Research Results
1. Cloned stem rust resistance genes offer hopes of future crop protection in wheat and barley
In contrast to wheat where 82 stem rust resistance genes have been found, only 10 have been discovered in barley. Genes which confer resistance to the deadly fungal disease stem rust have been successfully transferred from wheat into barley. A study by a multinational team, working at the John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK, has shown that that the transgenic barley plants appear more resistant to stem rust than barley plants with endogenous resistance genes which have evolved within the crop. The researchers have thus shown that wheat stem rust resistance genes work in barley, something that has not been achieved by wide crosses between grass relatives. All four transferred genes were found to confer effective stem rust resistance. The barley transgenics remained susceptible to the barley leaf rust pathogen Puccinia hordei, indicating that the resistance conferred by these wheat Sr genes was specific for Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici.
Further, these transgenic plants did not display significant adverse agronomic effects in the absence of disease. Cloned Sr genes from wheat are, therefore. a potential source of resistance against wheat stem rust in barley. “Given that we now know that wheat resistance genes work in barley, it is likely that barley resistance will also work in wheat, which is a much bigger and more important crop. This might, therefore, expand the reservoir of resistance genes available to wheat for engineering resistance to its major diseases,” says Dr Asyraf Hatta, first author of the study.
For more, see https://www.jic.ac.uk/press-release/cloned-stem-rust-resistancegenes-offer-glimpse-of-future-crop-protection/?utm_source=miragenews&utm_m%E2%80%A6
Access the full paper at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/pbi.13460
2. Global warming makes tropical soils leak carbon dioxide
Before humanity began polluting the atmosphere with carbon by burning fossil fuels, the input and outflow of CO2 into the soil, one key element in Earth’s complex carbon cycle, remained roughly in balance. Gases emitted by dead and decaying matter were cancelled out by microorganisms that feed on such matter. But climate change has begun to upset that balance, according to a new study carried out by Andrew Nottingham at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK, in collaboration with Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama. Tropical forest soil warmed in experiments to levels consistent with end-of-century temperature projections released 55% more CO2 than control plots, indicating that gas emissions were underestimated in earlier studies.
“Carbon held in tropical soils is more sensitive to warming than previously recognized,” lead author Andrew Nottingham said. It appears that even a small increase in respiration from tropical forest soils could have a large effect on atmospheric CO2 concentrations, with consequences for the global climate. The quantity of carbon cycling each year through soils worldwide is up to 10 times greater than human-generated greenhouse gas emissions. Just a one-percent imbalance—with more carbon going out than in—”would equal about ten percent of global anthropogenic (manmade) carbon emissions,” noted Eric Davidson, a researcher at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.
Access the abstract at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2566-4
3. Gluten in wheat: What has changed during 120 years of breeding?
More people across the globe appear to be affected by coeliac disease, wheat allergy, or gluten or wheat sensitivity. It has long been known that wheat proteins can trigger disorders, such as coeliac disease or wheat allergies. As the wheat proteins appear to be the main triggers, changes in wheat protein composition could be a potential cause. A recent study by researchers at the Technical University of Munich, Germany, led by Darina Pronin, analyzed agronomic characteristics, protein content, and gluten composition of 60 wheat varieties developed during 1891–2010. The analyses showed that, overall, modern wheat varieties contain slightly less protein than older ones. The gluten content has remained constant, although its composition has changed slightly. Overall, the harvest year had a more significant effect on protein composition than the cultivar. At the protein level, researchers found no evidence to support an increased immunostimulatory potential of modern winter wheat.
Katharina Scherf, the corresponding author, who is now continuing her research as a professor at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), points out that not all protein types contained in wheat have been investigated about their physiological effects. Therefore, there is still a lot of research to be done before any conclusions can be drawn about wheat proteins being responsible for sensitivity reaction in some humans.
