Ancient Mayan ball fields reveal presence of psychoactive and ceremonial plants, say researchers

A research team led by University of Cincinnati archaeologists has found evidence of an assemblage of four species of ceremonial plants beneath the endfield of a late Preclassic ball field at the Helena complex in Mexico’s ancient Mayan city of Yaxnoca. Plants included Ipomoea corymbosa (xtabentun in Mayan), Capsicum sp. (chili pepper or ic in Mayan), Hampea Trilobata (Joel), and Oxandra lanceolata (Chilkahuit). Two of these plants, jor and Cirkawit, are involved in the production of ritually related crafts, while chili pepper and Stabentun are associated with divination rituals. Extaventun (known to the Aztecs as oloruqui) produces a highly effective hallucinogenic compound.



Map of the Helena complex showing excavation locations in relation to the baseball field structures (Structures H-4 to H-7). Image credit: Lenz other., doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301497.

The ancient Mayans played several ball games, including pokatok, which had rules similar to soccer and basketball. Players tried to pass the ball through rings and hoops on the wall.

“The ancient Mayans likely made ceremonial offerings during the construction of their ball courts,” said University of Cincinnati professor David Lentz.

“When they built a new building, they asked for God’s goodness to protect the people living there.”

“Some people call this a soul-entering ritual to obtain blessings from the gods and appease them.”

From 2016 to 2022, Professor Lentz and colleagues worked in the ancient Mayan city of Yaxnoca, in the state of Campeche, about 14.5 kilometers (9 miles) north of the Guatemalan border.

They discovered 2,000-year-old Mayan ceremonial deposits beneath the early piazza floor of the civil ceremonial platform on which the ball court was built in Yaxnoca’s Helena complex.

“Just like with baseball stadiums, when a building was expanded or reused, the ancient Mayans made offerings to bless the site,” said Nicholas Dunning, a professor emeritus at the University of Cincinnati.

“Archaeologists sometimes find ceramics and jewelry among these offerings, along with culturally significant plants.”

“We’ve known for years from ethnohistorical sources that the Maya also used perishable materials in these offerings, but finding them archaeologically is nearly impossible and That’s what makes this discovery using eDNA so special.”

“In tropical climates, ancient plant remains are rarely found and quickly decompose.”

However, using environmental DNA, scientists were able to identify several types known for their ritual significance.

They found evidence of a morning glory called stabentun, known for its hallucinogenic properties, lancewood, chili pepper, and jowl, whose leaves were used to wrap ritual offerings.

“It’s significant that we found evidence that these plants exist together in the same small sediment sample,” said Dr. Eric Tepe, a botanist at the University of Cincinnati.

“The fact that these four plants, known to be culturally important to the Maya, were found in concentrated samples indicates that they were intentionally and purposefully collected under this platform. I think that says a lot.”

“Interpreting a botanical collection through the opaque lens of 2,000 years of prehistory is a challenge, but this discovery helps further deepen the story of this sophisticated culture,” Professor Lenz said.

The ancient Mayans devised water filtration systems and adopted forest practices with conservation in mind.

However, they were powerless against years of drought and are thought to have cleared vast areas of forest for agriculture.

“We see the yin and yang of human existence in the ancient Maya. To me, that’s why they’re so fascinating,” Professor Lentz said.

of findings It was published in the magazine PLoS ONE.

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DL Lenz other. 2024. Psychotropic drugs and other ceremonial plants unearthed from a 2,000-year-old Mayan ritual deposit at Yaxnoca, Mexico. PLoS ONE 19 (4): e0301497; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301497

Source: www.sci.news

The EPA’s latest regulation requires coal-fired power plants to either capture emissions or cease operations

WASHINGTON – The Environmental Protection Agency issued a rule on Thursday that will require coal-fired power plants to capture smokestack emissions or shut down. This new regulation aims to limit greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants, which are a major contributor to global warming. It is part of President Joe Biden’s pledge to eliminate carbon pollution from the power sector by 2035 and the entire economy by 2050.

The rule includes measures to reduce toxic wastewater pollutants from coal-fired power plants and safely manage coal ash in unlined retention ponds. EPA Administrator Michael Regan stated that the rule will reduce pollution, protect communities, and improve public health while ensuring a reliable electricity supply for the nation.

