Cotton genome editing, especially in elite varieties, has proven difficult. Now, in a study published in The Crop Journal, researchers from China have successfully demonstrated CRISPR/Cas genome editing in nonregenerative cotton via sexual hybridization. This work opens up a novel technical avenue for the genetic improvement of elite cotton varieties that are recalcitrant to tissue culture, advancing agriculture and biotechnology.

Soil salinity threatens global farmland, but a new Engineering study offers a sustainable solution. Researchers found that delivering halotolerant plant growth-promoting bacteria through drip irrigation greatly eases salt stress for jujube trees. This method cuts soil salinity, lifts yield and fruit quality, reshapes beneficial soil bacteria, and boosts plant stress resistance. It’s a practical, low-cost way to support crops in saline soils.

Antibiotic resistance is worsening worldwide, and plasmid conjugation is a major way resistance genes spread. A new study in Engineering finds that cinnamic acid, a safe, common food additive, can block this transfer process. It works by disrupting bacterial energy metabolism and reducing ATP supply. Tests in lab conditions, gut bacteria, and mice all show positive effects without harming health or gut flora, offering a promising natural way to fight drug-resistant infections.

Scientists at Zhejiang University have created a self-powered implantable sensor that tracks hydrogen peroxide levels in plants in real time, a key signal of plant stress. Powered by light, this high-precision sensor monitors how plants respond to osmotic, mechanical and UV stress, offering a new tool for crop health monitoring and stress-resistance breeding research.