Not just bread and beer: Microbes can ferment carbon dioxide to make fuel too
Bakers ferment dough for a well-risen loaf of bread. Brewers ferment wheat and barley for a smooth, malty glass of beer. And as nature's foremost bakers and brewers, some microbes can do even more. Certain species of bacteria ferment carbon dioxide (.....»»
Straightening out kinky roots captures carbon and avoids drought stress
Researchers have discovered a new gene in barley and wheat that controls the angle of root growth in soil, opening the door to new cereal varieties with deeper roots that are less susceptible to drought and nutrient stress, thus mitigating the effect.....»»
"Too many people, not enough food" isn"t the cause of hunger and food insecurity
Nearly one in three people in the world did not have access to enough food in 2020. That's an increase of almost 320 million people in one year and it's expected to get worse with rising food prices and the war trapping wheat, barley and corn in Ukra.....»»
How grasses like wheat can grow in the cold
A new, large-scale analysis of the relationships among members of the largest subfamily of grasses, which includes wheat and barley, reveals gene-duplication events that contributed to the adaptation of the plants to cooler temperatures. These adapta.....»»
How increasing the yield potential depends on the row-type in barley
Agriculture is the major player in contributing to global food security. Increasing our crop productivity is currently a challenging task due to the limitations of climatic change and decreasing of agricultural land. Sustainable agriculture has been.....»»
Resolute scientific work could eliminate wheat disease within 40 years
Wheat and barley growers know the devastating effects of Fusarium head blight, or scab. The widespread fungal disease contaminates grain with toxins that cause illness in livestock and humans, and can render worthless an entire harvest. As Fusarium e.....»»
New gene-edited barley that could improve beer
After a spell of unexpected rain, before the harvest season, a farmer may be faced with the unpredictable problem of untimely sprouting of barley. Sprouted barley fetches considerably lower market prices and poses an economic burden on farmers and co.....»»
Winter important for cereal yield
The weather conditions in the winter and during the transitional phases from fall to winter and winter to spring have a significant influence on the yield level of key cereal crops, such as winter barley and winter wheat. These were the findings of a.....»»
The proof’s in the poop: Austrians have loved beer, blue cheese for 2,700 years
They also ate primarily cereal grains, supplemented with beans, fruits, nuts, or meat. Enlarge / A 2,700-year-old piece of human excrement found at the Hallstatt salt mines, in which beans, millet, and barley are clearly visible (assum.....»»
Drought forces North American farmers to turn food crops to hay
Drought is withering crops on both sides of the U.S.-Canadian border, prompting farmers to take the rare measure of baling up their wheat and barley stems to sell as hay......»»
Boosting barley production from the ground up
Researchers are taking to the skies to help see what is happening underground in a new project that aims to improve one of Australia's largest grain crops—barley......»»
Scientists discover a protein that naturally enhances wheat resistance to head scab
Fusarium Head Blight (FHB), also known as scab, is a significant disease of small grain cereals, such as wheat and barley, that impacts farmers around the world. The disease has been reducing acreage and increasing the price of wheat production in th.....»»
Scientists identify networks for spikelet formation in barley
Organ development in plants mostly occurs through combinatorial activity of so-called meristems. Meristems are plant cells or tissues that give rise to new organs, similar to stem cells in human—including spikelets. Spikelets are components of the.....»»
Breeding barley for a changing climate
Climate change is a global issue. It affects our environment and our food supply......»»
Separating beer waste into proteins for foods, and fiber for biofuels
Home brewing enthusiasts and major manufacturers alike experience the same result of the beer-making process: mounds of leftover grain. Once all the flavor has been extracted from barley and other grains, what's left is a protein- and fiber-rich powd.....»»
Evolution of cereal spikes
A research team led by Prof. Dr. Maria von Korff Schmising from Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf (HHU) and the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research (MPIPZ) in Cologne investigated the genetic regulation of spike development in barley.....»»