Drought creates increasing challenges for agriculture: as well as affecting the growth of crops, it also affects interactions with pests. A research team at the University of Göttingen has investigated how different levels of drought affect the susceptibility of sugar beet to damage caused by the beet leaf miner (Pegomya cunicularia) – a fly whose larvae create visible tunnels inside the leaves. The study shows that moderate drought actually promotes the development of the larvae, whilst severe drought has an adverse effect on both plants and pests. The findings were published in the Journal of Experimental Botany.

Plants can distinguish between closely related beneficial bacterial strains and respond differently depending on the dose they receive. 

Researchers have developed a novel chemo-biological hybrid system that enables the direct synthesis of polylactic acid from CO₂, water, and renewable energy. By engineering Escherichia coli to utilize ethanol and acetate, this study establishes a sustainable route for bioplastic manufacturing that decouples agricultural feedstocks. The work highlights a synergistic cofeeding strategy that significantly enhances PLA titer, offering a promising solution to the environmental challenges associated with fossil-fuel and crop-based plastics.

A 20-year field experiment in western Hungary compared conservation tillage with conventional ploughing across six crops and contrasting weather conditions. Researchers identified four stages, Transitional, Adapted 1, Steady and Adapted 2, showing that benefits developed gradually and required continued management. Although yields and profits initially declined, later improvements in equipment and farming practices reversed the trend. Over 20 years, conservation tillage raised average yields by 3.9%, reduced operating costs by 9.8% and increased profit by 13.0%, equivalent to almost €200 per hectare annually. The authors conclude it can be economically worthwhile, but farmers should expect a transition period rather than immediate returns.

An Osaka Metropolitan University-led research team conducted a within-subject crossover study, which examined electroencephalographic source activity and heart rate variability in 29 community-dwelling elderly women during flower arrangement tasks using fresh and artificial flowers.

Mississippi State scientists are building on two decades of irrigation research to identify production practices that help growers save water while improving crop yields.