A sustainable world

How our plants have turned into thieves to survive

Scientists have discovered that grasses are able to short cut evolution by taking genes from their neighbours.

World-leading plant growth facility set to become more sustainable

One of the most advanced plant growth facilities in the world, which is helping scientists to enhance our understanding of how crops are being affected by climate change and disease, is set to become more sustainable thanks to new funding.

Rice with fewer stomata requires less water and is better suited for climate change

How a solar farm in southeast England could bring a new dawn for renewable energy

Dr Alastair Buckley writes for The Conversation about Cleve Hill solar farm, the largest solar power plant ever proposed in the UK.

Farming crops with rocks to reduce CO2 and improve global food security

A study in Nature Plants has shown how food security could be improved by applying enhanced rock weathering on farms.

Growing food from mattresses: what experts can learn from working in refugee camps

Professor Tony Ryan OBE, our professor of Physical Chemistry and Director of the Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures, reports from his trip to Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan. He's been working with Syrian refugees by applying polymer chemistry to help them grow crops in mattresses.

Soil degradation in the spotlight at the Paris climate talks

Combining the lessons of agricultural history with the insights of modern biotechnology is the key to reversing the lethal degradation of the world's soil base, which is now threatening humanity's ability to feed a growing global population.

Scientists discover C4 photosynthesis boosts growth by altering size and structure of plant leaves and roots

Plants using C4 photosynthesis grow 20-100 per cent quicker than more common C3 plants by altering the shape, size and structure of their leaves and roots, according to a new study.