All Soil & Plant Science articles – Page 3
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NewsEarthworms turn manure into a powerful tool against antibiotic resistance
Earthworms could become unexpected allies in the global fight against antibiotic resistance, by helping farmers turn manure into safer, high-value organic fertilizer through vermicomposting. Researchers report it can remove antibiotic resistance genes far more consistently than conventional composting.
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NewsScientists find microbes enhance the benefits of trees by removing greenhouse gases
Australian researchers have discovered a hidden climate superpower of trees. Their bark harbours trillions of microbes that help scrub the air of greenhouse and toxic gases.
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NewsA single gene underlies begomovirus resistance in eggplant
Researchers identified a gene in eggplant (Solanum melongena) that provides resistance to begomovirus infection. The work reveals a previously unknown defense mechanism and highlights clear biological differences between virus-resistant and virus-susceptible plants.
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NewsHow do biodegradable plastic films affect microplastics and soil microorganisms in paddy fields?
A study shows that biodegradable plastic films not only have the yield-preserving advantages of traditional plastic films, but also reduce the environmental risks of long-term accumulation of microplastics through synergistic effect with soil microorganisms.
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NewsNew study uncovers how rice viruses manipulate plant defenses to protect insect vectors
Rather than passively “hitchhiking” within insect vectors, rice viruses actively manipulate plant defense pathways to protect their insect carriers.
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NewsResearchers eye goal of turning garden and crop waste into plastics
A research team will combine eco-friendly and application-oriented approaches to develop a cost-effective, energy-efficient technology for making innovative plastics based on polybutylene succinate (PBS) which are made entirely out of organic waste.
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NewsScience army mobilizes to map US soil microbiome
A small army of researchers are working to catalog the vast and largely unknown soil microbiome of the United States. The project, one of the biggest microbiome studies ever attempted, has already resulted in the discovery of more than 1,000 new strains of bacteria and never-before-seen microbes.
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NewsRice genes matter more than domestication in shaping plant microbiomes
A new study reveals that the specific genetic identity of a rice plant plays a stronger role than whether it is wild or domesticated in determining which microbes it hosts and how those microbes function.
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NewsHow a fungus leads to tissue growths in maize
When a maize plant is attacked by the fungus Ustilago maydis, tumor-like tissue growths occur at the site of infection. How the pathogen causes this response in its host has long been unknown. But a study has now shown how the fungus takes over the plant’s function for forming lateral roots.
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NewsSoil microbes in Colombia’s páramo and tropical forests respond to seasonal shifts
A new study has demonstrated that microbial communities in the soil of Colombia’s tropical forests and high-altitude páramos are significantly influenced by seasonal changes, particularly during the dry season.
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NewsFifteen-year cattle manure application reshapes phoD- and gcd-harboring microbiomes, enhancing vegetable yields
A new study demonstrates that combined manure and chemical fertilizer (M+CF) in an open-field lettuce cropping system enhanced both diversity (+45.3%) and abundance (+290%) of gcd-harboring bacteria.
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CareersA day in the life of a soil microbial ecologist
Dr. Taniya RoyChowdhury, a soil microbial ecologist and biogeochemist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, describes a typical day.
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NewsStage-specific microbial dynamics underpin ecosystem restoration on tropical coral islands
Facilitating the establishment of self-sustaining plant communities has become a crucial scientific and technological issue that urgently needs to be addressed in advancing marine ecological civilization and maintaining ecological safety on tropical coral islands.
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NewsFungal denitrification dominates soil N2O emissions after vegetation restoration in the Karst region
A new study demonstrates that soil fungal nirK-derived N2O in the karst region are significantly distinct between cropland and forest, soil NO3‒-N and sand are important drivers of the soil N2O emissions variation, especially after vegetation restoration.
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NewsProtists revealed as key players in soil carbon storage: Dual role uncovered in long-term study
A groundbreaking 27-year field study reveals that how soil protists differentially control fungal and bacterial necromass accumulation—a key process governing SOC storage.
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NewsBlack carbon from straw burning curbs antibiotic resistance spread in plastic-mulched farmland
By tracking ARG movement from soil into soybeans, a new study shows that black carbon not only counteracts the ARG-amplifying effects of plastic residues but also limits the transfer of resistance genes into plant tissues and seeds.
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CareersScientific Event Travel Grant: how the Safepork conference surpassed my expectations
Shan Goh from the University of Hertfordshire reports back on the International Symposium on the Epidemiology and Control of Biological, Chemical and Physical Hazards in Pigs and Pork held in Rennes, France, in October. Shan was supported with a Scientific Event Travel Grant awarded by AMI.
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NewsA new study reveals the microbial biodiversity of dehesa soil
A study reveals the underground interactions between fungi and oomycetes in twenty Andalusian dehesas, wooded pasturelands typical of the Iberian Peninsula, making it possible to identify the role of water as the main driver of microorganism diversity and to shed new light on the pathogen responsible for la seca.
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NewsSoil bacteria and fungi emerge as a top predictor of childhood allergic disease
The unique blend of fungi and bacteria in a region’s soil may be the strongest factor explaining its rates of childhood allergic disease, with certain assemblages of soil critters appearing linked with better health outcomes, according to new research.
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NewsUnique bond identified as key to viral infection speed
Viruses are typically described as tiny, perfectly geometric shells that pack genetic material with mathematical precision, but new research reveals a deliberate imbalance in their shape that helps them infect their hosts.