Paper made from banana plants stymies potato pest
Wrapping potato seeds in biodegradable paper made from unusable parts of banana plants reduces the infestation and harmful effects of a nasty plant pathogen—a worm called the potato cyst nematode—and sharply increases potato size and yields......»»
How a biocatalyst might boost the growth of microalgae
Living organisms consist to a large extent of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) compounds. These have to be taken in with food or, in the case of plants, produced through photosynthesis......»»
Amazon is swapping plastic pillows for paper in its packaging
Plans to transition to paper packaging will see Amazon remove at least 95% of plastic air pillows from North American packages......»»
Inspired by nature: Synthetic nightshade molecule effective against leukemia cells
Nightshade plants produce a diverse array of compounds with therapeutic potential. Researchers at CeMM have now identified an artificial variant inspired by the Withanolides group that acts highly specifically against leukemia cells......»»
New tomato, potato family tree shows that fruit color and size evolved together
Fruits of Solanum plants, a group in the nightshade family, are incredibly diverse, ranging from sizable red tomatoes and purple eggplants to the poisonous green berries on potato plants. A new and improved family tree of this group, produced by an i.....»»
The best password managers for iPhone
Tired of managing tons of passwords in a notes app or on paper? Here are the best password managers for iPhone to help you access your logins wherever you go......»»
Study finds plants store carbon for shorter periods than thought
The carbon stored globally by plants is shorter-lived and more vulnerable to climate change than previously thought, according to a new study......»»
Wild chimpanzees seek out medicinal plants to treat illness and injuries, study finds
Chimpanzees appear to consume plants with medicinal properties to treat their ailments, according to a study published on June 20 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Elodie Freymann from the University of Oxford, UK, and colleagues......»»
Greening the food supply chain: Developing sustainable food systems through interdisciplinary collaboration
Sustainability is a hot topic in just about every field that engages with the environment, including agriculture. An interdisciplinary group of researchers in UConn's College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources has published a paper outlinin.....»»
Behavioral economics theory explains a popular banana-clicking video game
In the ever-evolving online gaming landscape, one seemingly simple online game has captivated players. The free-to-play clicker Banana has amassed more than 850,000 concurrent players on the gaming platform Steam......»»
New species of Callicarpa discovered in Hunan, China
Callicarpa L. (Lamiaceae) consists of 140 species that are trees or shrubs, and there are about 53 species in China, mainly distributed south of the Yangtze River. Some plants of Callicarpa are used as traditional medicine in China. In addition, they.....»»
Researchers reveal effects of climate change on above- and belowground biomass distribution on Tibetan plateau
Global warming has significantly altered plant growth patterns on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) over the past three decades. Plants adjust their growth trajectories in response to climate change, prioritizing leaf and stem growth or root extension to bett.....»»
Paper-based biosensor offers fast, easy detection of fecal contamination on produce farms
Purdue University researchers are introducing a new biosensor technology to the agricultural industry inspired by advancements achieved during the COVID-19 pandemic......»»
Chemists develop technique for extending nitrene reactions to three days
A team of chemists at the University of Bremen, in Germany has developed a new type of nitrene capable of slow reactions that can last for up to three days. Their paper is published in the journal Science......»»
Unlocking the tea leaf"s secret: Decoding the amino acid blueprint of tea plant
Amino acids are vital for plant growth and significantly influence tea flavor and health benefits. Tea plants, particularly Camellia sinensis, exhibit unique amino acid profiles that contribute to their distinctive taste and nutritional value......»»
Potatoes Are the Perfect Vegetable—but You’re Eating Them Wrong
The humble potato is a miraculous vegetable, but Americans are eating less of them than ever before and have ditched fresh potatoes for frozen. Is it time to rebrand the spud?.....»»
Non-native plants and animals expanding ranges 100-times faster than native species, finds new research
An international team of scientists has recently found that non-native species are expanding their ranges many orders of magnitude faster than native ones, in large part due to inadvertent human help. Even seemingly sedentary non-native plants are mo.....»»
New theory broadens phase transition exploration
In a paper recently published in Physical Review Letters, Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers offer a new theory that predicts defect density across a variety of phase transitions. The research opens new routes for the exploration of defect fo.....»»
NASA planes fly over Baltimore power plants and landfills measuring air pollution, greenhouse gases
Planes are circling over power plants, landfills and airports around Baltimore collecting data for NASA on air pollutants and greenhouse gases......»»
Researchers report on effectiveness of violence against women campaigns during sports events
In a paper published in the journal Event Management, researchers have investigated the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games and its One Million Stars to End Violence (OMSTEV) campaign to see how effective such a campaign was when connected to a major.....»»
High fliers: Pleasure-seeking parrots are using aromatic plants, stinky ants and alcohol to preen themselves
Birds have been known to seek out pungent chemicals for various reasons. Some consume fermented fruits with gusto and suffer the ill effects. Others expose themselves to ants, but only the stinky kind. These ants produce useful antimicrobials and ins.....»»