logo

A salt-tough Australian rice shares some of its secrets

A team of scientists from the University of Sydney, Macquarie University and the Australian Plant Phenomics Facility (APPF) have identified a novel source of salt tolerance in an endemic Australian wild rice species. Recently published in ‘Rice’, the results represent a major step forward in the quest for enhanced salt tolerance in commercial rice cultivars… Continue reading A salt-tough Australian rice shares some of its secrets

Every state in Brazil expecting lower soybean yields

The weather over the weekend in central Brazil was finally the type of weather you generally expect for this time of the year. In Mato Grosso for example, there was heavy overcast and it rained most of the day on Sunday for a total of 2-4 inches. The weather was similar in Goias, northern Mato… Continue reading Every state in Brazil expecting lower soybean yields

Researchers develop better millet varieties

Farmers will soon get drought- and disease-resistant finger millet varieties, experts have said. Henry Ojulong, a cereals breeder at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), said finger millet is highly valued for its nutritional qualities but production is still low. “The high levels of calcium, iron and amino acids in finger… Continue reading Researchers develop better millet varieties

Wheat can be made safe for people with coeliac disease by using gene editing

One to two per cent of the population has Coeliac Disease (CD), an immune reaction to gluten. grains contain gluten, a mixture of glutenin and gliadin proteins, which build a network that gives wheat bread its unique properties and quality. Most gliadins and part of the glutenins contain immunogenic epitopes, which are the actual trigger of… Continue reading Wheat can be made safe for people with coeliac disease by using gene editing

Study finds remote sensing successful for predicting nitrogen requirements in rice

Results of a new rice imagery study show successful prediction of rice nitrogen uptake at panicle initiation (2018 Rice R&D Update from AgriFutures). The study validates the possibility of generating nitrogen topdressing recommendations directly from remotely-sensed data with reduced or no physical sampling. For this study, Ceres Imaging provided aerial imaging technology in cooperation with… Continue reading Study finds remote sensing successful for predicting nitrogen requirements in rice

PhilRice: Advantage of early-maturing varieties

In anticipation of the coming dry season, farmers with insufficient water supply are advised to adopt early-maturing rice varieties or with maturity days less than 110. The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) says early-maturing varieties require lesser water, as they can mature faster than other inbred varieties. PhilRice says a rice crop that matures in… Continue reading PhilRice: Advantage of early-maturing varieties

Rising temperatures may safeguard crop nutrition as climate changes

Recent research has shown that rising carbon dioxide levels will likely boost yields, but at the cost of nutrition. A new study in Plant Journal from the University of Illinois, U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), and Donald Danforth Plant Science Center suggests that this is an incomplete picture of the complex environmental interactions that… Continue reading Rising temperatures may safeguard crop nutrition as climate changes

New technologies enable better-than-ever details on genetically modified plants

Salk researchers have mapped the genomes and epigenomes of genetically modified plant lines with the highest resolution ever to reveal exactly what happens at a molecular level when a piece of foreign DNA is inserted. Their findings, published in the journal PLOS Genetics on January 18, 2019, elucidate the routine methods used to modify plants, and offer… Continue reading New technologies enable better-than-ever details on genetically modified plants

Unraveling of 58-year-old corn gene mystery may have plant-breeding implications

Researchers believe the mystery gene that triggers the mutant red pigments in corn may be a “master regulator” responsible for an over-accumulation of sugars in the leaves and an increase in a natural insecticide in the silk. – Credit: Surinder Chopra Research Group/Penn State In discovering a mutant gene that “turns on” another gene responsible… Continue reading Unraveling of 58-year-old corn gene mystery may have plant-breeding implications

Wheat breeders get a cheat sheet

Plant breeding is strictly a numbers game — but researchers have found a way to improve the odds with help from a new tool called a ‘breeder chip.’ “Breeding is like a lottery. The more tickets you buy, the greater the chance of success,” said Curtis Pozniak, a professor of plant sciences and wheat breeder… Continue reading Wheat breeders get a cheat sheet