Articles tagged with Plant Growth
Research led by Penn State scientists found that indigenous hunter-gatherer practices played a key role in seed dispersal and genetic diversity of native plants. The study challenged the conventional notion of agriculture and suggested humans impacted plant populations long before farming began.
The study reveals the genes that enable plants to make DMSP, allowing them to thrive in salty and drought conditions. This breakthrough could improve agricultural productivity in nitrogen-poor soils, making crops more sustainable in the face of global climate change.
The Antarctic Peninsula has experienced a dramatic increase in vegetation cover over the last four decades, with satellite data showing an acceleration of 30% in recent years. This 'greening' trend is attributed to climate change and has significant implications for the region's ecosystem and environmental future.
Researchers at Rutgers University are developing an innovative method called electroponics, which uses electrospray to deliver water and agrichemicals to plants with minimal waste. This technology has the potential to increase food security and sustainability, particularly in water-scarce environments or space stations.
A team of researchers found that the use of microbial biofertilisers and algae-based biostimulants can significantly enhance both the yield and quality of organic tomatoes. The treatments improved processes like nutrient absorption and stress tolerance, supporting overall crop performance.
Scientists have developed a strategy for optimizing light intensity to minimize electricity costs while maintaining plant growth. The study found that varying light intensity can cut electricity costs by 12% without compromising plants' carbon fixation.
A recent study discovered that COI1 proteins in maize balance growth and defense by degrading JAZ and DELLAs. This finding could lead to developing more resilient maize varieties. The research revealed an unexpected role of COI1 in regulating DELLA levels, enabling maize to thrive under hot and arid climates.
Researchers found that certain C4 crops can control water loss through non-stomatal mechanisms, allowing them to absorb carbon dioxide despite raised temperatures and increased atmospheric demand. This discovery has significant implications for improving water-use efficiency in these crops.
Researchers discovered that disrupting plant microbiomes can compromise a plant's immune system, leading to autoimmunity. Prebiotics could potentially support or reset the microbiome to maintain balance, reducing losses in food crops.
A recent study by University of Washington researchers found that warmer, drier springs account for almost 70% of the discrepancy between predicted and actual streamflow in Colorado. The team's findings suggest that plants rely more on snowmelt during dry springs, leaving less water to flow into nearby streams.
Researchers found that nanomaterials improve plant performance and mitigate salinity stress at lower dosages. However, higher doses can be toxic and worsen salinity stress. The findings suggest considering nanomaterials as a future option for managing salinity stress.
A recent study by UT Arlington scientist Nathan D. Brown shows Alaskan land is eroding faster than it can be replaced due to climate change. The team mapped and dated floodplain deposits, determining permafrost extent, to model how permafrost formation varies with air temperature.
A new study from the University of California, Davis, reveals how plants break down the hormone strigolactone to become more bushy. The researchers found that enzymes called carboxylesterases play a crucial role in degrading strigolactone, and identified specific amino acids that allow these enzymes to bind to the hormone.
A new study found that microplastics impact plant reproduction, while seawater flooding causes greater tissue death in coastal plants. Combining both stressors amplifies threats to ecosystem wellbeing.
MSU researchers developed a new cotton quality module as part of the GOSSYM application, simulating plant growth and yield. The tool can predict crop growth, yield, and fiber quality, providing valuable insights for farmers to maximize income and resiliency in the face of climate change.
A team from the University of Illinois has developed a modeling framework connecting enzyme activity related to photosynthesis to yield. This breakthrough model ties dynamic photosynthetic pathways directly to crop growth for the first time.
A new study reveals that coca plants grown for cocaine production are difficult to distinguish from wild-growing varieties based on leaf shape and size. The researchers used genetic analysis to estimate when different coca species and varieties originated, suggesting a longer evolutionary history than previously thought.
Researchers discovered that treating common vetch with specific bacteria and fungi can increase plant defense enzymes and recruit healthy bacteria to combat Colletotrichum spinaciae. This approach may be an effective way for future plant disease management.
A new study suggests that the Cahokia exodus may have been due to external pressures rather than crop failure, finding no evidence of widespread drought impact. Researchers believe the society had the engineering skills to maintain crops and a diverse diet, leading them to gradually disperse rather than abandon their land.
Researchers found that combining aquaponic wastewaters with hydrothermal liquefaction aqueous phase (HTL-AP) solutions up to 8% can support plant growth without inhibiting germination. This alternative nutrient source has the potential to increase circularity in food production systems and reduce reliance on chemical fertilizers.
