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5 Important Research on Crop Water Use Efficiency in 2025
In 2025, findings on changes in crop production and water-use efficiency (WUE) under the current climate-change-driven drought scenario were a dominant trend. Many studies also focused on future-proofing crop production by improving WUE in different climate change scenarios. The number of variables considered is increasing to fill knowledge gaps and identify potential synergistic effects on… Continue reading…
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Watching Wetland Soils Change in Real Time: Auburn University’s Innovative Use of the CI-600 Rhizosphere Camera
Understanding how soils transition between oxidized and reduced states is essential for accurately classifying and protecting wetlands. Traditional techniques such as the Indicator of Reduction in Soils (IRIS) method provide valuable data. Still, they rely on periodic sampling and the destruction of multiple test tubes, limiting both temporal resolution and sustainability. Researchers at Auburn University… Continue reading…
CI-600 Root Imager vs. Soil Core + Lab Root Scanning: Which Is Faster and More Reliable?
Root research is one of the trickiest aspects of plant science. The hidden half of plants—buried in soil, intertwined with microbes and moisture—holds key insights into nutrient uptake, stress tolerance, and overall plant health. For decades, scientists have relied on soil coring and lab scanning to study roots, but the process is time-consuming and inherently… Continue reading…
What is the Importance of Leaf Area Index?
Leaf area index (LAI) is a key vegetation parameter used in plant research. Global collections of LAI show that plantations have the highest LAI and deserts have the least LAI. Temperate forests have higher LAI than tropical forests. LAI is used to increase food security, support forest research and management, and track the effects of… Continue reading…
How Do Stomatal Traits and Transpiration Efficiency Impact Crop Yield?
Stomatal traits must meet mesophyll demand for CO2, conserve water, and maintain optimum leaf temperatures for higher transpiration efficiency. The stomatal traits associated with transpiration efficiency include size, density, patterning, guard cells, and responsiveness to environmental factors. So far, no crop breeding effort using stomatal traits has been able to prevent water loss/ transpiration without… Continue reading…
What Are the Key Root Traits to Improve Transpiration Efficiency?
Root traits are one of the main factors influencing transpiration efficiency or the yield produced per unit of water transpired. The root traits to improve transpiration efficiency are rooting depth, root: shoot ratio, density, root hairs, and mucilage. No root architecture type suits all species or even all hydrological conditions. Transpiration efficiency is used to… Continue reading…
Leaf Area Influence On Transpiration Depends On External Environment
As leaf area increases, the transpiration rate also increases. However, there are exceptions to this rule. Small leaves have higher transpiration rates in hot and dry regions for better thermoregulation and cooling effects. Smaller leaves have higher transpiration in cold, dry regions with high radiation to provide better hydraulic movements and nutrient uptake. Transpiration determines… Continue reading…
