Articles tagged with Plants
A new study by Prof. Ehud Meron and colleagues proposes that pairing spatial patterning and phenotypic changes is the missing link to understanding fairy circles. The researchers found that combining plant-level phenotypic changes with population-level spatial patterning can result in resilient ecosystem responses to water stress.
A global study on plant-herbivore interactions has confirmed variability in insect eating habits across different members of the same species of plants. Latitude is found to be a significant factor affecting herbivory variability, with more kinds of insects feeding on plants and its relatives at higher latitudes.
Researchers found that high plant diversity acts as a buffer against fluctuations in soil temperature, protecting ecosystems and agricultural productivity. Plant diversity increased shading and organic carbon content, reducing heat conduction and stabilizing soil temperature.
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.
Researchers develop a mathematical model that analyzes the future survival of plants in a changing climate by studying how far wind can carry seeds. The model provides fast and reliable predictions of seed movement, considering factors like seed type, plant height, and wind speed.
A new study reveals that the protective effect of income has largely eroded in affluent neighborhoods over the past 40 years. This means that even if residents have more wealth, they won't be able to enjoy cooler temperatures as climate change worsens.
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.
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.
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have found that quinoa's 'bladder cells' do not protect against salt and drought, but instead serve as a barrier against pests and diseases. The discovery could lead to more resilient quinoa varieties for global cultivation.
Researchers found that cold temperatures increase glucosinolate levels in some kale varieties, while others decrease it. This affects the nutritional value of the plant, with curly kale and Lacinato kale showing different responses to temperature.
Researchers at Eötvös Loránd University investigated how high salt concentrations affect wheat seedlings growing deep in the soil. They found that sodium has the most negative effect, while potassium and calcium chloride salts can be considered more environmentally friendly. High salt concentrations slow down greening process.
A recent study has provided significant genomic insight into tar spot of corn, a destructive disease causing $1.2 billion in yield loss. The researchers identified over 100 novel effectors that play a crucial role during infection, warranting further investigation.
Researchers found that green spaces alleviate extreme heat's negative impacts on human health, while densely packed buildings increase mortality risk. Urban design strategies incorporating different types of greenery are recommended to mitigate heatwave-associated mortality.
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.
A recent meta-study found that consuming fruit and vegetables contributes positively to bacterial diversity in the human gut. The study discovered that early childhood is a critical window for colonization with plant-associated bacteria, which have probiotic properties.
Researchers at UC Riverside successfully engineered a plant to turn beet red in the presence of a banned pesticide, enabling an environmental sensor without damaging its native metabolism. This breakthrough opens up possibilities for detecting other toxic substances like drugs and birth control pills in water supply.
A new study reveals that periodical cicada emergences have a cascading effect on forest ecosystems, shifting bird diets and leading to increased abundance of caterpillars and subsequent leaf damage. This research has implications for bird conservation and understanding the interconnectedness of complex food webs.
A new study published in Conservation Physiology identifies the critical limits of plant function under stress, enabling more effective conservation strategies. By understanding these limits, conservationists can identify vulnerable species and allocate resources more wisely.
A new study suggests that individual animals, like Lua the Antillean manatee, can be used as flagships to encourage engagement and behavioural change in conservation. These charismatic species often have unique characteristics that make them appealing to humans and can inspire policy changes.
Pre-contact agave species cultivated by early cultures like the Hohokam people continue to persist in Arizona's landscape. These domesticated agaves are distinct from their wild counterparts and offer a rare opportunity to study plant species unchanged since prehistory.
X- and y-type thioredoxins play a crucial role in maintaining the redox balance of photosynthesis during fluctuating light conditions. The study found that these proteins facilitate electron transport through the electron transport chain, preventing photoinhibition and promoting plant growth.
Researchers at CABBI developed an economical method for producing succinic acid, a key chemical in food, agricultural, and pharmaceutical products, using acid-tolerant yeast. The new pipeline eliminates costly downstream processing steps, significantly reducing costs and emissions.
The research aims to understand the molecular response of plants to environmental stress by investigating the connection between two independent biochemical signaling pathways, ethylene biosynthesis and autophagy. The findings could lead to the development of high-yield, pathogen-resistant, stress-tolerant plants.