Industry groups and Republican-leaning states are expected to challenge the rule, citing concerns about the reliability of the power grid. However, environmental groups have praised the EPA’s actions as crucial in combating climate change and protecting public health.

The rule sets standards for existing coal-fired power plants to control carbon emissions, with future plants required to capture up to 90% of their carbon pollution. Coal-fired power plants must reduce or capture 90% of their carbon emissions by 2032 to continue operating beyond 2039. Plants scheduled to be retired by 2039 will also face stricter standards.

The EPA rule does not mandate carbon capture and storage technology but sets a cap on carbon pollution that power plant operators must adhere to. The regulation also addresses toxic wastewater pollution from coal-fired power plants and the safe management of coal ash, a hazardous byproduct of coal combustion.

Overall, the EPA’s new rule represents a significant step in reducing carbon pollution, protecting public health, and moving towards a cleaner energy future for the United States.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

New genetic research on flowering plants changes the tree of life at a large scale

The pink lapacho tree is one of approximately 300,000 species of flowering plants

Roberto Okamura Tetsuo/Shutterstock

Botanists have used genome data from more than 9,500 species to map evolutionary relationships among flowering plants. The newly compiled Tree of Life will help scientists piece together the origins of flowering plants and inform future conservation efforts.

Approximately 90 percent of plants that live on land are flowering and fruiting plants called angiosperms. These flowering plants are essential to maintaining Earth's ecosystems, including storing carbon and producing oxygen, and they make up a large portion of our diet.

“Our very existence depends on them,” he says. william baker At the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, England. “That's why we need to really understand them.”

For the past eight years, Baker and his colleagues have been working to complete the Tree of Life, which describes the evolutionary relationships between all genera of plants and fungi.

Starting with flowering plants, the researchers designed molecular probes to search for 353 specific genes found in the nucleus of all angiosperms. “The nuclear genome is huge,” Baker says. “So we needed to focus on a specific set of genes.”

Researchers have so far sequenced the genes of 9,506 species of flowering plants, primarily using specimens from collections and public databases around the world. This represents nearly all known angiosperm families and approximately 8,000 of the 13,400 recorded genera.Some of the specimens collected in the analysis are more than 200 years old; Arenaria globifloraand many Guadalupe Island olives (Espererea Palmeri).

By comparing the similarities in the gene sequences of different flowering plants, researchers were able to figure out where they fit on the tree of life.

Baker says this is the most comprehensive survey of angiosperms to date. “We often liken it to the periodic table of elements,” he says. “It's the basic framework for life.”

angiosperm tree of life

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Angiosperms emerged about 140 million years ago and have rapidly flourished, overtaking flowerless gymnosperms to become the world's dominant plant species. The sudden appearance of the diversity of flowering plants in the fossil record has baffled scientists for the past few centuries, and Charles Darwin called it “a hideous mystery.”

Now, the Tree of Life confirms that about 80 percent of the major flowering plant lineages that still exist today were part of this early boom in angiosperm diversity. “We can't say we've solved this 'damn mystery,' but at least we can say it really does exist,” Baker said.

The tree of life also highlights a further surge in diversity that occurred around 40 million years ago, possibly caused by a drop in global temperatures at the time.

In the future, he says, the Tree of Life could also help in the search for plants with pharmaceutical properties for new drugs. Ilia Leech, another member of Cue's team. It also helps scientists identify new species and assess which species are most vulnerable to climate change.

“This is the latest and greatest evolutionary framework for conducting new research that approaches the mechanisms that have allowed flowering plants to take over the world,” he says. ryan falk at Mississippi State University.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Making plants blue through gene editing could simplify weed removal by robots

Changing the color of crops may make it easier to distinguish between target plants and weeds

John Martin – Photography/Alamy

Common crops such as wheat and corn could be genetically modified to be brightly colored to make them easier for weeding robots to work with, researchers have suggested.

Weeding reduces the need for herbicides, but the artificial intelligence models that power weeding robots can have trouble distinguishing weeds from crops that are similar in shape and color.

