Agriculture

Researchers at MIT have suggested that rice seeds can hear the sound of rain, according to a new study. MIT calls it “the first direct evidence that plant seeds and seedlings can sense sounds in […]

A new study suggests broad systemic problems play a significant role in disincentivizing corn growers from planting the refuge corn needed to keep pests from becoming resistant to the insect-killing traits in Bt corn. And […]

A University of Florida study has made a key discovery in understanding a disease that for over a century has plagued the white button mushroom—a nutrient-dense vegetable that is valued for its versatility and health […]

The molecule cAMP, which plays essential roles in mammalian cells, is less well understood in plants. In a new Science Advances paper, researchers from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) and international collaborators […]

Plant scientist Dario Leister and his team are investigating how cyanobacteria adapt to rapidly changing light intensities. This could help optimize photosynthesis in crops. Photosynthesis is one of the most complex processes in nature. However, […]

Garlic is not a substance that most people consider an aphrodisiac. It turns out that mosquitoes agree. In fact, a new Yale study finds that garlic also functions as a de facto birth control for […]

A study led by researchers at the University of Liège reveals the mechanism by which surfactin, a molecule produced by beneficial soil bacteria, activates plants’ immune defenses. This mechanism, distinct from the classical paradigm of […]

Pesky pests can wreak havoc on plants by chewing leaves, boring into stems, and sucking sap from trees. Beyond the direct damage, they also spread harmful bacteria, viruses, and fungi that can infect and ultimately […]

Environmental scientists and water resource managers need precise, high-resolution maps to reveal areas that farmers should avoid when planting crops, to limit polluting waters with phosphorus from fertilizer or manure. Making those maps has depended […]

An experiment conducted in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, has concluded that yellow trout can grow larger than the wild strain, which is the most commonly farmed phenotype of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The […]