All Soil & Plant Science articles
-
NewsSoil Stars join forces to develop ambitious challenges to tackle global soil degradation
Scientists, farmers, policymakers, business leaders, investors and leading voices from science and culture have joined forces to develop ambitious new challenges designed to harness the power of soil microbes to tackle global soil degradation.
-
NewsWeather and poultry litter shape E. coli survival in onion fields
How long can E.coli survive in the soil beneath an onion crop? A two-year field study suggests the answer depends not only on the type of poultry-based fertiliser used, but also on weather conditions such as humidity, rain, temperature and wind. The findings could help growers and regulators better assess food safety risks as extreme weather becomes more common.
-
NewsMicrobes supercharge plant nutrition
Researchers have shown that microorganisms can improve the amino acid composition of crops. A new method can make plant-based foods more nutritious and also improve animal feed. In the long term, it could help reduce nitrogen emissions from agriculture
-
NewsHow and where mcrobes die in soil influences residues, organic matter, and soil health
Healthy soils depend not just on plant inputs, but also on the remains of microbes. A new study found that microbial residues build up when they bind to fine-textured, non-crystalline minerals that are rich in reactive iron.
-
VideoSoil Stars Heligan Summit Highlights
Watch highlights from the Soil Stars Heligan Summit and hear from those involved about the ideas, discussions and ambitions that shaped the meeting.
-
NewsAFYREN and Terrial renew their partnership for French-manufactured potash fertilizers
AFYREN and Terrial today announce the renewal of their strategic partnership with the signing of a new multi-year fertilizer supply contract, worth several tens of millions of euros This long-term contract strengthens both companies’ commitment to making French agriculture more sustainable and less dependent on international fertilizer markets.
-
NewsThe Andes were supposed to stop this cacao killer - they didn’t
Black pod disease destroys up to a quarter of the world’s cacao every year. A study provides the first comprehensive portrait of Phytophthora palmivora’s genetic structure in Colombia. Researchers genotyped and virulence-tested 73 isolates gathered from 48 locations across the country’s three main cacao-growing regions.
-
NewsRoot gene panel reveals hidden apple replant disease
In-depth research is needed to identify biomarkers that can diagnose apple replant disease (ARD) consistently across diverse soils. Researchers measured the expression of 90 candidate genes in the roots of ARD-sensitive ‘M.26’ apple plants grown in soils from 151 German sites.
-
NewsHow straw is returned to soil can make a major difference in nitrous oxide emissions
Returning crop straw to farmland is widely used to recycle nutrients and improve soil quality. But new research shows that the way straw is returned to soil can strongly influence how effectively it limits emissions of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas.
-
NewsChina’s microecology journey points to a one health future
Microbes are often associated with disease, but the trillions of microorganisms living in and around us also help support health, food production and environmental balance. A new review in Microbiome and One Health examines the development of China’s microecology field across more than 70 years and its contribution to the ...
-
NewsNew dynamic vision of the rhizosphere moves beyond the drive to just add more inputs
A new Perspective argues the case for an expanded view of the rhizosphere as a dynamic system, paving the way for a vision of sustainable soil management that moves beyond simply adding more fertilizers, microbial products, or other inputs.
-
NewsCan this biotech innovation halt the destructive march of a cereal killer?
Researchers explored a recently discovered class of plant defence receptors, showing at molecular level how they function to limit blast pathogen attacks and how they might be bioengineered to introduce broader more durable immunity into wheat, barley, and rice.
-
NewsScientists reveal tissue culture-free (“ex vitro”) transformation method for trees
This technology introduces a novel “ex vitro” transformation method that utilizes Agrobacterium rhizogenes to genetically modify the roots of woody plants without the necessity for tissue culture.
-
NewsSixteen new fungus species found hiding in Thailand’s flowers
Researchers have discovered sixteen new species of fungus living unnoticed inside garden and wild flowers across northern Thailand, more than quintupling the number of such fungi known to occur in the country.
-
NewsSuccession of colonising fungi reveals the dynamic nature of herbivore dung
Scientists investigating fungi colonising the dung of African herbivores, including rhinoceros, giraffe and zebra, have revealed how different groups of fungi succeed one another as dung decomposes.
-
Long ReadsHow indigenous microbes could rescue the Niger Delta
Benzene contamination from decades of oil exploitation has turned the Niger Delta’s groundwater into a slow-acting poison for millions of people. Yet the solution may already be living in the contaminated sediment itself, if only the political will exists to deploy it.
-
NewsHow a pathogen turns flowers into leaves
Scientists have found how a protein produced by bacteria disrupts the mechanism that controls flower development in plants, turning reproductive organs into leaf-like structures. These findings shed light on a plant disease that is expected to spread as climate change expands the range of its insect vectors in northern latitudes.
-
NewsFungi neutralize spruce defense mechanisms with sugar
A newly discovered detoxification strategy employed by fungi disarms spruce defense compounds by binding a sugar to them, which makes spruce trees more susceptible to bark beetle attacks.
-
NewsBreakthrough optimization of chlamydospore fermentation for Cladophialophora guangxiense HX2
The dark septate endophyte Cladophialophora guangxiense HX2 exhibits excellent control efficacy against tomato bacterial wilt but industrial production of its chlamydospores has been challenging. Researchers have optimized the liquid fermentation process using chlamydospore yield of strain HX2 as the key response indicator.
-
NewsShapeshifting plant roots rely on a balance of anatomy, metabolism, and microbes to maximize survival
Scientists have identified the mechanisms that allow plants to change their root anatomy to maximise survival when nutrients are scarce. The findings could pave the way for developing new ways to improve beneficial plant-microbe interactions in agriculture.