In the October issue of the journal BioScience, David Flaspohler and Joseph Fargione published their analysis on the impact of biofuel-dedicated land consumption on various wildlife populations throughout the grasslands. The journal article addressed the long term effects of America’s focus on biofuel...
Whether consuming green vegetables raw or cooked, these colorful plants provide us with many essential nutrients. I have always heard, “The greener the vegetable, the better the nutritional value,” but scientists from The University of Nottingham are presently conducting research that could possibly...
Remember when our kindergarten teachers taught us the age-old, seemingly irrefutable rule that “sharing is caring”?
Well, in the case of weeds and their genetically modified crop brethren, a new study in the October issue of the American Journal of Botany has proven that not only is this...
While making my weekly trip to the grocery store, I always tell myself that I will make this trip quicker than the last, but one section of the store never fails to ruin my goal for speediness – the produce section.
Unlike other food aisles, the produce section requires a little more effort...
Researchers at the University of Illinois have found a gene that could lead to a much larger biomass of corn. The gene involved in their huge (no pun intended) research is named Glossy 15. Glossy 15, as its name may suggest, gives corn seedlings a waxy coating to protect the seedling from the sun....
The state of Texas is currently experiencing its most enduring drought since the 1950’s, severely hurting its agricultural industry. Due to burned out crops, yields of Texas fields have been significantly reduced. With fewer crops, farms are unable to support their livestock. Agricultural losses...
In June we read about a revolutionary new technique for creating genetically modified plants without the use of external DNA. The article (http://www.greenseedling.com/2009/06/17/new-method-of-gene-modification/)...
New Scientist Magazine recently published an article discussing the detrimental impacts of increased carbon dioxide emissions on the cassava plant. Cassava is known to be an important dietary component for over half a billion of the world’s impoverished population. It is especially popular in the...
Many of us use the word “hungry” to describe how we are feeling at least once a day. To some, “hungry” is the sensation felt ten minutes before their lunch break. To others, “hungry” is waiting thirty minutes at an upscale restaurant for an exotic dish. However, to 1.02 billion people...
At first glance, looking at a chart of worldwide agricultural production since the introduction of synthetic fertilizer would lead you to believe that our agricultural processes have never been more efficient, profitable, and positive. China’s grain yield per acre increased 98 percent in the 28...
In a world full of worry over food scarcity, energy shortages, and fading non-renewable resources, plant biologists continue to bring us hope. This time that hope comes in the form of salt-tolerant crops.
A team of researchers, let by professor Mark Tester at the University of Adelaide’s...
Although many people may not realize it, almost every meal eaten by the average American contains a fair amount of corn. Home-cooked goodness and fast food alike, corn is a staple of the American diet. But where exactly is the corn if we can’t see it in our dinner of say, hamburgers and soda? Corn...
With the constant struggle to improve agricultural yield and provide solutions for our impending global hunger problems, scientists are working harder than ever to discover new means to create more efficient agricultural processes.
A recent study has made a significant leap towards producing...
When I first learned about modifying genes in my high school biology class I found it a fascinating, yet scary concept. Learning about how DNA works allowed researchers to develop a method of inserting foreign DNA into organisms, a potential solution to many genetic problems. I remember when we inserted...
The banana peel seems to have universal “appeal” in cartoon episodes. Whether a character slips and skids across the sidewalk or falls into the nearest trash can or mud puddle, loose banana peels somehow always lead to a cartoon character’s slippery demise. So in reality, where do all of the...
A note to start: the following isn’t a plant research article, it’s more of an opinion piece on a topic I feel is quite crucial for us, as consumers, to understand.
Earlier in the year we read about how easy it is to get tricked by fake organic milk. Recently I’ve noticed a higher surge...
The products at your local grocery store are deemed organic if they fulfill certain requirements, including no use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and herbicides. So how exactly can organic plants remain organic if we use something to get rid of pesky weeds? The answer is to, quite simply, use...
Green is the new Black. With the slue of “green” products raining down on us these days we’ve discovered that anyone in almost any occupation can use an environmental upload. The latest development in greening our world is that farmers too, have found a way to green their routine.
Green...
Recently, in my psychology class, I learned about different types of psychological disorders, including various types of depression. One of these really caught my attention, called SADD or Seasonal Affective Disorder Depression.