To avoid this problem, Pedro Correia Researchers from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark and their colleagues have suggested that crop genomes could be adapted to express pigments such as anthocyanins, which make blueberries blue, and carotenoids, which make carrots orange.

It is also possible to grow crops with unusually shaped leaves or other traits that are invisible to the naked eye but can be detected by sensors such as those in the infrared spectrum.

Correia said AI's weeding struggles could get worse as wild species adapt to agriculture, taking advantage of their ability to cope with changing climate. This type of new domestication can produce crops that are more environmentally sustainable and higher yielding, but can also be difficult to distinguish from their unchanged ancestors.

“We're trying to change a very small number of genes to increase productivity,” Correia says. “It would be great if he could change one or two more genes to make them more recognizable and to be able to use robots to weed.”

charles fox The University of Lincoln in the UK says there is precedent for intentionally changing the color of crops. Orange carrots were not common until producers selectively bred stable varieties. But he thinks genetic modification is probably not the easiest way to improve the effectiveness of weed-killing robots.

“Other methods would probably be much easier and less controversial because people generally don't like genetic modification,” Fox says. “Sounds like a lot of effort.”

Correia says he's not suggesting creating something new or adding animal genes. The research involves modifying crop genomes to incorporate genes for pigments already produced in other plants. “We're just making some changes to the crop so they can eat it too,” he says. “We'll have to test everything and test for side effects and things like that, but I think it's quite possible.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Study: Certain plants are more effective than others in removing air pollution through green walls

Biologists are University of Surrey They investigated interspecific variation in particulate matter accumulation, washout, and retention in 10 broad-leaved plants, focusing on leaf characteristics.

thomson other. We found that the interaction between macromorphology and micromorphology in green-walled plant species determines their particulate matter removal ability.Image credit: Thomson other. 2024., doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170950.

Green wall is a vertical system that has received particular attention because it can be installed without occupying additional space at street level.

They also offer other benefits, such as reduced dependence on existing soil conditions and additional ecosystem services.

Green wall is a term that includes walls covered with all forms of vegetation.

Green facades and living walls are two types of green walls, where green facades usually include climbing plants, whereas living walls include planting materials and plants to support a more diverse variety of plants. Includes technology.

The reduction of air pollutants by green walls depends on several factors such as plant type, barrier dimensions, leaf area index, humidity, wind speed, and orientation of the location.

“By planting vertically against green walls, communities can purify the air without taking up too much street space,” said Mamatha Thomson, a postgraduate researcher at the University of Surrey.

“Our study suggests that this process depends not only on leaf shape but also on the micromorphological properties of the leaf surface.”

“We believe that the right mix of species creates the most effective green walls. We look forward to conducting further research to see if we are right. .”

In this study, Thomson et al. planted 10 species: Evergreen Candy Tuft (Iberis sempervirens), Ivy (hedera helix) And that Wild marjoram (Ornamental pill beetle)in a custom-built 1.4 meter green wall.

The leaves of the evergreens candytuft and ivy were found to be particularly good at trapping pollutant particles, both large and small.

Meanwhile, rain was able to wash most of the pollutants from the lavender's hairy leaves.

Candytuft and marjoram also performed well in washing away small pollution particles.

“We hope that urban planners and infrastructure experts can use our findings to think more carefully about what they plant,” said Prashant Kumar, a professor at the University of Surrey.

“Having a green wall is a great way to remove pollution, but what you plant on top of it can make a big difference to its success.”

of result It was published in the magazine Total environmental science.

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Mamatha Thomson other. 2024. Investigating the interplay between particulate matter scavenging, scavenging, and leaf properties in green-walled species. Total environmental science 921: 170950; doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170950

Source: www.sci.news

Deadly Plants: Lethal to Pollinators but Nourishing to Their Offspring

The Arisaema plant is a death trap for pollinating mushroom gnats.

ArchivePL/Alamy

Pulpit flowers, famous for trapping and killing pollinators, may also act as nurseries for insect eggs, revealing a more subtle and mutually beneficial relationship that challenges existing assumptions. Become.

