Garlic mustard populations likely to decline

Invasive plants are often characterized as highly aggressive, possessing the power to alter and even irreversibly change the ecosystems they invade. But a recent University of Illinois study shows that one such invader, garlic ...

The evolution of the mustards' spice

The tangy taste a mustard plant develops to discourage insect predators can be the difference between life and death for the plants. A new study has used this trait and its regional variations to conquer the difficult task ...

Stunting plants' skyward reach could lead to improved yields

In the forest's fight for survival, it's the tallest trees that prevail by reaching for sunlight and shading competition. Corn and other plants, too, divert precious energy to grow higher when nearby plants start to encroach.

How spicy does mustard get depending on the soil?

Serious wine drinkers often have their preferences: Some prefer sweet hints of chocolate in a Malbec from Argentina, while others are drawn to a spicy and fruity Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Wine connoisseurs firmly ...

Midget plant gets makeover

A tiny plant with a long name (Arabidopsis thaliana) helps researchers from over 120 countries learn how to design new crops to help meet increasing demands for food, biofuels, industrial materials, and new medicines. The ...

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 ...

Invaders' away-field advantage weaker than ecologists thought

(Phys.org) —For decades, ecologists have assumed the worst invasive species—such as brown tree snakes and kudzu—have an "away-field advantage." They succeed because they do better in their new territories than they ...

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