Poaceae is a large monocotyledonous plant family encompassing the true grasses, characterized by herbaceous, often culm-forming stems with hollow internodes, leaves composed of sheaths, ligules, and linear blades, and a distinctive inflorescence of spikelets bearing reduced, wind-pollinated florets. Flowers are typically subtended by glumes and lemmas, with lodicules facilitating anthesis, and produce single-seeded dry fruits (caryopses) in which the seed coat is fused to the pericarp. Poaceae exhibits C3, C4, and intermediate photosynthetic pathways, occupies diverse terrestrial habitats worldwide, and plays central roles in primary productivity, biogeochemical cycling, and the evolution of grass-dominated ecosystems.
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 nature." Perhaps surprisingly, ...
Plants & Animals
May 11, 2026
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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 ...
Agriculture
May 11, 2026
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Biological invasions occur when organisms such as animals and plants are introduced by people to regions of the world where they do not naturally occur. In these new locations, these organisms are referred to as "alien species."
Plants & Animals
May 5, 2026
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University of Missouri researchers are exploring ways to grow sweet corn more efficiently to help American farmers cut costs. In a recent study, scientists from Mizzou's College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources ...
Agriculture
May 5, 2026
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A new experimental study has identified a novel genetic locus in a common agricultural weed, Elymus repens, that provides significant resistance to the destructive fungal disease Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) and has now been ...
Biotechnology
May 4, 2026
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Though it's largely a hereditary trait, siblings often grow to be different heights. But even if they end up topping out at the same stature, they may take different paths to get there. As they progress through childhood, ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Apr 30, 2026
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Fallen leaves, which are discarded every year, have been transformed into a resource that can replace waste plastics, a major nuisance in rural areas. A research team at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology ...
Biotechnology
Apr 30, 2026
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The latest statistics show that at least 14.77 million people around the globe suffer from protein-energy malnutrition. To revitalize traditional staples, scientists propose biofortifying cereals, as replacing just 5% of ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Apr 29, 2026
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6
The genes that could help the world's crops survive drought, heat, and disease probably already exist. But much of this genetic diversity remains hidden within ancient plant varieties and forgotten seed collections, among ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Apr 28, 2026
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9
Rice production is heavily dependent on nitrogen fertilizers, particularly in China, where application rates are two to three times the global average. At the same time, a large amount of nitrogen is lost to the environment—mainly ...
Ecology
Apr 28, 2026
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