Designing the 'perfect' meal to feed long-term space travelers

Imagine blasting off on a multiyear voyage to Mars, fueled by a diet of bland, prepackaged meals. As space agencies plan for longer missions, they're grappling with the challenge of how to feed people best. Now, researchers ...

Unlocking the genetic secrets of grape seedlessness

Seedlessness in table grapes is a key breeding target, mainly results from stenospermocarpy, linked to the Thompson Seedless grape variety. Advances in genetic research have identified the VviAGL11 gene, one of the MADS-box ...

Wildflowers increasingly doing without insect pollinators

Scientists at the CNRS and the University of Montpellier have discovered that flowering plants growing in farmland are increasingly doing without insect pollinators. As reproduction becomes more difficult for them in an environment ...

Hurricanes found to boost cone production in longleaf pine

New research on tree reproduction is helping solve a puzzle that has stumped tree scientists for decades. Many tree species exhibit a reproductive phenomenon known as "masting," where individual trees have very low seed production ...

Understanding the deep relationship between plants and the wind

As Earth's climate continues to change, a plant's ability to adapt to its shifting environment is critical to its survival. Often, to stay alive a plant must move locations by releasing its seeds, but plants are rooted in ...

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