People who suffer from SADD become depressed when they don’t...
As we walk around the produce at a grocery store, we tend to forget how fortunate we are to live in a global society and how unusual it is to have access to exotic fruits and vegetables that grow halfway around the world. Globalization has not only brought animals and plants out of their local niches,...
[All this week, GS will be covering stories on Marijuana - its traditional uses, basic biology, criminalization, neurological effects and more. Join us all this week for our in depth study of this fascinating, controversial plant!] Though most gardeners rarely think about it, in the...
Ever since I was little, my mom told me not to walk behind smokers. Even now, when I’m walking around campus, I automatically speed up to pass a smoker in front of me. My desire not to become sick, aggravate my allergies, or potentially get cancer because of someone else’s secondhand smoke is...
Gonzalo Oviedo, a senior advisor on social policy with the World Conservation Union, recently performed a compilation study based on various British and American sources on the agricultural state of affairs regarding the global food shortage. He analyzed the subject from the standpoint of environmental...
Given that 20% of the world’s population consists of smokers, cigarettes have become the single largest contributing factor to preventable and premature death around the world today. This is a fact that has been proven time and time again by numerous scientific studies, some of which have even been...
Leaving my car in Houston for months at a time while I venture to Austin for school never really has a positive impact on my car. When I get back to Houston, excited to drive my car that I haven’t seen in so long, I get in, try to start it up, and it magically works. The months apart should leave...
In our articles on agriculture, we have primarily focused on research, plant biology and its biological and agricultural impacts. Today, I want to take us in a different direction. It’s crucial that we also assess the economic impact of agricultural research. Why is agricultural research important?...
Ever since I was a child, I have had an extreme phobia of insects. Some children are afraid of snakes, others of dogs, but for me it was always the droning sound of an insects wings flapping near a light in my house that got me into true panic mode. From cockroaches to spiders and everything else...
A new muscadine grape cultivar named ‘Delicious’ (Vitis rotundifolia Michx.) has been introduced by University of Florida researchers. Of course, this most likely means that this new grape is delectable, but the appetizing new species of grapes has other benefits for us all.
First of all,...
We have talked a lot about various research that tries to find methods of making crop yield more efficient. These studies usually attempt to discover something they believe can be done experimentally to produce more crops. Well, the U.S. Corn Belt has had a significant yield increase over the past...
A new system to fight frost on plants incorporates radio frequency technology. The radiant heating system, developed by Raytheon Technology, serves as a more efficient way to heat crops and prevent frost. Without heating the air between it and the plants, the Tempwave system delivers energy to the...
It is a commonly known fact that ultraviolet light can be harmful to human skin. Most of us tend to use sunscreen lotion or sun-blocks, and Australians supposedly even wear huge hats when they know that they will be out in the sun for long. We never really pause to think of other organisms, though;...
Your peanut butter might taste the same, but you might not feel the same after eating it. I remember when my dad called me after he heard about the peanut butter issues going on around the nation. He forbade me from eating peanuts and peanut butter, telling me my health is more important than my guilty...
The discovery of an efficient method of sequencing DNA genomes has been one of the most important biological breakthroughs of this era. It has led to an exponential increase in finding ways of treating genetic disorders in humans as well as discovering the means of preventing infection by sequencing...
Since the Civil War in the latter half of the 19th century, some people in our nation have strongly pushed for diversity in the workforce and in schools. However, pushing for diversity was never really considered in modern agriculture, until recently, that is.
It is a widely known fact that...
Over the course of the year, we have talked a lot about rice; it’s an eye opening phenomenon for me to think of how much research is conducted over one crop. There are new problems being diagnosed and fixed constantly to help increase rice yield. For example, a recent study shows that a single...
The Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen German Research Center for Environmental Health has been researching the genetic sequence of the African plant Sorghum, commonly known as milo. According to Dr. Klaus Mayer, the center is focusing the study on this particular species because, as a C4 plant, its analysis...
Tons of coal fly ash are added to soils in the United States to nourish vegetables and increase crop yields. But wait, doesn’t that say “coal?” For many years, soil manufacturers have used coal fly ash in their soil and compost products. Coal fly ash, more specifically, is a powder recovered...
