All Soil & Plant Science articles – Page 16
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NewsScientists unearth how a carnivorous fungus traps and digests worms
A new analysis sheds light on the molecular processes involved when a carnivorous species of fungus known as Arthrobotrys oligospora senses, traps and consumes a worm.
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NewsMicrobes could help reduce the need for chemical fertilizers
Chemical engineers have developed a coating that protects nitrogen-fixing bacteria from heat and humidity, which could allow them to be deployed for large-scale agricultural use.
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NewsNew report outlines microbial solutions to mediate methane emissions
A new report highlights recommendations to further the scientific community’s understanding of microbial processes of methane production and consumption to mitigate methane emissions and address climate change.
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NewsFungi drive ice formation by excreting small proteins
An international team of researchers explored the characteristics and properties of fungal ice nucleators, revealing that they are made up of small protein subunits and play a role in both promoting and inhibiting ice growth.
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NewsAnti-fire blight bacterium shows potential as biocontrol agent to reduce Salmonella contamination of produce
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture have isolated a microbe that can prevent the growth of Salmonella enterica on cantaloupe melons during the pre- and post-harvest periods.
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NewsSignificant genomic insight into tar spot of corn reveals sexual mode
First reported in 2015, tar spot is an emerging disease on corn that has rapidly spread across the United States and Canada, causing tremendous yield loss estimated at $1.2 billion in 2021 alone. Tar spot gets its name from its iconic symptoms that resemble the splatter of ...
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NewsPseudomonas strain turns its sights on parasitic plants
Scientists have discovered that a phloroglucinol-producing Pseudomonas strain shows promise as a biocontrol agent against parasitic plants such as broomrapes that result in major losses in crops.
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NewsAnalysis finds diversity on the smallest scales in sulfur-cycling salt marsh microbes
Scientists have discovered that even among the sulfur-cycling microbes that are responsible for the “rotten egg gas” smell in salt marsh air, diversity extends all the way to genomes and even to individual nucleotides.
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NewsSunflower extract fights fungi to keep blueberries fresh
Rresearchers have reported that compounds from sunflower crop waste prevent rotting in blueberries. They suggest the food industry could use these natural compounds to protect against postharvest diseases.
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NewsMicrobiome of fruit and vegetables positively influences diversity in the gut
In a meta-study, a research team has provided evidence that the consumption of fruit and vegetables contributes positively to bacterial diversity in the human gut.
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NewsChanges in soil organisms in crop rotation farmland accessed by DNA metabarcoding
Researchers using DNA metabarcoding to analyze changes in the composition of soil organisms in corn-cabbage rotation fields found that the soil biota are unexpectedly easily altered by the soil environment, cultivation history and crops.
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NewsSoil carried on sea freight loaded with dangerous plant diseases
Soil collected from the external surfaces of sea freight was found to support live microorganisms, worms, seeds and insects,, confirming that shipping containers provide a pathway for the movement of exotic species.
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NewsStudy demonstrates antimicrobial action of polyalthic acid from copaiba oil
Polyalthic acid from copaiba oil is an effective antibacterial and should be used to develop alternative medications that can contribute to the effort to overcome antimicrobial resistance, according to a new study.
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News$7.3M grant to expand wheat pathogen surveillance
One of the world’s largest crop pathogen surveillance systems is set to expand its capacity to protect wheat productivity in food vulnerable areas of East Africa and South Asia.
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NewsVacuum cleaner-effect in fungi can hold nanoplastics at bay
Researchers have found that while nanoplastics reduce both bacterial and fungal growth, the fungus actually manages to ’clean up’ their surroundings, thereby easing the effect of the plastics.
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NewsResearchers uncover how soil bacterium detoxifies tomato metabolite
Scientists have revealed that the tomato root associated bacterium Sphingobium possesses a series of enzymes that hydrolyze the metabolite tomatine, detoxifying it.
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CareersAdam probes biofilm formation by Bacillus subtilis in his Summer Placement
Adam Bryson (21), from Dunblane, reveals what happened during his Applied Microbiology International-sponsored Summer Placement at the University of Dundee investigating biofilm formation by soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis.
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NewsEmerging diseases threatening trees around the world are accelerating
A study analyzing more than 900 new disease reports on 284 tree species in 88 countries found that the number of new disease emergences globally is doubling every ~11 years, with pines accumulating the most new diseases.
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News‘Lawnmower-like’ viruses change up after dry soils are watered
Viruses in soil may not be as destructive to bacteria as once thought and could instead act like lawnmowers, culling older cells and giving space for new growth.
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NewsSoil bacteria prevail despite drought conditions
Recent research has uncovered the resilience of certain soil microorganisms in the face of increasing drought conditions. While many bacteria become inactive during dry spells, specific groups persist and even thrive.