All Agriculture articles – Page 7
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NewsBiochar’s climate promise depends on soil type: Cuts N₂O in dry fields but boosts it in rice paddies
By tracing the exact microbial pathways responsible for N₂O production, the scientists reveal why the same soil amendment produces opposite climate outcomes under different land uses.
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NewsBiochar particle size found to shape disease control in crops
Researchers have discovered that the particle size of biochar determines how effectively and how long it can suppress soil-borne pathogens, offering new insights for sustainable agriculture.
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NewsA newly identified disease of corn and sorghum may be mistaken for iron deficiency
A newly identified bacterial disease affecting corn and sorghum can closely resemble iron deficiency, potentially leading farmers to apply costly nutrient treatments that do not address the underlying problem.
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NewsLong-term biochar use reshapes soil carbon storage through microbial pathways
A new long-term study reveals that biochar, a carbon-rich material derived from crop residues, can significantly enhance soil carbon storage, but its effectiveness depends strongly on land use and soil type.
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NewsStudy identifies causes of potato dry rot in Colorado
Researchers have identified multiple fungal species causing dry rot in Colorado. By analyzing structural and molecular features, plant pathologists identified four Fusarium species associated with potato dry rot – including one that hadn’t previously been found in the U.S.
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NewsTurning agricultural waste into smarter livestock nutrition tools - and an alternative to antibiotics
A new study has found that biochar made from agricultural waste such as chestnut shells and vine prunings could help deliver beneficial compounds more effectively in animal feed, offering a promising alternative to antibiotics in livestock production.
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NewsWhen waste becomes fertilizer: Can sludge-derived liquids reshape aquatic life in farmlands?
Hydrothermal carbonization has been proposed as a soil amendment to reduce synthetic fertilizer inputs and enhance crop productivity. Research finds it reshapes community assembly, trophic interactions, and functional expression in periphyton, with network integrity emerging as the primary driver of ecosystem functioning.
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NewsScientists design metal-enhanced biochar to boost clean hydrogen production from agricultural waste
A new study reports that specially engineered biochar made from agricultural waste could significantly increase biohydrogen production by improving the way microbes transfer electrons during fermentation.
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NewsMachine learning reveals when biochar helps or harms soil life
Researchers have shown that biochar can either help or harm soil organisms depending on how it is produced and applied. The research analyzed results from dozens of previous experiments to better understand how biochar affects plants, microbes, and soil animals.
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NewsScientists trace crop viruses back to the last Ice Age
Long before humans cultivated crops or sailed between continents, a group of plant viruses was already evolving among wild plants in Eurasia. Tthe ancestors of modern tymoviruses likely emerged before the last Ice Age, a new study reveals.
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NewsSoybeans recruit beneficial soil microbes to defend against major pest
Researchers report that resistant soybean varieties actively recruit beneficial soil microorganisms that help suppress soybean cyst nematode. Even more striking, those protective microbes can be transferred to soil to help defend susceptible soybean plants.
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NewsHidden viral networks in soil microplastics may shape the future of sustainable agriculture
A new scientific review highlights the complex interactions between soil microbes and viruses that occur on the surface of microplastic particles. The study reveals that these microscopic relationships may influence soil health, ecosystem recovery, and the long term sustainability of agriculture.
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NewsNew study reveals how hygienic honey bees show unique advantages in fighting infectious pathogens in adult bees
For the first time, research shows that a key social trait in honey bees is linked to measurable physiological advantages that can improve colony survival. The study uncovers how hygienic honey bee colonies mount stronger individual immune defenses against Nosema ceranae.
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NewsPig farm ammonia pollution may indirectly accelerate climate warming, new study finds
A new study shows that ammonia released from intensive livestock farms can significantly increase nearby soil emissions of nitrous oxide, a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change and ozone depletion.
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NewsModified biochar helps compost retain nitrogen and build richer soil organic matter
A new study reports that specially engineered biochar can significantly improve compost quality by reducing nitrogen loss and accelerating the formation of stable humic substances. The findings offer a promising strategy for transforming organic waste into more effective fertilizers while lowering environmental emissions. Composting plays a critical ...
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NewsBiodegradable mulch isn’t disappearing as expected, new study warns
Scientists investigated how soybean roots influence the degradation of PBAT microplastics in soil. They tracked both polymer loss and monomer accumulation over a full 70-day plant growth cycle, revealing size-dependent and condition-specific rhizosphere effects.
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NewsEditing for timing, not overdrive: A new genetic route to fire blight resistance in apple
Fire blight remains one of the most destructive bacterial diseases threatening global apple production. A new study identifies a family of inducible lectin genes, MdAGGs, as critical components of apple immune defense and demonstrates that their precise activation timing is key to effective resistance.
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NewsAncient symbiosis between plants and fungi: Important insights for sustainable agriculture
Almost all plants live in close symbiosis with so-called mycorrhizal fungi – an important symbiosis for absorbing essential nutrients. Scientists have discovered that this mycorrhizal symbiosis is very sensitive to imbalances of certain nutrients in the soil.
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NewsPeriphyton closes the nitrogen budget gap in rice paddies
Scientists identify a previously overlooked microbial N sink in rice paddies. Periphyton, a thin microbial community that develops at the soil–water interface, is composed of algae, bacteria, and extracellular polymeric substances, forming a dense microhabitat with strong capacities for nutrient uptake, transformation, and temporary storage.
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NewsEpigenetic rewiring fuels potato susceptibility to late blight
Scientists performed whole-genome bisulfite sequencing and RNA sequencing on the widely cultivated potato cultivar Qingshu No.9 following Phytophthora infestans infection, uncovering dynamic DNA methylation shifts that correlate with large-scale transcriptional reprogramming and immune suppression.