DROUGHT TOLERANCE

Dec 27 2024SCIENCE

Wheat Gets a Boost: Discovering a Powerful Grass' Secret to Stress Resistance

Scientists have found a hidden superpower in a type of grass called Thinopyrum. This grass can help wheat plants tough it out against rust diseases, drought, and still keep their yields steady. The key is a special swap between two parts of the grass' DNA. This swap, called a chromosome translocation, is what gives the grass its super strength. The grass, Agropyron ...

reading time about 1 minute
Dec 08 2024SCIENCE

Boosting Plant Survival: How Rice Genes Help Plants Beat Salty and Dry Conditions

You know how rice is often grown on farms? Well, it faces a lot of tough conditions, like drought and too much salt. These problems can really hurt crop production. Scientists have found that a special gene in rice, called OsHKT1;5, can help plants deal with these bad conditions better. When this gene is overexpressed in a plant called Arabidopsis, it gets stronger a...

reading time about 1 minute