A new study reveals that a type of desert moss called Syntrichia caninervis has the potential to grow on Mars due to its ability to tolerate extreme temperatures, radiation, and dehydration. The researchers tested the moss's resilience in various conditions and found it to be one of the most radiation-tolerant organisms known.
A new study by RIKEN CSRS shows that biomass from purple photosynthetic marine bacterium Rhodovulum sulfidophilum is an excellent nitrogen fertilizer, effective as inorganic synthetic fertilizers but with lower environmental side effects. The biomass boosts plant growth without altering soil pH or salinity.
A new study reveals that climate models overestimate the storage time of carbon in plants, meaning it is released back into the atmosphere sooner than predicted. This has implications for nature-based carbon removal projects and our understanding of the role of nature in mitigating climate change.
The study found that existing corn varieties are not ideal for future climates and that new crops with specific traits will be necessary. The research suggests that warmer temperatures, drier air, and increased CO2 will lead to decreased yields unless adaptations are made.
A new system developed by Boyce Thompson Institute makes affordable, mobile and high-throughput phenotyping tools accessible worldwide. This allows researchers to conduct data-driven studies on plant growth and responses over time, accelerating breeding of more resilient crop varieties.
A new study reveals that orchid plants support their seedlings through shared underground fungal networks, which provide essential nutrients. The findings suggest that mature orchids act as a 'parental nurture' to their developing seedlings by sharing sugars via the fungal network.
Scientists at Boyce Thompson Institute have developed a method to enhance Rubisco production in maize, increasing carbon assimilation and boosting plant height. The transgenic plants also showed improved resilience to chilling stress, maintaining higher photosynthetic rates during cold exposure.
A new study found that removing hedgerows and field margins decreases the diversity and abundance of arthropods, which can lead to reduced natural pest control. The research suggests that using flowering plants in field margins and implementing agri-environmental measures can be effective ways to increase farmland biodiversity.
An OSU study found evidence of intentional camas harvesting dating back 3,500 years, contributing to Traditional Ecological Knowledge research. Indigenous groups selectively harvested camas bulbs when plants were four or five years old and had reached sexual maturity, likely to maintain sustainable populations.
Researchers have discovered the detailed mechanism of sugar signaling in plants, which involves a protein called KIN10 that acts as a 'sensor kinase' controlling biochemical pathways. The study reveals how sugar levels affect plant growth and oil production, providing insights into potential engineering of proteins to increase oil prod...
Researchers have determined the molecular level function of free-forming structures in plant cells that help sense light and temperature, enabling plants to distinguish a range of different light intensities. The formation of these organelles is not random but is linked to specific locations within the cell, particularly near centromeres.
Researchers created new maps that accurately describe phosphorus levels in Amazonian soil using artificial intelligence, revealing the region's low concentration of the mineral. This information is crucial for understanding how tropical forests will react to climate change.
A recent study by the University of California - Riverside found that carbon dioxide is driving an increase in the severity and frequency of wildfires by fueling the growth of plants that become kindling. This process occurs because plants use the extra CO2 to make carbohydrates, leading to an increase in biomass that burns.
Researchers developed a new tool to improve the accuracy of electronic devices that measure plant leaf color to assess health. The software uses polarization to account for variations in light and reduce errors caused by glare.
A Washington State University-led research team discovered a set of genes in wild bacteria that allow them to survive exposure to nickel, enabling them to thrive in toxic soils. The genetic discovery could inform future bioremediation efforts to return plants to polluted soils.
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have created a highly stretchable sensor that can monitor and transmit plant growth information without human intervention. The sensor is resilient to humidity and temperature and can send a wireless signal to a remote monitoring location.
Researchers develop a unified framework for identifying practical identifiability issues in plant growth models, highlighting key challenges and proposing a novel risk index to enhance model credibility. The approach reveals insights into parameter interactions and parameter estimation limitations.
Researchers identified genes controlling sorghum flowering and found that overexpressing one gene can delay flowering, increasing plant growth and biomass. The study provides new insights into optimizing sorghum for bioenergy goals.
A study found that glitter's metal coating reduces light penetration, impairing photosynthesis of Large-flowered waterweed Egeria densa and affecting aquatic plant growth. The experiment showed a significant decrease in photosynthesis rates with the presence of glitter, highlighting the need for sustainable alternatives.
Scientists at Brookhaven Lab demonstrate new genetic strategy to boost plant oil content by protecting the oil-protector protein, resulting in 54% more oil accumulation in leaves and 13% more in seeds. This approach can increase biomass energy content and provide sustainable fuels.
