Scientists have concluded that it is possible to develop plants that produce even more food by reducing the level of pigments which make no contribution to photosynthesis. The conclusion is based on research into the effectiveness of photosynthesis in various light conditions. The scientists discovered that leaf pigments not directly ...

Empoasca is not a typical pest of wild tobacco. When this plant grows in its natural habitats in North America, however, it is attacked by tobacco hornworm larvae. This specialist insect is resistant to the toxic nicotine, which the plant produces as a defense against its enemies. When researchers used ...

Plants elongate their stems when grown at high temperature to facilitate the cooling of their leaves, according to new research. Understanding why plants alter their architecture in response to heat is important as increasing global temperatures pose a threat to future food production.

A small pilot study found higher levels of toxic mercury in dolphins downwind of power plants than in captive dolphins.

A fungicide commonly used on golf courses could hold the key to producing miniaturized corn plants which require less water and fertilizer to grow and be more environmentally friendly, a researcher at Purdue University in Indiana has discovered. Burkhard Schulz, an assistant professor of plant biochemical and molecular genetics at the ...

Tall, waving corn fields that line Midwestern roads may one day be replaced by dwarfed versions that require less water, fertilizer and other inputs, thanks to a fungicide commonly used on golf courses.

The photovoltaics industry is booming, and the market for solar farms is growing quickly all over the world. Yet, the task of planning PV power plants to make them as effi cient as possible is far from trivial. Researchers have now developed software that simplifies conceptual design.

The pitcher plants also benefit from the ants' poop and janitor services.

In order to prevail against native plants, non-native plant species develop special strategies. These differ in part considerably from the propagation strategies of endemic plant species. These results are an argument in support of the view that the need to differentiate between native and non-native species in ecological systems remains, ...

Jason Farmer for RedOrbit.comFor over two decades, researchers have been conducting experiments that are designed to mimic the effects of rising temperatures on the rates at which plants first begin to leaf and flower each spring. However, a new study has found that that these models are inaccurate, and that ...

Jason Farmer for RedOrbit.comFor over two decades, researchers have been conducting experiments that are designed to mimic the effects of rising temperatures on the rates at which plants first begin to leaf and flower each spring. However, a new study has found that that these models are inaccurate, and that ...

Researchers have figured out how plants are able to make the "decision" between growth and defense, a finding that could help them strike a balance -- keep safe from harm while continuing to grow.