They identified a core group of genes that plants use to make symbiotic relationships with soil fungi, which provide soil minerals to the plant and may reduce the need for chemical fertilizers.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded Cornell $18.5 million for a project that will give modular, open-source breeding software resources to plant breeders in the developing world.
Cornell University will partner with the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Eben-Ezer University of Minembwe to offer two virtual courses, one on peace building and another on African disease patterns.
Plant scientists have discovered a tiny percentage of regulatory DNA that accounts for roughly half of the variation in observable traits found in corn.
New research has taken a step toward employing genes from blue-green algae to improve staple crop photosynthesis – a potential improvement that could boost plant efficiency and increase yields.
Potato plants boost the chemical defenses in their leaves when Guatemalan tuber moth larvae feed on their tubers, report researchers at the Cornell-affiliated Boyce Thompson Institute.
A team of Cornell food science students developed a new beverage called Yojito that combines the smooth texture of drinkable yogurt with mint-flavored pearls that pop in the mouth.