Wheat News and Research

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Study of leaf size in grasses can help accurately model the effects of climate change

One-third of the Earth's surface is covered by more than 11,000 grass species -- including crops like wheat, corn, rice and sugar cane that account for the bulk of the world's agricultural food production and important biofuels. But grass is so common that few people realize how diverse and important it really is.

26 Mar 2021

Global atmospheric drying reduces productivity of both crops and non-crop plants

A global observation of an ongoing atmospheric drying -- known by scientists as a rise in vapor pressure deficit -- has been observed worldwide since the early 2000s.

9 Mar 2021

Specific proteins in plants can prevent zinc deficiency in humans

More than two billion individuals across the world are malnourished because of zinc deficiency.

5 Mar 2021

Detective work inside plant cells finds a key piece of the C4 photosynthesis puzzle

An impressive body of evidence published this week reveals the answer to a mystery that has puzzled plant scientists for more than 30 years.

3 Mar 2021

Chickpea genetics reduce need for chemicals

In recent years, hummus has become a pop culture food phenomenon, drawing praises from dieticians for the health benefits and chefs for the flavor.

3 Mar 2021

CRISPR-Cas9 can safeguard future crops under stress from variable climate conditions

Gene editing technology will play a vital role in climate-proofing future crops to protect global food supplies, according to scientists at The University of Queensland.

2 Mar 2021

Researchers combine maths and plant science to reveal how plant roots produce a hormone gradient

The research team that developed a biosensor that first recorded that a distinct gradient of the plant growth hormone gibberellin correlated with plant cell size has now revealed how this distribution pattern is created in roots.

17 Feb 2021

Unknown root trait allows some cereal plants to grow deeper roots

A previously unknown root trait allows some cereal plants to grow deeper roots capable of punching through dry, hard, compacted soils, according to Penn State researchers, who suggest that harnessing the inherited characteristic could lead to crops better able to deal with a changing climate.

2 Feb 2021

Trade restrictions by a few countries could create global food price spikes

Recent events such as the Covid-19 pandemic, locust infestations, drought and labour shortages have disrupted food supply chains, endangering food security in the process.

29 Jan 2021

Researchers develop a method to simultaneously measure 77 antibiotics in foods

Widespread use of antibiotics in human healthcare and livestock husbandry has led to trace amounts of the drugs ending up in food products.

28 Jan 2021

Global analysis of the impact of land acquisitions on local food security

Large-scale land acquisitions by foreign investors, intended to improve global food security, had little to no benefit, increasing crop production in some areas while simultaneously threatening local food security in others, according to researchers who studied their effects.

20 Jan 2021

Researchers show how the genetic material travels from cell to cell

The genetic material of plants, animals, and humans is well protected in the nucleus of each cell and stores all the information that forms an organism. For example, information about the size or color of flowers, hair or fur is predefined here.

12 Jan 2021

Study: Fungi have proteins that allow them to sense consumable things

According to a new study, the same proteins responsible for enabling human senses, like smell, also enable some fungi to sense things they can consume.

17 Dec 2020

Novel technique enables the study of non-bacterial microbiomes of plant species

A new method designed by plant pathologists in Connecticut now allows researchers to access an effective and low-cost tool to facilitate the analysis of the all non-bacterial microbiomes of all plant species.

11 Dec 2020

Researchers use wheat starch hydrogels to produce food by 3D printing

It is already possible to produce food with a 3D printer, potentially delivering products that suit consumer preferences regarding taste, texture, cost, convenience, and nutrition.

4 Dec 2020

Scientists unlock new genetic variation in wheat and barley

An international research collaboration, including scientists from the University of Adelaide's Waite Research Institute, has unlocked new genetic variation in wheat and barley - a major boost for the global effort in breeding higher-yielding wheat and barley varieties.

27 Nov 2020