All Soil & Plant Science articles – Page 10
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NewsPlant bacteria deploy phage elements to wipe out the competition
A new study has found that plant bacterial pathogens are able to repurpose elements of their own phages to wipe out competing microbes, suggesting such elements could someday be harnessed as an alternative to antibiotics.
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NewsScientists identify key pathogen targets to tackle black rot in sweetpotato
A new study identifies 31 Ceratocystis fimbriata effector genes and suggests a biotrophic phase, in which the fungus lives off living sweetpotato storage roots before killing it, providing a new perspective on how the disease progresses.
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NewsSoil bacteria respire more CO2 after sugar-free meals
Researchers have tracked the pathways of a mixture of plant waste as it moves through bacteria’s metabolism to contribute to atmospheric CO2. Microbes respire three times as much CO2 from lignin carbons compared to cellulose carbons, they say.
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NewsNew 3D printed imaging device combines education and microbial research
Researchers have developed a 3D-printed imaging device for schools and research centres to study microbes. It enables schools to observe natural phenomena, while researchers will gain useful knowledge about the light-activated bacteria.
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NewsScientists discover genetic defense against Huanglongbing disease
A recent study has pinpointed two key enzymes in Citrus sinensis that play a crucial role in the plant’s defense mechanism against the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), a vector for the lethal huanglongbing (HLB) disease.
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NewsStudy finds antimicrobial resistance in soils across Scotland
Resistance to antibiotics has been found in the environment across Scotland, according to a new study.
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News2,000-year-old shipworm mystery solved - its destructive skills are down to bacterial symbionts
Scientists have discovered that a population of symbiotic microbes, living in an overlooked sub-organ of the shipworm gut called the ’typhlosole’, have the ability to secrete the enzymes needed to digest lignin—the toughest part of wood.
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NewsScientists discover gene for immunity against a disease that ravages rice and wheat crops
Researchers have discovered a gene in rice for resistance to the devastating pathogenic fungus Magnaporthe oryzae , challenging the findings of a study that remained the reference for 25 years.
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NewsRemarkable new plant species steals nutrients from underground fungi
A plant that steals nutrients from underground fungi, has been published as a new species. Thismia malayana is a mycoheterotroph, a plant that does not perform photosynthesis but acts as a parasite, stealing carbon resources from fungi on its roots.
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NewsClimate change boosts olive tree-devouring bacteria in the Mediterranean
Scientists evaluate the different scenarios in which the global epidemic of Xylella fastidiosa transmitted by insects known as leafhoppers develops.
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NewsEarly surveillance of rice bakanae disease using deep learning and hyperspectral imaging
Scientists have developed a fast and non-destructive early diagnosis method for rice bakanae diseases based on hyperspectral data.
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NewsThe world’s most powerful anti-fungal chemistries cause fungal pathogens to self-destruct
Scientists have discovered that the most widely-used class of antifungals in the world cause pathogens to self-destruct. The research could help improve ways to protect food security and human lives.
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NewsOrchids support seedlings through ‘parental nurture’ via shared underground fungal networks
Early stage orchid seedlings germinate and thrive near to adult plants due to a kind of parental nurture using underground fungal networks, a new study has found.
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NewsResearchers expose new symbiosis origin theories, identify experimental systems for plant life
A Mississippi State faculty member’s work on symbiosis is pushing back against the newer theory of a ‘single origin’ of root nodule symbiosis (RNS)—that all symbiosis between plant root nodules and nitrogen-fixing bacteria stems from one point—instead suggesting a ‘multiple-origin’ theory of symbiosis which opens a better understanding of genetically ...
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NewsSalty soil sensitizes plants to an unconventional mode of bacterial toxicity
New research has shown how a single metabolite can render bacteria toxic to plants under high salt conditions. The findings may have important implications for agriculture and plant health in changing climates.
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NewsSoil microorganisms could produce additional greenhouse gas emissions from thawing permafrost
New research demonstrates that soil microbes embedded in the permafrost will go after a class of compounds previously thought to be untouchable under certain conditions: polyphenols.
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NewsUrban gardening may improve human health - thanks to immune-boosting microbial exposure
A one-month indoor gardening period increased the bacterial diversity of the skin and was associated with higher levels of anti-inflammatory molecules in the blood, demonstrated a new study.
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NewsScientists develop novel methods to detect antibiotics in vegetables and earthworms
Using highly sensitive analytical methods, a research team has managed to detect very low levels of antimicrobials in vegetables and earthworms.
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NewsStudy reveals key role of plant-bacteria communication in assembly of a healthy plant microbiome
A new study has found that symbiotic, nitrogen-fixing bacteria can ensure dominance among soil microbes due to their signalling-based communication with the legume plant host.
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NewsAfrican scientists call for equitable research partnerships to advance microbiome research
Scientists identify a critical need for fair and collaborative research efforts to explore the unique and diverse microbiomes found in African populations and environments.