These jug-shaped plants are Alisa EmmaThey mimic the look and smell of musty mushrooms to attract fungus gnats, which are major pollinators. But when insects dip into the flower's spathe in search of this pungent food, they are unable to crawl out because the interior of the flower's elongated hood is too waxy. The gnat struggles violently inside its mottled red-green cup, scattering pollen all around it to thoroughly pollinate the plant, but eventually dies of exhaustion.

At least this is what botanists think I've been thinking about it for a long time.

But when Kenji Suetsugu A team from Japan's Kobe University hatched 62 flowers of the Asian pulpit jack-in-the-pulpit species Alisa Emmathunbergi, they realized something was wrong. The gnat was helplessly captured and laid eggs in the crown of the flower. When the flowers begin to wither, these larvae feed on the shriveled and rotting flesh and emerge as adults a few weeks later.

The fact that traps can serve the dual function of pollination sites and nurseries for the next generation of pollinators is “really surprising,” Suetsugu says.

Furthermore, some adults are able to escape from flower traps before it is too late. So the ducks aren't “technically lethal,” Suetsugu said. This suggests that plants strike a balance between ensuring pollination and not completely depleting the number of pollinating gnats.

These findings suggest that the relationship between jack-in-the-pulpit and its pollinators is much more complex than previously thought and cannot be neatly categorized as purely mutualistic or antagonistic.”, says Suetsugu.

This relationship may represent a step in the evolution of plants, from purely deceptive pollinators to mutually beneficial relationships with pollinators. Importantly, the findings may also suggest that there is more to the relationships between other plants and pollinators around the world than meets the eye.

Indeed, these findings challenge some preconceived ecological concepts. Jeff Ollerton at the University of Northampton, UK. In this particular case, the situation is mixed, as only some insects seem to be benefiting.He has more types of Alisa Emma (This genus includes more than 190 species) To learn more, you need to study this species in detail.

“The deeper we look into plant-pollinator interactions, the more we learn about the ability of plants to manipulate pollinator behavior and how pollinators can evolve strategies to acquire resources. There are more surprises to come,” Ollerton said.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Research Indicates Multicellularity Emerged in Streptococcal Plants Approximately One Billion Years Ago

A new study led by scientists at the University of Göttingen has provided evidence that the first multicellular streptococci probably existed about a billion years ago.

bierenbrodspot other. We sequenced 24 new transcriptomes of Klebsormidiophyceae and combined them with 14 previously published genome and transcriptome datasets. Image credit: Bierenbroodspot other., doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.070.

streptococcus is best known as a clade of plants that contains a rich diversity of embryophytes (land plants).

However, next to the embryophytes there is a series of freshwater and terrestrial algae that are responsible for important information on the emergence of key traits in land plants.

this house, Klebsolmidioalgae stand out. Klebsolmydiophytes thrive in diverse environments, from the mundane (ubiquitous on tree bark and rocks) to extreme environments (from the Atacama Desert to Antarctica), display filamentous body surfaces, and can be found on land. They can show remarkable resilience as habitat colonizers.

Currently, the lack of a strong phylogenetic framework for Klebsolmydiophyceae hinders our understanding of the evolutionary history of these important traits.

Dr Tatyana Dariyenko, co-lead author of the study, said: “These small, hardy little creatures have a very high diversity in their morphology and are very good at living in sometimes very harsh environments. “It's really interesting that we're adapting.”

“Our comprehensive sampling aimed to map the global distribution of Klebsolmydiophyceae and highlight its adaptability, ecological importance and hidden diversity.”

“We analyzed the molecular clock based on genetic data calibrated using fossils.”

When delving into the complex evolutionary history of Klebsolmydiophyceae, Dr. Darienko and colleagues faced the challenge of disentangling phylogenetic relationships using traditional markers.

To overcome this, they utilized hundreds of genes obtained from the transcriptomes of 24 isolates from different continents and habitats.

“Our approach, known as phylogenomics, was to reconstruct the evolutionary history by considering whole genomes or large parts of genomes,” said Iker Irisarri, Ph.D., co-senior author of the study. Ta.

“This very powerful method allows us to reconstruct evolutionary relationships with very high precision.”

Researchers have uncovered a new phylogenetic tree for the family Klebsormydiophyceae, revealing that it can be divided into three orders.

