Crops that fight climate change from the inside out

EU-funded researchers are re-engineering photosynthesis in rapeseed to create climate-resilient crops that capture more carbon, use less...

dr.ir. AB (Guusje) Bonnema

Postion Vacant: Post Doc Researcher in Predicitve Breeding | Quantitative Genetics

Apply until April 10, 2026 - You have a passion for quantitative tools in plant breeding? You like to work with big data? You like to teach and support students in handling plant breeding data? If yes, please apply.

Genetic evaluation of flowering, maturity time and productivity in almond (Prunus dulcis): heritability estimates and breeding value predictions - BMC Plant Biology

Almond [Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A. Webb] is a major nut crop with high genetic complexity due to its heterozygosity and self-incompatible origin. In this s

Rice gene discovery could cut fertiliser use while protecting yields | University of Oxford

Researchers from the University of Oxford, Nanjing Agricultural University, and Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (Chinese Academy of Sciences) have finally identified the master regulator in plants that balances root and shoot growth when nutrients are limited. In field trials, rice plants with a natural, improved version of the gene had yield increases of up to

Which traits drive consumer preferences for gene-edited foods in Spain - Agricultural and Food Economics

This study examines consumer preferences for the potential benefits of CRISPR technology using a best–worst scaling (BWS) approach within an online survey of a representative Spanish sample. The BWS discrete choice experiment focuses on seven key environmental and health-related benefits of CRISPR, using tomatoes as a case study. The selected benefits are derived from science-based information and align with the EU regulatory context, following the European Commission’s 2023 proposal on gene-editing technologies. Estimates from a random parameter logit (RPL) model indicate that pesticide reduction is the most highly valued benefit, followed by water saving and health improvement, thereby highlighting the combined influence of environmental and personal benefits on consumer acceptance of genetically engineered food. The significant standard deviations in the RPL estimates reveal substantial heterogeneity in preferences, which is further examined by identifying two distinct consumer segments. While both segments strongly prioritise pesticide reduction, one is primarily motivated by environmental sustainability outcomes, whereas the other places greater emphasis on health and sensory quality improvements. These findings underscore the need for targeted communication strategies to address distinct consumer concerns, rather than a uniform approach.