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| Open AccessHarnessing landrace diversity empowers wheat breeding
Genomic and phenomic screens of 827 wheat landraces from the A. E. Watkins collection provide insight into the wheat population genetic background, unlocking many agronomic traits and revealing haplotypes that could potentially be used to improve modern wheat cultivars.
- Shifeng Cheng
- , Cong Feng
- & Simon Griffiths
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Article |
Maize smart-canopy architecture enhances yield at high densities
A natural mutant of maize exhibits leaf characteristics in line with the ‘smart canopy’ ideotype for high-density planting and boosts yields in large-scale field trials.
- Jinge Tian
- , Chenglong Wang
- & Feng Tian
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Article |
Genome editing of a rice CDP-DAG synthase confers multipathogen resistance
Editing of a rice gene that has a role in phospholipid synthesis has endowed rice plants with broad-spectrum resistance to disease, including protection from common bacterial and fungal pathogens, without decreasing the yield.
- Gan Sha
- , Peng Sun
- & Guotian Li
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Article |
A pan-grass transcriptome reveals patterns of cellular divergence in crops
Complementary single-cell and single-nucleus transcriptomic analyses of Zea mays, Sorghum bicolor and Setaria viridis root cells provide insights into the evolution of cell types and gene modules that control key traits in these important crop species.
- Bruno Guillotin
- , Ramin Rahni
- & Kenneth D. Birnbaum
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Article |
Export of defensive glucosinolates is key for their accumulation in seeds
Arabidopsis thaliana UMAMIT uniporters facilitate glucosinolate efflux from biosynthetic cells along the electrochemical gradient into the apoplast, in which the high-affinity H+-coupled glucosinolate importers GLUCOSINOLATE TRANSPORTERS (GTRs) load them into the phloem for translocation to the seeds.
- Deyang Xu
- , Niels Christian Holm Sanden
- & Barbara Ann Halkier
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Article |
Genome-edited powdery mildew resistance in wheat without growth penalties
Tamlo-R32, an engineered wheat mutant allele of the Mildew resistance locus O (MLO) gene, confers resistance to powdery mildew, retains robust wheat growth, and can be transferred to other agriculturally important wheat varieties.
- Shengnan Li
- , Dexing Lin
- & Caixia Gao
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Article |
Modulating plant growth–metabolism coordination for sustainable agriculture
The balance of DELLA and GRF4 proteins in plants ensures the co-regulation of growth with metabolism and tipping this balance towards GRF4 leads to higher efficiency of nitrogen use.
- Shan Li
- , Yonghang Tian
- & Xiangdong Fu
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Letter |
Resistance-gene-directed discovery of a natural-product herbicide with a new mode of action
Fungal genome mining targeted to self-resistance genes close to biosynthetic gene clusters identifies a pathway that produces aspterric acid, which proves to be a potent inhibitor of plant growth.
- Yan Yan
- , Qikun Liu
- & Yi Tang
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Letter |
uORF-mediated translation allows engineered plant disease resistance without fitness costs
WebIn both laboratory and field studies, engineering translational control of immune mediator production in Arabidopsis and rice confers disease resistance, without compromising plant fitness.
- Guoyong Xu
- , Meng Yuan
- & Xinnian Dong
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Letter |
Chemical intervention in plant sugar signalling increases yield and resilience
Treatment with signalling precursors of trehalose-6-phosphate allows light-triggered release of trehalose-6-phosphate in Arabidopsis thaliana and increases the yield and drought resistance of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum).
- Cara A. Griffiths
- , Ram Sagar
- & Benjamin G. Davis
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Article |
Continuous evolution of Bacillus thuringiensis toxins overcomes insect resistance
Phage-assisted continuous evolution (PACE) rapidly evolves Bacillus thuringiensis toxins through more than 500 generations of mutation, selection, and replication to bind a receptor expressed on the surface of insect-pest midgut cells.
- Ahmed H. Badran
- , Victor M. Guzov
- & David R. Liu
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Letter
| Open AccessThe genome of the seagrass Zostera marina reveals angiosperm adaptation to the sea
Whole-genome sequencing of the seagrass Zostera, representing the first marine angiosperm genome to be fully sequenced, provides insight into the evolutionary changes associated with a transition to a marine environment in this angiosperm lineage.
- Jeanine L. Olsen
- , Pierre Rouzé
- & Yves Van de Peer
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Letter |
A faster Rubisco with potential to increase photosynthesis in crops
The plant enzyme Rubisco is the main enzyme converting atmospheric carbon dioxide into biological compounds, however, this enzymatic process is inefficient in vascular plants; this study demonstrates that tobacco plants can be engineered to fix carbon with a faster cyanobacterial Rubisco, thus potentially improving plant photosynthesis.
- Myat T. Lin
- , Alessandro Occhialini
- & Maureen R. Hanson
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Outlook |
Plant breeding: Discovery in a dry spell
Improved crops have helped farmers maintain yields in times of drought. But as climate change looms, will the gains keep coming?
- Michael Eisenstein
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Outlook |
Modelling: Predictive yield
Farmers would benefit from better long-range weather forecasts. What else can science provide to help them decide what to plant?
- Neil Savage
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Outlook |
Microbiome: Soil science comes to life
Plants may be getting a little help with their tolerance of drought and heat.
