Thu, 02 Apr 2026 16:18:16 GMT https://www.hort.net/ Top horticulture stories from around the world en-us webmaster@hort.net (webmaster) webmaster@hort.net (webmaster) https://www.hort.net/topstories/#0 President Donald Trump’s administration will move the U.S. Forest Service headquarters out of the nation’s capital to Salt Lake City as part of an organizational overhaul that involves shuttering research facilities in 31 states and concentrating resources in the West, the agency announced Tuesday. Thu, 02 Apr 2026 16:18:16 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#1 An experimental American chestnut tree created by researchers at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science & Forestry is one step closer to public release. Tue, 01 Jul 2025 11:11:53 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#2 Kochia, a highly competitive weed that can reduce yields by as much as 70%, has been found in northwestern Missouri soybean fields, says Wayne Flanary, University of Missouri Extension field specialist in agronomy. Sun, 29 Jun 2025 23:52:41 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#3 Graphics researchers have created a GPU-run procedural algorithm for creating an equivalent 35.6 GB worth of trees, leaves, and brushes from just 52 kB of data Sun, 29 Jun 2025 23:36:42 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#4 New generations of wild ash trees are rapidly evolving resistance to the fungus devastating their numbers, scientists have discovered. Sun, 29 Jun 2025 23:34:39 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#5 The urban forestry initiative, administered by the nonprofit Arbor Day Foundation, was supposed to distribute $75 million in grant funding to about 100 different cities, nonprofit organizations and tribes to plant shade trees in neighborhoods that need them the most. In a letter terminating the contract, the U.S. Forest Service stated the program "no longer aligns with agency priorities regarding diversity, equity and inclusion." Fri, 21 Mar 2025 08:53:54 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#6 The researchers found that the presence of microplastics (plastic particles that are less than five millimeters in size) can reduce photosynthesis by as much as 7 to 12 percent, on average. Thu, 13 Mar 2025 14:48:05 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#7 A study from the University of Edinburgh has linked gardening with improved thinking skills as we age. The researchers looked at the lifestyles of hundreds of older adults, finding that those who spent time gardening had better cognitive function in later life than those who did not. Sat, 08 Mar 2025 23:52:02 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#8 NPR's Juana Summers talks with Martin Cheek, a conservation botanist for the Royal Botanic Gardens, about new plant and fungus species he and his colleagues discovered. Tue, 04 Feb 2025 10:30:25 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#9 Perhaps what makes gardening meaningful can’t simply be bought in a garden centre. Mon, 03 Feb 2025 09:40:02 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#10 For more than 200 years, gardeners at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) have been reaping the benefits of using compost and manure in their flowerbeds. But until now, they have never had the satisfaction of using compost created from their own human waste. Sat, 01 Feb 2025 22:30:52 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#11 According to Innovation News Network, scientists at the University of Maryland, led by Professors Yiping Qi and Liangbing Hu, have created a form of poplar wood that is as strong as chemically treated wood and on par with aluminum in terms of tensile strength. Tue, 17 Sep 2024 22:22:14 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#12 A new species of the firmoss from China, Huperzia crassifolia sp. nov., is described and illustrated based on morphological characters and molecular evidence. Fri, 30 Aug 2024 16:28:19 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#13 Reflect Orbital is a California-based startup that aims to sell sunlight and energy after the sun has set. They're doing it by sending a big mirror into space, aboard a satellite that's able to point said mirror in such a way to reflect the sun's light onto a precise location on Earth. Wed, 28 Aug 2024 18:25:44 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#14 A new version of the world’s first raspberry-picking robot, a four-armed machine powered by artificial intelligence and able to do the job at the speed and effectiveness of a human, is to be employed on farms in the UK, Australia and Portugal over the coming 12 months. Wed, 28 Aug 2024 18:21:59 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#15 “The results of our extensive work revise the conventional classification into eight taxons, including what we have named Lilium pacificum, the first new species of Japanese lily in 110 years,” they explained. According to the team, Lilium pacificum can be found in the coastal areas of Honshu from Ibaraki Prefecture south to Shizuoka Prefecture and the Izu Islands. Wed, 01 May 2024 22:58:21 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#16 Using 1.8 billion letters of genetic code from more than 9,500 species covering almost 8,000 known flowering plant genera (ca. 60%), this incredible achievement sheds new light on the evolutionary history of