All Soil & Plant Science articles
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NewsOcean bacteria team up to break down biodegradable plastic
Researchers uncovered the role of individual ocean bacteria in the breakdown of a widely used biodegradable plastic. They also showed the complementary processes microbes use to fully consume the plastic, with one microbe cleaving the plastic into its component chemicals and others consuming each chemical.
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NewsWhen waste becomes fertilizer: Can sludge-derived liquids reshape aquatic life in farmlands?
Hydrothermal carbonization has been proposed as a soil amendment to reduce synthetic fertilizer inputs and enhance crop productivity. Research finds it reshapes community assembly, trophic interactions, and functional expression in periphyton, with network integrity emerging as the primary driver of ecosystem functioning.
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NewsCorpses leave microbial fingerprints behind in the soil long after they’re gone
Researchers have found that trace elements of a cadaver linger at an original dump site even after an extensive amount of time. These elements can provide insights into postmortem processes, helping forensic investigators uncover clandestine burials and relocate the remains of murder victims.
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NewsMachine learning reveals when biochar helps or harms soil life
Researchers have shown that biochar can either help or harm soil organisms depending on how it is produced and applied. The research analyzed results from dozens of previous experiments to better understand how biochar affects plants, microbes, and soil animals.
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NewsScientists trace crop viruses back to the last Ice Age
Long before humans cultivated crops or sailed between continents, a group of plant viruses was already evolving among wild plants in Eurasia. Tthe ancestors of modern tymoviruses likely emerged before the last Ice Age, a new study reveals.
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NewsTiny vesicles, big risk: Environmental sweeteners trigger antibiotic resistance transfer
A new study reveals that mixtures of artificial sweeteners can stimulate soil bacteria to release microscopic extracellular vesicles that carry antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs).
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NewsShifting from biotic to abiotic drivers of urban microbial multifunctionality under drought and rehydration
Scientists conducting microcosm experiments on Zoysia japonica, a common urban turfgrass, simulated four drought intensities and recovery by rehydration. They analyzed alteration in microbial communities and biochemical cycling to pinpoint the drivers of urban microbial multifunctionality.
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NewsSoybeans recruit beneficial soil microbes to defend against major pest
Researchers report that resistant soybean varieties actively recruit beneficial soil microorganisms that help suppress soybean cyst nematode. Even more striking, those protective microbes can be transferred to soil to help defend susceptible soybean plants.
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NewsScientists successfully harvest chickpeas from ‘moon dirt’
Scientists have successfully grown and harvested chickpeas using simulated “moon dirt,” the first instance of this crop produced in this medium. They added vermicompost and coated the chickpeas with the fungi arbuscular mycorrhizae before planting.
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NewsHidden viral networks in soil microplastics may shape the future of sustainable agriculture
A new scientific review highlights the complex interactions between soil microbes and viruses that occur on the surface of microplastic particles. The study reveals that these microscopic relationships may influence soil health, ecosystem recovery, and the long term sustainability of agriculture.
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NewsPig farm ammonia pollution may indirectly accelerate climate warming, new study finds
A new study shows that ammonia released from intensive livestock farms can significantly increase nearby soil emissions of nitrous oxide, a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change and ozone depletion.
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NewsNitrous oxide, a product of fertilizer use, may harm some soil bacteria
While some nitrous oxide is produced naturally at the plant root, agricultural practices can increase its levels. While it has long been believed that nitrous oxide doesn’t meaningfully interact with living organisms, a new paper shows that it may in fact shape microbial communities.
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NewsModified biochar helps compost retain nitrogen and build richer soil organic matter
A new study reports that specially engineered biochar can significantly improve compost quality by reducing nitrogen loss and accelerating the formation of stable humic substances. The findings offer a promising strategy for transforming organic waste into more effective fertilizers while lowering environmental emissions. Composting plays a critical ...
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NewsProlonged drought linked to instability in key nitrogen-cycling microbes in Connecticut salt marsh
A prolonged drought in southeastern Connecticut reduced the stability of microorganisms responsible for a critical step in the nitrogen cycle in a coastal salt marsh, according to new research.
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NewsBiodegradable mulch isn’t disappearing as expected, new study warns
Scientists investigated how soybean roots influence the degradation of PBAT microplastics in soil. They tracked both polymer loss and monomer accumulation over a full 70-day plant growth cycle, revealing size-dependent and condition-specific rhizosphere effects.
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NewsEditing for timing, not overdrive: A new genetic route to fire blight resistance in apple
Fire blight remains one of the most destructive bacterial diseases threatening global apple production. A new study identifies a family of inducible lectin genes, MdAGGs, as critical components of apple immune defense and demonstrates that their precise activation timing is key to effective resistance.
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NewsAncient symbiosis between plants and fungi: Important insights for sustainable agriculture
Almost all plants live in close symbiosis with so-called mycorrhizal fungi – an important symbiosis for absorbing essential nutrients. Scientists have discovered that this mycorrhizal symbiosis is very sensitive to imbalances of certain nutrients in the soil.
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NewsPeriphyton closes the nitrogen budget gap in rice paddies
Scientists identify a previously overlooked microbial N sink in rice paddies. Periphyton, a thin microbial community that develops at the soil–water interface, is composed of algae, bacteria, and extracellular polymeric substances, forming a dense microhabitat with strong capacities for nutrient uptake, transformation, and temporary storage.
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NewsEpigenetic rewiring fuels potato susceptibility to late blight
Scientists performed whole-genome bisulfite sequencing and RNA sequencing on the widely cultivated potato cultivar Qingshu No.9 following Phytophthora infestans infection, uncovering dynamic DNA methylation shifts that correlate with large-scale transcriptional reprogramming and immune suppression.
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NewsMicrobes unlock a hidden natural source of mercury emissions from ‘stable’ minerals
A new study reports a previously overlooked natural mechanism that could contribute substantially to global mercury emissions. Researchers show that chemolithoautotrophic microbes can use mercury sulfide nanominerals as an energy source and, in the process, release volatile Hg0 into the air.