{
  "id": 1675621,
  "title": "How tomato 'golden hour' research could help crops survive heat waves and drought",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/how-tomato-golden-hour-research-could-help-crops-survive-heat-waves",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-18T08:50:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-08-tomato-golden-hour-crops-survive.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "A new study published in Plant Science has identified a daily window, dubbed the \"golden hour,\" that could help breeders develop tomato plants that better withstand drought without sacrificing yield. The research, led by Dr. Sanbon Chaka Gosa and Professor Menachem Moshelion from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, found that the timing of when tomato plants open and close their microscopic leaf pores, known as stomata, may be just as important as the number of stomata they possess. By continuously monitoring whole-plant water use, the researchers discovered that the strongest-performing tomato plants consistently displayed an early morning surge in stomatal activity, opening their stomata when sunlight was already strong but before heat and dry air greatly increased water loss. This period is described as a physiological \"golden hour,\" during which plants maximize photosynthesis while minimizing unnecessary water loss. The study suggests that understanding these dynamic patterns could give breeders new traits to target when developing crops that can thrive under increasingly unpredictable climate conditions.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}