crop engineering

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.

Researchers devise a way to make plants’ stomata open and close more quickly.

Arabidopsis with guard cells modified by a light-activated potassium ion channel can open and close stomata more quickly, conserving water.

A Minnesota-based company reports the sale of a soybean oil engineered to have greater stability and no trans-fat.

The agritech industry is editing plant genomes to feed a growing population, expand the produce aisle, and make tastier, more convenient food products.

Restrictions will remain on transgenic plants, which contain artificially inserted genes from other species.

Crops produced using mutagenic technologies such as CRISPR should generally be exempt from regulatory laws governing GMOs, according to the published opinion.

Maize enthusiast Jason Karl aims to continue breaking his own records for the tallest corn plants ever grown.

The US agribusiness secures a global, nonexclusive licensing agreement from the Broad Institute to use the gene-editing technology for agricultural applications.

It behooves the scientific community to reflect on the public’s “Franken-” characterization of genetically modified foods.

Scientists perform plant-genome modifications on crops without using plasmids.

Upping the expression of a single gene improves the plant’s ability to withstand light and increases yields. 

Complex layers of science, policy, and public opinion surround the things we eat and drink.

One way to increase biofuel production is to engineer plants that can withstand harsh environmental conditions, thereby expanding the range in which such crops can be grown. 

Of the many available no- or low-carbon methods to harvest energy, including wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, and solar approaches, conversion of plant biomass to liquid fuels is the most cost-effective strategy.

Research is underway to reduce the use of food crops for biofuels by shifting to dedicated energy crops and agricultural residues.

Plant pests are evolving to outsmart common herbicides, costing farmers crops and money.

Editor’s choice in Plant Biology

Agribusiness giant Monsanto is finding out that it's difficult to conduct field trials of drought-resistant corn when it won't stop raining. The company hopes to launch a new line of corn seed that's been genetically engineered to thrive in drough conditions by 2013.