Research on rice as a crop and staple food. Covers fertilizer and emissions trade-offs, biochar and heavy metals, and heat resilience.
Researchers combined drones and machine learning to gauge bacterial blight outbreaks and screen for resistant genes in rice crops. The approach provided accurate predictions of disease severity and enabled the detection of previously unknown QTLs related to BB resistance.
Researchers have identified a gene network underlying rice grain size regulation, revealing a phosphorylation-driven auxin signaling pathway. The study found that OsTIR1–OsIAA10–OsARF4 plays a crucial role in controlling rice grain size and weight.
A new method involving drones and deep learning has been developed to replace manual rice counting with higher accuracy. The RiceNet network architecture can identify plant density, location, and size with good signal-to-noise ratio, producing quality maps for future automated crop management techniques.
A digital food voucher system in Indonesia has significantly increased the frequency with which poor households receive their full allocation of food, from 24% to 81%. The program's success was achieved by replacing traditional rice-bag delivery with digital card vouchers, allowing recipients to purchase food themselves.
Research by the University of the Basque Country found that gluten-free products often lack essential nutrients like fibre and protein. Gluten-free pasta, for example, is now made from millet instead of rice flour, improving nutrition.
Researchers at Okayama University have identified cycloartenyl ferulate as the main contributor to brown rice's health-promoting effects. The compound's antioxidant properties help protect cells from oxidative stress and inflammation, leading to benefits such as weight reduction and improved cholesterol levels.
New research from the University of Sheffield reveals genetically modifying rice to reduce stomata can make it more salt-resistant and survive in environments with high salt levels. This adaptation could help tackle food insecurity caused by climate change.
A team has achieved a clonal efficiency of 95%, allowing the mass production of hybrid seeds and enabling farmers to save and replant rice from season to season. This breakthrough could help meet global food demands sustainably.
Researchers from Singapore University of Technology and Design developed a new reconfigurable workspace soft robotic gripper that can pick and place a wide range of consumer items. The RWS gripper's adaptive capabilities make it particularly useful in logistics and food industries where robotic automation is crucial.
A recent study has revealed a novel cold domesticated repair mechanism for DNA damage in rice, providing elite modules for improving chilling tolerance. The discovery of GCG codon repeats in the first exon of COLD11, a DNA repair protein, has opened the way for fine regulation of rice chilling tolerance with a single site.
Scientists at Aston University are developing processes to capture low-cost energy from rice straw, with the goal of powering Indonesia's households and reducing air pollution. The project aims to increase energy extraction from rice straw from 35% to 70%, providing a sustainable source of locally generated energy.
A government policy that pushed back the sowing of rice in northwest India led to a delay in harvests and agricultural burning, exacerbating air pollution. Without this delay, cities like New Delhi would have seen an average of 11-21% less smoke-related air pollution between 2008 and 2019.
Researchers identified two methods of harvesting rice, which helped initiate rice domestication. The findings showed that the early Neolithic cultures in southern China used both 'finger-knife' and 'sickle' techniques to harvest rice, with the latter method becoming more widely used as rice became more domesticated.
A recent study found that consuming the most vegetables, including leafy greens and cruciferous veggies, was associated with a lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Meanwhile, potatoes may not have the same benefits but aren't bad if prepared in a healthy way.
A new report showcases perennial rice strains that can thrive in various climate conditions, offering labor and cost savings for farmers. The research emphasizes the need for large-scale localization of perennial rice to tailor it to local climates, with potential applications in Africa and other regions.
Researchers have developed perennial rice that allows farmers to plant once and harvest up to eight times, reducing labor and costs. The crop provides significant environmental benefits, including improved soil quality and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
Researchers discover chemical inhibitor TIS108 significantly lowers Striga infestation without affecting plant growth or grain yield. The study shows canonical strigolactones contribute to seed germination in root parasitic weeds and play a major role in stimulating invasion by Striga.
Researchers at Hefei Institutes of Physical Science found that a novel mutant, low grain weight (lgw), affects grain size by regulating GW7 expression and cell elongation. The discovery sheds light on the molecular mechanisms controlling grain size in rice.
Research suggests that climate change can increase trust among Vietnamese rural households, particularly during periods of poor rice yields. As temperatures rise, communities come together to help each other, leading to increased social cohesion and trust.
A recent study has identified key factors influencing the eating quality of hybrid rice, including single-grain composition and physicochemical indicators. The research developed a novel technology to analyze these traits, enabling rapid and nondestructive detection of high-quality rice.
