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Research finds roots use chemical ‘photos’ to coordinate growth
Though it may look haphazard, the network of intertwining plant roots snaking through the soil actually represents a deliberate process. Root growth is guided by chemical snapshots taken by the young …
Tomatoes’ crystal ball reveals evolutionary secrets
Michigan State University‘s (MSU; USA)Â Robert Last studies tomatoes. Specifically, he researches their hair, or trichomes. For this study, he focused on a single type of molecule in trichomes â…
Digital mapping techniques to improve knowledge of British soils
Soil scientists at the James Hutton Institute are working to create the first unified digital map of soil properties within Great Britain, a development which will contribute to worldwide Global Soil …
Life in the fast lane: how plants avoid traffic jams
Traffic jams are the curse of the commute, the scourge of the school run and the bane of Bank Holidays. But gridlocked motorists and students of traffic flow may soon be relieved and enlightened thank…
Researchers to look into commercial potential of volcanic dust boosted honeyberries
A research collaboration between REMIN, the James Hutton Institute, James Hutton Limited and a group of Tayside soft fruit growers led by Arbuckle’s of Invergowrie has been awarded funding to in…
Global team of researchers crack leaf size mystery
Why is a banana leaf a million times bigger than a common heather leaf? Why are leaves generally much larger in tropical jungles than in temperate forests and deserts? The textbooks say it’s a balan…
Leading scientists call for unified approach to plant and animal breeding
Unifying the approaches to plant and animal breeding through the use of genomic selection is crucial to achieving global food security, according to a team of world leading scientists. In a paper publ…
Volunteers needed to protect Herts orchard heritage
The region’s orchards are an integral part of the landscape and an important source of biodiversity. They are also a rich, but under-researched, historical record. Now the Landscape Group, part of t…
Hormonal tug-of-war helps plant roots navigate their journey through the soil, new international study finds
A sophisticated mechanism that allows plant roots to quickly respond to changes in soil conditions has been identified by an international research team. Scientists from the John Innes Centre and Sapi…
Native plants need re-seeding after rhododendron removal, study finds
Native plants need a helping hand if they are to recover from invasive rhododendron, Scottish ecologists have discovered. A new study in the Journal of Applied Ecology reveals that – even at sites…
‘Lost city’ used 500 years of soil erosion to benefit crop farming
Researchers at the University of York working on a 700-year old abandoned agricultural site in Tanzania have shown that soil erosion benefited farming practices for some 500 years. The study, publishe…
Photosynthesis breakthrough
Researchers have increased plant productivity by boosting levels of three proteins involved in photosynthesis, offering hope for improving food crops In field trials, the scientists saw 14–20% incre…
Crop protection research secured at Rothamsted
Rothamsted Research has secured government funding to kick-start its new five-year strategic programme, Smart Crop Protection (SCP), to control sustainably the pests, pathogens and weeds that destroy…
Blueberry breeding consortium launched in Dundee
A Blueberry Breeding Consortium including members from three European countries held its inaugural meeting at the James Hutton Institute in Dundee yesterday. The new consortium will fund a blueberry b…
Dramatic changes needed in farming practices to keep pace with climate change
Major changes in agricultural practices will be required to offset increases in nutrient losses due to climate change, according to research published by a scientific consortium including the James Hu…
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