- Roger East
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News |
China sacks officials over Golden Rice controversy
Chinese families did not give consent for children to consume genetically modifed rice in the part US-funded study.
- Jane Qiu
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Comment |
Bring more rigour to GM research
The latest furore over GM food highlights the need for good-quality research on highly sensitive topics, says François Houllier.
- François Houllier
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News |
Hyped GM maize study faces growing scrutiny
Food-safety bodies slam feeding study that claims increased cancer incidence in rats.
- Declan Butler
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Editorial |
Poison postures
Researchers working on controversial topics must take care how they promote their results.
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News |
Rat study sparks GM furore
Cancer claims put herbicide-resistant transgenic maize in the spotlight.
- Declan Butler
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Research Highlights |
Engineered plants can use phosphite
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Letter |
The protein kinase Pstol1 from traditional rice confers tolerance of phosphorus deficiency
A gene that is present in phosphate-deficiency-tolerant rice but absent from modern rice varieties is characterized and named phosphorus-starvation tolerance 1 (PSTOL1); overexpression of PSTOL1 in rice species that naturally lack this gene confers tolerance to low phosphorus conditions, a finding that may have implications for agricultural productivity in rice-growing countries.
- Rico Gamuyao
- , Joong Hyoun Chin
- & Sigrid Heuer
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News |
Companies set to fight food-label plan
California’s Proposition 37 would add labels to all foods made from genetically modified crops.
- Monya Baker
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News Q&A |
Food science deserves a place at the table
US agricultural-research chief aims to raise the profile of farming and nutrition science.
- Helen Thompson
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News |
Genetically modified cotton gets high marks in India
Engineered plants increased yields and profits relative to conventional varieties.
- Gayathri Vaidyanathan
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Editorial |
You say tomato
Genome studies of food crops offer a powerful way for plant breeders to create products with the most advantageous attributes.
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News |
War on weeds loses ground
The rise of herbicide-resistant varieties drives a search for fresh methods of control.
- Helen Thompson
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News |
Drug-making plant blooms
Approval of a ‘biologic’ manufactured in plant cells may pave the way for similar products.
- Amy Maxmen
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Letter |
Comparing the yields of organic and conventional agriculture
A meta-analysis assessing the relative yields of organic and conventional agriculture shows that organic yields are on average lower, but that the magnitude of the difference is dependent on context.
- Verena Seufert
- , Navin Ramankutty
- & Jonathan A. Foley
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News Feature |
Plant biotechnology: Make it a decaf
The enduring quest for a coffee bean without the buzz.
- Brendan Borrell
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News |
Biofuel from beneath the waves
Engineered bacterium can produce ethanol directly from seaweed.
- Zoe Cormier
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Comment |
Preventing hunger: Biotechnology is key
If African countries can't plant genetically modified crops to produce more and healthier food, vulnerable populations will be at risk, argues Calestous Juma.
- Calestous Juma
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News |
Kenya set to give green light to GM crops
Bt cotton first in line for open release.
- Natasha Gilbert
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News |
Grants aim to fight malnutrition
Cash boost should help bring fortified rice and cassava to market.
- Anjali Nayar
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Books & Arts |
Agriculture: A bowl half full
Calestous Juma's vision for African farming is refreshingly optimistic, finds Camilla Toulmin.
- Camilla Toulmin
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News |
Drought-tolerant maize gets US debut
Seed companies race to tap multibillion-dollar market.
- Jeff Tollefson
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News |
Peruvian biologist's defamation conviction overturned
Case over question of genetic modification in Peru's maize still entangled in judicial system.
- Lucas Laursen
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News |
Rice research goes global
Science partnership aims to jump-start growth rate in rice yields.
- Natasha Gilbert
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News |
Sterile moths wipe out cotton pest
Arizona farms are all but 'pinkie'-free for the first time in nearly a century.
- Heidi Ledford
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News Q&A |
Power to the people
A former US science adviser says people can often achieve more than governments.
- Nicola Jones
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News |
Uganda prepares to plant transgenic bananas
Sweet pepper gene confers resistance to bacterial wilt.
- Linda Nordling
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News |
GM crop escapes into the American wild
Transgenic canola found growing freely in North Dakota.
- Natasha Gilbert
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Editorial |
How to feed a hungry world
Producing enough food for the world's population in 2050 will be easy. But doing it at an acceptable cost to the planet will depend on research into everything from high-tech seeds to low-tech farming practices.
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Opinion |
Regulation must be revolutionized
Unjustified and impractical legal requirements are stopping genetically engineered crops from saving millions from starvation and malnutrition, says Ingo Potrykus.
- Ingo Potrykus
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News Feature |
Food: An underground revolution
Plant breeders are turning their attention to roots to increase yields without causing environmental damage. Virginia Gewin unearths some promising subterranean strategies.
- Virginia Gewin
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News Feature |
Food: Inside the hothouses of industry
Feeding the world is going to require the scientific and financial muscle of agricultural biotechnology companies. Natasha Gilbert asks whether they're up to the task.
- Natasha Gilbert
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News Feature |
Food: The global farm
With its plentiful sun, water and land, Brazil is quickly surpassing other countries in food production and exports. But can it continue to make agricultural gains without destroying the Amazon? Jeff Tollefson reports from Brazil.
- Jeff Tollefson