All Soil & Plant Science articles – Page 5
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NewsResearchers develop model to evaluate food safety control strategies for produce industry
You’ve probably heard of product recalls involving lettuce, spinach, or other leafy greens. Consuming these popular vegetables are among the main causes of food poisoning, affecting thousands of people every year. Leafy greens can become contaminated with pathogenic E. coli or other bacteria through splashes of soil or contaminated irrigation ...
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NewsHidden threats to soil revealed in sewage sludge research
Hidden threats from the agricultural use of contaminated sewage sludge could be contributing to already diminished poor soil health, according to a new report.
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NewsMore attention should be paid to the health of deep soil in low-yield farmland
A recent study identified that a higher soil health index in low-yielding fields may be an important factor to maintain wheat yield as food demand grows rapidly.
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NewsNew collaboration aims to optimize nutrient uptake and tolerance to environmental stress with crop boosting fungi
A joint program to develop methods to accelerate and optimize the in vitro growth of AMF (arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi) for more sustainable agriculture has been announced.
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NewsHistoric outbreaks of coffee wilt disease linked to gene transfer from another fungus
The fungus that causes coffee wilt disease repeatedly took up segments of DNA from a related fungal pathogen, which contributed to successive outbreaks of the disease.
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NewsDo soil microbes affect flowers’ ability to attract bees?
New research reveals that certain soil microbes can help plants grow bigger flowers, therefore attracting more bees.
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NewsNew study discovers the mechanism for fungal colonization of plant roots
Scientists have discovered how the beneficial root fungus Serendipita indica successfully colonizes plant roots of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana.
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NewsAntibiotics from bacteria could counter biotic stress in crops, replacing synthetic chemicals
Actinomycetes-derived antibiotics and other metabolites could be deployed to mitigate biotic stress in crops, potentially replacing synthetic chemicals as chemo-control agents against phytopathogens, a new review suggests.
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NewsClimate impacts on European soils predicted by scientists
New research has revealed how tiny soil microbes are impacted by extreme weather events, offering new insights into the risks posed by climate change.
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NewsHot water best for sanitizing in-shell pecans, sanitizers prevent cross-contamination
To identify best practices for microbial safety in the pecan market, scientists conducted a study to evaluate methods of sanitizing pecans against Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, also known as STEC.
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NewsSoil ecosystem more resilient when land managed sustainably
Compared to intensive land use, sustainable land use allows better control of underground herbivores and soil microbes, a new study shows. The soil ecosystem is thus more resilient and better protected from disturbance under sustainable management.
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NewsBuilding roots in glass, a bio-inspired approach to creating 3D microvascular networks using plants and fungi
Researchers have developed a new and convenient technique for building complex 3D microfluidic networks, using plants and fungi which grew their roots into a ‘soil’ medium of nanoparticles of glass (silica) and a cellulose based binding agent.
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NewsResearchers reveal HIV latency reversing properties in African plant
Scientists have uncovered mechanisms of a medicinal plant with anti-HIV potential. Croton oligandrus Pierre & Hutch is a species of tree used in traditional healing in Cameroon to treat a variety of diseases and conditions including cancers and diabetes.
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NewsOne new genus and 11 new species of fungi proposed
Scientists have proposed new taxa, combinations, and reports under the Didymiaceae and Physaraceae in China, mainly including 1 new genus and 11 new species.
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NewsHow do microbiomes influence the study of life?
Researchers from the awardwinning One Health Microbiome Center reveal how holobiont biology underpins a holistic understanding of how life’s forms and functions, from human disease to agricultural output, depend upon the relationships between microbes and hosts.
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NewsNew technique reveals the living microbes in Earth’s driest desert
An international team of researchers describes a new way to separate extracellular from intracellular genetic material, providing better insights into microbial life in low-biomass environments such as the Atacama Desert.
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NewsScientists predict the spatial-temporal dynamics of soil microbial-derived carbon stocks
Scientists forecasting the spatial-temporal dynamics of microbial-derived carbon stocks revealed that for every 1°C increase in temperature, there was a global decrease of 6.7 Pg in the soil MDC stock within the predictable areas.
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NewsInvasive plants drive homogenization of soil microbial communities across U.S.
A new study found that invasive plants are doing more than just taking over landscapes, they are also changing the soil beneath them.
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NewsNative fungus could offer biocontrol for invasive autumn olive
Researchers are studying a native fungus that potentially could kill the invasive autumn olive with minimal human interaction.To remove the autumn olive currently, the plant needs to have its underground root system removed in addition to the destruction of the plant itself, but this fungus could make this process much easier.
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NewsScientists discover how fungi interact with soil actinomycetes
Discovery of a unique microbial interaction offers potential for environmentally friendly control of rice blast disease.