All Agriculture articles – Page 8
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NewsMountain soils in arid regions may emit more greenhouse gas as climate shifts, new study finds
A new field study from northwestern China reveals that climate-driven changes in temperature and moisture could significantly reshape nitrous oxide emissions from soils in arid mountain ecosystems, with important implications for future climate feedbacks.
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News How recycled sewage could make the moon or Mars suitable for growing crops
Scientists are investigating how a solution of recycled sewage interacts with simulated lunar and Martian regolith to see if the result provides a suitable medium to grow crops. Bioregenerative life support systems consist of a series of bioreactors and filters that transform sewage into a nutrient-dense solution.
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NewsNovel structural insights into Phytophthora effectors challenge long-held assumptions in plant pathology
How do evolutionarily conserved pathogen effectors maintain structural stability while engaging diverse host targets? In a new study, researchers define a conserved subset of Phytophthora RxLR effectors in which short linear motifs (SLiMs) are embedded within folded WY domain cores.
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NewsHow citrus rewires its vascular system to fight Huanglongbing
By profiling thousands of individual cells, researchers mapped how different vascular cell types in citrus roots respond during early stages of infection with Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, revealing profound changes in cell fate, gene expression, and tissue differentiation.
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NewsA single gene, a dramatic change: CRISPR unlocks white strawberries
Researchers used CRISPR/Cas9 to selectively edit a single dominant gene copy controlling fruit color in the commercial octoploid strawberry cultivar ‘Florida Brilliance’. By targeting the MYB10-1B gene, they successfully converted red strawberries into stable white-fruited plants.
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NewsHope for global banana farming in genetic discovery
Scientists have pinpointed crucial genetic resistance to fight a fungal disease which threatens the global banana supply in a wild subspecies of the fruit. The team have identified the genomic region that controls resistance to Fusarium wilt Sub Tropical Race 4 (STR4).
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NewsAncestral motif enables broad DNA binding by NIN, a master regulator of rhizobial symbiosis
Researchers investigated the molecular mechanisms whereby the transcription factor NODULE INCEPTION (NIN) - crucial for rhizobial symbiosis - can bind a broader spectrum of DNA sequences than its close homologs, using the legume Lotus japonicus (Miyakogusa) as a model system.
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NewsLower tillage boosts the soil’s natural phosphorus cycle - cutting the need for costly fertilizer inputs
Long-term tillage reduction helps to restore the soil’s natural phosphorus cycle, supporting more sustainable nutrient management with less reliance on costly and finite fertilizer inputs, according to a new study published in Sustainable Microbiology.
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NewsBeneficial bacterium deployed to protect turfgrass from fungal foes
A novel strain of Bacillus subtilis helps a variety of plants resist soil‑borne diseases, retain moisture and develop stronger root‑to‑shoot growth. New findings on the effect of UD1022 on dollar spot disease suggests intriguing implications for manufacturing of biological treatments for the fungal disease.
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NewsManagement practices can enhance soil microbiome functions in plant defense
Researchers analyzed surveys and soil samples from 85 organic farmers in New York to investigate the interaction between beliefs, management practices, and soil microbiome functions.
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NewsBack from blight: Genomics offers a faster path to restoring the American chestnut
After more than a century of devastation from deadly blight, the iconic American chestnut tree could be brought back from the brink of extinction thanks to novel genomic tools and carefully bred hybrids, a new study finds.
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NewsSeashells and coconut char: A coastal recipe for super-compost
Researchers have developed a calcium-modified biochar that speeds up waste recycling and creates nutrient-rich soil, boosting specialized microbial communities that break down tough materials like lignin and convert them into stable humus.
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NewsRapid response launched to tackle new yellow rust strains threatening UK wheat
The UK’s wheat is under threat from a newly identified strain of the yellow rust pathogen, prompting an urgent mobilisation of research institutes to protect harvests. The new strain has overcome a key resistance gene that was protecting many major UK wheat varieties from yellow rust infection.
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FeaturesFrom roots to riches: mycorrhizal fungi and the future of farming
Feeding a growing population while rebuilding depleted soils is one of agriculture’s biggest challenges. When fungal networks are thriving, they can improve nutrient uptake, support stronger root systems, and reduce the need for fuels to stretch as far, with their input. It’s a small-scale partnership with big implications for the future of farming…
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NewsPathogen risk: Removing southern African fences may help wildlife, boost economy
Fences intended to protect cattle from catching diseases from wildlife and other livestock in southern Africa are in disrepair, restrict wild animal migrations and likely intensify human-elephant conflict – but a plan to remove key sections could make both livestock and wildlife safer.
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NewsSoil pH shapes nitrogen competition between wheat and microbes, new study finds
A new study reveals that soil acidity plays a critical role in determining how wheat competes with soil microorganisms for nitrogen, a nutrient essential for plant growth and global food production.
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NewsBBSRC-backed spin-out launches rapid DNA air sequencing technology
New spin-out, Agnos Biosciences, has launched AirSeq, a rapid DNA air sequencing technology to transform pathogen detection across health, food and biosecurity. It brings to market a powerful new approach to detecting biological threats in the air.
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NewsHow a single protein helps a fungal pathogen invade tea oil trees
Scientists report the discovery of a key mitophagy regulator in Colletotrichum camelliae, the fungus responsible for anthracnose in tea oil trees. A SUN family protein, CaSun1, directly recruits the autophagy protein CaAtg8 to mitochondria, enabling mitophagy during infection.
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NewsGenes from corn’s wild ancestor change soil microbial community, improve sustainability
Corn bred with genes from wild relatives can reshape soil microbial communities and reduce nitrogen loss — with no yield reduction, according to new research. It’s the first time corn’s genetic makeup has been linked with inhibition of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria.
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NewsPros and cons of pesticides and fertilizers in real-world mandarin orange farms
Researchers examined how different kinds of pesticides and fertilizers affect mandarin oranges across Japan. Advanced statistical analysis showed that while reducing pesticides enhanced the diversity of microbes in the soil, it also led to an increase in fruit disease caused by leaf pathogens.