A new analysis of nutrient omission trial data reveals that balanced fertilizer application can significantly improve maize and rice yields in sub-Saharan Africa. The study found that doubling current yields through balanced fertilization with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium can lead to more consistent results across regions.
A new study published in The Crop Journal has identified the gl9 gene variant as a key factor in increasing grain size and reducing chalkiness in rice. By introducing this allele into elite rice varieties, scientists have improved grain length, width, and weight, leading to enhanced appearance quality and yield.
Researchers from Hiroshima University have identified two types of genes that are upregulated in both rice and thale cress when exposed to oxygen deprivation. The study suggests distinct molecular mechanisms under hypoxia in plants and animals, with potential applications for creating flood-tolerant crops.
Scientists found that weedy rice has developed herbicide resistance through gene flow from crop rice, with most fields showing resistant plants within 20 years of herbicide-resistant rice cultivation. This rapid evolution is due to the close proximity of weedy and crop rice in the same fields, allowing for pollen transfer and outcrossing.
Exosomes have been identified as possible vehicles for virus transmission, and a recent study found that the saliva protein exportin 6 plays a crucial role in this process. The researchers isolated exosomes from the saliva of insect vectors and showed that they can transport plant virions into rice plants.
Researchers discovered a genetic mechanism that lowers cadmium accumulation in rice without affecting its quality and yield. The duplicated OsNramp5 gene increases the uptake of manganese, competing with cadmium for translocation to shoots, reducing its accumulation.
Researchers found that adjusting sowing dates for wheat in eastern India can increase production by 69% while maintaining rice productivity. The study provides new recommendations for rice sowing dates and cultivar types to accommodate earlier wheat planting.
Researchers discovered three gene mutations that, when combined, allow rice plants to retain more seeds, increasing crop yield. The study sheds light on the emergence of cultivated rice from wild rice plants and its potential applications in improving rice cultivation.
The study clarifies the role of photoperiodism in regulating rice flowering time. Phytochrome B makes connection between light and Evening Complex, while active ELF3-1 protein triggers late flowering. Evening Complex plays essential role in inducing flowering, with inactive proteins leading to no flowering.
Researchers have re-evaluated chicken remains from over 600 sites worldwide, revealing that domestication occurred around 1,500 BC in Southeast Asia. Chickens were initially regarded as exotica and only later used as a food source.
Researchers are utilizing UAVs to capture real-time images of rice crops, extract crop phenotypic traits from the images, and analyze that information to discover superior, high-yielding rice genotypes. The team aims to develop automated algorithms to identify key traits and select best-performing rice genotypes.
Researchers have identified a cork-like substance called suberin that helps protect rice roots from floods and drought. By understanding how suberin is produced, they hope to use gene editing or selective breeding to make the crop more resilient to climate change.
A recent study reveals that nearly two-thirds of traditional farmer crop varieties are already represented in genebanks, but conservation gaps persist for key crops like pearl millet and potatoes. The analysis highlights areas with high diversity in landraces, such as Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and India.
The Mekong delta, Southeast Asia's most productive agricultural region and home to 17 million people, is at risk of disappearing by the end of the century due to subsidence. Sediment loss from upstream dams and poor water management exacerbates the issue, threatening food security and livelihoods.
Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a method to overcome the tradeoff between rice yield component traits, including panicle number and size. By modifying the cis-regulatory region of the Ideal Plant Architecture 1 gene, they increased grain yield by 15.9% while maintaining tiller number.
Researchers at Hiroshima University have created the world's first silicon quantum dot (QD) LED light using waste rice husks, offering an eco-friendly alternative to toxic semiconducting materials. The new method transforms agricultural waste into high-quality LED lights with high luminescence efficiency and low environmental impact.
Researchers have made a breakthrough in controlling bacterial nitrogen fixation by cereals, enabling them to produce their own ammonia fertiliser. This development has the potential to reduce reliance on industrially produced ammonia-based fertilisers and mitigate environmental pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
In southern Anhui Province, archaeobotanical remains at the Jingshuidun site reveal early rice farming dating back to 4874-4820 cal. yr B.P., with millet cultivation emerging by 2667-2568 cal. yr B.P.
The region needs to close its yield gap substantially to reduce rice imports and maintain a surplus for exports. Closing the existing yield gap will require improvements in crop management practices such as fertilizer use, irrigation, nutrient management, and integrated pest management.
Researchers discovered two WOX genes controlling lateral root primordium size in rice, improving drought stress tolerance and crop production. QHB/OsWOX5 regulates S-type roots, while OsWOX10 mediates L-type root development, enhancing water uptake under drought conditions.
