Ancient people transported a wild relative of the common potato across the southwestern U.S., likely expanding the range of the species, according to a study published January 21, 2026 in the open-access journal PLOS One by Lisbeth Louderback from the University of Utah, U.S., and colleagues. This research provides new evidence that Indigenous people may have put the species on a path to domestication, while creating a unique cultural element in the Four Corners region.

The presence of S. jamesii starch on tools, combined with earlier genetic, ecological, and ethnographic research, indicates that Indigenous people intentionally transported, cultivated, and managed the plant across the Four Corners region. These activities define an “anthropogenic range” created through extensive trade networks and long-term use, a key indicator of early domestication.

Researchers at the University of Oulu, Finland, have developed a pine‑bark–based water‑treatment medium that efficiently removes antibiotics as well as residues of blood‑pressure and antidepressant medicines from wastewater treatment plant effluent. A new doctoral thesis reports promising results with a simple and low‑cost method in which pine bark was modified with iron.

This study develops a spatial "source-flow-use" accounting framework to quantify the supply and allocation of high-quality water resources (HQWRs) from ecological conservation areas. Using a national park case study, it reveals significant allocation mismatches, with agriculture consuming over one-third of HQWRs while higher-value sectors receive minimal shares. Billions of cubic meters of HQWRs remain underutilized. The framework offers a replicable metric for instituting ecological compensation, differentiated pricing, and improved governance by valuing pristine water at its source, thereby integrating protected-area ecosystem services into regional water management.

Within this framework, Dr. Laila Al-Yahyaei and her research team from Sultan Qaboos University conducted a recent study to examine the effectiveness of olive oil and moringa oil (Moringa peregrina) as natural edible coatings for protecting banana fruits from spoilage and improving their quality during storage. The study involved two banana varieties stored under different temperature conditions. 

Researchers in China found alternate wetting and moderate drying irrigation (AWMD) regime significantly increased contents of lipid, TFFAs, FUFAs, linoleic acid and oleic acid in milled rice.

Elevated levels of lipid, TFFAs, FUFAs, linoleic acid, and oleic acid contributed more favorably to enhanced rice cooking and eating quality. The AWMD improved rice cooking and eating quality through optimization of lipid and free fatty acid biosynthesis in rice grains.

The 3rd International Conference on Biochar Research & Application + 2026 IBI Biochar World Congress (#ICBRA_BWC 2026) is coming to Zhengzhou, China, from Aug 7–10, 2026.