Scientists discover 'jumping genes' determine cabbage's exterior

The genetic differences between pointed cabbage and cauliflower are greater than those between humans and chimpanzees. Nevertheless, they are considered the same species. Researchers from Wageningen and China mapped the extensive ...

How Chinese cabbage and white cabbage became alike

White cabbage and Chinese cabbage have a lot in common: both have leaves that wrap tightly around each other to form a leafy head. Remarkably, however, these two crops originate from two different Brassica species used and ...

Mustering a milder mustard

The mustards, broccolis and cabbages of the world share a distinct and bitter taste. Some consider the flavor of cruciferous plants their strongest attribute. But even in India and China, where Brassicas have been cultivated ...

Unraveling the Chinese cabbage genome

Clues into the evolutionary diversification of brassicas have emerged from the draft Chinese cabbage genome sequence. Brassica crops include many agriculturally important vegetables, such as Chinese cabbage, pak choi, turnip, ...

Can chickpea genes save mustard seeds from blight disease?

During visits to fields in Assam, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, India, plant biologists Muthappa Senthil-Kumar and Urooj Fatima found mustard plants infested with Alternaria blight disease. They also noticed that an adjacent ...

Growing greener greens

A pioneering project to make our green vegetables even better for us has been launched by scientists at The University of Nottingham. The research will underpin future technological developments in agriculture that could ...