All Soil & Plant Science articles – Page 2
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NewsSoil carbon decomposition varies vastly, holding implications for climate models
A new study shows that even under uniform laboratory conditions, the rate of organic carbon decomposition in soil samples collected across the U.S. differed by up to tenfold, in part due to variations in soil mineral and microbial properties.
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NewsMicrobial nano-selenium breakthrough boosts tea quality and safety
Scientists developing selenium-enriched tea have identified a powerful selenium-reducing bacterium, Raoultella ornithinolytica S-1, capable of converting inorganic selenium into selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) while simultaneously promoting plant growth.
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NewsLivestock manure linked to the rapid spread of hidden antibiotic resistance threats in farmland soils
Scientists have uncovered how even “low-risk” organic fertilizers like dried poultry manure can inadvertently drive a dramatic surge in dangerous antibiotic resistance genes, once released into vegetable plots used for food crops.
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NewsFlower to fruit: tracking the changing fungal community on blueberry plants
A study identifies how fungal diversity changes over time and across tissue types in highbush blueberry, revealing dynamic transitions in the phyllosphere from buds to ripe fruits. Early-season buds and flowers harbor the highest fungal diversity, while unripe green fruits display the lowest.
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NewsResearchers identify mangrove tree stems as previously underestimated methane source offsetting blue carbon benefits
A new study reveals that mangrove tree stems represent a significant yet previously underestimated source of methane. Additionally, stem emissions showed a strong correlation with soil methane fluxes, indicating that methane produced by anaerobic microbial activity in mangrove soils is transported upward through specialized aerenchyma tissues within the trees.
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NewsBacterial scents behind oak tree decline may be luring deadly beetles
The deadly decline of Britain’s native oak trees may be driven by an unexpected accomplice: their own smell. Scientists have discovered that trees affected by Acute Oak Decline (AOD) emit distinct odours that are highly attractive to the beetle Agrilus biguttatus, a key contributor to the decline.
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NewsNew study reveals microbial network restructuring mitigates long-term soil carbon emissions from warming
Scientists conducted a decade-long study that uncovered a previously unrecognized buffering mechanism in subtropical forest soils mitigating the effects of climate warming.
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NewsFungal oxalic acid dampens plant immunity through targeting CERK1 deamidation
Scientists found that oxalic acid was a critical virulence factor for both S. sclerotiorum and B. cinerea during their infections of Arabidopsis plants. Further characterizations revealed that OA-mediated virulence in these fungal pathogens was contingent on CERK1.
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NewsArctic plant–fungal partnerships are surprisingly flexible in a warming world
A new study suggests that Arctic fungi appear to form opportunistic partnerships with whatever plant hosts are available, rather than maintaining exclusive relationships. This flexibility may help both plants and fungi cope with rapid environmental change.
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NewsAdvanced imaging reveals new fungus species in 407-million-year-old plant fossil from Scotland
Researchers have identified a new species of ancient symbiotic fungus preserved within a 407-million-year-old plant fossil from Scotland. The discovery provides unprecedented three-dimensional insight into one of the earliest known plant–fungus partnerships.
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NewsWild grass offers new genetic clues to combat deadliest pathogen of wheat
A new study has identified Aegilops cylindrica, a wild grass closely related to wheat, as a powerful genetic reservoir for resistance against the devastating fungal pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici—the cause of Septoria tritici blotch (STB).
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NewsGrassland degradation reshapes relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality
Grassland degradation fundamentally reshapes how biodiversity supports ecosystem multifunctionality, shifting it from being plant-dominated to being mediated by soil microbes, according to a new study of alpine grassland on the Tibetan Plateau.
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NewsHorizon Awards 2025: Professor Joana Falcao Salles named as winner of Basil Jarvis Award
Professor Joana Falcao Salles, a professor of Microbial Community Ecology at the University of Groningen, has been named as the newest winner of the Basil Jarvis Food Security and Innovation Award.
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NewsScientists uncover global patterns and drivers of orchid mycorrhizal interactions
A global meta-analysis of orchid-fungal associations leads to a general conclusion: an orchid’s fungal community is driven more strongly by its ecophysiology and biogeography than by its phylogeny.
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NewsHeatproof microbes reveal molecular secrets of nature’s hottest recycling system
This study reveals how thermophilic bacterial communities withstand temperatures of up to 87°C by remodeling their molecular machinery. Scientists uncovered a heat-defense network centered on heat shock proteins that refold damaged enzymes and preserve protein structure.
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NewsMicrobiome around Xanthomonas infection in tomato plants signposts scientists to the bacterium of its downfall
Scientists have uncovered a bacterium in the microbiome of tomato leaves that can be used to fight back against infection by Xanthomonas, a disease that poses a major challenge to tomato growers worldwide.
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NewsTwo amino acids help plants decide whether to welcome or repel nitrogen-fixing bacteria
Researchers are one step closer to understanding how some plants survive without nitrogen - a breakthrough that could eventually reduce the need for artificial fertilizer in crops such as wheat, maize, or rice.
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NewsFoxtail barley serves as a host for fungal pathogens attacking barley
Researchers report that foxtail barley (Hordeum jubatum), a wild relative of the cultivated crop, can harbor several fungal pathogens and may play a role in the disease epidemiology of barley, potentially serving as reservoirs of inoculum to initiate some diseases.
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NewsNovel technique reveals insights into soil microbe alarm clock
A new study yields clues about when dormant microscopic bacteria and fungi in soil ‘wake up’ and colonize roots, which influences plant growth and health.
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NewsLichens and drones reveal dinosaur bones
Scientists have found that certain lichen species preferentially colonise exposed dinosaur bones, creating distinctive spectral signatures that can be detected from 30 metres above ground using drones.