A group of scientists around the world have written down one hundred different questions about plants that they think are very important.
Ten years ago, scientists created a list of research priorities that would help protect our environment by dealing with climate change, biodiversity loss and making sure everyone has enough food. Now these experts have written down the changes and progress we’ve made in an article in the New Phytologist journal – which came out today!
In 2022, an international team of 20 plant scientists from 15 countries put together a special project called “The Plant Science Priorities Panel”. Led by Prof. Claire Grierson (from the University of Bristol in the UK), this project gathered 600 questions about plants from people across the world with different levels of knowledge on botany. The team then narrowed down their selection to 100 of the most important questions on plant science.
A group of scientists all around the world have figured out 100 of the most serious problems for plants. This worldwide project identified important things we need to research, such as how to slow down global warming, save animals from extinction and develop food sources in a way that doesn’t harm our planet.
Today 100 questions were published that talk about how important climate change, biodiversity loss, and international collaborations are for all kinds of plant science research. This study shows us how much scientists care about fighting the effects of climate change, how different countries have different levels of funding for research and a list of interesting topics to study in the future.
This research shows how experts in plant science around the world think about what kind of plant questions are important. It also shows that asking a lot of people from different countries can help us figure out what questions should be asked when studying plants. As Dr. Shyam Phartyal said, “The study is significant because it includes many people from different places.”
Dr. Ida Wilson (from Stellenbosch University, South Africa) said that her job is to help farmers in Africa tackle their problems and she loves the input from other African people which made her proud. She also mentors young scientists and they are very excited to read what was published.
Prof. Claire Grierson said these two papers are really important for anyone interested in plant science, from experts to beginners. They give a good understanding of the evolution of plant sciences and all the different topics that need to be explored.
Two articles, titled “One hundred important questions for plant science – reflecting on a decade of plant research” and “One hundred important questions facing plant science: an international perspective,” were published in the New Phytologist journal. They explore ways to understand and solve problems related to care provision in tuberculosis cases in South Africa.
