Using a pair of sensors made from carbon nanotubes, researchers from MIT have discovered signals that reveal when plants are experiencing stresses such as heat, light, or attack from insects or bacteria. The sensors detect two signaling molecules that plants use to coordinate their response to stress: hydrogen peroxide and salicylic acid. Researchers found that […] Read more
Plant sensors could act as an early warning system for farmers
Science Notes:
Microbes could help reduce the need for chemical fertilizers
Science Notes: Coated bacteria improve germination rate of a variety of seeds
Production of chemical fertilizers accounts for about 1.5 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. MIT chemists hope to help reduce that carbon footprint by replacing some chemical fertilizer with a more sustainable source — bacteria. Bacteria that can convert nitrogen gas to ammonia could not only provide nutrients that plants need, but also […] Read more
Silky seed coating could distribute plant nutrients
Science Notes: Process could open up new areas of land previously not suitable for agriculture
Providing seeds with a protective coating that also supplies essential nutrients to the germinating plant could make it possible to grow crops in otherwise unproductive soils, according to new research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). A team of engineers has coated seeds with silk that has been treated with a kind of bacteria […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
