A new archaeobotanical study by researchers from the University of Oxford and the University of Kiel has revealed that increases in cereal grain size at the dawn of agriculture, more than 11,000 years ago, were initially driven by plants' plastic responses to favourable growing conditions, rather than by genetic selection under cultivation as previously thought. To test competing explanations for early grain enlargement, the international team applied an integrated analytical approach combining morphological, weed ecological and stable carbon isotope analyses of charred barley and emmer wheat remains recovered from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic settlements of el-Hemmeh and Sharara located in the Wadi el-Hasa, Jordan. The study, now published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS) shows that developmental plasticity played a key role in shaping the evolutionary trajectories of cereals before they became domesticated.

A renewable polymer with agricultural potential

Modern agriculture faces a difficult balance: raising productivity while reducing dependence on petrochemical fertilizers, pesticides, and plastics. In a review published in Carbon Research, authors led by Hongliang Wang of China Agricultural University examine how lignin, the most abundant natural aromatic polymer, could serve as a versatile platform for eco-friendly agricultural inputs. The article positions lignin valorization within a broader push toward low-carbon, circular agriculture.

The review explains that lignin’s appeal comes from a combination of structural and functional traits. Its phenolic and aliphatic hydroxyl groups, aromatic backbone, antioxidant activity, UV-shielding capacity, antimicrobial behavior, and tunable degradability make it suitable for multiple agricultural uses. Rather than treating lignin as a low-value industrial by-product, the authors describe it as a candidate feedstock for materials that can improve nutrient efficiency, crop protection, and soil performance while reducing pollution.

A research team has identified MaLBD50 as a key positive regulator of banana ripening that accelerates starch breakdown by directly activating the β-amylase gene MaBMY1. 

Water scarcity is not just a matter of a lack of supply. What if there is enough water available, but its quality leaves much to be desired? And what if the interests of the various sectors - households, agriculture, industry and energy producers - also clash with each other? In a large overview study, Utrecht researchers are the first to provide an overview of these different interests, broken down by region, and of the deficits that lurk with unchanged policy. "Because otherwise, by the end of this century, almost two-thirds of the world's population will have to contend with too little water or poor quality water." They therefore argue for firmer policy. "In the end, it's not just about how much water is available, but also whether it has the right quality for its intended use."

Floral scent is more than a pleasant trait: it shapes pollinator attraction, plant communication, and the market value of ornamental flowers. In herbaceous peony, one of the world's most valued garden and cut-flower plants, the molecular recipe behind fragrance has remained only partly understood.