For more, see https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200811120112.htm
Access the abstract at https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jafc.0c02815
4. Study calls for an urgent plan to manage invasive weed which threatens livelihoods in Africa
Invasive plant species can destroy the crop and other plant populations in the areas into which they have been introduced and result in severe economic losses, including loss of livelihoods in rural areas. For example, scientists from the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI), a non-profit, are calling for an urgent integrated management strategy, including biological control, to fight the invasive weed Mimosa diplotricha, which is threatening livelihoods in eastern and southern Africa. They have studied the distribution of this weed based on roadside surveys, literature reviews, and herbarium data and conducted surveys among 151 households in 32 villages across Karonga District in Malawi, all areas affected by the devastating weed, to determine its impacts on local livelihoods.
Dr Arne Witt, lead author of the study said, “Mimosa diplotricha is an emerging or established weed in many parts of the world, including many countries in Africa, where it is impacting on biodiversity, crop and pasture production, and driving socio-ecological change. “We found that it is abundant in western Ethiopia, southern Tanzania, and northern and southeastern Malawi, with isolated populations in western Rwanda, Burundi, Mozambique, and on the northern shores of Lake Victoria in Uganda. The researchers found that most respondents indicated that invasions by this weed were reducing the amount of grass and shrubs in rangelands, with over half saying it reduced crop yields. “This invasive plant is also reducing the availability of medicinal plants and other natural resources,” Dr Witt added. She felt that M. diplotricha has the potential to significantly expand its range in eastern Africa and parts of southern Africa and as such, there is an urgent need to develop and implement an integrated management strategy, including biological control, to reduce the negative effects of this invasive plant on local livelihoods.
Access the full paper at
https://abcjournal.org/index.php/BothaliaABC/article/view/198/83
5. How maths modelling helps efforts to eradicate the banana bunchy top virus
Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) is an aphidtransmitted banana disease. BBTV was first introduced to Australia in 1913 via infected suckers from Fiji and spread locally through the banana aphid, Pentalonia nigronervosa. It has been contained by biosecurity agencies to southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales. BBTV cannot be cured, and infected plants must be destroyed; hence, strict watch is kept on its movement. Researchers from the Queensland University of Technology have designed a model that tracked the probability of a banana plant being infected by aphids that carried the disease. This model is expected to improve the efficiency of vigilance. Associate Professor Chris Drovandi said the research expanded existing disease management strategies by calibrating the model to real field data.”The new model we have developed quantifies the effects of seasonal changes, the plantation’s configuration and spread of the banana bunchy top virus, while predicting high-risk areas,” he said.
It was difficult to see the symptoms of the virus on plants from the air, or by using drones, as the ventral surface of leaves needed to be examined for symptoms. Since the 1930s, field surveyors have scoured the plantation attempting to individually identify infections by checking banana leaves showing a choked or bunched appearance. “This is a fantastic example of talented students using mathematical and statistical skills to help solve real problems facing farmers and the agriculture industry,” Professor Mengersen said.
Access the full paper at
https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007878
6. Gene editing creates superior barley trait
Barley varieties with improved yield, quality, and nitrogen-use efficiency will soon be available due to a breakthrough in gene-editing technology. The new technique enables barley genes to be accurately turned ‘on and off’ to create a superior trait, which cannot be achieved with existing technology. “The new technique is a technological leap for breeding new varieties that overcame the shortcomings of existing gene-editing platforms for barley,” said professor Chengdo Li, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and Murdoch University in Australia, who is behind the innovation. He continued: “Initial gene editing in barley relied on using immature embryos as a target for the editing process, but this method was only workable in an old Scottish variety, as Australian varieties responded poorly to the technique”. Australian varieties simply do not have the genetic characteristics required for the current CRISPR technology, which has created a major bottleneck for barley breeding in Australia. Professor Li said the Doubled Haploid CRISPR technology used the doubled haploid technique, which generates fixed barley lines for plant breeders and researchers and has resulted in commercial varieties.” Recent amendments to the Gene Technology Regulations exclude plants produced by this type of gene editing from being considered a genetically modified organism.
