https://phys.org/biology-news/agriculture/ en-us Agriculture, livestock, farming and food processing news Researchers have demonstrated a series of biological tests that could serve as "proxies" for measuring how different regenerative agriculture practices could improve soil carbon—years before it would be possible to measure the carbon directly. The technique offers new insights into how effective various regenerative practices are at improving soil health. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-microbes-dead-alive-early-indicators.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 03 Sep 2026 17:50:01 EDT news707672281 Potassium (K) is one of the three essential nutrients for plants. It plays a critical role in a wide range of processes, including cell growth, photosynthesis and regulation of water balance. Plants take up K from the soil and circulate it throughout their bodies via molecules called K+ channels. The function of one such K+ channel (called AKT5) in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana has remained a mystery, despite more than 30 years of study. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-green-thumb-molecule-leaf-stalks.html Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 03 Sep 2026 17:00:06 EDT news707660821 Most people assume plants reproduce through whatever pollen happens to land on them. This is not true. A collaborative research initiative involving the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) has mapped and functionally tested the genes that control a natural "self-rejection" system in two widely grown Indian oilseed crops, Brassica rapa (mustard) varieties toria and yellow sarson. This system governs the molecular "lock-and-key" mechanism in certain mustard plants that allows them to reject their own pollen. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-pollinate-india-cooking-oil.html Plants & Animals Thu, 03 Sep 2026 16:50:01 EDT news707670301 A research team from INRAE and the University Clermont Auvergne has shown that trees are capable of correcting a curvature they detect in their stems through a specific biological process. In the study, young trees with bent stems were placed in an experimental set-up that prevented them from sensing their orientation relative to light and gravity. The only sense remaining to the trees was the perception of their own curvature. Under these conditions, the scientists observed the formation of a particular type of wood, known as tension wood, which acts like a muscle to correct the curvature of the stem, allowing it to realign within a few weeks. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-trees-muscle-posture-newly-role.html Plants & Animals Wed, 02 Sep 2026 19:00:05 EDT news707583301 As populations expanded in medieval England, key changes occurred in the uses of cattle and sheep to produce food and materials, according to a study published Sept. 2, 2026, in the journal PLOS One by Matilda Holmes of the University of Leicester, United Kingdom, David Orton of the University of York, United Kingdom, and colleagues. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-animal-bone-reveal-cattle-sheep.html Paleontology & Fossils Wed, 02 Sep 2026 14:00:01 EDT news707400708 Plastic waste is one of the world's fastest-growing environmental problems. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's Global Plastics Outlook: Policy Scenarios to 2060 report, global plastic use is projected to nearly triple from 460 million metric tons in 2019 to 1.2 billion metric tons by 2060 if current trends continue. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-bio-based-plastic-fertilizer.html Biotechnology Wed, 02 Sep 2026 10:00:07 EDT news707558100 Cultivated meat aims to produce meat from animal cells in the laboratory without needing to raise a living animal for meat production. It has been proposed as a potentially more sustainable alternative to conventional meat production. Yet recreating something as complex as a steak—rather than minced meat—remains a major scientific challenge. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-bovine-stem-cells-approach-future.html Biotechnology Wed, 02 Sep 2026 05:00:07 EDT news707401161 Sweet, salty, crunchy or creamy—no matter how it's munched, the Virginia peanut has been a cash crop for the commonwealth for much of the past two centuries. But a fungal disease called Sclerotinia blight has decimated peanut plant populations in recent years, with severe outbreaks causing up to a 50% yield loss. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-peanut-sensors-fend-fungus.html Biotechnology Mon, 31 Aug 2026 14:20:07 EDT news707396761 Fermented cocoa occasionally exhibits off-flavors that can compromise the quality of chocolate and other cocoa products. But what causes these undesirable flavors? Researchers at the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich have now shown that overfermentation of cocoa beans can cause smoky, leathery and cheesy off-flavors. Smoky flavors, therefore, are not necessarily attributable to smoke contamination. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-smoky-flavors-cocoa-solely.html Agriculture Mon, 31 Aug 2026 14:00:01 EDT news707395922 Growth or immune response? Higher organisms must constantly balance these two priorities. As in humans, hormones regulate this balance in plants. