X-ray analysis reveals the inner life of leaves while advancing engineering efforts to reduce 'crop sweat'

Researchers using next-generation X-ray imaging from Argonne National Laboratory have mapped the interior structure of leaves with unprecedented precision, per Phys.org. The team is using these detailed schematics to breed crop plants with improved leaf ventilation systems—an effort to reduce crop sweat, the water plants lose through their leaves to cool themselves. The goal is to develop hardier varieties better suited to heat and drought stress, addressing a key challenge for farms in hot, humid climates.

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