For more, see https://www.farmweekly.com.au/story/6867769/gene-editing-createssuperior-barley-trait/
Potential Crops/Technologies/Concepts
1. Designing cover crops and cover crop mixes to enhance benefits to the ecosystem (2 studies from Penn State U)
Penn State researchers, in a recent study, were surprised to learn that they could take the same number of seeds from the same plants, put them in agricultural fields across the Mid-Atlantic region of the US, and get profoundly different stands of cover crops a few months later. According to Jason Kaye, professor of soil biogeochemistry, the findings are significant because they show the need to customize cover crop mixes to achieve desired ecosystem services, depending on soil and climatic conditions. Cover crop mixtures consisting of diverse species planted in rotation with cash crops provide a suite of benefits—such as erosion reduction, weed control, and adding carbon and nitrogen to the soil. But it turns out, the expression of species in a mixture can differ greatly across locations. Based on this study, it is important that farm managers (farmers) should choose cover crop species and seeding rates according to their soil inorganic nitrogen and planting dates to ensure that the desired services are provided.
Cover crop mixtures increased total carbon inputs to the soil, because they simultaneously had high root and shoot inputs and they promoted higher carbon inputs from corn crop residues. Overall effectiveness of cover crops and choice of species that offer the most ecosystem services can only be judged by the plants’ roots as well as above-ground biomass, according to aother study by Penn State researchers, who tested the characteristics of cover crop roots in three monocultures and one mixture. The study has increased the knowledge of cover crop root traits, and the understanding of the links between root traits and the services that cover crops provide. Future studies may help to find cover crops and design cover crop mixtures that deliver unexpected ecosystem benefits and added boosts to cash crops that follow.
And
Access the full paper at https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0235868
Access the abstract at https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/renewableagriculture-and-food-systems/article/abs/root-traits-of-cover-crops-and-carboninputs-in-an-organic-grain-rotation/EE7E1880A46A473330F7556F52C0379F
2. Food from the sea: Sustainably managed fisheries and the future
Demand for food is set to rise considerably in the coming decades—the question that is on everyone’s mind is how to meet the demand and if oceans can help. To find an answer, major world leaders turned to an international consortium of experts (economics, biology, ecology, nutrition, fisheries, and mariculture).
“Basically the question we were trying to answer was: Does sustainably managing the ocean over the next 30 years mean we will produce more food, or less?” said Christopher Costello, a professor of environmental and resource economics at UC Santa Barbara’s Bren School of Environmental Science & Management. Given the growing demand, nutrient-rich ocean-based foods are poised to be the next great stand against food insecurity for the estimated 9 billion human population.
What the researchers found, however, was more revealing. “If done sustainably, you could increase food from the sea, and by an outsize proportion relative to the expansion of land-based food,” said Costello. “And it could be done in a way that’s much more environmentally friendly for the climate, biodiversity, and other ecosystem services than food production on land”. So, starting with a sustainability focus is the key, and not thinking about about it later (as is being done in the case of food crops and plants).
Access the full paper at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2616-y
3. Nanoparticles to immunize plants against heat stress
Nanotechnology offers potential solutions for sustainable agriculture, including increasing nutrient utilization efficiency, improving the efficacy of pest management, mitigating the impacts of climate change, and reducing adverse environmental impacts of agricultural food production. Many promising nanotechnologies have been proposed and evaluated at different scales, but several barriers to implementation must be addressed for technology to be adopted, including efficient delivery at the field scale, regulatory and safety concerns, and consumer acceptance. Authors of a recent study discuss pathways to overcome these barriers and develop effective, safe, and acceptable nanotechnologies for agriculture.
