All Soil & Plant Science articles – Page 7
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NewsChloroplast manipulation: A new strategy in pathogen warfare uncovered
A cutting-edge study shows how a pathogen’s effector protein circumvents plant defenses, targeting the chloroplast protein StFC-II, increasing its levels in chloroplasts and reducing the plant’s ability to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS).
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NewsFungal discovery changes the way we understand Charles Darwin’s most beloved plant – the sundew
A new study has uncovered a symbiotic relationship that has evolved between Darwin’s favourite carnivorous plant and a specific type of fungus which lives inside it and helps it digest its prey.
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CareersMeet the Global Ambassadors: Our Q&A with Suni Mathew
The Microbiologist chats with our new Global Ambassador for Finland, Suni Mathew, a senior researcher at the University of Turku who studies the effects of heavy metal pollution on plant-associated microbial communities in Arctic ecosystems.
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NewsNew method pinpoints virus that targets Ecuador fruit crop
Scientists in Ecuador have developed a new method to detect and diagnose a virus that devastates crops of babaco, a fruit plant of economic importance to local farmers.
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NewsThe banana apocalypse is near, but biologists might have found a key to their survival
Fusarium wilt of banana is decimating the Cavendish banana—the world’s most popular commercially available banana. New research reveals that this strain did not evolve from the strain that wiped out commercial banana crops in the 1950s.
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NewsCould manure and compost act like probiotics, reducing antibiotic resistance in urban soils?
Urban soils often contain chemical contaminants or trace amounts of antibiotics, along with higher levels of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. New research suggests that boosting urban soil health with compost and treated manure may reduce the amount of ’bad’ bacteria.
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NewsNew method for protection from plant pathogens could help support global food security.
By modifying a plant intracellular immune receptor (NLR), researchers have developed a potential new strategy for resistance to rice blast disease, one of the most important diseases threatening global food security. The collaborative team from the UK and Japan have recently published their research in PNAS. This could have implications ...
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NewsResearchers find unexpectedly large methane source in overlooked landscape
Researchers reported that upland landscapes were releasing some of the highest methane emissions yet documented among northern terrestrial ecosystems. The research was sparked when a greenhouse gas began ballooning under lawns in Fairbanks.
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NewsDisaster plant pathology: solutions to combat agricultural threats from disasters
Scientists have published a multidisciplinary perspective on current threats and solutions to plant health and food security, encompassing the risk from environmental factors such as climate change, while also including factors such as political instability and war.
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NewsFAU lands $1.3M NSF grant to boost dryland soil quality amid climate stressors
To enhance understanding of climate resistance of individual microbes and improve microbial remediations to reduce soil degradation under climate change, Florida Atlantic University has received a $1.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
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NewsStudy analyzes potato-pathogen ‘arms race’ after Irish famine
In an examination of the genetic material found in historic potato leaves, researchers reveal more about the tit-for-tat evolutionary changes occurring in both potato plants and the pathogen that caused the 1840s Irish potato famine.
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NewsEnzyme discovery could lead to anti-bacterial pesticides targeting plant disease
Researchers investigating Xanthomonas plant pathogens have identified XccOpgD, a glycoside hydrolase (GH186) that plays a pivotal role in the biosynthesis of CβG16α, which suppresses essential plant defense mechanisms.
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NewsCopper oxide nanoparticles to counter pathogens are synthesized from mango
Researchers have synthesized green copper oxide nanoparticles from Mangifera indica leaf extract. They showed potent activity against gram-positive and negative bacteria, as well as fungicidal effects on persimmon fruit pathogens.
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NewsDerivative of the long pepper battles bacterial biofilms
Scientists investigating the long pepper - known in traditional medicine for its treatment of a variety of illnesses - have created a derivative that disrupts bacterial chemical communication.
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NewsRoot microbiota fight back against leaf-mining flies
A pioneering study reveals how cowpea plants respond to leaf-mining fly attacks by altering their root-associated microbiota. Leafminer infestation changes the rhizosphere microbiome, enriching beneficial nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
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NewsNext generation biosensor reveals gibberellin’s critical role in legume nitrogen-fixation
Researchers have identified the specific times and location where gibberellin (GA governs) the initiation, growth and function of nitrogen-fixing root nodules.
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NewsResearchers collaborate for early monitoring of tar spot disease in corn
Insignum AgTech has begun a collaboration with researchers in Purdue University’s College of Agriculture and College of Engineering to create tools for farmers to identify early stages of tar spot disease outbreaks in their corn plants.
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NewsBoosting plant health: the role of gene exchange with bacteria
Scientists have discovered 75 genes that were transferred between small, fast-growing plants (Arabidopsis thaliana) and its bacterial companions, influencing key processes like carbohydrate metabolism and hormone synthesis.
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NewsTrees reveal climate surprise – bark microbes remove methane from the atmosphere
Tree bark surfaces play an important role in removing methane gas from the atmosphere, according to a new study.
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OpinionUnderstanding plant-microbe interactions to improve the cultivation of biofuels
AMI Global Ambassador Ashley Shade and colleagues Nicole Geerdes and Adina Howe examine how plant-associated microbes can be leveraged to support crops grown on marginal lands for use as biofuel feedstocks.