Findings from the University of Kansas could offer important context for farmers who want to use beneficial microbes to improve yields. Today, microbial commercialization in agriculture represents an expanding multibillion dollar sector.

If we all ate more vegetables and less meat, and cut down on bananas, chocolate and coffee, we could free up significant areas of land for restoration and save hundreds of the world’s species from extinction, finds a new Cambridge study.

Excessive fluoride accumulation in tea leaves poses a potential threat to consumer health. 

Strawberry fruits are prized for their rich flavor and health-promoting antioxidants, yet the molecular machinery behind their tannin synthesis has remained largely elusive. 

A study in Forest Ecosystems found that combining bedding plows with pre-plant herbicide application, rather than double bedding, delivers the largest and most sustained gains in pine volume. This two-pass system effectively controls woody shrubs, the main long-term competitor, allowing pines to thrive for decades.

A Forest Ecosystems study highlights how forest landscape restoration (FLR) can play a critical role in improving water availability and ecosystem health across tropical regions. Drawing on decades of field studies, modeling, and global research, the study emphasizes that healthy soils and reliable water supplies are essential for both people and ecosystems to thrive.

Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS) in Japan have discovered that extended periods of high stress lead to iron deficiency and stunted growth in wheat crops. Experiments show reducing iron deficiency with a synthetic organic molecule called PDMA results in better growth and healthier plants. These findings are good news for farmers and consumers alike and could lead to treatments in the field that improve wheat production during prolonged periods of heat. The study was published in the scientific journal Nature Communications.