“A deep dive into phylogenetic frameworks and our molecular clocks has revealed the ancient ancestor of Klebsormydiophyceae, a multicellular entity that flourished millions of years ago. Its descendants began to diverge into three distinct branches more than 800 million years ago,” said co-lead author Maaike Bierenbroodspot.

Scientists are investigating the evolutionary history of multicellularity within streptococci.

They discovered that the ancient common ancestor of land plants, other chain algae, and Klebsormydiophyceae was already multicellular.

“This discovery reveals the genetic potential of multicellularity among streptococci and shows that the origins of this important trait date back almost a billion years,” said co-author Jan de Vries. the professor said.

of study It was published in the magazine current biology.

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Maike J. Bielenbrodspot other. Phylogenomic insights into the first multicellular streptococci. current biology, published online on January 19, 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.070

Source: www.sci.news

The Harmful Effects of Extreme Drought on Plants may be Underestimated

One of the shelters used to simulate extreme drought. It is located at the Central Plains Experiment Station in Colorado.

melinda smith

An experiment conducted at 100 sites around the world shows that during extreme droughts, grassland productivity declines much more than we thought. This finding suggests that plants may be struggling to cope with more frequent and severe droughts that are expected to result from climate change.

melinda smith Researchers at Colorado State University have designed a shelter that can be placed on top of land and topped with a piece of plastic to deflect some of the rain away from the vegetation below.

Working with other researchers around the world, Smith and her team were able to install such shelters in 100 grassland or shrubland locations across six continents.

For each site, Smith said, the team aimed to recreate conditions that would be considered extreme drought in the area, the type of conditions that occur once every 100 years. For example, in areas of Europe with high rainfall, more plastic strips are placed on roofs compared to drier areas to better simulate drought.

A year later, the researchers discovered that while some experiments were successful in reproducing drought conditions, others were unsuccessful because certain areas had higher than average rainfall.

In the 44 sites that experienced extreme drought, plant growth decreased by 38% in grasslands and 21% in shrublands. “That was huge,” Smith said, adding that the reduction in plant growth was much more severe than the researchers had observed in previous studies.

They also found that arid regions with low biodiversity are particularly vulnerable to drought. “Dry places are already at their limit,” Smith said. “Their systems don't have a lot of buffers to deal with it.”

Smith hopes these insights can improve global climate models that have previously underestimated the role of drought in the carbon cycle.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

The transformation of seedlings into super plants through a rare chemical scent

plants by exposing them to certain chemicals at seed can affect subsequent growth. Researchers found that treating seeds with ethylene gas improved both growth and stress tolerance. This finding includes enhanced photosynthesis. Carbohydrate production in plants has the potential to be a breakthrough in improving crop yields and resilience to environmental stressors. Like other living things, plants can be stressed. Usually the conditions are as follows heat and drought. That can lead to stress, and when stressed, the plant may not grow as much or produce less. This can be a problem for farmers, so many scientists have tried genetically modified plants to make it more elastic. However, plants modified to obtain higher crop yields are low stress tolerance. This is because they put more energy into growing than protecting them from stress. Similarly, as plants improve their ability to withstand stress, production often decreases because they spend more energy protecting than growing. This brainteaser makes it possible It is difficult to improve crop yields. I was studying How the plant hormone ethylene regulates plant growth and stress responses. In Research to be published in July 2023, my lab made an unexpected and provocative observation. We found that when seeds that are normally underground germinate in the dark, adding ethylene improves both growth and stress tolerance. Ethylene is a plant hormone Because plants cannot move around, they cannot avoid stressful environmental conditions such as heat or drought. They receive various signals from their environment, such as light and temperature, which shape their growth, development, and how they respond to stressful situations. As part of this regulation, plants make various hormones They are part of a regulatory network that allows them to adapt to environmental conditions. Ethylene was first discovered as a gaseous plant hormone over 100 years ago. Since then, research has shown that all land plants studied produce ethylene. In addition to controlling growth and responding to stress, they are also involved in other processes, such as turning leaves in autumn and promoting fruit ripening. Ethylene as a way to “prime” plants My lab focuses on how plants and bacteria sense ethylene and how ethylene interacts with other hormonal pathways to regulate plant development. While conducting this research, my group accidental discovery. We were experimenting with germinating seeds in a dark room. Seed germination is a critical period in a plant’s life when seeds transition from dormancy to seedlings under favorable conditions. In this experiment, Seeds exposed to ethylene gas Continue this for a few days to see what effect it has. The ethylene was then removed. Normally, the experiment should end here. However, after collecting data on these seedlings, we transferred them to lightweight carts. This is not something we normally do, but we wanted to grow the plants to adulthood so we could have seeds for future experiments. After a few days of placing the seedlings under light, some lab members made the unexpected and surprising observation that the plants briefly gassed with ethylene. it was much bigger. These plants had larger leaves and longer and more complex root systems than plants not exposed to ethylene. These plants continued to grow at a faster rate throughout their lives. The plant on the left was not primed with ethylene, while the plant on the right was primed with ethylene. Both plants are the same age. Credit: Binder Lab, University of Tennessee, Knoxville My colleagues and I wanted to know if plants are diverse seed Exposure to ethylene during seed germination showed growth stimulation. We discovered it the answer is yes. We tested the effects of short-term ethylene treatment on germinating tomato, cucumber, wheat, and arugula seeds, all of which grew significantly. However, what made this observation unusual and exciting is that short ethylene treatments also Increased tolerance to various stresses salinity stress, high temperature, hypoxic conditions, etc. The long-term effects of short-term exposure to a stimulus on growth and stress tolerance are often referred to as priming effects. This can be thought of as pump priming priming allows the pump to start easier and faster. There are studies that investigated how plants grow after priming at different ages and developmental stages. but Seed priming Methods using various chemicals and stress are probably the most studied because they are easy to implement and, if successful, can be…

