Feature Channels: Plants

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Over 450 prehistoric pots were examined, 66 of them contained traces of lipids, that is, substances insoluble in water.

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Argonne ecologist Julie Jastrow has been named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

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New research looks at why the diversity of soil microbes matter

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Scientists can create synthetic communities of bacteria and other microbes to learn how they affect their plant hosts. New research presents a culture collection of 3,211 individual strains of bacteria from the root community of Populus trees. This huge new collection will help scientists study how microbes can assist plant hosts and may help improve these trees’ resistance to stresses.

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Toni Kutchan, PhD, was elected President of the Board of Trustees of the Academy of Science St. Louis.

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Green spaces in cities have a number of positive effects: they’re good for our physical and mental health, they’re good for the environment, and they can even help fight off the effects of climate change.

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A new study from Iowa State University scientists could help to breed more resilient crops as well as shed light on mechanisms that play a critical role in plant growth. The study focuses on how phenotypic plasticity, or the way a given trait can differ as a result of environmental conditions, influences the growth of sorghum.

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Corn, soybeans play big roles in creating biofuel

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Woods Hole, MA (January 19) -- A global effort to map the genomes of all plants, animals, fungi, and other eukaryotic life (organisms with a cellular nucleus) on Earth is entering a new phase as it moves from pilot projects to full-scale production sequencing. This new phase of the The Earth BioGenome Project (EBP) is marked with a collection of papers published January 17 in Proceedings of the National Academies of Science describing the project’s goals, achievements to date, and next steps. Included among these are an ambitious effort co-led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and the University of Connecticut (UConn) to obtain fundamental new knowledge of the organization, evolution, functions, and interactions of life in one of Earth’s least-understood regions: the deep ocean.

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A team of scientists, led by the University of Bristol, in co-operation with colleagues from Goethe University, Frankfurt, has uncovered the first insights into the origins of West African plant-based cuisine, locked inside pottery fragments dating back some 3,500 years ago.

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Russian biologists have studied strains of the plant pathogenic fungus Rhizoctonia solani, which causes diseases in potatoes and other plants. Among them, three particularly dangerous strains to be not susceptible to the common fungicide pencycuron and can survive at high temperatures.

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The history of life on Earth has been marked five times by events of mass biodiversity extinction caused by extreme natural phenomena.

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A new Cornell University-led project will accelerate the application of a proven biotechnology to enhance food and nutritional security in Bangladesh and the Philippines while protecting the health of farmers and the environment.

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The word ‘honeydew’ sounds benign, but the sugary waste product of aphids can promote growth of bacteria that are highly virulent to the pests, according to a new Cornell University study.

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Elliott Kellner, PhD, has joined the Center as Senior Program Manager. As part of the Innovation Team, Kellner manages the Danforth Center’s Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2) and Center for AgTech and Location Science Technologies (CATALST) programs.

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Study investigates ecosystem services of five perennial grains as alternatives

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Nutrient stealing, honeydew, and sooty mold among issues

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Recent work shows that the plant microbiome—the microorganisms in a plant and its immediate environment—influences plant health, survival, and fitness. New research on the microbiome of several types of poplar trees found that the composition of the microbiome changed dramatically over time, and the trees’ genetic makeup proved to be less of a factor than researchers had expected.

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A group of grassland scientists will assess how the biodiversity of restoration mixes, specifically species richness, genetic composition and relatedness, may impact soil health and pollinator habitat.

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Gardens in cities provide a long and continuous supply of energy-rich nectar from March to October, scientists at the University of Bristol have found.

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The macroalga giant kelp, which is an iconic and important ecosystem-structuring species found off the coast of California and many other coastlines, can grow 100-feet long within 1-2 years.

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Some microbes can form thin films called biofilms that give those microbes an advantage by protecting them from stresses such as a lack of nutrients. Some biofilms also benefit plants and other host organisms. New research has identified an enzyme in bacteria that is key to the formation of helpful biofilms on willow and cottonwood trees. The research could lead to advances in studies of microbes important to medicine and agriculture.

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A new study shows nutrition content varies based on size of oat kernels

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The seeds of the common tropical vine contain compounds that could be useful for treating mental and physical diseases as well as promoting well-being, according to Tulane researchers.

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Shrubs in the desert Southwest have increased their water use efficiency at some of the highest rates ever observed to cope with a decades-long megadrought. That’s the finding of a new study from University of Utah researchers, who found that although the shrubs’ efficiency increases are unprecedented and heroic, they may not be enough to adapt to the long-term drying trend in the West.

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Research from the lab of Kimberly Parker at the McKelvey School of Engineering looks at the interactions of different herbicides and what they mean for herbicide drift.

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Dr. Mariya Khodakovskaya, professor of biology at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has been inducted into the Arkansas Research Alliance (ARA) Academy of Scholars and Fellows. The induction of the new cohort of distinguished scholars and researchers took place during a Dec. 9 ceremony at the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion.

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The team of researchers led by Clemson University’s Chris Saski, associate professor of systems genomics, are working to explore the cotton genome. The goal is to facilitate the ability to directly edit the genome of elite cotton varieties, quickly adding traits like disease resistance or drought tolerance without the need for the lengthy conventional breeding process that can take over a decade.

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In an oceanic omen for climate change’s intensifying effects, new research shows that seagrass suffers from a lesion-filled wasting disease through large swaths of intertidal meadows in the Pacific Northwest. The grasses’ once-vibrant plant root systems are deteriorating, too.

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Increasing adoption of certain agricultural practices can help combat climate change, according to a new report by researchers from Rutgers and the University of Maine. The study explores how New Jersey’s plants and soils can help to absorb and store carbon dioxide from greenhouse gas emissions.

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New research led by Christopher Topp and Keith Duncan have pioneered X-ray microscope technology to image plant cells, whole tissues, and even organs at unprecedented depths with cellular resolution.

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Curio Genomics has joined the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC) as a sponsoring partner, both organizations announced today

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The final step in breeding programs is registering their new variety with the USDA

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A new high-flavor, shelf-stable grape tomato is the latest variety released from Cornell University aimed at small farms, organic growers and home gardeners.

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Georgia Tech scientists and engineers are building a new DOE-funded instrument that captures 3D images of plant-microbe chemical reactions underground in an interdisciplinary effort to develop biofuels and fertilizers — and help mitigate climate change.

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Research finds that a single test for phosphorus in soil can outperform multiple other tests. This could help farmers track their soil nutrients more easily and accurately.

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University of Delaware researchers have made major strides in the development of alternate food sources, offering a new major that will provide students with a hands-on opportunity to build hydroponic systems that can grow food without soil.

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Beginning in January 2022, the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior will become an online journal.

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The SINC Center aims to develop technologies to decrease the use of nitrogen fertilizer, a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, by 12% without the loss of crop productivity.

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Antimicrobial compounds that soybean plants produce when threatened by insects, diseases and even drought may help animals stay healthy, thereby reducing the need for antibiotics.

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Cornell researchers have developed an innovative technique to track microbes and understand the various ways they process soil carbon, findings that add to our knowledge of how bacteria contribute to the global carbon cycle.

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Pecans for holiday pies and treats grown mostly in drought-ridden south