Love hormone being used to boost plant growth

Photo: Love hormone being used to boost plant growth in India (Getty Images)

A large number of Indian farmers are using the love hormone oxytocin, also known as "cuddle chemical", to boost the growth of pumpkins and cucumbers. However, the Indian Ministry of Agriculture is adamant on banning the practice, as "indiscriminate use of oxytocin may cause health hazards if taken through vegetables over a period of time". The use of oxytocin in farming has become prevalent in the Uttar Pradesh and Punjab regions in northern India, Oxytocin is known to affect social behaviour in humans, as well as facilitating birth and breastfeeding, reports New Scientist magazine. However, it is still unclear how this animal hormone might stimulate plant development.

Researchers publish integrated genetic and cytogenetic map of the cucumber genome

A team of researchers from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the China Agricultural University and the United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has produced the world's first integrated genetic and cytogenetic map of the cucumber genome, an important resource for scientists working to develop improved cucurbit crops."This map will facilitate whole genome sequencing and positional cloning, enhance marker assisted selection (MAS), and provide opportunities to investigate synteny among cucurbit species," wrote Sanwen Huang, a researcher at the Institute of Vegetables and Flowers of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and his colleagues in a paper published by PLoS One.

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