flowering plants and their rise to ecological dominance on Earth. Thu, 25 Apr 2024 09:02:03 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#17 Light Bio, an innovative synthetic biology startup, today announced that it is beginning to sell its groundbreaking bioluminescent petunias in the United States. Tue, 13 Feb 2024 08:56:49 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#18 Norfolk's purple tomato has, per weight, as much anthocyanin as a blueberry or eggplant, Pumplin says. And Americans eat more tomatoes annually, so it makes the nutritional benefits more accessible. Tue, 06 Feb 2024 15:29:18 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#19 We have finally unveiled the intricate story of when, where, and how plants respond to airborne \warning Sun, 14 Jan 2024 22:55:16 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#20 As toxic pesticides and vanishing habitats have driven down the populations of bees and other pollinators, some flowers have evolved to fertilize their own seeds more often, rather than those of other plants. Scientists said they were surprised by the speed of the changes, which occurred in just 20 generations. Fri, 05 Jan 2024 13:36:16 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#21 A recent study on Hosta based on field surveys and molecular phylogenetic analyses resulted in the discovery of six unknown taxa in Kochi Prefecture, Shikoku Island, southwestern Japan. We aimed to identify these unknown taxa. (ed note: one is a subspecies) Tue, 21 Nov 2023 17:01:48 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#22 As federal agencies prepare to deregulate transgenic chestnuts, Indigenous nations are asserting their rights to access and care for them. Fri, 15 Sep 2023 14:48:10 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#23 The internet is filled with hilarious sayings that cover spur-of-the-moment purchases, repotting, propagation—and everything in between! From relatable memes about being addicted to growing your plant collection (guilty!) to funny tweets about embracing the lifestyle of a plant parent, these 33 memes from fellow plant lovers will be sure to resonate (and probably inspire even more purchases). Mon, 20 Feb 2023 16:55:41 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#24 Spain’s Institute for Research and Technology in Agri-Food (IRTA) is launching a new apple variety this week at Fruit Logistica 2023. The variety is capable of thriving in high temperatures, allowing this cultivar to easily adapt to less favorable climatic conditions. Sat, 18 Feb 2023 13:27:16 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#25 A bill introduced in the Minnesota House would ban the sale of new gas-powered lawn mowers and other garden equipment like leaf blowers and weed whippers starting in 2025. Fri, 17 Feb 2023 13:37:30 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#26 Monkeyflowers glow in a rich assortment of colors, from yellow to pink to deep red-orange. But about 5 million years ago, some of them lost their yellow. Botanists now explain what happened genetically to jettison the yellow pigment, and the implications for the evolution of species. Thu, 16 Feb 2023 11:25:44 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#27 Traditionally, it has been assumed that cultivating food leads to a loss of biodiversity and negative impacts on an ecosystem. A new study defies this assumption, showing that community gardens and urban farms positively affect biodiversity, local ecosystems and the well-being of humans that work in them. Thu, 16 Feb 2023 11:23:48 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#28 Call them plant motors. Or plant muscles. Tiny bulges of specialized cells in a mimosa plant can fold its feathery leaflets together in seconds, then relax — and do it again. Fri, 03 Feb 2023 09:52:17 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#29 Wed, 01 Feb 2023 11:38:57 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#30 While many students at the University of Michigan often engage in activism through protesting with the local community, LSA senior Phimmasone Kym Owens took a different approach to student activism. Seeking to aid refugees living in Washtenaw County, Owens created a community garden in December of 2021 in collaboration with the Matthei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum and Jewish Family Services Ann Arbor. Mon, 30 Jan 2023 11:32:16 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#31 An accountant has been handed a £200,000 legal bill after selling a home riddled with Japanese knotweed. Sun, 29 Jan 2023 10:17:31 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#32 This series of maps by Adam Symington uses data sourced from images collected aboard the MODIS sensor on the Terra satellite to reflect the ratio of the world’s surface covered with tree canopy to non-green areas. Fri, 27 Jan 2023 11:52:49 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#33 Reports of mature, seemingly healthy trees suddenly becoming leafless and dropping dead branches are flooding into the offices of local officials and state forestry agencies in Chesapeake Bay drainage states. Forest inventories show the oaks are declining in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland. Thu, 26 Jan 2023 21:04:24 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#34 An innovative new resource which provides valuable guidance on the planting of trees and helps