Plant Cuttings

Month: April 2025

  • Ancient sand farmers of The Levant

    Ancient sand farmers of The Levant

    The plot-and-berm agroecosystem in Caesarea, established over a thousand years ago, transformed sandy soil into productive agricultural land. By creating small plots surrounded by berms, early inhabitants enhanced soil fertility and utilized groundwater for irrigation. This ingenious system showcases ancient agricultural techniques, offering insights relevant to modern farming in arid…

  • Plants suffer from viruses too… [From algae to rice plants… III]

    Plants suffer from viruses too… [From algae to rice plants… III]

    The post considers virus disease of plants and highlights research by Yu Huang et al. (2025) that reveals how rice detects and responds to viral infection. Such work is crucial for enhancing crop resilience and ensuring food security for the global human population.

  • Predictable red tides? [From algae to rice plants… II]

    Predictable red tides? [From algae to rice plants… II]

    This post discusses dinoflagellates and red tides. In particular it considers Karenia brevis and work by Shen Jean Lim et al., who have identified viruses in K. brevis harmful algal bloom (HABs). This discovery suggests potential viral control methods for mitigating such red tides and improving early warning of them.

  • The phytoplanktonic paradox [From algae to rice plants… I]

    The phytoplanktonic paradox [From algae to rice plants… I]

    Research by Muratore et al. reveals that different phytoplankton species exploit phosphorus at varied times, suggesting ‘temporal niche partitioning’ as a potential solution to the phytoplankton paradox and underlining the intricate dynamics of marine ecosystems.