Gregory Victor Lowry (second author of the paper by Thilo Hoffman and colleagues) at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA, refers to the emerging field as ‘plant therapeutics’. These researchers are working to “immunize” plants against some of the major stress factors: drought and extreme heat. The programmed release properties then became active once temperatures within the plant reached 35-40°C, causing the nanoparticles (NPs) to release their cargo of CV (i.e., antimicrobial agent known as crystal violet -CV) throughout the plan. Polymers as NP will lie dormant in plants until heat waves hit, at which point they will release agents like CV, giving a boost for plants which is needed to survive high-stress periods. The high absorption rates and an array of applications for plant protection and nourishment offered by plant therapeutics may well be the key to offsetting these inevitable stresses. As Lowry and peers outlined in the article, agricultural nanotechnology is moving from the engineer’s lab into the farmer’s plot.
Access the abstract at https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-020-0110-1
4. New method of biofortification that transforms leaves into nutrient stores
Carotenoids also act as antioxidants in the human body. They have strong cancer-fighting properties, and some carotenoids are converted by the body to vitamins. Carotenoids also have anti-inflammatory and immune system benefits, and they are sometimes associated with cardiovascular disease prevention. A new collaborative study, led by researchers from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) at the Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG) in Barcelona and the Institute for Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology (IBMCP) in Valencia, describes a promising strategy to improve the nutritional benefits of crops by enhancing the availability of carotenoids in chloroplasts in leaves, transforming them into chromoplasts that are richer in carotenoids. “Our tests show for the first time that when the level of phytoene exceeds a certain threshold, it weakens the photosynthetic capacity that characterizes leave chloroplasts. Afterwards, the conversion of this phytoene into carotenoids causes the weakened chloroplasts to transform into chromoplasts with very high levels of these healthy nutrients,” points out Manuel Rodríguez-Concepción, CSIC researcher at CRAG and co-leader of the study.
These results help to explain a fundamental question in biology: the loss of photosynthetic capacity and the synthesis of carotenoids are not only the consequence but also a requirement for the transition from chloroplasts to chromoplasts. The effort also helps to develop a procedure with enormous potential to increase the nutritional value of leaves and other green parts of plants. The induced formation of chromoplasts causes the leaves of edible plants (such as lettuce) and green vegetables (such as zucchini) to acquire a characteristic yellowishgolden colour, caused by the accumulation of carotenoids.
Access the abstract at https://www.pnas.org/content/117/35/21796
5. Insect diversity boosted by a combination of crop diversity and seminatural habitats
In agricultural landscapes with both high crop diversity and semi-natural habitat cover, a large diversity of ground beetle species, as well as pollinators like bees and hoverflies, could be found. These insects have the potential to benefit crops through predating pests or pollinating flowering crop plants, both important for crop yields.
A study carried out by Guillermo Aguilera and colleagues at the Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden, showed that increasing local insect communities was possible in areas with semi-natural habitats by increasing crop diversity. Hence reducing the arable land and increasing seminatural habitats is not always the only way for obtaining benefits from insects.
Insects and other invertebrates provide important ecosystem services.
Researchers show that the combined effort of protecting semi‐natural habitats and enhancing crop diversity in agricultural landscapes is necessary to enhance communities of beneficial insects, such as natural enemies and pollinators. The results suggest that increasing the diversity of crop types can contribute to the conservation of service‐providing arthropod communities, particularly if the diversification of crops targets complex landscapes with a high proportion of seminatural habitats.
Access the full paper at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13712
6. Conserving biodiversity with AI
The California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society have joined forces to enhance iNaturalist — one of the world’s most powerful citizen science platforms, which connects people to nature through free, innovative technology such as Artificial Intelligence, AI. With new partner National Geographic, iNaturalist inspires users around
the world to explore nature and experience the delight of contributing to a larger scientific movement.
The use of technology such as ML or AI for biodiversity conservation can help prevent further extinction of plants and animals. Plants greatly help in maintaining the stability of the ecosystem. The California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic Society have jointly developed an AI-based networking platform that can help in the conservation of plants globally. The AI-based platform allows its users to click and share photos of various species of plants in real time. In this way, the AIbased networking platform can help discover new species of plants worldwide. Now, with the help of this AI-based platform, scientists can collect data more effectively and on a large scale, and thus they can suggest measures to prevent the extinction of plants.
