How crops can better survive floods
Extreme weather phenomena are on the rise worldwide, including frequent droughts and fires. Floods are also a clear consequence of…
Climate & Environment
Agriculture and the environment share an intricate relationship. Farming depends on natural resources like soil, water, and climate, while agricultural practices significantly influence ecosystems and the planet’s health. However, the growing threat of global warming and environmental degradation poses unprecedented challenges to agriculture.
Machine learning uncovers ‘genes of importance’ in agriculture and medicine
Machine learning can pinpoint “genes of importance” that help crops to grow with less fertilizer, according to a new study…
As globe warms, infected pines starve and disease-causing fungi thrive
The high heat and low water conditions produced by global warming weaken pine trees’ resistance to disease by hindering their…
Oft-overlooked grasslands build biodiversity, resilience over centuries
Grasslands’ biodiversity and resilience to disturbances such as fire, heat and drought is the result of a slow process over…
Toads surprise scientists by climbing trees in UK woodlands
Volunteers surveying dormice and bats in trees have made the unexpected discovery of over fifty common toads in nest boxes…
Vegetation regulates energy exchange in the Arctic
Global warming is changing the Arctic by causing permafrost thaw, glacier melt, droughts, fires and changes in vegetation. These developments…
Heated plot experiments reveal link between warmer early winters and lower crop yields
Innovative experiments using temperature-controlled field plots have helped to explain the link between early winter temperatures and yield in some…
Study finds resilient, frequent-fire forests have far fewer trees
What does a “resilient” forest look like in California’s Sierra Nevada? A lot fewer trees than we’re used to, according…
Researchers ID the high-efficiency hacks cannabis cells use to make cannabinoids
For the first time, plant biologists have defined the high-efficiency “hacks” that cannabis cells use to make cannabinoids (THC/CBD). Although…
Multi-scale research uncovers microbes that affect sorghum drought response
Drought is one of the greatest threats to agricultural systems, resulting in unpredictable crop yields, declines in farm revenue, and…