ensure that the right trees are planted in the right place has been developed by Leicestershire County Council. Thu, 26 Jan 2023 10:30:07 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#35 A new study of yellow water lilies growing in British ponds has thrown up some surprising results for an aquatic plants expert and scientists at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE). Yellow water lilies at 23 sites across Britain, previously recorded as the non-native Nuphar advena from North America have now been identified as a hybrid between the introduced N. advena and the native N. lutea. Thu, 26 Jan 2023 10:27:58 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#36 An analysis of 10 years of hospitalisation and death data shows urban green space, particularly trees, can reduce cardiovascular disease risk. Sat, 21 Jan 2023 19:02:08 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#37 A Rare Plant Got Endangered Species Protection This Week, but Already Faces Threats to Its Habitat Lithium led Tiehm’s buckwheat to evolve on a 10-acre plot in Nevada. Now the flower is threatened both by a mine for the metal that’s critical for the energy transition and grazing cattle. Fri, 20 Jan 2023 15:30:35 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#38 A review of hydnora plants has identified one new species based on preserved specimens and reinstated two others, bringing the total number to 10. Thu, 19 Jan 2023 20:29:46 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#39 A new variety of bananas being grown in Taita Taveta has marvelled Kenyans. Unlike other varieties, this type of banana used to grow in the wild and it is only recently that residents of Taita Taveta started growing it. Locals use the new variety to diversify their banana production and seek new markets for their produce. Thu, 19 Jan 2023 11:49:45 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#40 After building a hydroponic garden in their basement, Angelo and Teresa Gentili have been keeping themselves, their family and friends eating fresh home-grown vegetables all year round. Thu, 19 Jan 2023 11:41:58 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#41 An internal circadian clock controls the distinctive concentric rings of flowering in sunflowers, maximizing visits from pollinators, a new study from plant biologists shows. Wed, 18 Jan 2023 10:32:49 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#42 Residues of glyphosate have previously been found in nectar and pollen collected by bees foraging on plants that have been selectively targeted with weedkiller, but this is the first time it has been reported in unsprayed wildflowers growing near sprayed fields. Tue, 17 Jan 2023 15:03:50 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#43 Local farmers reported this mix ensures at least some yield under unfavorable conditions, and now researchers have the experimental trials to back up these claims. Working at Cornell University, Ruelle and colleagues conducted a review of previous work, demonstrating maslins yielded higher stability under changing conditions. By shifting species composition each season, farmers could hedge against climate impacts without the need for additional intervention. Mon, 16 Jan 2023 10:58:49 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#44 Trees absorb tiny metal particles from the air and soil and store them in their wood, research at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) has found. Fri, 13 Jan 2023 01:05:15 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#45 Vertical farming promises a future in which our food is grown in pockets of spaces in our cities and beneath our feet. But how far can it really go? Fri, 13 Jan 2023 01:00:00 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#46 The purpose of the project is to learn which cultivars of lavender are best suited for each site based on flower production, winter hardiness, drought hardiness and overall vigor of the plant, and provide this information to producers and home gardeners. Thu, 12 Jan 2023 12:21:06 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#47 The initiative has a goal of developing a replicable process scalable to small towns or big cities—all of which have a ready supply of glass and food waste and a demand for sand and gravel. Wed, 11 Jan 2023 14:36:42 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#48 An international team has succeeded in propagating a commercial hybrid rice strain as a clone through seeds with 95 percent efficiency. This could lower the cost of hybrid rice seed, making high-yielding, disease resistant rice strains available to low-income farmers worldwide. Wed, 11 Jan 2023 11:10:26 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#49 Despite recent, torrential rains, most of Southern California remains in a drought. Accordingly, many residents plant trees prized for drought tolerance, but a new UC Riverside-led study shows that these trees lose this tolerance once they're watered. Wed, 11 Jan 2023 11:08:34 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#50 Using straightforward laboratory methods, the authors demonstrate that essential element spray treatment sufficiently activates immune responses in tomato -- including defense gene expression, cellular leakage, reactive oxygen species production, and ethylene production -- leading to disease resistance. Wed, 11 Jan 2023 11:07:12 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#51 