For more, see https://www.bbntimes.com/technology/conserving-biodiversity-with-ai
7. Three genetic tweaks produce higher-yielding, water-conserving crops for the future
By tweaking two crucial aspects of photosynthesis machinery at the same time in plants, researchers have managed to engineer crops that are not only 50% more productive but also use significantly less water. The researchers homed in on two core aspects of photosynthesis, where there are inefficiencies, and introduced changes to optimize the process. The researchers engineered plants to overexpress the activity of enzymes called SBPase, which are central to this process, while also introducing a new enzyme taken from cyanobacteria into the model tobacco plants. But what’s new about this study is that instead of making individual changes to photosynthesis machinery and evaluating the effects, the researchers zeroed in on the two key processes simultaneously, which enabled plants to reach new heights of productivity. Most strikingly, when the researchers planted them outdoors in field trials to test the real-world relevance of these findings, the plants showed a 27% increase in yields despite the harsher conditions.
For more, see https://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2020/08/genetic-tweaksproduce-higher-yielding-water-conserving-crops-for-the-future/
Access the abstract at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41477-020-0740-1
News:
1. Agriculture replaces fossil fuels as the largest human source of added sulfur to the environment
Sulfur applications to croplands in the US and elsewhere are often ten times higher than the peak sulfur load in acid rain. Sulfur can react quickly, and, as decades of research on acid rain showed, affect ecosystem health and the cycling of toxic metals that pose a danger to wildlife and people.”Although sulfur is applied to agricultural lands to improve the production and health of crops, it can have detrimental effects to agricultural soils and downstream waters, similar to what occurred in remote forest landscapes under acid rain,” says Charles Driscoll, a Professor at Syracuse University and co-author of a study on sulfur shifts in the atmosphere. Eve-Lyn Hinckley, the first author, and Driscoll believe that it is time for the research community to apply lessons learned while investigating the effects of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers to studying the implications of high sulfur use in agriculture. The study points out that new research on the sulfur cycle will require studies that examine the integrated roles of climate, hydrology, and other element cycles in modifying sulfur processes and flows within and down the gradient of agricultural source areas. Such research must include not only scientists, but also farmers, regulating authorities, and land managers who are engaged in developing approaches to monitor and mitigate environmental and human health impacts.
Access the abstract at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-020-0620-3
2. 2021—Year of Fruits and Vegetables
The United Nations is marking 2021 as the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables, highlighting their vital role in human nutrition and food security, as well as urging efforts to improve sustainable production and reduce waste. In a message launching the campaign, SecretaryGeneral António Guterres said that despite tremendous benefits of fruits and vegetables, “we
do not consume enough of them.” Fruits and vegetables are dietary essentials, yet they remain inaccessible to many due to their cost. We need to ensure that everyone has access to a healthy diet!
For more, see https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/12/1080492
3. Need to develop the world’s microbiome biobanking infrastructure
A team of scientists, led by Dr Matthew Ryan of Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI), has outlined a series of challenges and opportunities presented in a necessary review of how microbiomes—biological communities including bacteria, archaea, fungi, algae, protists, and viruses—can be ‘banked’ and preserved. They have called for a prioritized list of what should be conserved from a scientific, economic, social, and environmental perspective. Researchers should be aware of unintentionally and fundamentally altering the functionality and integrity of the microbiome, which is a dynamic system that changes in response to environmental influences and biotic factors. Biobanks are a way to guarantee the better application of research results within the public sphere and a way for scientists to have their work verified independently, should the need arise.
