Soil degradation, plant autotoxicity, and soil-borne diseases are primary causes of continuous cropping obstacles. Effective measures to reduce CCOs include regulating the rhizosphere, optimizing water and fertilizer management, conservation tillage, and soil biological regulation.
Researchers developed low-cost, real-time sensors that can monitor nitrate in soil, enabling farmers to make informed decisions on fertilizer usage. The sensors have been tested in various soil types and showed accurate results.
Researchers at the University of Zurich discovered that plants benefit from a variety of interactions with pollinators and herbivores, leading to local adaptation and ecotypes. Plants pollinated by bumblebees adapted best to different soil types, while others showed less significant adaptation.
A recent Illinois-led study found that soil moisture variability remains consistent across growing and non-growing seasons in fields across the Midwest. The research team used sensor measurements and remote sensing data to reveal a stable pattern of dry and wet areas, which can be used to estimate high-resolution soil moisture products.
Researchers developed a simple method to measure nano/microplastic concentrations in soil using spectroscopy, eliminating the need for separation processes. The method uses a wavelength combination of 220–260 nm and 280–340 nm to accurately quantify N/MPs in different soil types.
A novel conceptual framework designs four functional layers to optimize conditions for horticultural growth in plastic-greenhouse environments. The soil profile includes a mulch layer, root-carbon layer, soil-carbon mix layer, and water conservation layer tailored to address specific challenges faced by plants.
Researchers at the University of Tennessee have found that storing soil samples under refrigerated or air-dried conditions can retain microbial community composition and structure for many years. This discovery can help future researchers save time and energy when studying microorganisms in soils.
A review study published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment highlights the need for better monitoring of changes in soil and surrounding ecosystems after wildfires. This enhanced monitoring could inform decisions on treating drinking water sourced from burned areas, reforestation, and protecting workers against toxins.
A new study predicts key soil health indicators such as organic matter content and soil texture using standard tests. This can guide fertilization, irrigation, and herbicide decisions, reducing turnaround time by at least half. The models are accurate for fine and medium soils but less so for sandy soils.
Researchers found that water erosion acts as a net sink of atmospheric CO2, offsetting horizontal soil organic carbon removal. The study suggests that ecological restoration projects and tillage practices can improve the capacity of the carbon sink for recovery beyond the rate of horizontal carbon removal.
Researchers found a relationship between microbiome and seed chemistry in mustard, but mechanism of effect unknown. Soil microbes may contribute to crop flavor beyond previously known properties.
Desert soil bacteria can survive prolonged droughts by entering a state of dormancy, but quickly reactivate in response to rare rainfall events. This allows them to generate energy and repair their genomes before returning to dormancy.
Research found that soil warming increased respiration rates, but reduced temperature sensitivity and altered microbial carbon use efficiency. Organic matter input enhanced aggregate accumulation and changed respiration patterns among aggregates of different sizes.
A recent study published in Science reveals a vast store of global soil inorganic carbon (SIC) amounting to 2,305 billion tons, surpassing vegetation's combined carbon content. This 'hidden pool' is vulnerable to environmental changes, posing significant risks to ecosystem functions and climate change mitigation strategies.
A recent study found that afforestation significantly increases soil microbial diversity and enhances nitrogen mineralization rates. The researchers discovered a strong correlation between soil microbial communities and N-cycling gene abundance, highlighting the importance of functional genes in driving this process.
Researchers developed a method to map soil salt content worldwide at 10m resolution, addressing land degradation's impact on agriculture and environmental health. This innovation integrates satellite imagery, machine learning, and climate data to estimate soil salinity, offering valuable insights for sustainable land practices.
Scientists have developed a new method to estimate soil organic carbon in the US, providing a more accurate benchmark for policymakers. The study reveals how environmental variables affect soil organic carbon and offers insights into mitigating climate change through sustainable land management practices.
A new study predicts that Australia's soil will become a net emitter of carbon dioxide, releasing more CO2 into the air than it absorbs. This could account for 8.3% of current emissions and worsen climate change unless farming methods are improved.
A new model integrating soil microbes and large perennial grasses into the DayCent framework improves its representation of ecosystem dynamics. The updated model includes a live microbial biomass pool and dead microbial biomass pool to simulate carbon storage in soils, enhancing the evaluation of bioenergy crop sustainability.
Researchers from Shibaura Institute of Technology develop new methodology to accurately simulate soil behavior in rigid state, leveraging MSP method and Bingham fluid biviscosity model. The study highlights the impact of parameters on simulation accuracy and computational costs.
