Plant parasitic nematodes harm pineapple crop yields in Kenya
Pineapple is the third most economically important fruit crop worldwide, after banana and mango. The largest producers are Costa Rica, the Philippines, Brazil and Thailand, which together amount to nearly 50% of total world production. In Africa, Nig.....»»
Honey bees in demand: New contract strategies to support pollination services
As the world's native bee populations are declining, crop production requiring pollinators increasingly relies on commercial pollination services. In the U.S., the beekeeping industry is in great demand, and truckloads of bee colonies travel the coun.....»»
Novel sensors could help develop bee-friendly protection for plants
The increasing global demand for plant-based foods makes the use of pesticides necessary in order to protect crops from pests and ensure crop yields. However, there is one major disadvantage: the widespread use of pesticides has led to a considerable.....»»
New salicylic acid-based strategy could balance disease resistance with plant growth
Researchers at the University of Georgia have identified a promising approach to addressing a longstanding challenge for plant geneticists: balancing disease resistance and growth in plants......»»
Changing watering practices to improve tomato plant health
Some people believe that talking to your plants makes them thrive. While there's limited scientific support for sound improving plant health, there's a growing amount of evidence about the benefits of mechanical stimulation, like touch, wind or rain......»»
Compound drought–heat wave events under-recognized in global soils, finds study
Soil is essential for life and plays a crucial role in the Earth's ecosystem, providing support for plant roots and hosting countless microorganisms. In a warming world, it is important to understand how soil hydrothermal conditions, particularly the.....»»
New TSMC chip manufacturing plants planned for Europe
TSMC’s new Dresden plant will be operational by the end of 2027, but its plans don’t stop there......»»
AI empowers iNaturalist to map California plants with unprecedented precision
Utilizing advanced artificial intelligence and citizen science data from the iNaturalist app, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have developed some of the most detailed maps yet showcasing the distribution of California plant spe.....»»
Rare bear meat at gathering gives 10 people a scare—and parasitic worms
These roundworms have the potential to invade your brain. If you're going to eat a bear, make sure it's not rare. You'd be forgiven for thinking that once the beast has been subd.....»»
One-third of European plant species could be in trouble due to declining seed disperser populations
A team of ecologists at the University of Coimbra, Aarhus University and the University of Bristol has found that approximately one-third of plant species in Europe are under threat of population reduction as the number of seed dispersals declines......»»
Plant stem cells: Understanding the biological mechanism of growth control
Researchers from the University of Freiburg have identified the HAN molecule as an important regulator that controls plant growth in conjunction with WOX5. Understanding this mechanism is relevant for breeding more resilient or higher-yielding crops......»»
Hidden in the teeth: DNA study finds these 19th century lions preyed on humans and giraffes
In 1898, two male lions terrorized an encampment of bridge builders on the Tsavo River in Kenya. The lions, which were massive and maneless, crept into the camp at night, raided the tents and dragged off their victims. The infamous Tsavo "man-eaters".....»»
New plant-based glitter shows no harm to soil organisms
Plastic pollution is everywhere. Each year, over 368 million metric tons of plastics are produced with over 13 million metric tons of it ending up in the soil where it can be toxic to wildlife......»»
Researchers develop technique that enables breeding of genetically identical hybrid plants
When different varieties of one plant species are crossed with each other, their hybrid offspring are often more robust and grow more quickly than their parents. However, in the next generation, this effect disappears again......»»
Phytoplankton community shifts after wastewater treatment plant closure
A study by the UPV/EHU's Department of Plant Biology and Ecology has evaluated the response of Urdaibai estuary phytoplankton to the changes brought about after the closing-down of the Gernika wastewater treatment plant; a novel tool based on pigment.....»»
Red milkweed beetle genome offers evolutionary insights into plant-insect interactions
Studying the secrets of how the common red milkweed beetle can safely feed on a toxic plant helps illuminate the ecological, evolutionary and economic impact of insect-plant interactions from a genomic perspective......»»
What yields per acre reveal about the impact of extreme weather
Since time immemorial, crop yields have been influenced by such extreme weather phenomena as heat waves, persisting droughts, downpours and lasting rainfall. Many studies have already demonstrated that due to climate change, periods of extreme weathe.....»»
Increasing plant diversity in agriculture can promote soil carbon sequestration
A study carried out at the University of Helsinki demonstrates that boosting plant diversity in agriculture can increase plant biomass and improve plant–microbe interactions, both of which promote the storage of carbon in the soil......»»
Declines in plant resilience threaten carbon storage in the Arctic
Rapid warming has impacted the northern ecosystem so significantly that scientists are concerned the region's vegetation is losing the ability to recover from climate shocks, suggests a new study......»»
China has detained four employees from the world’s largest iPhone plant
China has detained four Taiwanese employees at Foxconn’s Zhengzhou plant, the largest iPhone production facility in the world, responsible for around 80% of global production. The employees were detained using powers the Chinese government last.....»»
Genetic mechanism unlocks a key secret behind disease infection in crops
Researchers have unraveled a key genetic mechanism behind the way pathogens infect crops, leading to new strategies for breeding resistant crop varieties against other pathogens carrying the same genetic mechanism......»»