Researchers from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem developed zeaxanthin-rich tomato fruit using transgenic metabolic engineering and conventional breeding techniques. Providing food sources with high zeaxanthin concentration could help curb the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), one of the leading causes of blindness. Zeaxanthin has several benefits to human health …
A team of researchers from China, U.S. and Israel, has found a protective gene in wild wheatgrass that shows promise in stopping fusarium head blight in wheat and barley crops. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes how they found the gene and how well it …
Scientists at the University of Illinois have developed new hybrids of purple corn containing different combinations of phytochemicals that may fight obesity, inflammation and diabetes, a new study in mice indicates. The pericarp—or outer layer—of purple and other brightly colored corn kernels also may provide an alternative source of colorants …
The rate of increase in plant yields due to breeding of new varieties is currently too low, which makes researchers look for new ways to speed up the process so that sufficient food can be provided to the population of the planet by 2050. Two recently published articles in Trends …
Water deficit significantly reduces growth and production of apples and is detrimental to the quality and size of the fruits. For this reason, water use efficiency is essential when growing apples. An apple tree of good agricultural quality must be able to efficiently use and transport water, which not only …
International team of researchers has successfully developed a new type of wheat containing 10 times more fiber than common wheat, which helps improve gut health and also fights bowel cancer and type 2 diabetes. The research team consists of experts from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), the …
A new method called ‘speed breeding’ greatly shortens generation time and accelerates breeding and research programmes. The new breeding platform developed by teams at the John Innes Centre, University of Queensland and University of Sydney, uses a glasshouse or an artificial environment with enhanced lighting to create intense day-long regimes to …
Researchers at the University of California, Davis, led by Professor Jorge Dubcovsky, have recently discovered gene conferring resistance to the Ug99 strain of wheat stem rust that has caused significant losses in recent years in North Africa and Asia, becoming a world-wide threat. Wheat is essential for feeding humanity, and …
Researchers from the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) have created a new oat variety with high yield and increased beta glucan content. The new Kowari variety is of a dwarf-type, with an increased content of beta-glucan compared to other varieties. Beta glucans are natural sugar compounds that help …
Growing organic rice has the potential to become a market niche providing good purchase prices for the farmers, but growing organic rice requires much more than just sowing the seeds and letting the plants grow until harvest time. Scientists from Texas A & M AgriLife Research and Extension Center-Beaumont are …