Researchers at University of Oklahoma discover that climate warming accelerates soil priming in temperate grassland ecosystem, leading to increased soil carbon release. This finding highlights the crucial role of soil priming in terrestrial carbon cycle feedback processes and climate regulation.
A recent Harvard University study found that soil moisture increased across 57% of the US during summer between 2011-2020, contradicting the assumption that rising temperatures lead to drier soils. Precipitation, rather than temperature, is the primary driver of soil moisture trends.
Researchers found that phosphorus addition had a more significant effect on soil nematodes than nitrogen addition, increasing their abundance. The study also revealed an interactive effect between nitrogen and phosphorus additions, with added nitrogen alleviating soil acidification when combined with phosphorus.
Researchers developed a new model incorporating genetic information from microbes to better understand soil carbon sequestration and plant-microbe interactions. This approach enables more accurate prediction of global carbon cycle changes in climate models, informing agricultural strategies to preserve carbon and mitigate climate change.
The study found that bacteria communities are the most sensitive to soil amendment-induced changes, while protistan phototrophs and consumers increase with amendments. Protist taxa Cercozoa play a crucial role in regulating microbial interactions under Cd-contaminated conditions.
Researchers found that electrostatic charges, structural features of carbon molecules, and surrounding metal nutrients play major roles in soil's ability to trap carbon. The study aims to help predict which soil chemistries are most favorable for trapping carbon.
A newly designed degenerated primer significantly improves COX1 barcoding performance in soil nematode community profiling. The primer pair outperforms conventional 18S metabarcoding methods with broader taxon recovery and higher amplicon production.
Researchers analyzed 151 ecosystems across six continents to understand the intricate coexistence network among diverse species in soil ecosystems. They found that facilitative networks, characterized by positive associations, are more common than previously thought and play a key role in maintaining soil biodiversity.
A Dartmouth-led research team created an experimental green roof to test the effect of native prairie microbes on soil microbial community development. Their findings demonstrate that active management accelerates soil development faster than passive reestablishment, fostering a more diverse and sustainable soil community.
This study found that fluvo-aquic soil treated with CTC-manure had a higher shift in operational taxonomic units and community composition of antibiotic-resistant bacteria compared to black and red soils. The application of manure led to increased microbial resistance, particularly in fluvo-aquic soil.
New research reveals nitrogen fertilizers affect predatory protists more than other groups, changing trophic interactions and prey populations. This study provides crucial insights into sustainable soil fertility and rice production.
Soil nitrogen mineralization is a key process controlling soil nitrogen availability to plants. The study found that soil N mineralization rate and nitrate release varied with elevation, soil pH, and other factors. Soil N mineralization plays a crucial role in agricultural sustainability, but excessive nitrate release can lead to water...
Ten Bacillus strains exhibit distinct growth rates and antioxidative systems in response to acidic environments. The study reveals strain-specific differences in the regulation of enzymes and antioxidant reactants, highlighting the heterogeneity of microbial physiological responses to acidification. These findings contribute to our und...
New research reveals that microplastic pollution affects soil fungi differently depending on moisture levels. In dry conditions, microplastics help retain water and may mitigate drought effects, while in well-watered environments, toxic chemicals leach into the soil, hindering fungal richness.
Researchers investigated tiny plastics' impact on soil microbes and antibiotic resistance, revealing significant effects of nanoplastics. The study emphasizes the need to understand these impacts and reduce plastic pollution to protect environmental and public health.
Machine learning algorithms revealed that MP size, shape, and dosage significantly alter soil properties. The study provides essential data for informed decision-making on plastic waste management and corporate sustainability efforts.
A long-term study found that green manuring strengthens core microbiomes in soils, promoting organic C mineralization, N fixation, and N2O release. Keystone phylotypes were key to unlocking these functions across vertical soil profiles.
Researchers developed a background-resistant model to predict wheat Leaf Area Index (LAI) across diverse soil backgrounds, showing substantial improvement in prediction accuracy. The model demonstrated good estimation accuracy for different soil backgrounds and reliably captured seasonal LAI dynamics under various treatments.
Researchers found that high plant diversity acts as a buffer against fluctuations in soil temperature, protecting ecosystems and agricultural productivity. Plant diversity increased shading and organic carbon content, reducing heat conduction and stabilizing soil temperature.
Researchers developed a gradient F-doping hydroxyapatite core-shell structure with flexoelectricity and piezoelectricity, exhibiting enhanced degradation of phenanthrene in soil. The catalyst showed optimized piezocatalytic activity, outperforming pristine HAP and F-HAP.
