All Soil & Plant Science articles – Page 3
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NewsDegradable sensors reveal hidden soil secrets
New degradable sensors being developed by soil scientists track biological activity in soil by having a degradable substrate that is nibbled on by microbes.
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NewsSlow down, microbes: When wheat learns to protect the nitrogen
Wheat plants can do more than grow grain. Research shows that their roots release natural compounds that slow down soil microbes and keep nitrogen in the soil potentially cutting losses, greenhouse gas emissions and costs for farmers.
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NewsScientists probe antiviral molecules in bacteria that target bacteriophages
Researchers have examined the antiviral molecule daunorubicin, produced by Streptomycetes, and decoded its mode of operation against viruses. They now describe this mechanism, which primarily targets a specific group of viruses – namely bacteriophages.
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NewsBiochar triggers a five-year soil recovery cascade in acidifying rice paddies
A long-term field study reveals how biochar reshapes soil chemistry, microbes, viruses, and metabolites to support healthier agricultural ecosystems.
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NewsTwo types of biochar help alfalfa survive salty soils
A new study shows that carefully designed biochar can guide plant metabolism and reshape beneficial microbial communities around the roots to help reduce stress from saline-alkali soil.
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NewsNew antibiotic attacks bacteria in never-before-seen way
Scientists have discovered a new antibiotic that works in a never-before-seen way and may be the next frontliner in the fight against drug-resistant superbugs.
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NewsBiochar and beneficial microbes team up to restore polluted soils and boost crop growth
A new review examines how biochar-immobilized microbes can help clean contaminated soils, improve soil health, and support crop growth. By analyzing evidence from 92 published studies, the authors provide a data-driven overview of how this technology works and what is needed to bring it closer to practical use on farms.
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NewsWarming may weaken biochar’s climate benefits in cropland soils, global study finds
Researchers found that warming significantly increased carbon dioxide emissions from soils treated with biochar by an average of 77%. The effect was especially strong in croplands, where emissions increased by 117.5%, compared with 30.9% in forest soils.
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NewsReducing the use of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser via improving nitrogen uptake in corn plants
A new agricultural project will help reduce the use of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer through the design of corn plants that better use nitrogen already in the soil.
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NewsPlants could be used to grow medicines in space, study shows
Astronauts on long space missions may one day use plants to produce fresh stocks of medicines on demand. Researchers developed a simple method to grow and repeatedly harvest plant virus-based pharmaceuticals from plants under space-like conditions, without destroying the plants or generating large amounts of waste.
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NewsEurope’s crops under threat: €6 million project launches to tackle rising plant pest crisis
The University of Warwick leads a European consortium to build the first platform capable of coordinating Europe’s response to devastating agricultural and forest pest invasions. The project will give plant health authorities the ability to model and optimise pest control strategies across the entire agri-value chain.
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NewsHow are chloroplasts communicating with the nucleus? Bacterial enzymes show the way
By utilizing bacterial enzymes that cleave heme molecules at different sites, researchers have developed a method to dissect phytochrome-dependent light and heme retrograde signaling pathways in plants, which have previously been difficult to discuss separately.
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NewsNew study provides insights into the control of photosynthesis
Scientists have discovered a previously unknown regulatory mechanism in plant photosynthesis in the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. It helps plants adapt to changes in light conditions. A crucial protein interaction at the interface between the two photosystems I and II controls the photosynthetic machinery.
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NewsMethane emissions maximised by global warming
A new study explains how increases in natural methane emissions will be maximised under future climate warming. It showed that while methane consuming microbes do work harder under warmer conditions, they cannot fully check the extra methane being produced with warming.
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NewsBiochar can reshape how soils respond to warming, but the effect depends on the soil
A new study shows that biochar can change how strongly soil nitrous oxide emissions respond to rising temperatures. But the effect is not one-size-fits-all. The study found that nitrous oxide emissions increased with warming in both agricultural soil and forest soil, but forest soil was more temperature-sensitive than agricultural soil.
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NewsArctic river deltas at risk from mounting pressures
Researchers have performed a detailed calculation of the amount of carbon stored in permafrost in Arctic river deltas. In a new study, they point out the risks endangering the storage function of these highly sensitive landscapes due to rapid climate change.
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NewsIron-modified biochar turns soil oxygen into a cleaner for antibiotic pollution
Antibiotic residues in agricultural soils are an emerging environmental concern, with potential impacts on soil health, crop safety, and the spread of antimicrobial resistance. A new study reports on an iron-modified biochar that helps soil use its own oxygen and iron chemistry to break down sulfamethoxazole.
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NewsLong-term biochar use can help cropland soils store more microbial carbon, but depth matters
A 12-year field study shows that biochar boosts stable microbial carbon in topsoil while reducing it in deeper soil layers, highlighting the need for depth-specific carbon management.
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NewsThe right heat makes biochar a better helper for food waste composting
A new study finds that hardwood biochar made at 400 °C best protects nitrogen during food waste digestate composting, offering a practical route to cleaner and higher-quality compost.
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NewsMagnetic biochar gel helps keep arsenic and antimony out of rice
A new study reports a promising strategy for mining-impacted regions: a magnetic silicon-enriched biochar gel that can immobilize both arsenic and antimony in contaminated paddy soil and reduce their accumulation in rice grains.