Wheat Salt Tolerance Traits Could Improve Yields
Seed World Staff on 07/17/2026

Wheat Salt Tolerance Traits Could Improve Yields

Wheat salt tolerance could be improved by selecting for potassium retention, lower sodium accumulation and proline content. Researchers say these traits are linked to stronger grain yield under sodic stress.The post Wheat Salt Tolerance Traits Could Improve Yields appeared first on Seed World.Resear

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Plant Sensors Could Detect Crop Stress Earlier
Seed World Staff on 07/17/2026

Plant Sensors Could Detect Crop Stress Earlier

Tufts University researchers have developed battery-free plant sensors that attach to leaves and stems to monitor water loss, growth and crop stress. The technology could help farmers detect water shortages, salt stress or other problems before visible symptoms appear.The post Plant Sensors Could De

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Barley Genes Linked to Stress and Grain Quality
Seed World Staff on 07/16/2026

Barley Genes Linked to Stress and Grain Quality

Barley genes identified by International Barley Hub researchers help control protective surface traits linked to environmental stress protection and grain quality. The findings could support future work on drought tolerance and grain skinning in malting barley.The post Barley Genes Linked to Stress

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Climate Stress May Lower Soybean Seed Quality
Seed World Staff on 07/15/2026

Climate Stress May Lower Soybean Seed Quality

Soybean seed quality could decline under combined climate stress from elevated CO₂, heat and drought, according to an AI-supported study. Researchers found potential yield gains but lower starch and protein levels in seeds.The post Climate Stress May Lower Soybean Seed Quality appeared first on Seed

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AI Model Maps Hidden Grammar of Plant Genomes
Seed World Staff on 07/15/2026

AI Model Maps Hidden Grammar of Plant Genomes

Plant genomes contain regulatory patterns that help control traits such as flowering time, disease resistance and heat stress response. IPK researchers used deep learning to predict how transcription factors bind to DNA and influence gene activity.The post AI Model Maps Hidden Grammar of Plant Genom

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Europe Warned Pollinator Loss Threatens Crops
Seed World Staff on 07/14/2026

Europe Warned Pollinator Loss Threatens Crops

Pollinator loss could pose a serious risk to European crop production, food security and agricultural resilience. EU-funded researchers say stronger pollinator stewardship is needed across farming, land use, pesticide regulation and policy.The post Europe Warned Pollinator Loss Threatens Crops appea

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Climate Change Threatens Crop Nutrition, Researchers Warn
Seed World Staff on 07/14/2026

Climate Change Threatens Crop Nutrition, Researchers Warn

Crop nutrition is becoming a growing concern as climate change affects both food production and the nutritional value of major crops. Ghent University researchers say future crop improvement must address yield, nutrition and climate resilience together.The post Climate Change Threatens Crop Nutritio

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Scientists Warn EU Pesticide Reform Could Weaken Safety
Seed World Staff on 07/10/2026

Scientists Warn EU Pesticide Reform Could Weaken Safety

EU pesticide reform proposals could reduce oversight of active substances and weaken safety safeguards, according to researchers from 27 European institutions. The scientists say efficiency gains should not come at the expense of biodiversity, human health or sustainable crop protection.The post Sci

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Low-Asparagine Wheat Gains U.K. Precision-Bred Status
Seed World Staff on 07/09/2026

Low-Asparagine Wheat Gains U.K. Precision-Bred Status

A genome editing milestone in the U.K. seed sector, low-asparagine wheat has received precision-bred status and will move toward food and feed evaluation for potential use in reducing acrylamide formation.The post Low-Asparagine Wheat Gains U.K. Precision-Bred Status appeared first on Seed World.The

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Underutilised Crops Network to Boost UK Food Resilience
Seed World Staff on 07/03/2026

Underutilised Crops Network to Boost UK Food Resilience

Underutilised crops are the focus of a new UK-wide research and innovation network designed to strengthen crop diversity, food resilience and local value chains by connecting researchers, farmers, plant breeders, food businesses and policymakers.The post Underutilised Crops Network to Boost UK Food

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Climate Change Could Lower Soybean Seed Quality
Seed World Staff on 06/26/2026

Climate Change Could Lower Soybean Seed Quality

A new AI-supported study suggests climate change could increase soybean production while reducing soybean seed quality. Researchers found that higher CO₂, heat and drought may lower starch and protein content, raising questions for feed value, crop breeding and food security.The post Climate Change

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Seed Sector 2045: Future of Plant Breeding in Europe
Marcel Bruins - Seed World Europe Editorial Director on 06/25/2026

Seed Sector 2045: Future of Plant Breeding in Europe

Seed Sector 2045 is a new editorial series exploring the trends shaping plant breeding and the seed sector over the next two decades, from climate adaptation and gene editing to AI, regulation, public trust and new business models.The post Seed Sector 2045: Future of Plant Breeding in Europe appeare

