Genomics Takes On Crop Disease
Genomics opens the way for scientists to track where and which plants are affected most by rapidly spreading pathogens.
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Hidden Helpers: Bacteria in Leaves
New research shows that bacteria found inside plant leaves can transfer their nitrogen and might eliminate the need for nitrogen fertilizers.
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Organic Gardening and Alternatives to Pesticides
Gardens inevitably attract insect pests. How can you use organic gardening techniques to protect your plants from pests and maintain a garden that is safe for pollinators and other animals?
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Plant Bacteria Thrive in Wet Weather
Plants need water to grow, but too much water creates a perfect environment for plant bacteria, viruses, and fungi to thrive. How does this work, exactly? By Neha Jain Plants need water to grow. But too much water isn’t good for them either. Scientists have found that excessive rain and high humidity levels allow disease-causing bacteria to attack plants by creating a moist environment that makes them more susceptible to bacterial infections. When conditions are right, plants can be infected with bacteria, viruses, and fungi. While scientists and farmers have…
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Lasers Shed Light on Photosynthesis
Plants turn sunlight into fuel in a process called photosynthesis, but how exactly does it work? Find out from U. of Michigan physicists.
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Watching Plants with Project Budburst
Join communities across the world in observing plant life cycles – any plant, any place, any time – by participating in Project Budburst.
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Springtime Plants and Sheltering in Place
Springtime plants are proving their worth more than ever as most of the world continues to shelter in place from COVID-19.
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Intense Lawn Mowing Lowers Biodiversity, Favors Pests
Mowing lawns less frequently and allowing grass to grow may result in greater plant and pollinator biodiversity and fewer pests. By Neha Jain Looks can be deceiving: a uniformly well-mowed lawn might look good, but ecologically, it is not desirable. According to a recent study that analyzed the results of many studies on lawn mowing, more intensely mowed lawns showed lower plant and insect diversity and a greater abundance of pests. According to the researchers, adopting low-intensity lawn management would bring about a host of environmental benefits including cutting down…
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Parasitic Plant Has Edge in Evolutionary Arms Race
By Cameron Duke (@DukeofCam) The relationship between a parasite and its host can be a contentious one. Their interests are in direct conflict with one another, so each is always trying to circumvent the other’s plan. This is often thought of as an evolutionary “arms race.” In this ongoing competition, a parasite evolves a more efficient way to prey on the host, and the host adapts in response. These successive adaptations can lead to complex life cycles and intimate species-specific relationships. New research out of Penn State, conducted by Michael…
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Medicinal Plants to Nourish the Soul
White sage. Peyote. Opium Poppy. African Dream Root. What do all these species have in common? These are all plants that serve both medicinal and spiritual roles in cultures across the world. Plants have long since played important roles in human experience since time immemorial. Plants have provided civilization with food, shelter, tools, and the earliest form of health care. It is from the plant kingdom that people began developing the first medicines. Foxgloves, from the genus Digitalis, native to Europe, Asia, and northwestern Africa, were the original sources of…
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