Researchers discovered a synthetic plant biology approach to prevent protein aggregation in human cells and nematodes, using the plant enzyme stromal processing peptidase (SPP) derived from chloroplasts. This finding opens the door to testing SPP as a potential therapy for Huntington's disease.
New plant cell walls exhibit significantly different mechanical properties compared to surrounding parental walls, enabling cells to alter their local shape and influence the growth of plant organs. Researchers have discovered that new cell walls in some plants are 1.5 times stiffer than the parental cell walls.
Researchers developed a proof-of-concept sensor that detects vibrations and changes in target position with high accuracy, using an innovative design to cancel out noise. The sensor's compact size, low cost, and long battery life make it suitable for various applications, including plant water status tracking and structural integrity d...
A team of international plant and forest researchers criticized the attribution of human characteristics to plants, stating that such claims are scientifically untenable. They analyzed two widely received books on forests and found no evidence to support assertions about tree feelings, communication, and altruistic behavior.
Most of the world's largest flowers (genus Rafflesia) are now on the brink of extinction due to habitat destruction and lack of conservation efforts. The study highlights the need for a joined-up, cross-regional approach to save these unique plants.
Researchers at UMass Amherst have found evidence for evolutionary syndromes in wild tomatoes, which explain the development of their unique color, sweetness, acidity, and aroma. The study provides valuable insights into how fruits evolve in the wild and will be useful for breeding more nutritious and appealing varieties of fruits.
Researchers at the University of Oxford's Botanic Garden and Mathematical Institute have found that the shape, size, and geometry of pitcher plants determines the type of prey they trap. The study showed that large, flared rims are suited to capturing walking insects such as ants.
A University of Adelaide-led study introduces a new method to engineer plant cell wall enzymes, enabling the production of valuable products. The technique involves controlling specific enzymes' catalytic function to assemble, structure, and remodel plant cell walls.
A new study reveals that fungus gnats are crucial pollinators of certain Euonymus plant species with red-petaled flowers. The unique traits of these flowers, such as their yogurt-like scent and short stamens, have evolved to attract the fungus gnats, highlighting the importance of Diptera in plant diversity and evolution.
Researchers at Iowa State University have created synthetic catalysts that mimic natural enzymes to break down cellulose in plant biomass. These nanoparticle catalysts can be reused multiple times, overcoming the limitations of natural enzymes, which are expensive, unstable, and difficult to recycle.
A new technique converts kale waste into phytochemicals for use in health and personal care products, preserving potency and using non-toxic solvents. The method reduces energy consumption and emissions, making it attractive for industry adoption and supporting a circular economy.
Researchers have discovered a gene, B5, in Egyptian cotton that confers powerful resistance to bacterial blight. The gene enables strong resistance to the disease under Oklahoma field conditions and accumulates high amounts of defense chemicals.
Researchers developed a smart agrochemical delivery platform using biomimetic mineralization, which improves crop yield and fruit zinc content. The platform, named MiZIFs, uses zeolitic imidazolate frameworks to encapsulate a synthetic growth regulator, promoting plant growth and stress tolerance.
Botanists and amateur enthusiasts rediscovered rare tropical plants from the genus Nasa using global data repositories like iNaturalist. Rediscoveries include species considered extinct in the wild, highlighting the importance of conservation efforts and community science networks.
Researchers created a five-part checklist to identify native and invasive common reed populations based on observable traits like stem color and fungal spots. The tool helps land managers target invasive reeds while protecting native plants.
Researchers found that competition between beneficial bacterial strains degrades the service they provide to plants, resulting in smaller benefits. The study used native California plant and eight compatible nitrogen-fixing bacterial strains to directly measure their ability to infect plants and provide benefits.
A new framework has been defined to predict plant species invasiveness, considering factors such as native range distribution and characteristics. The study found that plants with large distribution ranges occupying diverse habitats and multiple dispersal vectors are most likely to become exotic.
The American Phytopathological Society has published a focus issue on critical biosecurity gaps in US plant disease diagnostics, highlighting the need for harmonized diagnostics within the agricultural biosecurity system. The focus issue addresses assay validation methods, including high-throughput screening and PCR/RPA techniques.
