Research seeks better understanding of pollen movement from ground to sky
Virginia Tech researchers are using genetically engineered switchgrass and drone technology to track how pollen moves through the atmosphere. This study aims to improve forecasting for allergens and manage gene flow between crops.
Why it matters
Understanding atmospheric pollen dispersal is critical for agricultural management, biodiversity protection, and public health allergy forecasting.
Virginia Tech researchers engineered switchgrass, shown in this field, to produce an orange fluorescent protein in its pollen, allowing them to distinguish it from naturally occurring pollen in the environment. Drones equipped with air sampling devices draw airborne particles into a liquid solution as they are flown over the genetically engineered crop.
Newswise — Plant biologists and engineers have extended their studies to the skies to track airborne pollen once it leaves a crop.
In a new study, published in Environmental Monitoring and Assessment , researchers established an accurate methodology for tracking, measuring, and forecasting pollen dispersal of genetically engineered switchgrass at both the ground and atmospheric levels.
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