Source: scitechdaily.com

Future of Climate-Tolerant Plants to be Shaped by New Discoveries

Researchers at the University of Nottingham have discovered an important role for diligent proteins in plant roots, regulating water and nutrient uptake by controlling the endothelial lignin barrier. This discovery has important implications for the development of drought-tolerant crops that require fewer resources. The researchers also emphasized the importance of this discovery in adapting agriculture to changing climate conditions and ensuring future food security.

Researchers have identified the role of proteins that seal plant roots and control the uptake of nutrients and water from the soil. This breakthrough could lead to the development of climate-resilient crops that require less water and less chemical fertilizers.

researchers University of Nottingham We have identified a new component of the plant root lignin barrier and a specific function of diligent proteins (DPs) located in the root endodermis that control water and nutrient uptake. Their research results are science.

Root function and endothelium

Plant roots function by absorbing mineral nutrients and water from the soil and controlling the proper balance within the plant. This control is carried out by a specialized layer of root tissue called the endothelium.

The endodermis contains a barrier to solute and water movement made of lignin, the same substance found in wood. This impermeable barrier blocks uncontrolled movement of substances into the roots by forming a tight seal between cells. This seal ensures that the only route for nutrients and water to enter the roots is through the endothelial cells. This gives the cells complete control over what enters and exits the plant through the roots.

Role of Diligent Protein

This study identified a new component of the lignin deposition machinery, focusing on the function of diligent proteins (DPs) present in the root endothelium. These proteins act in conjunction with other described root control components to direct and organize the correct deposition of lignin into the endothelium, ensuring that the plant receives an optimal balance of nutrients from the soil. will do so.

Dr Gabriel Castrillo, from the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Nottingham, one of the study’s leaders, said: They can be future-proofed to secure future food supplies. This study shows how plant roots regulate water and nutrient uptake through DP-regulated lignin deposition. Without these proteins, proper root sealing is not completed and the nutritional balance within the plant is compromised. This knowledge can be used to engineer plants to grow with less water and chemical fertilizers. ”

Reference: “Diligent protein complexes direct lignin polymerization and construction of root diffusion barriers” Yi-Qun Gao, Jin-Quan Huang, Guilhem Reyt, Tao Song, Ashley Love, David Tiemessen,
Pei-Ying Xue, Written by Wen-Kai Wu, Michael W. George, Xiao Ya
Chen, Dai Ying Chao, Gabriel Castrillo, David E. Salt, October 26, 2023. science.
DOI: 10.1126/science.adi5032

Source: scitechdaily.com