http://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. In a study published online today in Crop Science, scientists describe a nematode-resistant wheat. But while the wheat carries the resistance to the pest, the benefits are actually seen in the crop that is grown after it. http://phys.org/news287753289.html Biology Tue, 14 May 2013 12:28:16 EST news287753289 Gravity affects the ecology and evolution of every living organism. In plants, the general response to gravity is well known: their roots respond positively, growing down, into the soil, and their stems respond negatively, growing upward, to reach the sunlight. But how do plants sense gravity and how do they direct or signal their cells to grow in response to it? Although botanists understand a great deal about how this works, a recent article in the recent issue of the American Journal of Botany reviews what we know so far, from mechanical to genetic approaches; it reveals that there are still substantial gaps in our knowledge of the molecular details and highlights new ideas for potential regulating mechanisms. http://phys.org/news279215828.html Biology Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:57:19 EST news279215828 Dodder vines are parasitic plants that suck water, nutrients and information from other plants as they spread over them. Plant biologists at the University of California, Davis, have now shown that they can make plants resistant to dodder by attacking the junctions where the parasite taps into the host. http://phys.org/news262368450.html Biology Tue, 24 Jul 2012 17:07:36 EST news262368450 (Phys.org) -- Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass) have provided the first evidence that engineered nanoparticles are able to accumulate within plants and damage their DNA. In a recent paper, the team led by NIST chemist Bryant C. Nelson showed that under laboratory conditions, cupric oxide nanoparticles have the capacity to enter plant root cells and generate many mutagenic DNA base lesions. http://phys.org/news253956918.html Nanotechnology Wed, 18 Apr 2012 08:35:28 EST news253956918 Research involving scientists at The University of Nottingham has taken us a step closer to breeding hardier crops that can better adapt to different environmental conditions and fight off attack from parasites. http://phys.org/news246631978.html Biology Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:53:18 EST news246631978 Poor calcium distribution in agricultural crops causes substantial loss of income every year. Now a Korean-Swiss research team under the co-leadership of plant physiologists at the University of Zurich identified a protein that regulates calcium transport in the plant root and up to the shoot. For plant breeding, the specific transport protein provides a first step toward correcting deficiency symptoms in food plants. http://phys.org/news241268402.html Biology Wed, 23 Nov 2011 11:00:32 EST news241268402 Purdue University researchers have discovered a fine-tuning mechanism involved in plant root growth that has them questioning whether a popular herbicide may have unintended consequences, causing some plants to need more water or nutrients. http://phys.org/news241189863.html Biology Tue, 22 Nov 2011 13:11:12 EST news241189863 When natural ecosystems are replaced by roads, homes, and commercial structures, soil is negatively impacted. Studies have shown that, among other issues, distressed urban soils are often significantly compacted, may have alkaline pH, and may contain low amounts of essential organic matter and nutrients. This altered soil is typically not conducive to healthy plant root growth and establishment, leading to challenges for urban landscapes and home gardens. http://phys.org/news228067741.html Space & Earth Thu, 23 Jun 2011 17:09:16 EST news228067741 (PhysOrg.com) -- Repopulating the moon-like terrain around abandoned mines is slow, plodding work, but a new Indiana University Bloomington report in Applied Soil Ecology suggests symbiotic fungi specifically adapted to toxic zones can give colonizing plant partners a strong foothold. Fungi recently adapted to living in the nutrient-poor soils around abandoned coal mines had a significant impact on plant growth -- even plants grown in non-mine soils. http://phys.org/news195920190.html Biology Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:17:04 EST news195920190 By unlocking the genetic secrets of sorghum, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have found a way to make one of the world's most important cereal crops a better option for growers. Researchers at the ARS Natural Products Utilization Unit in Oxford, Miss. also may have opened a door to reducing pesticide use in the production of other crops. http://phys.org/news195831379.html Biology Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:36:33 EST news195831379 After a three-year slog Colombian scientists have revved up a car that runs on yucca-derived ethanol, spurring hopes that the Latin American staple could be transformed into an abundant fuel. http://phys.org/news170094894.html Technology Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:35:32 EST news170094894 (PhysOrg.com) -- A new tool developed by scientists at The University of Manchester will allow farmers to see under the soil to check how efficiently crop roots are using water and nutrients. http://phys.org/news169143345.html Space & Earth Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:40:01 EST news169143345