All Soil & Plant Science articles – Page 4
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NewsResearchers aim to autonomously eliminate plant-killing bacteria from hydroponic farming systems
Three researchers have received a nearly $600,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop a system that can autonomously detect and remove crop-killing microbes from hydroponic farms before they cause damage to plants.
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NewsTea’s molecular shield against anthracnose
Researchers investigating inducible immune mechanisms activated by tea plants after pathogen infection said the findings show that tea anthracnose resistance is not simply a matter of possessing a resistance-related gene, but of how strongly and rapidly the plant activates its defense network.
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NewsSoil bacteria reveal hidden arsenic stress in brick kilns
Researchers collected soils from a shut-down brick kiln area. As arsenic levels increased, bacterial richness and diversity declined, while arsenic-tolerant groups became more abundant. The study also found that bacteria strengthened stress-response pathways and upregulated arsenic-resistance genes.
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NewsMovement of “forever chemicals” through the Great Lakes
New analysis of 42 years worth of biological records from the Great Lakes, unveils how per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) or “forever chemicals” have moved across the region, contaminating a variety of wildlife.
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NewsOrangutans seek out medicinal plants
New research shows orangutans seek out plants with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties. The findings suggest orangutans eat combinations of plants in specific sequences – consistent with “self-medication” seen in other species.
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NewsThree interlinked factors are needed to sustainably grow microbes for MICP
A new review investigates cost-effective and greener ways to grow microorganisms for use in Microbially Induced Calcium Carbonate Precipitation (MICP), a microbial process that precipitates calcium carbonate, and identifies three interlinked factors that determine success or failure.
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NewsScientists just found something weird inside moss - an unexpected fungal roommate
According to new research, mosses have also been hiding something. Researchers studying desert mosses have found evidence that these ancient plants may host fungi inside their tissues. This relationship has not previously been documented.
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NewsThe greener the street view, the richer the microbiota?
A new study investigates how the Green View Index (GVI) relates to the richness and diversity of bacteria in the Taipei metropolitan area in Taiwan. The more vegetation in the area, the richer its microbial community.
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NewsMicrobes hold the key: unlocking sustainable carbon storage in farmland with biochar
New analysis reveals how soil bacteria and fungi govern biochar’s effectiveness in Chinese agriculture, guiding optimized carbon sequestration strategies
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NewsScientists uncover hidden phosphorus reservoir vital for future food production
Researchers have developed a simpler and more cost-effective method to measure a biologically important form of phosphorus in soils, providing new insights into nutrient cycling that could help improve sustainable agricultural management.
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NewsNanozeolite-coupled biochar fertilizer may help bamboo forest soils hold on to carbon
A new study finds that a biochar-based phosphate fertilizer can reduce soil carbon loss and lower the temperature sensitivity of carbon decomposition in Moso bamboo forests.
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NewsInvisible chemical landscapes shape life
Plants, animals, and microorganisms constantly communicate through chemical signals. A research team has now shown that these signals merge in the environment to form complex “chemical landscapes” that have effects far beyond those of their individual components.
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NewsHow biochar helps soil carbon last longer: microbes turn dissolved organic matter into more stable forms
A long-term field study reveals that biochar does more than add carbon to soil. Over time, it can reshape microbial activity and help transform dissolved organic matter into more humified, stable carbon pools. Source: Tianchu Liu, Shihao Huang, Jing Mu & Xiaomin Zhu Microbial processing drives humification of ...
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OpinionBiopiracy in microbiology: Who owns nature’s resources?
A growing global debate over “biopiracy” is raising urgent questions for microbiologists, researchers, industry and policymakers alike — and Applied Microbiology International is calling on members to help shape the conversation. Biopiracy refers to the unauthorised or unethical use of biological materials — including seeds, plants, ...
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NewsPlant viruses open new routes for gene editing
A new study has developed potyvirus-derived vectors for delivering CRISPR RNA (crRNA) guides in Lachnospiraceae bacterium ND2006 Cas12a (LbCas12a)-expressing plants, expanding virus-induced gene editing from tobacco rattle virus (TRV) to tobacco etch virus (TEV), turnip mosaic virus (TuMV), and lettuce mosaic virus (LMV).
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NewsGlobal map of mycorrhizal fungi reveals true scale of underground networks
Researchers have produced the first global maps visualising the distribution and mass of the Earth’s arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal networks, revealing the true scale of this underground fungal infrastructure.
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NewsFungi help biochar and compost lock more carbon in nutrient-poor urban soils
A new field study shows that soil fungi can determine whether urban greenspace amendments build long-term soil carbon or accelerate carbon consumption.
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NewsBiochar’s hidden electron power could unlock cleaner pollution control and energy recovery
A new review highlights how biochar’s natural redox properties may help overcome key barriers to large-scale environmental applications.
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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.