Plants
-
Scientists at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a “smart soil” that can keep plants better hydrated and provide a controlled release of nutrients. In tests it drastically improved crop growth while using far less water.
-
While there has been a general consensus that olive oil and other plant-based fats are better for you than butter, scientists have now put it beyond doubt, combining diet-intervention and previous cohort research to assess serious disease risk.
-
'Pandemic gardens' were as popular as pets and sourdough starters in 2020, but many of us learnt the hard way that houseplants can be hard. Now, this device is out to "revolutionize" how you tend to your plants, ensuring they thrive rather than die.
-
Your boots may soon have a tropical touch, with a breakthrough in using pineapple leaves to make a strong, 100% natural, sustainable leather. It comprehensively outperformed mushroom leather, and has serious potential for scalable, commercial use.
-
Mowing might seem like a pretty sensible way to keep weeds at bay. But in the case of the silverleaf nightshade, the activity puts the plant into survival mode causing it to fight back with some pretty powerful defense mechanisms, says a new study.
-
Scientists have discovered the organism with the largest known genome. At 160 billion base pairs, it's 50 times bigger than the human genome, and the organism it’s describing is a tiny fern you wouldn’t even notice if you tripped over it on a hike.
-
Scientists have replicated the seed-delivery system used by wild oats, resulting in a seed-carrying bio-hybrid "robot." Scores of the tiny devices could one day be utilized for much easier, more effective aerial seeding of crops or even new forests.
-
Inspired by a carnivorous plant, scientists have created a sticky spray that could kill pest insects as effectively as traditional toxic pesticides. And what's more, it's derived from plain ol' vegetable oil.
-
We now know just how the earliest land plants, ancient algae, conquered terrestrial Earth hundreds of millions of years ago and laid the (literal) groundwork for all subsequent life. It highlights the fascinating genetic strategies of plant evolution.
-
Pothos plants are already known for being particularly good at purifying indoor air, so imagine if it were possible to make them 30 times better at doing so. Neoplants claims its Neo PX system does just that, using special soil-dwelling bacteria.
-
Nature has again proven effective in treating health conditions, this time nerve injury. According to a new study, a compound found in the blessed thistle plant accelerates the regeneration of damaged nerves, restoring motor function and touch sensation.
-
Specially tagged "sentinel plants" could soon provide an early warning of crop problems such as insect damage or bacterial infection. These plants would utilize two "glowing" sensors that react to stress-related compounds in the leaves.
Load More