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have discovered a mechanism by which plant steroid hormones can inhibit immune responses and thereby make resources available for growth. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-hormones-crop-yield-disease-resistance.html Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 31 Aug 2026 13:40:09 EDT news707395561 As fertilizer prices remain elevated, researchers at South Dakota State University are developing an innovative solution to corn's nitrogen supply problems by taking inspiration from an ancient Mexican variety and root nodules found on soybeans. In a new study, published in Plant and Soil, the researchers demonstrate how hydrogel beads may offer a promising way to naturally supply plants with nitrogen. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-nature-scientists-tiny-nitrogen-factories.html Biotechnology Fri, 28 Aug 2026 09:20:05 EDT news707124781 A few months ago, a friend of mine told me that his father-in-law had been rushed to the hospital after eating some wild honey brought back from the hills of Nepal. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-mad-honey-heart-sold-online.html Ecology Thu, 27 Aug 2026 21:00:03 EDT news707051205 Soybean is a critical element of the global food supply: Between its use for animal feed and human consumption, it accounts for roughly two-thirds of plant-based protein meal output worldwide. Canada is a global leader in sustainable soybean production, with 70% of its crop, one of the country's top three by value, exported annually. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-boosting-soybean-protein-zinc-sulfur.html Plants & Animals Thu, 27 Aug 2026 19:00:02 EDT news707065022 When cold and flu season comes around, we take steps like getting our flu shots and taking immune supplements to strengthen our bodies' defenses against pathogens. Plants face pathogenic threats, too. Plant pathogens can have devastating effects on crop yields, with up to 40% of global food crops lost annually, and such losses have severe implications for food security. But what if we could boost plant immune systems as we do our own and make them better able to withstand or fend off biological threats? https://phys.org/news/2026-08-primed-ready-nematode-pheromone-arms.html Biotechnology Thu, 27 Aug 2026 18:50:01 EDT news707071202 Commercially farmed tomatoes taste sweeter when food and garden waste compost is added to their soil, a University of Queensland study has found. Researchers in the School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability grew tomatoes in southeast Queensland with and without the compost and put the resulting crops through chemical and sensory analysis. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-tomatoes-flavor-boost-green-bin.html Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 27 Aug 2026 08:40:01 EDT news707038308 The majority of plant seeds have the special ability to almost completely dry out and yet remain viable. While most living cells die with a 90% loss of water, cells in seeds enter a biological state of dormancy. With a moisture content of less than 10%—similar to a raisin compared to a grape—they become small time capsules and can lie dormant for decades until they are awakened by favorable environmental conditions. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-dry-seeds-fully-mitochondria-rapid.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 26 Aug 2026 15:30:01 EDT news706974361 Scientists have recently reconstructed the ancestral karyotype of the banana family, revealing how chromosome numbers decreased stepwise from 17 to 9–11 over evolutionary time. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-scientists-ancestral-code-banana-family.html Evolution Tue, 25 Aug 2026 17:20:04 EDT news706882201 Researchers are gauging the effectiveness of electron beams in the fight against foodborne pathogens in poultry. "Impact of Electron Beam (eBeam) Treatment on Meat Quality and Sensory Attributes of Ground Chicken and Turkey" is published in the journal Poultry Science. At the heart of the study is eBeam, a nonthermal technology that uses high-energy electron beams to cause irreparable damage to pathogen DNA. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-electron-poultry-pathogens-turkey-quality.html Biotechnology Tue, 25 Aug 2026 16:00:01 EDT news706878602 In the journal npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, researchers from the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) and the University of São Paulo (USP) describe the role of three bacteria in suppressing a soil-borne wheat pathogen that causes root rot. The study paves the way for the development of inoculants that can be used in agriculture. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-bacteria-ancestral-wheat-microbiomes-root.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 24 Aug 2026 17:20:04 EDT news706801322 The Land Institute and HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, in collaboration with key partners, have assembled the first chromosome-scale, haplotype-phased genomes for Silphium integrifolium (rosinweed, silflower) and Silphium perfoliatum (cup plant, silphie). This landmark research promises to expand and accelerate the development of more climate-resilient, sustainable perennial crops. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-giant-wild-sunflower-family-genomes.html Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 24 Aug 2026 16:40:02 EDT news706801021 When a 10,000-year-old prairie is plowed up to plant corn or a savanna is consumed by a strip mall, these once-grassy expanses, if left to regrow, can eventually look vaguely like they did before. But a growing body of research suggests that what comes back isn't the same as what was lost, even decades later. And now scientists are starting to understand why. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ancient-grasslands-plowed-dont.html Ecology Mon, 24 Aug 2026 15:00:07 EDT news706779601 Plants might seem helpless when it comes to insect attacks, but they are known to employ various techniques to deter pests. One of these techniques involves sending out signals to recruit parasitoid wasps, and a new study, published in Cell Reports, has found that at least one plant can extend this deterrent system to future generations growing in the same soil. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-cowpea-underground-defense-generation-insect.html Plants & Animals Mon, 24 Aug 2026 13:30:01 EDT news706793779 What helps plants cope better with drought? With heat waves and periods of extreme drought becoming increasingly common worldwide, the need for drought-tolerant plants is increasingly urgent. With the help of bacteria, plants can unlock traits that help them cope with drought, securing biodiversity and food safety. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-tiny-root-hairs-big-impact.html Plants & Animals Mon, 24 Aug 2026 12:00:07 EDT news706789562 Researchers at UC San Diego and UC Berkeley have found that certain landscapes surrounding California communities are associated with differing rates of Valley fever, a fungal respiratory infection caused by inhaling spores carried in windblown dust. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-dry-landscapes-newly-fallowed-fields.html Ecology Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:40:02 EDT news706781031 Bread, pasta and breakfast cereals may seem far removed from dry fields in North America, Europe or Asia. Yet when water shortages hit several of the world's most important wheat-growing regions simultaneously, the consequences can be felt all the way to supermarket shelves and bakery aisles. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-climate-triple-price-wheat.html Ecology Fri, 21 Aug 2026 17:20:01 EDT news706537381 Rye is not only a hardy and high-yielding crop, but also possesses a valuable gene pool for wheat breeding. An international research team led by the IPK Leibniz Institute has significantly improved the foundations for research and breeding by publishing a high-quality reference genome sequence. For the first time, the sequence includes the complete centromeres of all seven chromosome pairs. Centromeres are important for the correct distribution of genetic information during cell division. The results of the study have now been published in the journal Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-rye-genome-uncovers-diversity-wheat.html Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 19 Aug 2026 19:00:01 EDT news706374497 Scientists at VIB and Ghent University have produced the first high-resolution, cell-by-cell map of how tomato roots respond to colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. These ancient fungal partners help plants absorb nutrients from the soil. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-tomato-roots-reveal-hidden-million.html Ecology Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:00:02 EDT news706263781 New research into seafood consumption and production in Brazil highlights how one of the world's most populous countries could build healthier and more sustainable food systems by encouraging people to eat more seafood, developing sustainable and nutritionally diverse aquaculture, and better managing fisheries. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-brazil-vast-coastline-food-insecurity.html Ecology Mon, 17 Aug 2026 17:10:01 EDT news706204141 A new study underscores the importance of studying microbes in their natural setting rather than relying solely on laboratory research. Researchers found that a set of corn root bacteria behaved completely differently when grown on the plant rather than in a lab, with thousands of proteins changing when placed in their natural habitat. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-microbes-drastically-behavior-lab.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 17 Aug 2026 14:00:02 EDT news706186142 Researchers at the University of Maryland and their collaborators have cloned a gene that makes wheat resistant to feeding by Hessian fly larvae and demonstrated its direct interaction with a protein produced by the insect. The research breaks through a longstanding barrier to understanding and engineering pest resistance in wheat. It is described in a research paper published Aug. 14, 2026, in the journal Science Advances. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-wheat-gene-hessian-fly-resistance.html Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 14 Aug 2026 18:20:04 EDT news705936181