U.S. manufacturer John Deere has agreed to allow American farmers the right to repair their own equipment, according to a U.S. agriculture industry lobby group. Mon, 09 Jan 2023 09:26:28 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#52 New Delhi: Indian authorities rushed approvals for a locally developed genetically modified (GM) mustard variety by violating environmental regulations, said a group of activists opposed to GM crops on Friday. Sun, 08 Jan 2023 13:33:45 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#53 Wind, sewage sludge, and waste water carry tyre wear particles from roads onto farmland. A new lab study shows: The pollutants contained in the particles could get into the vegetables grown there. Thu, 05 Jan 2023 10:40:39 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#54 Dalan Animal Health, Inc. (“Dalan”), a biotech company pioneering insect health, announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) granted a conditional license for vaccination of honeybees against American Foulbrood disease caused by Paenibacillus larvae. Thu, 05 Jan 2023 10:32:12 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#55 According to Luis Doporto Alejandre, a specialist in the avocado industry, advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) are taking place to use it as a tool to detect when an avocado has reached its optimum level of maturity, all to create more sustainable agriculture. Tue, 03 Jan 2023 09:51:14 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#56 Based on this multifaceted evidence, we describe this unknown taxon as the new species Monotropastrum kirishimense. Tue, 03 Jan 2023 09:48:11 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#57 It is the first time the small-flowered tongue-orchid has been seen in the UK since arriving in Cornwall in 1989. Tue, 15 Jun 2021 11:44:44 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#58 The fungus, Fusarium xyrophilum, infects an Xyris plant and sterilizes it to block the plant’s own blooms. Then F. xyrophilum hijacks an as yet unknown aspect of the plant’s operations to host pseudoflowers made entirely of fungal tissue—potentially tricking pollinators to disperse its spores rather pollen from the plant’s flowers. Wed, 03 Feb 2021 01:49:40 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#59 Even with many changes due to the pandemic, the Garden’s Science and Conservation team has been able to forge ahead with these efforts, identifying new species from herbarium specimens collected years ago and earlier field studies. Mon, 28 Dec 2020 12:34:11 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#60 The yard bursts with milkweed, goldenrod, peonies and hostas. With crabapple, pear, plum and elderberry trees; with high bush cranberries. Diane Anderson said Borchardt's yard "has been an eyesore for 30-plus years." "We work hard to maintain our house and yard," she said. "It's not fair that our property value is compromised." Sat, 12 Dec 2020 18:54:47 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#61 But once you pull seeds out of a bank, the trick is getting them to actually sprout into plants. When planting in Morocco and Lebanon, ICARDA staffers were only working with a handful of seeds from each Svalbard accession. Fri, 04 Dec 2020 22:35:43 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#62 Archie Thomas, who lives in the Nadder valley in Wiltshire, stumbled across a solitary windfall apple on a wooded trackway alongside a large area of ancient woodland near his home this month. Sat, 28 Nov 2020 20:18:27 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#63 As commercial harvesting has intensified, Fritillaria delavayi has vanished – by rapidly evolving to produce grey and brown leaves and flowers that cannot be so easily seen by pickers. Sat, 21 Nov 2020 03:38:32 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#64 One of the first recorded species to have been lost to forestry and agriculture in the Western Cape in the 1800s, a type of fountain bush from the pea family that used to grow next to mountain streams in the Tulbagh region, has been rediscovered. Tue, 19 Nov 2019 09:43:32 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#65 USDA Red, the world's first true red spinach variety has been developed and released by the Agricultural Research Service. Mon, 04 Nov 2019 11:30:53 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#66 Alex Noel set a local record with his giant pumpkin, weighing in at 2294 pounds. Tue, 08 Oct 2019 15:45:12 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#67 Botanically speaking, it\'s still clear: eggplants, tomatoes, bell peppers, and squash are all fruits. It\'s equally clear that mushrooms and truffles are fungi, more closely related to humans than they are to plants. But these are all, also, in common usage, "vegetables." Fri, 22 Feb 2019 07:32:52 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#68 Its invasive tendencies became widely noticed by the late 1990s, and by the mid-2000s, it had become a weed in the District and 19 states, from Texas to New York. “While callery pear was introduced with the best of intentions, it now seems that a plague is truly upon us,” botanist Michael Vincent wrote at the time. It has now spread to 29 states. Thu, 17 Jan 2019 12:47:17 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#69 A team of researchers at University of Tennessee examined the