Growing on salty soils
Feb 6, 2015
KAUST Center for Desert Agriculture leads research to improve crop yields from desert soils.
Results for plant science
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Molecular immunity from microbes
Nov 10, 2015
Harnessing a bacterial system of defense can protect plants against viral pathogens.
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Barley that thrives in salty soils
Sep 3, 2016
Mapping the genetics underlying barley yields helps pinpoint mutations responsible for increasing the crop’s salt tolerance.
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Exploring how rice could survive salt stress
Nov 16, 2016
Real-time genetic detailing of rice plants highlights the roles of different loci in response to salt stress during growth.
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Quinoa—quest to feed the world
Feb 7, 2017
The high-quality sequencing of a quinoa genome brings new potential for global food security.
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Glowing report on plant hormone function
Apr 8, 2017
A biological sensor can identify and quantify the activity of a little-known class of plant hormones, strigolactones.
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A bright future for sustainable agriculture
May 27, 2017
Passionate plant scientist Mark Tester conducts ground-breaking research into plants that could one day help feed the world.
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Shaping up against pathogens
Jul 22, 2017
Plants can reprogram their genetic material to mount a defensive response against pathogens, which may have applications for agriculture.
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Bacterial superheroes may save the day for crops
Feb 4, 2018
Genetic analyses of a desert bacterium show it could help to improve crop production in arid lands.
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Bacteria proven to be worth their salt
Jun 24, 2018
Bacteria isolated from desert plants could provide the key to maintaining productive agriculture in arid regions.
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Future for crop breeding is CRISPR and clear
Jul 1, 2018
Precision molecular tools derived from bacterial defence systems are transforming the theory and practice of genetic modification.
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Taking the lead toward witchweed control
Jul 19, 2018
A compound that binds to and inhibits a crucial receptor protein offers a new route for controlling a parasitic plant.
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Boosting immunity in the fight against bacteria
Dec 31, 2018
A key protein is shown to be responsible for activating and controlling plant immune responses to bacterial infection.
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Mining bacteria from the desert
Feb 6, 2019
Desert bacteria protect food crops from salt toxicity.
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Metabolite stimulates a crop while suppressing a weed
Feb 25, 2019
A metabolic compound that regulates growth of rice plants and limits witchweed infestation could boost crop yields.
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Stressing the genetics in salt-tolerant crops
Mar 5, 2019
Unravelling the genes behind salt tolerance in crop plants is made easier using the latest sequencing and phenotyping technologies.
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A drone on crop resources
Mar 17, 2019
Aerial imaging of plant heights could help farmers manage field crops more effectively to increase yields and preserve resources.
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Directed evolution comes to plants
Jun 19, 2019
Accelerating plant evolution with CRISPR paves the way for breeders to engineer new crop varieties.
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Using an embryonic pause to save the date
Jul 7, 2019
A date palm seedling can pause its development to boost its resilience before emerging into the harsh desert environment.
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Tending the future of data analysis with MVApp
Jul 16, 2019
New app aims to improve the statistical analysis of large datasets in plant science and beyond.
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Date palms picky about bacterial partners
Sep 5, 2019
Cultivated date palms have co-evolved with desert bacteria for so long that their roots attract the microbes that provide the best chance for a long and healthy life.
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A symbiotic boost for greenhouse tomato plants
Oct 6, 2019
The colonization of tomato plants with a beneficial desert root fungus protects against effects of salt stress.
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Regulator of plant immunity tagged
Nov 26, 2019
Discovery of signaling intermediary could lead to more pest-resistant crops.
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A combat strategy for purple witchweed
Nov 27, 2019
Plant scientist Salim Al-Babili and his team are working across many fronts to save sub-Saharan African cereal crops from a menacing weed.
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Conferring leaf rust resistance in cereal crops
Dec 5, 2019
Identifying genes that confer resistance to leaf rust infections could help generate durably resistant cereal crops.
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Cleaving through the heart of viral infections
Mar 15, 2020
A Cas protein that cleaves viral RNA has been harnessed in a CRISPR/Cas system to destroy prolific viral infections in crop plants.
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Desert greenhouses offer growth opportunities
Aug 16, 2020
Efficient greenhouse complexes that will grow crops using the resources available on desert coasts could improve food security for millions.
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Copycat plant booster improves on nature
Sep 28, 2020
A molecular mimic designed to promote plant growth and limit witchweed infestation shows promise in initial trials.
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Genetic gains for better grains
Sep 29, 2020
A nutritious millet crop grown mainly in West Africa could be genetically improved for large-scale agriculture in Saudi Arabia.
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Beneficial bacteria help wheat stand the heat
Mar 21, 2021
Coating crop seeds with bacteria found on a desert shrub boosts yields in hot fields.
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Plant probes make sense for sustainable farming
Jun 18, 2021
Ultrathin needles for probing plants could help keep crop health in check.
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Treated jute bags boost grain storage and other green goals
Oct 17, 2021
A wax-based treatment for jute bags improves water repellency and reduces loss of stored food grains.
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Bacteria engage sulfur for plant salt tolerance
Nov 14, 2021
Understanding the interplay between bacteria and sulfur is leading to exciting biotechnologies that could enable crops to be irrigated with salty water.
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Tweaking carotenoids proves fruitful
Mar 7, 2022
A novel plant-breeding strategy is targeting crop yield, nutritional value and stress tolerance, all through the expression of one gene.
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Understanding rust resistance in bread wheat
Mar 14, 2022
Sequencing a high-quality bread wheat genome facilitates the identification of a gene that confers stripe rust resistance and may lead to improved crop resilience.
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Wax coating helps waning water resources
Apr 24, 2022
A sand-based mulch could help reduce irrigation on desert farms.
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Genetic options ensure stem rust is toast
May 9, 2022
Researchers have identified stem rust resistance in the wild cereal plant Aegilops sharonensis and successfully transferred the resistance gene into bread wheat.
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AI system facilitates plant imaging from the start
Jun 12, 2022
An AI-powered imaging system called MutipleXLab provides rapid automated phenotyping of seed germination and root growth that will help select plants that grow well.
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Harnessing the power of saffron color for food and future therapeutics
Aug 31, 2022
A highly efficient enzyme combined with a multigene engineering approach offers potential for sustainable production of water-soluble pigments in plant tissues.
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Plant hormones to help prevent Striga invasion
Nov 2, 2022
Crop resistance to a significant parasitic plant could be increased through gene editing or chemical treatment.
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A master regulator of plant immunity
Dec 4, 2022
Stress-response protein promotes the accumulation of metabolites that help anti-pathogen defenses.