Researchers found that mycorrhizal fungi can significantly improve crop yields by up to 40% in fields with high levels of fungal pathogens. The inoculation was most effective when the soil had already been contaminated with pathogens, serving as a protective shield against further damage.
Researchers found that non-living processes involving reactive oxygen species play a significant role in paddy soils' CO2 emissions. The study highlights the importance of understanding the interplay between organic carbon and both living and non-living contributors to devise effective strategies against global warming.
Researchers discover chemical injection strengthens sandy soil through increased cohesion and internal friction angle, with no long-term strength loss. The treatment also enhances water-sealing capacity, mitigating flood risks and improving infrastructure durability.
Scientists have developed a new method to investigate the deposition and impact of microplastics in soil, using neutron and X-ray tomography. The technique allows for the precise location of microplastic particles and analysis of changes to soil structure, shedding light on the environmental implications of microplastic pollution.
The study found that soil biota and their networks are easily altered by the soil environment, cultivation history, and crops. The research team applied DNA metabarcoding to analyze changes in soil organisms associated with crop growth, revealing distinct prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities and networks.
Research reveals that most types of sea freight carry soil with live bacteria, fungi, worms, seeds, and insects, including regulated biosecurity organisms. The study highlights the need for efficient measures to prevent exotic species establishment through contaminated cargo.
A new method developed by Rice University scientists uses a high-temperature electrothermal process to remove multiple pollutants simultaneously, including heavy metals and organic contaminants. The process leaves soil particle size and mineral composition unchanged, while improving water infiltration rate and nutrient availability.
Researchers at Shibaura Institute of Technology developed a cellulose-based thickener to reduce environmental risks associated with liquefied stabilized soil. The thickener prevents bleeding, loss of fine particles, and unwanted settling, while maintaining soil strength.
Recent research reveals that certain soil microorganisms persist and even thrive during drought periods, influencing ecosystem balance and plant growth. A novel method using water vapor measurement indicates that specific bacterial species become more active under simulated future climatic conditions.
Soil liquefaction, a destructive phenomenon during earthquakes, is redefined by this groundbreaking study. Liquefaction can now be understood to occur in drained conditions with low seismic-energy density levels, triggered by seismic shaking facilitating interstitial fluid flow within the soil.
Research finds soil heat extremes are underestimated and intensifying climate change effects, with a stronger trend in the soil than in the air. Soil moisture plays a crucial role in these extreme temperatures, particularly in forests where trees can reduce evaporation losses.
Researchers suggest transforming arid ecosystems into efficient carbon-capture systems by engineering ideal combinations of plants, soil microbes, and soil type. This approach could result in significant increases in plant and soil carbon sequestration within less than ten years.
Researchers found that ancient Amazonians intentionally created dark earth by modifying the environment to improve soil fertility. This practice allowed for large and complex societies to thrive, with stored carbon remaining in the soil for hundreds to thousands of years.
A new Stanford-led study shows that adding zinc to farmland soil can help prevent childhood stunting, a condition due to chronic undernutrition that is associated with poor brain development and long-lasting harmful consequences. The researchers found that the presence of zinc in soil helps prevent stunted childhood growth.
Researchers from the University of Bern found that maize roots secrete chemicals that improve soil quality and increase wheat yields. The study demonstrates potential for using specialized plant compounds to enhance crop productivity through variety-specific rotations.
A multidisciplinary team analyzed soil samples from underneath decomposing human bodies to understand the release of elements such as sulfur, phosphorus, and calcium. The study found unexpected concentrations of these elements in the soils, which could aid investigators in locating missing persons and estimating time of death.
A novel approach to measuring microbial activity in wetted soil reveals clues about the vulnerability of biocrusts to climate change. The research found that active and inactive microorganisms differ in species richness and composition after being resuscitated by a simulated rain event.
A recent study by USU ecologist Jessica Murray found that tree canopies store significant amounts of carbon, with the ability to store up to 4% of total soil carbon. Climate and tree size play a crucial role in canopy soil abundance, and its decline could lead to a significant decrease in carbon storage resources.
The Philadelphia soil project has yielded promising results for urban growers, revealing low contaminant levels and high nutrient content. The initiative aims to empower growers by providing site-specific assessments and soil testing guidance, enabling them to make informed decisions about their gardening sites.
A soil transplant experiment found that soils with a history of salinity and inundation are more resistant to changes in water properties and movement. The study suggests that disturbance legacies shape coastal forest soil responses to changing salinity and inundation, varying across landscapes.