites experiencing a 2.5-fold reduction in productivity over four years. This cumulation is attributed to species mortality, failed establishment, and changes in com...
Researchers used advanced 3D canopy reconstruction to study forest adaptation to climate extremes. Thinning improves canopy light availability, boosting carbon uptake even under drought, while reduced rainfall suppresses photosynthetic performance.
A team of scientists at Heidelberg University has discovered a protein complex in chloroplasts that triggers the closure of microscopic pores on leaves to prevent water loss. This hormone, abscisic acid, is formed via biosynthesis and ensures plant survival during extreme drought conditions.
Researchers found compound drought-heatwave events rippling and persisting through the night, exacerbating heat-related health risks. Soil dryness plays a key role in triggering these extreme events, which can affect crops, wildfires, and daily life.
A new study argues that plants cannot survive without a minimum water supply, regardless of their genetic drought tolerance. Effective water management strategies, such as modern irrigation systems and soil mulching, have consistently stabilized or boosted yields, while genetic advances provide little protection once soil moisture fall...
The WMO report reveals that 2024 was marked by severe drought in the Amazon basin and Southern Africa, while Central Europe experienced excessive rainfall, leading to devastating floods. Glaciers globally lost 450 billion metric tons of ice, accelerating climate change impacts.
Researchers at Max Planck Institute for Chemistry investigated α-pinene ratio in Amazon rainforest before, during, and after drought period. The results show that increasing drought stress shifts the ratio to higher values, indicating ecosystem stress.
Researchers discovered that plants rapidly activate a coordinated immune response during drought recovery, prioritizing immunity over growth. This finding highlights the importance of studying the post-drought period and points to new strategies for engineering crops that can rebound more effectively after environmental stress.
A new study reveals that drought and ozone pollution significantly reduce soybean yield, regardless of drought stress levels. Researchers found that elevated ozone concentrations disrupt photosynthesis and hormone signaling in plants, leading to reduced yield and seed development.
Researchers analyzed 20,000 tree-ring records to find that tropical trees grow 2.5% less during droughts, but recover almost completely the following year. Drier regions show greater reductions in growth and increased tree mortality.
A recent study from the University of Texas at Austin finds that climate change may be disrupting the natural Pacific Decadal Oscillation cycle, which brings needed rain to the region. This could lead to prolonged droughts in the southwest U.S., affecting water resources like the Colorado River.
Researchers at Waseda University discovered myosin XI's critical role in plant drought response. Myosin XI enables plants to close stomata more effectively and conserve water by coordinating ROS signaling, microtubule remodeling, and gene activation in guard cells.
A new study finds that climate change and aerosols have led to lower precipitation in the Southwest, making drought inevitable. The research predicts continued drought conditions as the planet warms.
A comprehensive report cataloging the most widespread and damaging drought events since 2023 reveals food, water, energy crises and human tragedies. The 'Drought Hotspots Around the World 2023-2025' report underscores the need for systematic monitoring of drought's impacts on lives, livelihoods, and ecosystems.
Researchers at Colorado State University have demonstrated the reversal of embolism in a type of wild grass, which can recover from extended drought within 24 hours. This finding has significant implications for improving agricultural productivity and food security, as it could potentially be bred into crops to make them more resilient...
A new international study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution found that fertilizer can help plants survive short-term periods of extreme drought. The researchers added nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to 26 sites across 9 countries and found a 24% increase in plant growth with fertilizer addition.
The Amazon rainforest could withstand prolonged droughts caused by climate change, but this would come with significant losses, including the death of largest trees. This would lead to a reduction in the forest's ability to act as a vital carbon sink.
A new study from the University of Helsinki unravels the causes of ancient climate changes that led to severe droughts in North America thousands of years ago. Researchers used fossil pollen grains and machine learning algorithms to reconstruct moisture levels, confirming that conditions were below modern levels for thousands of years.
A new method using free software and a drone with a low-cost camera has been developed to select drought-tolerant corn plants. The approach allows for optimized data collection, faster processing, and reduced costs compared to conventional methods.
