All Soil & Plant Science articles – Page 5
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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.
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NewsPlastic mulch is contaminating agricultural fields
Using plastic sheets for weed control, even under current best management practices, pollutes soil with macro- and micro-plastics and negatively affect critical soil functions, according to a study.
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NewsMicrobes drove methane growth between 2020 and 2022, not fossil fuels, study shows
Microbes in the environment, not fossil fuels, have been driving the recent surge in methane emissions globally, according to a new, detailed analysis.
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NewsLoss of ‘nitrogen fixers’ threatens biodiversity and ecosystems
A new study reveals that increased nitrogen deposition from human activity is reducing the diversity and evolutionary distinctiveness of nitrogen-fixing plants, leading to simplified plant communities with fewer species of nitrogen fixers.
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NewsPlant fungus provides colorectal cancer drug with a new cellular target
A compound derived from a plant fungus effectively kills colorectal cancer cells by attacking the enzyme DCTPP1, which thus may serve as a potential biomarker for colorectal cancer and a therapeutic target.
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NewsSoil’s secret language: Researchers decode plant-to-fungi communication
Researchers have cracked the code of plant-to-fungi communication, using baker’s yeast to reveal that the plant hormone strigolactone (SL) activates fungal genes and proteins associated with phosphate metabolism, a system that is key to growth.
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NewsPhages could replace harmful pesticides with a cleaner, greener alternative
Use of phage therapy in farming could be valuable in replacing chemical pesticides with a safer and greener alternative, helping to address climate change, according to a new review in Sustainable Microbiology.
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NewsLettuce and broccoli more resistant to drought
Researchers have developed a product based on four natural extracts from different plants and algae that stimulates the defences of crops in conditions of drought and salinity.
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NewsNovel Pseudomonas species supports plant growth at high altitudes
Scientists have discovered a new Pseudomonas species isolated from cold Himalayan soil that helps to promote plant growth, offering potential as a bio-inoculant for sustainable agriculture in high-altitude regions.
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NewsFirst-ever imaging of pathogens on lettuce leaves in real-time
Researchers have developed a method that allows for imaging common plant infections. For the first time, this can be done without killing the plant and significantly faster than conventional microscopy.