Nutrients News and Research

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The influence of mitochondria on evolution, food security, and climate change

The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently announced that it will support the work of a cooperative team of researchers, led by Elizabeth Vierling, Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, who intend to spend the next four years researching the function of mitochondria in plant productivity.

13 Sep 2022

Leaf tissue nutrient tests can help farmers decide how to best care for plants

The leaf on a plant might not be the first thing that comes to mind when looking to examine nutrients.

9 Sep 2022

Precision Compost Strategy in large-scale agriculture could help mitigate climate change

A new way of using compost could boost global crop production and deliver huge benefits to the planet, according to a study co-led by The University of Queensland.

7 Sep 2022

New genome within the tomato family revealed

Hidden beneath the delicate, red skin and juicy flesh of a tomato is a wealth of nutrients and genetic makeup. With recent research on the first genome of a species in the tomatillo tribe (part of the tomato family), we now have a better idea of how this vital plant family came to be.

1 Sep 2022

Scientists create a miniaturized environment to unravel the secrets of plant health, carbon storage

Scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have created a miniaturized environment to study the ecosystem around poplar tree roots for insights into plant health and soil carbon sequestration.

24 Aug 2022

Plants able to fix atmospheric nitrogen are most diverse in arid ecosystems

After a comprehensive study of plants across the United States, researchers have arrived at the unexpected conclusion that plants able to fix atmospheric nitrogen are most diverse in arid regions of the country.

24 Aug 2022

Lactate likely to be a bioenergetic and biosynthetic fuel for T cells

The immune cells that protect humans against infection and cancer look for a variety of fuel sources to power their operation, including those that were previously believed to be cellular waste products.

22 Aug 2022

Exploring how young soils can support plant life

In order to grow well, plants need a place to grow, access to nutrients, and in most cases sunlight. A rich soil provides that home and a good supply of nutrients.

16 Aug 2022

Researchers modify the root structure of plants with synthetic genes

Crops need to be more adaptable than ever as extreme weather events like floods, droughts, and heat waves grow more frequently.

15 Aug 2022

Biotrophic fungus uses host auxin signaling pathway for its own purposes

Ustilago maydis attacks and reproduces in the aerial parts of the corn plant. At the location of the infection, massive tumor-like tissue growths frequently develop. The size of these galls can exceed that of a child’s skull.

12 Aug 2022

Scientists incorporate the diel cycle into global ocean model to explore effects on phytoplankton

Phytoplankton is the foundation of all life on the planet. Understanding how these photosynthetic organisms react to their ocean environment is important to understanding the rest of the food web.

10 Aug 2022

Research shows higher concentrations of microbe-laden dust landing at lower elevations in Sierras

Dust from all over the world is landing in the Sierra Nevada mountains carrying microbes that are toxic to both plants and humans.

10 Aug 2022

Common weed holds important clues to create drought-resistant crops

A common weed harbors important clues about how to create drought-resistant crops in a world beset by climate change.

9 Aug 2022

Study proposes a systematic engineering approach of optimizing protein-fortified food inks

As the global population continues to age and grow, the demand for protein-rich food is also expected to increase concurrently.

8 Aug 2022

Sediment enhancement and submerged plant restoration project, progresses restoration and reconstruction of the lake ecosystem

West Lake, a normally small and eutrophic lake that is plagued by “incense ashes sediment,” is situated southwest of Hangzhou city and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2011.

8 Aug 2022

Study shows factors that influence the production of distinctive quality coffee

Most Americans wake up to coffee every morning. In fact, the National Coffee Association says that 70% of Americans drink coffee every week (62% drink it every day!)

4 Aug 2022

Researchers receive $2.3 million NSF grant to unravel oceanographic mystery

West of St. Petersburg in the Gulf of Mexico is an area called the West Florida Shelf. It's a marine desert, cut off from many of the elements that are essential for life.

3 Aug 2022

Study explores how plant genetic diversity affects leaf microbiota

Plants, like people and animals, have a microbiota. A team of researchers headed by the University of Chicago and including INRAE investigated whether genetic diversity within a plant species influences the makeup of its leaf microbiota.

28 Jul 2022

Newly discovered gene opens the door to cereal varieties with deeper roots

Researchers have discovered a new gene in barley and wheat that controls the angle of root growth in soil, opening the door to new cereal varieties with deeper roots that are less susceptible to drought and nutrient stress, thus mitigating the effects of climate change.

26 Jul 2022

Exploring Trichoderma and its beneficial effects for plants

"Trichoderma" is the Latin name for a genus of fungi that are present in all types of soils. The Soil Science Society of America's (SSSA) July 19th Soils Matter blog explores these fascinating fungi and how scientists have found that applying captured Trichoderma on farm fields can help crops.

20 Jul 2022