flower and found themselves just as stumped as the Dunaways. The experts, comprised of Dr. Edward Schilling, Dr. Susan B. Farmer and graduate student Aaron Floden, then journeyed to the Dunaways’ property and investigated the scene of the discovery. After extensive research the team confirmed that the flower was a brand-new species of trillium — to be named Trillium tennesseense. Tue, 03 Jan 2017 09:28:09 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#70 The head of the UK's largest tree management body has warned that it is only a matter of time before "plane tree wilt", also known as canker stain of plane, reaches British shores. The disease is currently spreading north through France and is reported to have reached Paris. Mon, 08 Aug 2016 14:54:27 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#71 With 2,500 named varieties now selected, it can be difficult to separate the very best from the many undistinguished varieties out there. For what it is worth, the following are snowdrops that are giving me an abundance of pleasure at the moment, so you won’t go far wrong searching out any of these worthwhile varieties. Sat, 28 Feb 2015 00:03:11 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#72 Rigorous analysis of the structures of thousands of plant proteins by Tetsuya Sakurai and colleagues from the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science has led to the construction of a database that will help scientists identify the functions of more plant genes. Sat, 28 Feb 2015 00:01:56 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#73 Inside every tree there’s enough information to keep researchers around the West busy for their entire careers. This week on the program, a look at dendroclimatology -- using tree rings to re-construct what the climate was like in Utah hundreds of years ago. Because looking at the state’s climate past is the best way to understand the future. Sat, 28 Feb 2015 00:01:06 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#74 Colorado potato beetles are a dreaded pest of potatoes all over the world. Since they do not have natural enemies in most potato producing regions, farmers try to control them with pesticides. However, this strategy is often ineffective because the pest has developed resistances against nearly all insecticides. Now, scientists from the Max Planck Institutes of Molecular Plant Physiology in Potsdam-Golm and Chemical Ecology in Jena have shown that potato plants can be protected from herbivory using RNA interference (RNAi). Sat, 28 Feb 2015 00:00:22 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#76 A new study has shed new light on the process, known as abscission, that governs how and when plants shed their petals... It will also interest the fruit and cut flower industries, which want their products to stay in place until ready to harvest. Thu, 26 Feb 2015 14:00:17 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#77 The Federal Circuit concluded that the district court correctly held that the patents were not invalid under § 102(b) because the Ludys’ use of the plant varieties at issue was not public, even apart from the fact that the Ludys obtained the plant material in an unauthorized manner. Thu, 26 Feb 2015 13:59:16 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#78 The researchers found that some of the pitcher plants allow the top of their pitcher structures to dry out, which makes the surface less slippery. The ant hunting for food will have no problem getting down to the sweet juice and then moving on. What is the advantage of letting the ant go? That ant likely will run back and tell the colony about its great find. Thu, 26 Feb 2015 13:58:20 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#79 Fragrant plants and orchids from Samoa could soon be economically viable on a global scale thanks to a Japanese funded project now underway at the Scientific Research Organization of Samoa (SROS). Thu, 26 Feb 2015 13:56:32 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#80 British scientists have developed sunlight-free greenhouses that could help boost food production in towns and cities. The next-generation houses use specific wavelengths of light to boost the growth, taste and even the shelf life of fruits and vegetables. Wed, 25 Feb 2015 23:51:20 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#81 When exposed to nitrogen fertilizer over a period of years, nitrogen-fixing bacteria called rhizobia evolve to become less beneficial to legumes - the plants they normally serve, researchers report in a new study. Wed, 25 Feb 2015 23:50:24 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#82 Researchers from the University of Tokyo have developed a novel selective catalyst that allows the creation of several basic chemicals from biomass instead of petroleum. Wed, 25 Feb 2015 23:49:21 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#83 According to the research, the bladderwort houses more genes than several well-known plant species, such as grape, coffee or papaya — despite having a much smaller genome. Wed, 25 Feb 2015 23:46:51 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#84 A scientific paper currently under review reports findings that the disease, known as Rapid Ohia Death, is the result of a fungal pathogen called Ceratocystis, which has been found on other plants here including Okinawan sweet potato and taro. But this is the first instance of it killing ohia. Wed, 