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James Hutton Institute Joins PhenomUK Crop Programme
Seed World Staff on 06/24/2026

James Hutton Institute Joins PhenomUK Crop Programme

The James Hutton Institute has joined PhenomUK, a £35 million UKRI-backed programme designed to strengthen national crop phenotyping capacity. The six-year initiative will support resilient crop development through advanced imaging, automation, controlled environments and field-based evaluation.The

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Plant Viruses Advance Virus-Induced Gene Editing
Seed World Staff on 06/23/2026

Plant Viruses Advance Virus-Induced Gene Editing

New research shows that virus-induced gene editing using potyviruses could help scientists deliver CRISPR guide molecules into plants. The approach may expand crop genome editing tools for tomato, tobacco and other species that are difficult to modify.The post Plant Viruses Advance Virus-Induced Gen

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Sorghum Wax Gene Could Aid Drought-Tolerant Crops
Seed World Staff on 06/23/2026

Sorghum Wax Gene Could Aid Drought-Tolerant Crops

A sorghum wax gene discovery is helping researchers understand how the BM-SZ gene controls the crop’s protective wax layer. The findings may support future breeding for drought-tolerant sorghum and other resilient crops.The post Sorghum Wax Gene Could Aid Drought-Tolerant Crops appeared first on See

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Crop Disease Resistance Gene Targets Two Pathogens
Seed World Staff on 06/22/2026

Crop Disease Resistance Gene Targets Two Pathogens

New research shows how plant immune receptors can evolve through molecular mimicry, opening a potential path to more durable disease resistance in cereal crops. Scientists have found new evidence showing how plant immune receptors can evolve to recognize disease threats by mimicking the targets that

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Plant DNA Repair Discovery Could Help Future Crops
Seed World Staff on 06/19/2026

Plant DNA Repair Discovery Could Help Future Crops

Salk Institute researchers have identified a plant-specific DNA repair protein called YAF9B that helps protect growth tissues after DNA damage. The discovery may support future advances in crop resilience, stress tolerance and more precise genome editing.The post Plant DNA Repair Discovery Could Hel

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Wild Maize Gene Could Help Boost Maize Protein
Seed World Staff on 06/19/2026

Wild Maize Gene Could Help Boost Maize Protein

Chinese researchers have identified a teosinte gene that could help breeders raise maize protein levels in modern corn. The discovery may support development of higher-protein maize varieties without reducing grain yield.The post Wild Maize Gene Could Help Boost Maize Protein appeared first on Seed

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Seed Priming Boosts Crop Resistance to Pests
Seed World Staff on 06/18/2026

Seed Priming Boosts Crop Resistance to Pests

Seed priming with methyl jasmonate, a natural plant defense molecule, may help crops resist insect and mite damage without slowing growth. The findings point to a potential tool for more sustainable crop protection.The post Seed Priming Boosts Crop Resistance to Pests appeared first on Seed World.Se

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On-Farm Experimentation Turns Fields Into Labs
Seed World Staff on 06/17/2026

On-Farm Experimentation Turns Fields Into Labs

On-farm experimentation is expanding agronomic research beyond controlled plots and into working fields. Takashi Tanaka’s review explores how advanced analytics, machine learning and farmer-generated data can improve decisions while avoiding misleading conclusions.The post On-Farm Experimentation Tu

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Wheat Roots Could Help Crops Use Nitrogen More Efficiently
Seed World Staff on 06/16/2026

Wheat Roots Could Help Crops Use Nitrogen More Efficiently

BNI wheat research at AU Flakkebjerg is revealing how root compounds may help cereal crops use nitrogen more efficiently. The work could support future wheat varieties that maintain yield with less fertiliser and lower nitrogen losses.The post Wheat Roots Could Help Crops Use Nitrogen More Efficient

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Drought May Reduce Crops’ Iron Uptake
Seed World Staff on 06/16/2026

Drought May Reduce Crops’ Iron Uptake

University of Calgary research suggests drought stress may reduce iron uptake in crops such as canola, rice and tomatoes. The findings point to a possible link between dry conditions, plant-microbe interactions and crop nutritional quality.The post Drought May Reduce Crops’ Iron Uptake appeared firs

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Andalusia Offers Organic Farming Lessons for Europe
Seed World Staff on 06/15/2026

Andalusia Offers Organic Farming Lessons for Europe

A University of Córdoba study finds organic farming decisions in Andalusia are shaped by profitability, environmental values and social responsibility. The findings may help guide European policies aimed at expanding organic agriculture by 2030.The post Andalusia Offers Organic Farming Lessons for E

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Crop Microbiome Study Shows Plants Select Microbes
Seed World Staff on 06/10/2026

Crop Microbiome Study Shows Plants Select Microbes

A new crop microbiome study shows that crop species, rather than soil type, primarily determines the beneficial functions provided by root-associated microbes. Researchers say the findings could support microbial inoculants and microbiome-assisted breeding for sustainable agriculture.The post Crop M

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