Scientists have identified an atypical kinase, GSN7, that simultaneously regulates grain number and grain shape in rice, determining rice yield and appearance quality. Knocking out GSN7 boosts grain length-to-width ratio, reduces chalkiness, and raises grain number without compromising grain weight, offering a powerful tool for next-generation rice breeding.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have now discovered for the first time that large blackwater lakes in the extensive peatlands of the central Congo Basin are releasing ancient carbon.  To date, climate researchers had assumed that carbon was stored safely for millenia in the peat. How the carbon is mobilised from the peat to the lake, where it is finally released to the atmosphere, is still unknown. Climate changes and altered land use, especially the conversion of forest to cropland, could exacerbate this trend – with consequences for the global climate. 

Gland, Switzerland, 23 February 2026 – The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and CGIAR celebrated the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation at a critical moment for global food and agricultural systems.

Plant owners with a so-called green thumb often seem to have a more finely tuned sense of what their plants need than the rest of us. A new “smart lighting” system for indoor vertical farms grants this ability on a facility-wide scale, responsively meeting plants’ needs while reducing energy inefficiencies, clearing a path for indoor farms as an energy-efficient food security strategy. The system was designed and tested in a study led by Professor of Plant Biology Tracy Lawson, who conducted the research at the University of Essex and is now a member of the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

A new scientific review highlights how emerging biochar-based nanomaterials could play a powerful role in tackling global challenges ranging from climate change to healthcare innovation. Researchers report that nanobiochar and biochar nanocomposites, advanced forms of carbon-rich materials derived from biomass, are showing promise across fields including renewable energy storage, sustainable construction, agriculture, and even medicine.

Isotope analysis of maize cob fragments at the University of California, Merced, supported a study that pre-Inca communities in Peru used seabird guano as fertilizer to supercharge food production.

Researchers used a virus-based CRISPR system to precisely edit the gatekeeper enzyme HMGR in petunias and lettuce, effectively unlocking a natural metabolic “brake” that restricts scent and nutrient production. By fine-tuning this regulatory control rather than disabling the gene entirely, they enabled plants to channel more energy into producing aromatic compounds and health-promoting antioxidants. The result was more vigorous growth, stronger floral fragrance, and enhanced nutritional value. Importantly, because no foreign DNA was introduced, this transgene-free approach offers a powerful new framework for developing higher-quality, nutrient-enriched crops through precision gene editing.