25 Feb 2015 23:43:03 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#85 A towering American agave plant that waited 80 years to flower and produce seeds is dying after fulfilling its purpose and will be taken down next month, said its caretaker at the University of Michigan's botanical gardens. Mon, 23 Feb 2015 00:03:56 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#86 He had sown mustard seeds between the tree rows in the fall, and by mid-January, they had burst out in flowers full of pollen and nectar for the bees to eat. This helped them gain strength for the almond pollination, now well underway up and down the Central Valley. Silveira is among about 150 almond growers taking part in this research effort for the bees, which have struggled with disease and other challenges over the past decade. Mon, 23 Feb 2015 00:00:55 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#87 Chlorophyll concentration is a handy metric for monitoring plant health and the system devised by Ozcan’s team combines Google Glass with a custom made leaf holder and bespoke software to determine just that. Fri, 20 Feb 2015 12:23:09 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#88 Toronto: Researchers have identified a gene that can help reduce potential contamination of conventional crops by genetically modified crops. This is believed to be the first-ever study to identify a gene involved in altering fruit trees that normally cross-pollinate -- needing one plant to fertilize another -- into self-pollinators, lead author Sherif Sherif from University of Guelph noted. Fri, 20 Feb 2015 12:22:19 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#89 While the increase in EPSPS gene copies has created a nonsustainable way of controlling kochia with glyphosate-only programs, Jugulam said this resistance was evolved as the result of continuous use of glyphosate and the lack of herbicide diversity in controlling this weed. Fri, 20 Feb 2015 12:21:25 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#90 Thu, 19 Feb 2015 13:08:51 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#91 Athens, Ga. - Researchers at the University of Georgia think they've come up with a system to identify the genes in trees responsible for stress tolerance, which includes everything from extreme temperatures to disease. Thu, 19 Feb 2015 12:44:02 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#92 BATON ROUGE, Louisiana — The emerald ash borer, a severe insect pest of ash trees, has been detected in Webster Parish, making Louisiana the 25th state to confirm the beetle's presence. Thu, 19 Feb 2015 11:57:12 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#93 Now it’s happening again, with snowdrops (Galanthus). True, prices are not yet reaching the farcical levels paid for tulips 400 years ago, but extraordinary prices are being paid for individual bulbs of rare varieties: 00 in 2008, 50 in 2011, ,115 in 2012 and ,500 in 2014 (at current exchange rates). For one bulb! So what’s going on? Thu, 19 Feb 2015 11:18:27 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#94 Once present, the earthworms gorge on forest floor’s rich leaf litter, leaving the underlying mineral subsoil exposed, and effectively wiping out tree seedlings, flowering plants and ferns who suddenly find themselves without a root zone. Exotic earthworm species have invaded both coniferous and deciduous forests, but the most dramatic destruction of habitat has been seen in the hardwood forests of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin where—unlike the prairies—higher rainfall levels keep the soil moist enough to encourage their proliferation. Tue, 17 Feb 2015 14:58:57 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#95 The three affected oaks are rooted on the property at 15 Broughton, where homeowner Donald Wathne said he is considering legal action and also said he may tie yellow bows to the shorn limbs and shine spotlights on them at night. Tue, 17 Feb 2015 14:57:46 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#96 Without regulatory oversight or public consultation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has given the go-ahead to a biotech company to start introducing a genetically engineered (GE) pine tree that it has developed. Noting that this may be the biggest environmental regulatory shift in the United States since the early 1990s... Mon, 16 Feb 2015 22:08:06 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#97 How is this possible? About 2500 years ago, B. oleracea was solely a wild plant that grew along the coast of Britain, France, and countries in the Mediterranean. Mon, 16 Feb 2015 22:06:47 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#98 The next time ripe watermelons grown here hit fruit stands, these will be labeled authentic Bani products or, at least, accompanied by certificates showing that these came from this western town in Pangasinan province. Mayor Gwen Yamamoto initiated the branding of locally produced watermelons after she noted that many vendors had taken advantage of their popularity... Mon, 16 Feb 2015 22:04:04 GMT https://www.hort.net/topstories/#99 The Texas state insect is in danger of becoming extinct. The monarch butterfly population has dropped by more than 90 percent in the last two decades... Horticulture expert Mary Wilhite says because milkweed is native to East Texas, planting some is an easy way to help save the monarchs. Sat, 14 Feb 2015 12:38:05 GMT