Access the full paper at https://www.cell.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0966842X%2820%2930188-8
4. Svalbard Global Seed Vault commences seed experiment that will last 100 years
How long can seeds stay alive? That question is crucial for seed genebanks and research institutes working with plants and seeds. Therefore, a new seed longevity experiment has started in the Global Seed Vault. Seeds will be produced by the project partners that are highly ranked genebanks and research institutes, which have also taken advantage of the opportunity to deposit duplicates of their valuable seed collections for security and future use in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Increased knowledge about how long seeds can stay alive will be extremely useful for genebanks, and also for the management of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, which is a facility where genebanks can store duplicates of their primary seed collections as a security in the event of a loss at home. The Seed Vault can be considered as a huge bank box for seeds, and it is crucial to know at which intervals seeds that are conserved here must be replaced by new fresh seeds.
5. ‘Jumping sequences’ may alter gene expression in melons
Researchers from the University of Tsukuba and the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization in Japan have revealed that retrotransposons had a role in altering gene expression when melon genomes were diversifying, and they may affect gene expression that induces fruit ripening. Ethylene is a plant hormone important to the regulation of fruit-ripening traits, such as shelf life, which is of major economic importance. “Because Harukei-3 melons produce ethylene during ripening, we wanted to look at ethylene-related gene expression in this type of melon,” says the lead author of the study, Professor Hiroshi Ezura. “Harukei-3 produces an especially sweet fruit if grown in the right seasons. To examine ethylene-related gene expression, the researchers assembled the whole genome sequence of Harukei-3 by using third-generation nanopore sequencing, paired with optical mapping and next-generation sequencing.”
For more, see https://phys.org/news/2020-08-sequences-genemelons.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailynwletter
Access the full paper at https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-020-01172-0
6. Making the case for conserving Tajikistan’s fruit-and-nut forests
Tajikistan’s forests are a veritable cornucopia of diversity, harbouring the wild ancestors of numerous fruit and nut species that we generally take for granted. With the strong support of leading researchers and practitioners at Imperial College London, Fauna & Flora International (FFI), and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, fruit and nut forests were surveyed. As expected, the researchers found that fruit, nut, firewood, and hay extraction was widespread. The study suggests that although current use is unsustainable, the forest is still in relatively good condition, with the majority of tree species showing healthy population structures, important for long-term survival. Intervention in the landscape is still necessary, however. This research is now guiding FFI’s work on community engagement, and it is informing a reforestation strategy for 400,000 native trees as part of a Darwin Initiative project to enhance biodiversity and increase resilience to climate change.
Access the full paper at https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/oryx/article/firstrapid-forest-inventory-and-resource-use-assessment-of-dashtijum-nature-reservetajikistan-a-mixed-methods-approach/F0D2A6243430523F1159F2C51F8B526E
7. New research reveals previously hidden features of plant genomes
An international team led by the Plant Phenotyping and Imaging Research Centre at the University of Saskatchewan and researchers at Agriculture and AgriFood Canada has decoded the full genome for the black mustard plant. That research will advance the breeding of oilseed mustard crops and provide a foundation for improved breeding of wheat, canola, and lentils. The team, co-led by P2IRC researchers Andrew Sharpe and Isobel Parkin, used a new genome sequencing technology that results in very long “reads” of DNA and RNA sequences, providing information for crop breeding that was previously not available. Essentially, it’s a recipe for generating a genome sequence that works for any crop,” said Sharpe, director of P2IRC. “We now know that we can get the same quality of genomic data and level of information about genetic variation for these important national and international crops. The research provides a clearer, “higher resolution” view of the plant’s genes and gives researchers and breeders a more defined view of which genes are responsible for which traits.
For more, see https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200810115522.htm
Access the full paper at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41477-020-0735-y
8. Impact of air pollution on wild pollinators and crop yields
Apis dorsata, or the giant Asian honey bee, is not only a common resident of Indian cities, but also an important contributor to India’s food security and ecosystems. In some of the first research to address the physiological and molecular impacts of air pollution on wild plants and animals, scientists from the Bangalore Life Science Cluster show that air pollution could devastate useful organisms like the honey bee. Geetha G. Thimmegowda, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, and her colleagues found that giant Asian honey bees from more polluted areas of Bangalore exhibited lower flower visitation rates than in less polluted areas. Given the scale of landscape alteration and urbanization in India, it is expected that these effects are widespread and likely to worsen with time. This study covers important new ground, by examining the impact of air pollution on pollinators, which would have serious implications for agricultural output in India.