Researchers discovered that mortars and pestles were preferred for processing rice and other plants in middle-late Neolithic China, while grinding slabs and rollers declined in use. The study provided solid evidence for the rise of mortar and pestle usage, revealing their high processing efficiency.
A study published in eLife found that growing rice alongside carp, mitten crabs, or softshell turtles increases yields by 8.7-12.1% while reducing nitrogen levels in the soil and weeds. This method also allows for increased profits as farmers can sell both animals and rice.
Researchers discovered a bZIP23-PER1A module that regulates rice seed vigor, improving crop quality. They found two cultivars with huge phenotypic differences, Kasalath and Jigeng88, and identified a novel detoxification pathway to enhance seed vigor.
Researchers discovered a protein called PHR regulates arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) symbiosis based on phosphate availability. AM promotes phosphate uptake and other nutrient absorption, enhancing plant resistance to stressors.
A study published by Hiroshima University researchers reveals that the TAB1 gene is essential for rice grain formation. The gene plays a critical role in maintaining stem cells until the last stage of flower development, leading to ovule formation and seed production.
Scientists have discovered a novel way to combine two species of grass-like plants using embryonic tissue from their seeds, offering disease resistance and stress tolerance. The breakthrough technique allows for the addition of beneficial traits to monocotyledonous crops without genetic modification or lengthy breeding programmes.
Research comparing site-specific nutrient management approaches to existing farmer fertilization practices shows SSNM improves average rice yield by 644 kg/ha, increases profitability, and reduces N losses. SSNM also promotes better nutrient balance and considers micronutrients like zinc and iron.
Researchers at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid have designed a system that uses hydrothermal biomass carbonisation and solar power to extract more energy from biomass. The system reduces the need for drying pre-treatment, making it more sustainable and efficient.
Researchers have identified a series of traits linked to rice plant fitness under drought, including increased crown root density. The study found that interactions between roots and beneficial soil organisms may enhance drought tolerance by improving access to nutrients.
New research enables regionally relevant eating-quality traits to be selected early in breeding programs, saving time and effort. Genetic markers associated with 10 grain-quality traits have been identified, which can now be used by rice breeders in Latin America and potentially worldwide.
Researchers compared wild rice species to domesticated rice to understand differences in photosynthetic capabilities. They found that wild rice has faster photosynthetic induction but domesticated rice quickly closes its stomata, reducing water loss.
A new study reveals evidence of beer drinking 9,000 years ago in southern China, with ancient pots found at a burial site containing residues consistent with beer fermentation. The discovery suggests that ritualized drinking played a significant role in forging social relationships and cooperation among ancient communities.
A team of scientists led by Assistant Professor Lae-Hyeon Cho identified a single mutation in the gene that codes for cytidine triphosphate synthase (CTPS), an enzyme crucial for early endosperm development. The study showed that overexpressing CTPS in genetically modified rice plants results in a larger endosperm, opening up opportuni...
A new study from Rice University finds that middle-class people who made plans to stay in their neighborhoods before flooding are less likely to relocate even if they suffered significant damage. Long-term planning and social pressure played a key role in residents' decisions to stay or leave flooded homes.
Researchers developed a 'site-specific' strategy to improve cereal yields in Nepalese smallholder farms, outperforming traditional generalized approaches. The Nutrient Expert system uses machine learning to identify crop-specific nutrient requirements, optimizing yield and resource efficiency.
A recent study published in Frontiers in Nutrition found that consuming millet as part of a daily diet can reduce blood glucose levels by 12-15% and help manage diabetes. The research, which analyzed data from over 1,000 human subjects across 11 countries, also found that millets have a lower glycemic index compared to other grains.
A team led by Professor Monique Lacroix at INRS has demonstrated that fermenting drinks fortified with pea and rice proteins yields the same quality of protein as casein. The study found that plant proteins can be predigested by lactic acid bacteria, facilitating their absorption during digestion.
Research finds that drought changes the community of microbes living in rice plant roots, allowing them to tap deeper water sources after dry spells. This 'memory' of drought enables plants to grow more resilient roots, reducing crop losses in a changing climate.
Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine researchers have developed a new model for studying intestinal infections, using custom hydrogel-based platforms. The study found that softer hydrogels promote bacterial adhesion to epithelial cells, which is crucial for understanding the dynamics of infectious diseases.
Researchers from the University of Chicago have made a groundbreaking discovery in plant biology, using RNA manipulation to increase crop yields by 50% and boost drought tolerance. The breakthrough has potential applications beyond food production, including engineering plants to withstand climate change and other environmental pressures.