Last weekend, I took a quick trip to the grocery store to pick up some strawberries, among other things. However, one distraction led to another and I didn’t quite make it to putting the pack in the refrigerator. A couple days later, I came back to find that I shared a common love for strawberries...
A couple of months ago, we discussed current research aimed at improving rice yield. We heard of genes that helped grow bigger, fatter crops, we read about methods to aid rice growth in flood conditions, and we also learned how rice varieties could withstand drought conditions.
In the process...
Have you ever watched a beautician or barber clean up the floor after your haircut? Some sweep the discarded locks of hair into a nearby dustpan, while others push the hair into a vacuum nestled into the baseboard; but the ultimate question still stands – Where does of all of this hair really...
Every year, I hold within me a desire that disco will make a comeback. I often sit in class, dreaming about how amazing it would be to do a classic disco move at a party and not be avoided as if I’m bringing the bubonic plague back, rather than a simple dance step. When all hope seemed to be lost,...
We’ve spent the last few months talking about the innovative research being conducted around the world to increase agricultural yield of various plants. This increase also means an increase in agricultural byproducts. It is always around Christmas every year when I realize the duality of acquiring...
Two of the most common ways to minimize pests in crop fields are spraying insecticides and the use of Bt-toxin plants. Bt-toxin plants are plants that contain genes from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (hence the “Bt”). The genes from Bt, when inserted in a plant, produce a toxin that...
Recently I’ve noticed the word ‘wholegrain’ on most breads, cereals and crackers at the grocery store. Even white bread is now ‘wholegrain’ white bread. What started this trend? Why does that one word automatically make the same white bread seem more nutritionally appealing? It’s because...
Yesterday we talked about increasing rice yield under flood conditions, scientists seem to really be making sure that Rice crops stay healthy under all natural catastrophic conditions.
India and Thailand have both seen droughts in recent days, and droughts lead to, of course, lack of agricultural...
We talked earlier about researchers finding a gene in Rice plants that allows for more nutritional uptake and create bigger, healthier rice grains. Considering the fact that rice does happen to be the most consumed grain on the planet it’s important to research every possible aspect that can aid...
Bad alliterations aside, hybrid plants seem to be the new future for farmers in the American Southwest. A recent study has shown that 70% of fresh peppers in the US come from Mexico, and another 18% come from Canada. Our nation seems to live by kicking up their food a notch with peppers, which makes...
Two weeks ago, we talked about how scientists have discovered the proteins and promoter sequences in plants responsible for the growth of root offshoots. Well, it seems like science today is moving forward as fast as technology does.
Pankaj Dhanukshe, a researcher from Ultrecht University,...
We all know that there is such thing as “too much of a good thing.” As a kid, I loved walking into one of those novel candy shops straight out of a corny, old movie and indulging in the tons of sugar around me. I loved feasting on Halloween night after hording tons of candy from neighbors, friend’s...
Forget what you’ve heard about increasing the shelf-life of that broccoli (well, would you even want to?), because a recent study at the University of La Rioja has shown that the illuminating light above certain green (or otherwise un-pigmented) processed vegetables in supermarkets actually decreases...
I remember when I was little, every time I would eat a vegetable, my brother would jump up and say, “Ewww, you just ate a root, it came from under the ground, where all those animals poo and dead bodies go!” And slowly but surely I learned to dislike eating roots; in fact, as I took more and more...
New studies conducted on plant mating have concluded that humans may not be the only species rejected by the opposite sex. According to researchers from the University of Missouri, pollen proteins may contribute to a signaling process that determines if a female plant accepts or rejects certain pollen...
Unknowingly for the last few centuries, humans have selectively been increasing the gene frequency of a gene in rice that helps produce healthier and bigger grains. Researchers from Penn State and the Chinese Academy of Sciences have found a gene, GIF1, that is responsible for essentially increasing...
A study done by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) has shown that walnut trees do not have to go out on weekends to relieve stress. Instead, they emit their own aspirin-like chemicals to deal with stress. It turns out that when walnut trees are faced with unfavorable conditions such...
As consumerism increases and resources dwindle it becomes necessary to find ways to protect crops from damage. A microscopic worm called Meloidogyne hapla is a parasite more commonly known as northern root-knot nematode. On average, this parasite along with the help of its friends (other root-knot...