A new study using CRISPR-Cas9 technology enhances cassava's resistance to diseases and improves drought tolerance. Genome-edited cassava plants show increased starch content, benefiting food security and industrial applications.
A new genetic module CsTIE1-CsAGL16 simultaneously regulates lateral branch development and drought tolerance in cucumbers. This breakthrough provides a molecular blueprint for breeding cucumbers that thrive in water-limited environments while maintaining optimal growth characteristics.
New Jersey Institute of Technology biologist Xiaonan Tai receives a $1.16 million NSF CAREER Award to study how groundwater influences forest survival during climate stress, integrating ecology and hydrology perspectives.
A new study unveiled a high-resolution SIF dataset to monitor vegetation photosynthesis during droughts, offering unprecedented insights into how plants respond to drought stress. The dataset provides continuous, high-resolution data, enhancing real-time monitoring of photosynthesis and vegetation health.
A new study reveals how drought stress stimulates anthocyanin biosynthesis in grape berries via the ABA signaling pathway and microRNA miR156b. This discovery offers crucial insights into how grapevines respond to water scarcity, providing a foundation for enhancing grape quality through precise genetic and environmental interventions.
Research reveals that Eurasian Steppe grasslands are more susceptible to drought than North American Great Plains due to lower plant diversity. The study found a 43% reduction in annual productivity in Eurasia compared to a 25% reduction in North America under similar extreme drought conditions.
Researchers found that ornamental never never plants can store water for up to 45 days, maintaining photosynthetic activity and chloroplast structure unchanged. This helps them adapt to drought conditions, a challenge for many crops.
Researchers found that white-faced capuchin monkeys who showed a stronger stress response were more likely to survive extreme droughts. The study, led by UCLA's Susan Perry, used natural experiment of an El Niño drought in Costa Rica to investigate the adaptive nature of stress response.
A new study reveals that climate change can dramatically alter how grasslands use and move water. Under drought conditions and warmer temperatures in a CO2-rich climate, plants conserve more water by releasing less to the atmosphere through transpiration.
A novel field experiment in Austria reveals that compounding climate conditions can fundamentally reshape how water moves through soils in temperate grasslands. Elevated atmospheric CO2 and warming disrupt post-drought soil water flow and grassland vegetation water use.
A comprehensive survey predicts that 36% of anurans' habitats worldwide will be threatened by rising temperatures and water scarcity. The Amazon and Atlantic Rainforest, home to the most diverse anuran species, will face devastating effects from drought events.
Plant scientists have discovered how abscisic acid (ABA) and auxin influence root growth angles in cereal crops like rice and maize to seek deeper water reserves. This mechanism could lead to developing drought-resistant crops with improved root system architecture, addressing global food security concerns.
New research predicts that wildlife species in the continental US will experience year-long droughts nearly five times as often in the coming decades. Three-year droughts may become nearly seven times more frequent, with implications for conservation strategies and wildlife management.
The CGIAR Drought Action Catalyst aims to build global resilience to droughts, connecting communities with scalable solutions. The initiative focuses on Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and vulnerable regions, promoting co-design and collaboration to transform drought management.
A new UN report highlights the economic benefits of investing in sustainable land and water management to reduce drought costs. The study estimates that nature-based solutions can generate up to $10.1 trillion in business value by 2030, while creating millions of jobs.
The World Drought Atlas depicts the systemic nature of drought risks, highlighting their interconnectedness across sectors. It underscores the need for national plans and international cooperation to build resilience against harsher droughts, which are expected to affect 3 in 4 people globally by 2050.
A new study proposes a solution to water scarcity during droughts by coordinating agricultural-to-urban leasing during dry periods and urban-to-agricultural leasing during wet periods. This arrangement benefits both urban and agricultural water users, reducing financial impacts.
A new COF sensor can detect pH changes in plant xylem tissues, providing early warning of drought stress up to 48 hours before traditional methods. This technology enables timely detection and management of drought stress, optimizing crop production and yield.
A recent study using satellite imagery analyzed drought dynamics over five years to show increasing droughts in the Arkansas Delta. The user-friendly Arkansas Vegetation Drought Explorer v.2.0 web app provides maps showing drought levels by county, year, and month.