In the USA, apples, cherries, and blueberries across the country are being reduced by a lack of pollinators, according to research led by James Reilly, a research associate in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences at Rutgers University, New Brunswick. Most of the world’s crops depend on honeybees and wild bees for pollination, so declines in their populations raise food security concerns. It was found that many crops were pollination-limited, meaning crop production would be higher if crop flowers received more pollination. Managing habitat for native bee species and/or better managing honey bees would boost pollination levels and could increase crop production. Pollination by wild and managed insects is critical for most crops, including those providing essential micronutrients, and is essential for food security, the study notes. Wild bees and honey bees provided similar amounts of pollination for most crops
For more, see https://phys.org/news/2020-08-air-pollution-impacts-healthwild.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter or https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/08/its-body-looked-warzone-airpollution-could-kill-critical-honey-bees-india?utm_campaign=news_daily_%E2%80%A6%201/9 And
Access the full paper at https://www.pnas.org/content/117/34/20653
And https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2020.0922
Events
- ICAEE 2021: International Conference on Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 04-05 Mar 2021, Rome, Italy. For more, see https://waset.org/agriculture-ecosystems-and-environmentconference-in-march-2021-in-rome
- ICEA 2021: 15. International Conference on Ecological Agriculture, 08-09 Mar 2021, Bangkok, Thailand. For more, see https://waset.org/ecological-agriculture-conference-in-march-2021-inbangkok
- ICASA 2021: 15. International Conference on Agrometeorology and Sustainable Agriculture, 22-23 Mar 2021, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. For more, see https://waset.org/agrometeorology-and-sustainable-agricultureconference-in-march-2021-in-dubai
Other Topics of Interest
- Pushing GMO Crops into India: Experts Debunk High-Level Claims of Bt Cotton Success. For more, see https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/08/11/pushing-gmo-crops-intoindia-experts-debunk-high-level-claims-of-bt-cotton-success/
- Rising temps put desert shrubs in high-efficiency mode. For more, see https://phys.org/news/2020-07-temps-shrubs-high-efficiencymode.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailynwletter
- Auburn University peanut breeding program works on drought-tolerant plant. For more, see https://alabamanewscenter.com/2020/08/23/auburn-universitypeanut-breeding-program-works-on-drought-tolerant-plant/
- Improving protein digestibility in sorghum. For more, see https://phys.org/news/2020-08-protein-digestibilitysorghum.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailynwletter
- Antagonistic genes modify rice plant growth. For more, see https://phys.org/news/2020-08-antagonistic-genes-ricegrowth.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailynwletter
- Ecologists put biodiversity experiments to the test. For more, see https://phys.org/news/2020-08-ecologists-biodiversity.html
- Study warns of ‘harmful subsidies’ for Swiss biodiversity. For more, see https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/study-warns-of–harmful-subsidies–forswiss-biodiversity/45987310
- Unconventional farming methods could help smallholders fight back against climate change. For more, see https://phys.org/news/2020-08-unconventional-farming-methodssmallholdersclimate.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_cam%E2%80%A6%201/2. Access the full paper at https://www.degruyter.com/view/journals/opag/5/1/articlep352.xml
- Advances and challenges in medicinal plant breeding. For more, see https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32771174/. Access the abstract at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168945220301795?via%3Dihub
- Third breakthrough demonstrates photosynthetic hacks can boost yield, conserve water. For more, see https://phys.org/news/2020-08-breakthrough-photosynthetic-hacksboostyield.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=%E2%80%A6%201/5 . Access the full paper at https://science.sciencemag.org/content/354/6314/857
- Sustainable energy—Colombia. For more, see https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/07/in-colombia-climate-smart-villagescould-show-future-of-farming.html