Plant roots detect temperature changes and adjust their growth accordingly. Researchers found that root cells produce more auxin in response to elevated temperatures, stimulating cell division and allowing roots to grow deeper into the soil. This discovery could help develop new approaches for plant breeding against climate change.
Li Yuan's team from Northwest A&F University has made progress in developing a watermelon haploid induction system. They successfully induced haploid plants in multiple watermelon genotypes using the ClDMP3 mutation, with rates reaching up to 1.12%. This breakthrough holds immense potential for advancing watermelon breeding.
A recent study confirmed which genes in the HiVir cluster are essential and which contribute partially to the disease. The toxin produced by Pantoea ananatis has broad-spectrum activity, potentially targeting conserved functions within plants.
A lack of measurement of plant traits across the Global South poses a threat to understanding and protecting tropical forests from climate change. By integrating regional and global data, researchers aim to fill the knowledge gap and create open-source resources for documenting biodiversity.
Scientists have identified a natural gene variant in barley that enables plants to flower up to 18 days earlier, allowing for improved adaptation to climate change. This discovery could lead to the development of climate-resilient barley varieties with stable yields.
Researchers at CRAG have discovered a key role for AtMC3, a metacaspase protein located exclusively in phloem tissue, in drought stress response. Increasing AtMC3 levels improves plant survival and photosynthetic capacity under water scarcity conditions, offering a potential tool to fine-tune early drought responses.
A decade-long study reveals that warmer temperatures lead to significant loss of organic compounds in deep forest soils, affecting carbon sequestration. This finding has implications for natural carbon sinks and soil management practices.
Researchers develop artificial photosynthesis devices to convert sunlight into oxygen, potentially supplementing space travel with sustainable energy. These devices mimic plants' natural process, recycling carbon dioxide and producing oxygen using only sunlight.
A new paper argues that biological materials are defined by the water that permeates them, creating a class of 'hydration solids' with unique properties. The research resolves long-standing mysteries and predicts exciting phenomena in materials.
The CAETÊ algorithm projects the future of vegetation in the Amazon, presenting scenarios for transformation driven by climate change. It shows that a drier climate could increase biodiversity but lower carbon storage, with carbon absorption dropping between 57.48% and 57.75% compared to regular climate conditions.
Researchers updated their protein localization prediction model, MULocDeep, to provide more targeted predictions for biological discoveries. The tool helps researchers design more effective experiments and advance scientific discoveries related to drug development and treating diseases like epilepsy.
Researchers at the Sainsbury Laboratory, Cambridge University have discovered that symbiotic and pathogenic fungi use a similar group of proteins to interact with and live within plants. This finding suggests that both pathogens and symbionts are using universal mechanisms to colonise plant cells.
Research reveals that prescribed burns create favorable conditions for stinknet to spread, outcompeting native plants and reducing soil health. Targeted treatments after burns can help mitigate this issue.
Despite years of research, few salt-tolerant crops have been released commercially. KAUST researchers argue that increasing crop salinity tolerance is essential due to climate change impacts. New genetic tools and approaches like grafting or domesticating wild species can help develop more resilient crops.
A new, rapid platform detects pathogens on produce in three to six hours, improving risk reduction strategies for the produce industry. The technology uses multi-spectral imaging and deep UV sensing to identify opportunistic human pathogens.
A WVU researcher is creating mathematical models to predict how bioenergy crops enhance and store soil carbon, potentially spurring renewable energy from biological sources. The model considers factors like plant roots, microbes, and feedstocks to determine net carbon benefits or losses.
Researchers from the University of Gothenburg found that replanted eelgrass meadows can restore biodiversity rapidly, with up to 80% of invertebrates returning after just three months. The study's findings suggest smaller plot sizes can be used, saving money on restoration efforts while maintaining ecosystem health.
A devastating fungal disease, Fusarium wilt of banana (FWB), caused by Tropical Race 4 (TR4) is spreading in Mozambique, jeopardizing banana production. The Cavendish banana variety is highly susceptible to the disease, and lack of access to on-farm data hinders effective containment.
Researchers at Penn State have developed a method to biofortify microgreens with zinc, which can increase their nutritional value and potentially address 'hidden hunger.' The study found that seeds soaked in a 200 parts per million solution of zinc sulfate resulted in higher zinc accumulation in pea and sunflower microgreens.