Scientists have discovered the specific gene that controls an important symbiotic relationship between plants and soil fungi. The discovery could lead to the development of bioenergy and food crops that can withstand harsh growing conditions.
Most crops on the planet are plagued by a photosynthetic glitch. U.S. researchers have engineered crops with a photorespiratory shortcut that are 40 percent more productive in real-world agronomic conditions.
The international study says that rising temperatures, longer droughts, and extreme weather events could hurt barley enough to see significant reductions in crop yields and increases in prices.
The largest deposit to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault was made yesterday to mark ten years since the opening of the facility. There are now more than a million crop varieties in storage.