A study published in PNAS reveals that light controls the post-transcriptional splicing of genes regulating photosynthesis in mesophyll cells. This process is co-regulated by AtPRMT5 and COP1, allowing plants to adapt to changing light conditions.
Researchers in Italy cultivate four species of microgreens with bespoke nutritional profiles, providing a blueprint for soilless cultivation of nutritionally enriched plants. The study successfully produces microgreens with up to 14 times higher iodine content and 45% reduced potassium levels, catering to specific dietary requirements.
Researchers used CRISPR to modify a tomato gene, resulting in reduced water consumption without affecting crop quality. The discovery holds implications for basic scientific knowledge and could help increase plant yields in dry conditions.
A team of University of Copenhagen researchers has created a large reference catalogue of plant cell wall compositions from 287 species, representing the entire plant kingdom. The study reveals that carbohydrate composition is more closely related to a plant's family history than its habitat and growth form.
The study explores the impact of light conditions on plant hydraulic conductance and water demands, revealing adaptive strategies for improved crop productivity. Shaded leaves exhibit higher water-use efficiency due to reduced transpiration, offering insights into optimizing agricultural practices.
By reducing chlorophyll levels in leaves, researchers found a 17% increase in seed nitrogen concentration without impacting canopy carbon assimilation. The study's results provide an alternative approach to improve crop yield and nutritional quality for global food security.
Researchers at NUS-SCELSE have discovered a plant hormone, methyl jasmonate, that communicates with beneficial microorganisms in the soil, boosting crop growth by 30%. This finding holds great promise for sustainable agriculture and could lead to the development of nature-based agrochemicals.
A recent study from the University of Copenhagen found that consumers rate vertically farmed greens similarly to organic ones. The study debunked consumer prejudices about vertically grown produce, showing that it can be just as healthy and natural.
Researchers found that mycorrhizal fungi can significantly improve crop yields by up to 40% in fields with high levels of fungal pathogens. The inoculation was most effective when the soil had already been contaminated with pathogens, serving as a protective shield against further damage.
A laboratory test shows that silicon application stimulates olive plant growth and increases nutrient absorption, particularly potassium. Plants treated with silicon grew longer stems and more branches than those without the element.
Scientists at Okayama University have identified a membrane transporter, SIET4, in rice leaves that facilitates the localization of silicon. This discovery reveals intricate processes involved in Si deposition, enabling plants to accumulate high levels of silicon and survive environmental stresses.
Researchers discovered that sunflowers don't rely on phototropin for heliotropism; instead, they exhibit a unique gene expression pattern when growing outdoors, suggesting multiple pathways for light-sensing and growth.
A new study reveals that sunflowers use different molecular pathways to initiate and maintain tracking movements, involving multiple light signaling pathways. The research also found that depletion of one or more light triggers has little effect on the sunflower's ability to track the sun.
Researchers from the University of Tokyo have developed an AI-powered drone system that analyzes young plants to predict their expected growth characteristics. By identifying optimal harvest times, farmers can reduce waste and improve their income by up to 20.4%, while also benefiting consumers and the environment.
Engineering associations between plants and nitrogen-fixing microbes using genetic engineering could lessen dependence on synthetic fertilizer. This approach involves bi-directional signaling to release fixed nitrogen, promoting efficient communication between engineered plants and microbes.
The PhenoSphere enables detailed analyses of performance-related trait expression and causal biological mechanisms in plant populations exposed to weather conditions. It simulates clouds, wind speed, and direction, and applies water and fertilization automatically, allowing for systems biology analyzes and hypothesis testing.
Researchers from the University of South Australia have designed a self-sustaining solar-driven system that evaporates seawater to recycle it into freshwater, growing crops without human involvement. The vertical floating sea farm has several advantages over other designs, including low energy consumption and high food production.
Researchers found that behaviors nourishing individual plant fitness can be detrimental to the whole community in high-density stands. Simulated shade may improve breeding for high-yielding cultivars by understanding molecular and genetic components of interactions between wheat plants.
Scientists have engineered trees to be easier to disassemble into simpler building blocks using callose-enriched wood. This approach increases the efficiency of converting woody plant biomass to fuel and other useful products.
New research found that plant water use efficiency has stalled since 2001 due to climate change, contradicting earlier hopes it would help improve water consumption. The study's findings suggest that rising temperatures and atmospheric CO2 may be undermining nature-based methods to achieve carbon neutrality.