Increasing crop yields by breeding plants to cooperate
A simple breeding experiment, combined with genetic analysis, can rapidly uncover genes that promote cooperation and higher yields of plant populations, according to a new study published November 29 in the open access journal PLOS Biology, by Samuel.....»»
African Sahara "greening" can alter Northern Hemisphere climate, modeling study finds
Africa's Sahara Desert may be considered a vast expanse of barren sand with limited vegetation, an extreme environment for plants and animals to thrive, but life always finds a way. Indeed, vegetation growth in the desert has waxed and waned over mil.....»»
The reasons flowers wilt could explain how plants spend (and save) their energy
Wilting flowers might not signal poor flower or plant health, but rather the effects of a sophisticated resource management strategy in plants, millions of years in the making......»»
3 Reliable Dividend Stocks With Yields Up To 5.1%
3 Reliable Dividend Stocks With Yields Up To 5.1%.....»»
Increasing chances for tropical development in Caribbean Sea
Increasing chances for tropical development in Caribbean Sea.....»»
Researchers study effect of phosphorous and irradiance on the invasive plant Chromolaena odorata
Resource competition is an important factor affecting the invasion success of alien plants, and environmental factors influence the competition outcomes between invasive and native plants. Chromolaena odorata has been listed as one of the main invasi.....»»
Advances in taro research: New gene silencing system enables rapid gene function verification
A research team has established a virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) system in taro, enabling researchers to rapidly verify gene functions in this underutilized crop. Utilizing a tobacco rattle virus (TRV)-based vector, the study paves the way for s.....»»
Government interventions can reduce deadly air pollution in South Asia, study finds
Air pollution, driven in large part by practices like crop burning, contributes to 2 million deaths a year in South Asia and persists as a public health emergency. But a new study co-led by Brown University researcher Gemma Dipoppa found that governm.....»»
California"s Salton Sea receding at greater rate according to balloon mapping study
The Salton Sea, California's largest lake by surface area, is experiencing an increasing rate of shoreline retreat following a policy change that shifted more water from the Colorado River to San Diego, according to a newly published study. The resul.....»»
Work with nature to unlock economic prosperity, researchers say
A comprehensive review of the economic impacts of nature-based solutions (NbS), led by the University of Oxford and published this week in PLOS Climate, concludes they can unlock prosperity by boosting local economies, increasing agricultural product.....»»
Public school principals face challenges with philanthropic funding in Australia
New Deakin University research has revealed the significant challenges faced by public school principals in Australia due to the increasing reliance on philanthropic funding......»»
New study explores adoption of robotic weeding to fight superweeds
Most corn and soybean fields in the U.S. are planted with herbicide-resistant crop varieties. However, the evolution of superweeds that have developed resistance to common herbicides is jeopardizing current weed management strategies. Agricultural ro.....»»
New Age ritual that send "bad energies" up in smoke may contribute to overharvesting of wild plants
A commercialized New Age ritual is causing not only "unwanted energies" to go up in smoke, but also foreign wild plants. A study by Utrecht University researchers Isabela Pombo Geertsma and Anastasia Stefanaki, alongside colleagues from Wageningen UR.....»»
Researchers: We can"t solve family violence until we address violence between siblings
Domestic and family violence (DFV) has received increasing attention in recent years. It is most commonly associated with intimate partner violence between current and former partners, followed by abuse perpetrated against children by their parents a.....»»
Microplastics increasing in freshwater, directly related to plastic production
Microplastics have been steadily increasing in freshwater environments for decades and are directly tied to rising global plastic production since the 1950s, according to a new study by an interdisciplinary team of Penn State researchers. The finding.....»»
Beehive fences prove effective against elephant raids in Kenya
A groundbreaking, nine-year study has revealed that elephants approaching small-scale farms in Kenya avoid beehive fences housing live honey bees up to 86% of the time during peak crop seasons, helping to reduce human-elephant conflict for local farm.....»»
Scientists identify gene that regulates pod width in snap beans
iSnap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a significant vegetable crop globally, with its immature pods harvested as the edible part. Pod dimensions–length, width, and thickness–affect the size and ease of harvest. This is particularly for manual plu.....»»
Soybean domestication linked to higher mesophyll conductance for increased photosynthesis
In a new study conducted by the Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE) project, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign looked back in time at soybean growth and discovered that modern plants have increased mesophyll.....»»
Invasive plants drive homogenization of soil microbial communities across US, new study finds
Invasive plants are doing more than just taking over landscapes—they're also changing the soil beneath them. A new study co-authored by Matthew McCary, assistant professor of biosciences at Rice University, reveals that these species are reshaping.....»»
Graphene-enhanced ceramic tiles make striking art
Adding a bit of graphene oxide to slurry and zapping with ultrasound for 10 minutes yields best tiles. In recent years, materials scientists experimenting with ceramics have start.....»»
The Daring Russian Geneticist Whose Experiments on Silver Foxes Explained Domestication Has Died
Lyudmila Trut devoted her life to studying the process of domestication by selectively breeding friendly foxes.....»»