Salvia miltiorrhiza, a medicinal plant widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, suffers severe yield and quality losses under salt stress—a growing concern as soil salinization expands worldwide. 

A new study by the Ineos Oxford Institute for antimicrobial research, University of Oxford, reveals that industrial poultry farming has led to more than 100-fold increase in the movement of Campylobacter, allowing strains that once circulated in wild birds to mix extensively in commercial poultry populations. The study analysed nearly 2,800 bacterial genomes collected from chickens and wild birds in 30 countries and found that the huge global expansion of chicken farming has created ideal conditions for Campylobacter to spread, mix and acquire new traits that help it survive. 

A simple, low-dose leaf spray could give farmers a practical new tool to keep growing tomatoes on land that salt has rendered increasingly unproductive.

What happens inside a citrus tree long before leaves turn yellow, roots decline, and fruit quality suffers? Researchers from the University of Florida Citrus Research and Education Center have created a detailed microscopic atlas that provides one of the clearest pictures to date of how citrus huanglongbing develops over time and affects different parts of a tree.

University of Missouri researchers are turning  a variety of purple colored corn traditionally grown in South America into an effective natural alternative to artificial food dyes. Unlike artificial dyes, which are petroleum-based and added purely for appearance, these natural pigments are rich in antioxidants known for reducing inflammation and supporting heart health.

Researchers proposed an integrated method that combines remote sensing and meteorological factors to monitor the winter wheat leaf age at the start of the overwintering stage, and developed two models for comparative analysis across Shandong province, China. Using MODIS remote sensing data and ERA5-Land reanalysis temperature data from 458 field sites, they compared a growing degree day (GDD) model with a Random Forest model incorporating emergence date, accumulated heat and vegetation growth. The integrated model estimated leaf age more accurately, achieving an R² of 0.67 and an error of 0.56 leaves. Results identified sowing date and heat accumulation as major drivers, while extreme rainfall in 2021 delayed sowing and weakened seedlings, supporting more precise crop management.

A localized study in Tiaty, Kenya, shows how climate variability and land-use change are reshaping pastoral and agro-pastoral livelihoods. Using satellite imagery, climate records, agroecological information, and socioeconomic data, researchers found shifts in vegetation, rainfall seasonality, livestock choices, and settlement patterns. The findings highlight the need for locally tailored adaptation strategies that support resilient livestock systems, sustainable rangeland management, and climate-smart farming.