Shampoo ingredient could wash diesel out of soil
A plant more commonly used for herbal shampoos could be used to clean oil-contaminated soil, according to a new report......»»
Researchers reveal how mycorrhizal species regulate plant-soil carbon in forests
In a study published in Nature Climate Change, researchers led by Prof. Zhu Jiaojun from the Institute of Applied Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have reported a mycorrhizae-mediated trade-off between plant biomass and soil carbon se.....»»
NASA pauses Mars Sample Return mission due to ongoing budget issues
NASA’s iconic mission to bring back samples of Martian soil and rocks has gone awry. The space agency shared that the Mars Sample Return mission … The post NASA pauses Mars Sample Return mission due to ongoing budget issues appeared first on.....»»
Soil study unearths microbe diversity discovery
Human impacted soils tend to harbor different microbial communities to those areas less affected by human activities, a team of researchers working with Bristol school children have found......»»
Unearthing the terroir effect: Grapevine"s transcriptional response to soil variability
Grapevine is a globally significant fruit crop that exhibits remarkable phenotypic plasticity (PP) due to genotype-per-environment interactions (a concept known as terroir). This adaptability impacts physiological, molecular and biochemical aspects o.....»»
Using dust to bust crime scene DNA forensics
An airborne fraction of soil, or dust, contains biological and chemical "signatures" that act as a fingerprint to a specific location. Australian forensic science experts, led by Flinders University, have highlighted the usefulness of the latest tech.....»»
Earthworms are our friends—but they could make the climate crisis worse if we"re not careful
Earthworms are revered for the way they nourish healthy soils, and scientific evidence validates the affection gardeners feel for these industrious invertebrates. Nevertheless, research has shown that our soil-dwelling friends may be less benevolent.....»»
This inside-out design solves most of the rotary engine’s problems
LiquidPiston's designs will show up first in UAVs and generators. Enlarge / On the left, LiqudPiston's High Efficiency Hybrid Cycle engine, on the right, a 25 hp Kohler KDW1003 diesel engine. (credit: LiquidPiston) Rotar.....»»
Using bacteria to make lunar soil more fertile
A team of agronomists and biotechnicians at China Agricultural University has found that adding bacteria to simulated lunar regolith increased the amount of phosphate in the soil for use by plants. In their study, published in the journal Communicati.....»»
Forests with multiple tree species are 70% more effective as carbon sinks than monoculture forests, study finds
To slow the effects of climate change, conserve biodiversity, and meet the sustainable development goals, replanting trees is vital. Restored forests store carbon within the forest's soil, shrubs, and trees. Mixed forests are especially effective at.....»»
Single gene controls Corn Belt weed"s resistance to soil-applied herbicide, study finds
Waterhemp, the aggressive weed threatening Corn Belt crop production, is throwing curveballs once again, according to researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The weed has famously developed resistance to not one or two, but seven.....»»
Study finds almost the same amount of carbon is sequestered in mineral soil and stems in heath forests
A recent study from the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) examined the size of carbon stocks in heath forests and their distribution into different compartments of the forest ecosystem both above and below the ground level. The carbon flux m.....»»
New water-fertilizer strategy to achieve high yield of maize and resource use efficiency simultaneously
Water scarcity and low soil fertility are the main factors limiting crop production in semi-arid regions. One the other hand, excessive water resource input and large amount of fertilizer application not only lead to low water productivity and nitrog.....»»
Global analysis finds too much phosphorus in lakes, too little in the soil
Over-fertilized waterways, impoverished soils: the use of phosphorous in agriculture is creating a dilemma, and it all began thousands of years ago. This has been verified by an analysis published in Global and Planetary Change......»»
Effects of integrated rice-crayfish farming on soil biodiversity and functions
Global food security is currently challenged by global changes, population expansion, and resource constrains. Integrated farming has been proposed as a sustainable approach to boost food production by taking advantage of the synergies between contra.....»»
Agronomists find green way to mitigate the effects of soil salinity
Most crops are sensitive to soil salinity. Excess salts cause salt stress—plants lack water, photosynthesis is suppressed, respiration worsens, chlorophyll breaks down, and potassium ions leak. Water-soluble toxic salts stimulate the synthesis of r.....»»
Analysis finds diversity on the smallest scales in sulfur-cycling salt marsh microbes
At the surface, salt marshes and their windswept grasses can look deceptively simple. But those marshes are teeming with biodiversity, from the insects and migrating birds in the air all the way down to the microbes that live in the soil. Scientists.....»»
Biological fingerprints in soil show where diamond-containing ore is buried
Researchers have identified buried kimberlite, the rocky home of diamonds, by testing the DNA of microbes in the surface soil......»»
Adding crushed rock to farmland pulls carbon out of the air, field test shows
Adding crushed volcanic rock to cropland could play a key role in removing carbon from the air. In a field study, scientists at the University of California, Davis, and Cornell University found the technology stored carbon in the soil even during an.....»»
Using DNA metabarcoding to analyze soil organism composition change in crop rotation farmland
A research team led by Professor Toshihiko Eki of the Department of Applied Chemistry and Life Science, Toyohashi University of Technology and others used DNA metabarcoding to analyze changes in the composition of soil organisms associated with crop.....»»
Soil carried on sea freight loaded with dangerous pests and diseases: Study
Often introduced unintentionally by human activities, invasive alien species can outcompete and overwhelm native flora and fauna, driving species to the brink of extinction and disrupting the balance of ecosystems. Understanding why exactly they esta.....»»