crops Archives

The effects of climatic trends on agriculture in Western Uzbekistan

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Julian Schlubach investigates the effect of climate change on agriculture and crop yields in Western Uzbekistan

Temperature plays a vital role in plant development. Extreme hot and cold temperatures can perturb and even stop plant growth, dramatically affecting crop yields. Independent researcher Julian Schlubach looks at climate trends in an agro-region in Western Uzbekistan. He analysed local meteorological data and IPCC future climate projections to determine how the primary crops there have been and will be […]

Saving sweet oranges: Catching plant diseases before they act

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Dealing with pests and disease is often the bane of a farmer’s life. Anything that causes plant damage or death has huge economic implications and many plant diseases are highly transmissible. However, disease can only be treated when it is detected, and that often means waiting for symptoms to appear. Dr Maria Fatima das Graças Fernandes da Silva at the […]

The ultimate veg patch: Can phytotechnology save cultivated peatlands?

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Intact, water-logged peatlands are a stable store of the world’s carbon, but if drained they can become near perfect (organic) soils for growing high-cost vegetables. It was thought that you couldn’t cultivate a peatland without ruining it and releasing its carbon into the atmosphere. Dr Jacynthe Dessureault-Rompré, with her team at Laval University in Québec, Canada, has been investigating whether […]

The role of extra chromosomal circular DNA in rapid adaption to glyphosate resistance in pigweed

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eccDNAs could constitute the targets of the next generation of herbicides and anti-cancer drugs.

Plants, like other living organisms, have genetic stress-avoidance mechanisms that allow them to become resistant to specific chemicals when continuously exposed to them. Dr Christopher Saski from Clemson University and Dr William Molin from the U.S. Department of Agriculture are researching the extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA) structure known as the replicon of pigweed, which contains the EPSPS gene, the gene […]

Symbiotically competent cyanobacteria for the bio-sustainable cultivation of rice

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The researchers tested the interactions of several Nostoc strains in laboratory conditions.

Every year, large amounts of nitrogen fertilisers are used around the world to sustain the cultivation of rice. The wetland culture conditions required for rice cause nitrogen to leach and contaminate freshwater, triggering a number of adverse consequences for aquatic habitats. Dr Consolación Álvarez and Dr Vicente Mariscal Romero, from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Spain, propose the development […]

Rice husk biochar with beneficial microbes: A promising agricultural inoculant and soil ameliorant

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Rice husk biochar has traditionally been used in Japan as a soil ameliorant.

The research of Shohei Ebe and Takashi Ano from Kindai University into the relationship between a microbe and rice husk biochar (RHB) suggests the latter is an activator of beneficial microbes that can be used to combat phytopathogenic microorganisms. Having isolated a novel lipopeptide producing Bacillus sp. that benefits from RHB presence in the soil, these are promising insights into […]