All Soil & Plant Science articles – Page 12
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NewsNew soil model integrates microbes and large perennial grasses
A new soil model integrates soil microbes and the distinct physiological traits of large perennial grasses into DayCent.
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NewsClimate change disrupts vital ecosystems in the Alps
Reduced snow cover and shifting vegetation patterns in the Alps, both driven by climate change, are having major combined impacts on biodiversity and functioning of ecosystems in the high mountains, according to new research published today.
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NewsScientists create 3D image of the symbiotic communities around plant roots
Researchers report that microbial community composition varies along the root and that this is influenced by the root spatial metabolism.
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NewsClimate change alters the hidden microbial food web in peatlands
A study of protists shows that a neglected part of the peatlands’ microbial food web is sensitive to climate change, and in ways that are currently not accounted for in models that predict future warming.
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NewsGenes identified that allow bacteria to thrive despite toxic heavy metal in soil
Some soil bacteria can acquire sets of genes that enable them to pump the heavy metal nickel out of their systems, a study has found. This enables the bacteria to not only thrive in otherwise toxic soils but help plants grow there as well.
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NewsStudy reviews valorization of depolymerized lignin using microorganisms
Lignin is an abundant natural polymer which is eliminated as a byproduct in the pulp and paper industry. A recent review article explored different microbial processes available for sustainable lignin valorization, yielding not only environmental, but also economic benefits. Researchers highlighted the current advancements as well as ...
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NewsScientists discover new microbial insights hiding above a 60-year-old fire
Soil microbes near the Centralia mine fire reveal new information about how nature responds to — and potentially recovers from — unnatural disasters.
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NewsScientists harness fungal bioluminescence to create glow-in-the-dark plants
Synthetic biologists have reported the discovery of multiple plant enzymes – hispidin synthases – that can perform the most complex reaction of the bioluminescence pathway.
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NewsScientists ID new genus of fungi on grasses
This study examined a mushroom species, Campanella subdendrophora, also known as Tetrapyrgos subdendrophora, which fruits on grasses in the US Pacific Northwest, and determined that a new genus, Metacampanella was needed for this taxon.
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NewsStudy explains how a fungus can control an extremely harmful pest
The research was conducted at SPARCBio, a center established by FAPESP and biological control company Koppert at the University of São Paulo’s Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture.
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NewsMarine algae implants could boost crop yields
Scientists have discovered the gene that enables marine algae to make a unique type of chlorophyll. They successfully implanted this gene in a land plant, paving the way for better crop yields on less land. Source: Robert Jinkerson/Tingting Xiang/UCR Fluorescence image of coral Acropora juvenile polyps hosting the ...
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NewsAMI experts issue warning over UK’s Sustainable Farming Initiative
Applied Microbiology International has urged the UK government to take microbiological considerations into account when creating initiatives like the Sustainable Farming Incentive - warning that the potential benefits arising from such schemes will be limited otherwise.
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NewsMagnetic resonance imaging shows how infection progresses in strawberry crown
Researchers from the Department of Technical Physics and the Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences at the University of Eastern Finland have used magnetic resonance imaging, MRI, to investigate how the pathogen Phytophthora cactorum affects the growth and development of strawberry plants. This pathogen causes crown rot in strawberries and ...
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NewsStudy reveals convergent evolution of algal CO2-fixing organelles
Various pyrenoid-associated proteins have been reported among the algae studied, suggesting that CO2-fixing organelles evolved independently in each algal group.
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NewsScientists target seed microbes to improve seed resilience
Fonio (Digitaria exilis), a type of millet, is the oldest indigenous crop in West Africa and one of the fastest maturing cereals. Despite its low yield, the combination of quick maturation and drought tolerance and its ability to thrive in poor soils make it a useful model for understanding how ...
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NewsResearchers reveal molecular mechanism of CsMLO8/11 in regulating cucumber powdery mildew resistance
Scientists have made important progress in uncovering the molecular mechanism of powdery mildew (PM) resistance in cucumber.
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NewsLow-temperature plasma used to remove E. coli from hydroponically grown crops
A group led by researchers at Nagoya University and Meijo University in Japan has developed a disinfection technology that uses low-temperature plasma generated by electricity to cultivate environmentally friendly hydroponically grown crops. This innovative technology sterilizes the crops, promoting plant growth without the use of chemical fertilizers. Their findings appear ...
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NewsEffects of primer pairs, PCR conditions, and peptide nucleic acid clamps on plant root fungal diversity assessment
A new study evaluates the combined effects of primer pairs, associated annealing temperature (Ta), and PNA clamps in determining the fungal community diversity and composition associated with plant roots.
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NewsGlobal warming increases the diversity of active soil bacteria
Warmer soils harbour a greater diversity of active microbes, reveals a study that represents a shift in our understanding of how microbial activity in the soil influences the global carbon cycle and possible feedback mechanisms on the climate.
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FeaturesNew nitrogen-fixing bacteria for sustainable agriculture
Discover developments in biological nitrogen fixation technology and research, as sustainable agriculture becomes a hot topic.