All Soil & Plant Science articles – Page 4
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NewsHow Chinese cabbage fights downy mildew
Researchers focusing on the Brassica rapa–Hyaloperonospora parasitica pathosystem identifies DM459 as an Arg–x–Leu–Arg (RXLR) effector that interacts with BraATG8i, activates autophagy, stimulates salicylic acid (SA) signaling, and enhances resistance to downy mildew.
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NewsNew study uncovers why the Arctic’s rivers are rusting
Scientists have identified the two biggest reasons that once-pristine rivers across the Arctic are growing cloudy with toxic orange iron particles that smother insects and suffocate fish. As the climate warms, a layer of Arctic soil that had been frozen for millennia has begun to thaw.
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NewsBiochar could help make tea farming cleaner, safer, and more climate resilient
A new review examines how biochar, a carbon-rich material produced by heating biomass under limited oxygen, could become a practical tool for more sustainable tea cultivation. It focuses on five connected areas: soil properties, microbial communities, nutrient cycling, tea productivity and quality, and heavy metal detoxification.
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NewsSaltier soils may help biochar last longer, new study finds
Researchers found that higher soil salinity can slow the aging of biochar, helping it retain more carbon-rich, aromatic structures while reducing microbial colonization, especially by fungi.
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Long ReadsLosing the Earth’s bounty
Farmland degradation and soil erosion have caused food shortages and the collapse of civilizations throughout human history. Today, soil degradation is a growing driver of global threats such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity. Loss of soil, the resource that supports production of 95% of the food supply, ...
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NewsResearch shows plants such as canola, tomatoes and rice reduce iron uptake when stressed by drought
New research has found that plants, ranging from canola to rice to tomatoes, actively shut down their own ability to take up iron when they experience drought. The study questions whether plants send out a ‘cry for help’ when they are stressed by drought to recruit beneficial soil microbes in their roots.
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NewsProtective soybean seed fungicide treatment may not increase profitability
Researchers analyzed how seed treatments affect yield and profitability in soybean farms in the Midwest and found that yield gains were modest and often did not offset the added cost of the treatment. Additionally, financial benefit was likely only when seed treatment costs were low and soybean prices were high.
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NewsSoil scientist awarded $1.6 million NSF grant to study ‘living skin’ of arid ecosystems
A soil scientist has received a $1.6 million, five-year grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) to fund her team’s study of how increasing temperature fluctuations impact the biocrust microbiome — the complex, thin-layer microbe community that stabilizes soil, fixes nitrogen and drives nutrient cycling in drylands.
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NewsNot all biochar is equal: New perspective calls for clearer claims in carbon removal and soil health
A new perspective warns that biochar’s long-term carbon storage potential and its soil improvement benefits should not be treated as the same thing. Clearer communication is urgently needed as biochar becomes a major player in voluntary carbon markets and climate mitigation strategies.
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NewsRecent study reveals how bacteria capture a rare type of sugar molecule
Researchers have identified a novel transport protein that binds cyclic β-1,2-glucans, revealing unexpected diversity in bacterial sugar uptake mechanisms.
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NewsResearchers transfer nitrogen-harvesting genes into new bacteria
New research has identified a key cluster of genes that can be moved from rhizobia bacteria that harvest nitrogen into bacteria that don’t — raising the possibility that microbes that dwell in cereal crops could eventually be engineered to atmospherically harvest nitrogen as well.
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NewsBiochar and Bacillus team up to help greenhouse cherry tomatoes grow more fruit
A new study shows that pairing biochar with beneficial Bacillus bacteria can unlock soil phosphorus, improve root growth, and increase cherry tomato yield by 23.53% under greenhouse cultivation.
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NewsResearchers link specific microbiomes to archaeological bone degradation
Well-preserved archaeological bone samples have different microbial communities than heavily degraded bone samples, providing a new understanding of how microbes contribute to bone degradation, according to a study.
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NewsPlants predictably select growth boosting microbes regardless of soil type
Soil obtained from across nine UK locations was used to cultivate six key arable crops. Researchers found that although the local soil environment selected which kinds of bacteria were present, the crop species determined the beneficial microbial functions of those bacteria.
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NewsScientists develop an antifungal aqueous suspension to prevent fungal infections in crops and fruit
Researchers have developed an antifungal aqueous suspension for the prevention of fungal infections in crops and fruit during the pre- and post-harvest stages. The new formulation is aimed at the biotechnology and agricultural sectors.
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NewsCall for input: UK government to overhaul fertiliser regulation
Applied Microbiology International is calling on members to contribute after the UK government proposed a major overhaul of fertiliser regulation through a new framework: the UK Fertilising Product Regulations (UK FPR).
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NewsResearchers investigate soil microbes from around the world for new antibacterial drugs
A team of researchers is looking to nature to find microbes that can be used to create new antibiotics to treat the growing threat of drug-resistant bacteria. They will screen soil microbes from around the world to hunt for sources of new antibacterial drugs.
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NewsIs organic farming the solution to enhance natural drought resilience in crops?
New research confirms that soils treated organically for decades favor the increase of bacteria, especially the genus Bacillus, which are characterized by being highly resilient to survive in extreme conditions and act as a ‘protective shield’ of plants.
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NewsSoil science: How AI could help scientists secure a vital global resource
A new paper outlines how AI tools can accelerate soil science by speeding up early-stage work, improving predictions to support decisions on land-use, carbon, and climate adaptation, handling complex data, and freeing scientists to focus on questions that require expert judgment.
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NewsSpraying leaves with carbon dots boosts rice yield and blocks toxic cadmium
In a full-season field test, a nanoscale spray activated a two-part defense system in rice, slashing grain cadmium content by nearly 50% while improving the harvest.