The rain delays, sorghum withers; when a storm finally breaks, complaints rise again. To break this cycle of uncertainty, scientists from the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, INERA, and the University of Ghana conducted the first large-scale survey on agricultural climate services in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, and Senegal. Published in Frontiers in Climate, the study analyzes the expectations of 1,212 farmers and charts a credible path to turn weather reports into a profitable investment. 

A comprehensive study of 238 high-oil peanut varieties in China reveals key insights into their agronomic traits, disease resistance, and genetic diversity. While these varieties show promising oil content (up to 61%), they face challenges such as a trade-off between oil and protein content and limited high-level disease resistance. The findings provide a foundation for future breeding strategies to enhance yield, quality, and resilience.

The AP2/ERF transcription factor SHAT2 positively regulates seed shattering and quality. SHAT2 mutation affects the expression of seed-shattering and quality-related genes. SHAT2 regulates the expression of seed development-related genes through interaction with the GCC-box.

Connecticut College biologist Maria Rosa has been recognized by BioOne Vista for her co-authored review on suspension-feeding bivalves. The article explores how bivalves select particles in aquatic environments and how that knowledge supports water quality, aquaculture, and reef conservation efforts.

Strips of land planted with flowers between fields are the most popular environmental measure in agriculture. They attract pollinators such as butterflies and wild bees, look beautiful and can be achieved quickly. However, the goal of creating and maintaining a structurally diverse and therefore particularly species-rich landscape will not be achieved if flower strips are the only measure taken. Researchers at the University of Göttingen have described how agricultural landscapes need to be designed to accommodate many species and to ensure other social and ecological functions such as providing nature for human recreation and climate protection. The perspective article was published in the journal Biological Conservation.