Latest net-photosynthesis
What is Plant Productivity, and How to Measure It
Plant productivity provides society with ecosystem services and is the basis of all heterotrophic levels. Environmental factors like light, temperature, and precipitation, determined by latitudes, influence plant productivity patterns, which are most in the tropics and decrease towards the poles. The combined negative and positive interactions are essential biotic factors influencing plant productivity. Plant productivity… Continue reading…
Additional reading
Stomatal Conductance: Functions, Measurement, and Applications
Though a common plant function, much remains unknown about stomatal conductance, especially at larger ecosystem scales while its associated processes like photosynthesis and, to a lesser extent, transpiration, are largely well studied. This research gap is surprising considering that sophisticated tools exist to rapidly and accurately measure stomatal conductance in the field. Modern infrared gas… Continue reading…
Teaching with plant science tools
Kim Collins and her team at Northport High School have been utilizing the CI-710s SpectraVue Leaf Spectrometer to lend a modern, data-driven approach to students’ research projects. In this interview, we dive into how this technology-forward curriculum is empowering the next generation of plant science researchers and explore two unique student-led projects using Spectravue.
5 Ways to Improve Water Use Efficiency
Improving water use efficiency, the ratio of yield to water supplied can boost food production for a growing population without additional use of limited water resources. Water use efficiency for food production can be improved at the farm or plant level. On farms, this can be achieved through optimized management. At the plant level, improvements… Continue reading…
Precision Agriculture Policy & Adoption Outlook 2023
Precision agriculture is being branded as Agriculture 4 – the next revolution to make food production more profitable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly. Even though its adoption is uneven, the use of precision agriculture has been increasing consistently for the last several years. This article will review precision agriculture technologies, their adoption, and how precision agriculture… Continue reading…
Crop Water Use Efficiency Explained
What is Crop Water Use Efficiency? Generally, water use efficiency can be defined in many ways: economical, conveyance, or field application. These approaches focus on the management aspects of a crop and are important in farms, as they deal with investment, engineering, and soil characteristics that influence water supply to crops. More specifically, crop water… Continue reading…
Measuring Competition in Crop Plants: Mechanisms & Outcomes
Plant to Plant Competition Competition can be intraspecific (between members of a species) or interspecific (between species). In both cases, competition occurs for resources. Nutrients, water, and light are the common resources for which plants compete in space and time. While plants obtain light and some essential elements like carbon (C) and oxygen (O) from… Continue reading…