A leading UK scientist who helped map the bacterial ecosystems of British soil in a world-first study will join The University of Western Australia to lead an expert team in soil rehabilitation research.

Researchers at The University of Western Australia say that "next frontier" of agricultural science is understanding the root system and function of crop plants to significantly increase Australian grain production, keep farms viable and help continue to feed the world despite the onset of increasing drought and climate change.

A disease that affects WA lupin crops will be researched by a student from The University of Western Australia - in Japan.

When South African botanist Lyall Watson claimed in his 1973 best-seller "Supernature" that plants had emotions that could register on a lie detector, scientists scoffed and branded it hippie nonsense.

Ancient Romans thought lupin seed was fit only for wolves to eat, which may be why the Latin word for wolf­ - lupus ­- sounds so similar.

Research carried out by The University of Western Australia in an international collaboration for an aquarium fish collector based in Cairns has uncovered that, contrary to previous assumptions, a sawfish's saw can actually sense electric fields to locate and attack prey.

Overuse of the herbicide glyphosate (Roundup) has caused US crops to become infested with glyphosate-resistant weeds - and a world-leading researcher at The University of Western Australia is fighting to prevent similar outcomes here.

The potential impact of climate change and altered hydrology due to mining activities on a major Pilbara wetland is being studied by a researcher at The University of Western Australia.

It's big, it's old and it lives under the sea and now an international research collaboration with The University of Western Australia's Ocean's Institute has confirmed an ancient seagrass to hold the secrets of the oldest living organism on earth.