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Rows of soybean plants with green leaves beneath a partially clouded sky with the rising sun in the background.
As Carbon Dioxide Goes Up, Plants’ Nutrient Content Declines
Abundant environmental CO2 can increase plant biomass and photosynthesis, but it has downsides for agriculture and ecosystems, a growing body of research finds.
As Carbon Dioxide Goes Up, Plants’ Nutrient Content Declines
As Carbon Dioxide Goes Up, Plants’ Nutrient Content Declines

Abundant environmental CO2 can increase plant biomass and photosynthesis, but it has downsides for agriculture and ecosystems, a growing body of research finds.

Abundant environmental CO2 can increase plant biomass and photosynthesis, but it has downsides for agriculture and ecosystems, a growing body of research finds.

agriculture

a fuzzy black and tan beetle chews on the bark of a pine tree sapling, whose needles can be seen in the background
Pine Trees’ Fragrances Help Neighbors Battle Bark Beetles
Katherine Irving | Sep 30, 2022 | 5 min read
Polluted air impedes the trees’ ability to read one another’s signals, a study finds.
A desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) on sand
Genome Spotlight: Desert Locust (Schistocerca gregaria)
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Jul 21, 2022 | 4 min read
A chromosome-scale genome sequence for this infamous agricultural pest could help mitigate its plagues.
Using Genetics and Genomics to Improve Food Security
The Scientist | 1 min read
Pamela Ronald and Kan Wang will discuss how they enhance the yield and disease resistance of important crops.
A landscape showing a forest that’s been cleared to make room for a farm.
Climate Change and Agriculture Together Halve Insect Populations
Dan Robitzski | Apr 21, 2022 | 2 min read
Insect populations and species diversity are drastically reduced in areas affected by both climate change and agriculture-related habitat destruction, according to a new study.
Cover of Endangered Maize by Helen Anne Curry
Book Excerpt from Endangered Maize
Helen Anne Curry | Jan 17, 2022 | 4 min read
In Chapter 7, “Grow,” author Helen Anne Curry relays the story of Indigenous revolutionaries in Mexico who tapped into community-based methods to conserve traditional corn varieties.
Cover of Endangered Maize by Helen Anne Curry
Opinion: Going Beyond Seed Banks
Helen Anne Curry | Jan 17, 2022 | 5 min read
Rethinking why and how we conserve crop genetic diversity
Spores of Fusarium xylarioides
Researchers Resurrect Coffee-Destroying Fungus—to Study It
Chloe Tenn | Jan 4, 2022 | 4 min read
Comparing the genomes of modern pathogens with those of cryopreserved strains from several decades ago shed light on the evolution of coffee wilt disease outbreaks in Africa.
Photograph looking up a tree trunk
Contrary to Common Belief, Some Older Trees Make Fewer Seeds
Annie Melchor | Nov 1, 2021 | 2 min read
An analysis of more than half a million trees reveals that many species begin to taper off seed production once they hit a certain size.
brown and white calf stares straight into the camera with a surprised look
Potty Party: Researchers Show Young Cows Can Be Toilet-Trained
Annie Melchor | Sep 14, 2021 | 6 min read
Ethologist Jan Langbein and his team trained the cattle as a way to keep solid and liquid cattle waste separate—with the goal of reducing ammonia emissions coming from livestock.
close up photograph of brown and yellow caterpillar on a strawberry
Genes Shared With Viruses Protect Caterpillars from Parasitic Wasps
Annie Melchor | Jul 30, 2021 | 4 min read
A newly identified gene family named “parasitoid killing factor” is found in both insect-infecting viruses and their hosts, although researchers can’t yet tell where they originated.
Yuan Longping standing out in a rice field
Hybrid Rice Developer Yuan Longping Dies at 90
Lisa Winter | May 26, 2021 | 2 min read
The high-yield variety of rice he produced in the 1970s prevented countless people from dying of starvation.
two tomato plants in pots viewed from the top, one scraggly with yellow leaves and one healthier-looking
Stress-Response Compound Widespread in Animals Is Found in Plants
Shawna Williams | May 22, 2021 | 4 min read
TMAO appears to both stabilize other plant proteins and influence the expression of stress-response genes, researchers report.
Stamping Out Science, 1948
Catherine Offord | May 1, 2021 | 4 min read
Trofim Lysenko’s attacks on geneticists had long-term effects on Russian science and scientists, despite a lack of evidence to support his beliefs about biological inheritance.
different varieties of ground and unground coffee beans in bowls and plates on a table
Rediscovered Coffee Species Tastes Great, Tolerates Warmth: Study
Shawna Williams | Apr 20, 2021 | 2 min read
Cultivating stenophylla, untapped by the coffee industry for the last century, could help farmers cope with the effects of climate change, researchers suggest.
nutshell, pollinators, pesticides, agriculture, crop pest, ecology & environment, insect, toxin, chemical, mammal, bird, fish, plants
US Pesticide Use Is Down, but Damage to Pollinators Is Rising
Amanda Heidt | Apr 5, 2021 | 3 min read
The use of pesticides has decreased in the US by more than 40 percent since 1992, but the emergence of more-potent chemicals means that they are far more damaging to many species.
whitefly horizontal gene transfer plant animal virus crop pest agriculture BtPMaT1 Bemisia tabaci
First Report of Horizontal Gene Transfer Between Plant and Animal
Emma Yasinski | Mar 25, 2021 | 3 min read
Whiteflies overcome a toxin in plants they eat through the use of the plant’s own genetic protection, likely ferried from plant to insect millions of years ago by a virus.
a tractor moves through a green field
Book Excerpt from Resetting the Table
Robert Paarlberg | Feb 3, 2021 | 5 min read
In his book’s introduction, author Robert Paarlberg advocates for the use of modern science in agriculture.
Opinion: Europe Is Sinking Biotech—Again
Robert Paarlberg | Feb 1, 2021 | 3 min read
Scientifically groundless regulations could undercut the potential of gene-edited crops, much as they have with GMOs.
Farming Associated with Long-Term Decline in Marmot Populations
Shawna Williams | Dec 1, 2020 | 5 min read
Images from a Cold War spy satellite help researchers piece together the effects of land-use decisions in Kazakhstan.
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