Shrub willow as a bioenergy crop
Renewable energy demand and consumption is at an all-time high in the United States......»»
"Farmer-researchers" join front line in testing crops
Farmers are becoming more involved than ever in the work of developing new, sustainable crop varieties, with a recent study from researchers at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT showing how a "citizen science" approach for on-farm exp.....»»
Insights into pathogen-host interaction offer clue to protecting crops from blast disease
A mechanism used by a fungal pathogen to promote spread of the devastating cereal crop disease, blast, has been revealed in fine detail......»»
This Shrub Could Supply Rubber, Insect Repellent and Glue
Researchers and tire companies hope drought-tolerant guayule can provide a sustainable economic boost to the water-stressed Southwest.....»»
How climate change influences paddy soil nitrogen pool in northeastern China
Plant nitrogen (N) acquisition is essential to crop growth and yield. However, how plant N uptake and N origin (soil-derived N or fertilizer-derived N) respond to elevated atmospheric CO2 and warming remains largely unknown......»»
Climate change is testing resilience of UK wheat yields
Wheat yields in the UK have largely been resilient to varying weather over the past 30 years. However, the future security of our most widely grown food crop is uncertain due to increasingly frequent extreme wet and dry conditions as a result of clim.....»»
How cattle ranchers in Brazil cope with weather shocks
Agricultural producers around the world must adapt to changing weather patterns. Much research has focused on mitigation strategies for crop production, but livestock producers face unique challenges......»»
Documenting the world"s crop diversity and making it available
Genebanks play an important role in the long-term conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. Out of 1,800 genebank collections worldwide, more than 600 are in Europe. This vast array of crop diversity can be exploited to make o.....»»
International collaboration works to breed fungus-resistant cotton
Cotton is an important crop grown around the world, such as in countries like the United States and Uzbekistan. When a fungus began to harm cotton in both countries, it brought together their scientists for an innovative research collaboration......»»
Tracking the origin of southern California"s latest invasive pest
In 2012, a crop of California's most prized ornamental trees was overrun by an invisible invader. The growing shoots of coral beans—the official city tree of Los Angeles—began wilting and falling away, revealing stems that had been hollowed out f.....»»
How we"re reshaping global water storage
Globally, humans use about 4 trillion cubic meters of fresh water each year for everything from crop irrigation to cooling manufacturing equipment to generating electricity. In a recent study published in Earth's Future, Kåresdotter et al. modeled h.....»»
Plant breeding: Using "invisible" chromosomes to pass on packages of positive traits
The ideal crop plant is tasty and high-yielding while also being resistant to diseases and pests. But if the relevant genes are far apart on a chromosome, some of these positive traits can be lost during breeding. To ensure that positive traits can b.....»»
Insights into two rare types of photosynthesis could boost crop production
Researchers have studied how certain bacteria perform photosynthesis using low-energy light, which could be engineered into crops to boost production......»»
Drought decimates Texas" key cotton crop
On Sutton Page's ravaged cotton fields, there is almost nothing left to pick. The Texas farmer managed to salvage maybe a fifth of his crop, but the rest was lost to the severe drought that has taken a steep toll across the region......»»
No-till management may reduce nitrous oxide gas release, fight climate change
Scientists have long known that no-till farming reduces erosion and lessens water and nutrient runoff from crop fields, but now a new study by a team of Penn State researchers suggests that limiting soil disturbance may also diminish releases of nitr.....»»
Multiple-source characteristics of crop water use strategy in hyper-arid regions
The shortages of water resources and unsustainable water resource management are more prominent in arid and semi-arid areas. The mismatch between water supply schemes and the characteristics of root water uptake leads to lower water use efficiency of.....»»
Call of Duty Next: how to watch, start time and what to expect
Call of Duty Next will reveal all about the franchise's future, as Activision promises a bumper crop of updates......»»
Forget all you know and lose yourself in the first trailer for Willow
"Running! Horses! Mayhem! Mayhem! Happy kissy ending!" Warwick Davis is returning as the Nelwyn dwarf sorcerer in the new Disney+ series Willow. The 1988 fantasy film Willow was under-appreciated in its day, but it's now a fantasy cult cl.....»»
Bee it known: Biodiversity is critical to ecosystems
Rutgers University has conducted the first study showing how many more species of bees are needed to maintain crop yields when a longer-term time frame is considered......»»
Researchers identify virus resistance gene from wild grass for cereal crop improvement
Researchers from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (IGDB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) identified the first monocot plant viral resistance gene encoding a nucleotide-binding, leucine-rich repeat immune receptor (NLR) pro.....»»
Signaling molecule may regulate proteins in wheat plants
Triggers for food crop growth are complex and new research by South Australian plant scientists is investigating one way wheat responds to common stresses such as poor soil health......»»