Articles tagged with Soil Science
Repeated extreme drying and rewetting conditions increase CO₂ release from soils, particularly in buried humic horizons. Metal-organic interactions accelerate breakdown of reactive components, improving carbon cycling predictions under climate change.
The World Beneath Our Feet wins the British Ecological Society Book of the Year 2026 for its engaging and accessible exploration of soil biodiversity. The book takes readers on a journey through the subsoil, introducing them to strange and fascinating organisms that play critical roles in nutrient cycling, agriculture, and carbon storage.
The Salk Institute's $18 million Bezos Earth Fund grant will test whether deeper-rooted soybeans can store more carbon in soil and withstand drought and disease. The project aims to develop and test soybean plants with deeper, stronger roots using artificial intelligence, field trials, and soil carbon studies.
A new study reveals that plant community turnover and nematode body width shape soil nematode diversity across different spatial scales. Nematode diversity consistently increases with plant β-diversity, emphasizing the need to maintain a mosaic of plant communities to safeguard hidden biodiversity.
A new study from Dartmouth College found that droughts in the Northeastern US have decreased due to increased precipitation, outpacing water loss from the surface. The research team analyzed changes in drought frequency, intensity, and duration from 1901 to 2022, comparing their results to the US Drought Monitor.
A new book proposes that smallholder farmers, who already produce 30% of the world's food, could meet humanity's additional food needs by 2050 while restoring nature. Regenerative agriculture and agroforestry practices can offset CO2 emissions and improve soil health.
A two-year field study found that moderate biochar application improves soil quality, strengthens microbial activity, and helps vegetable crops make better use of nitrogen fertilizer. Biochar application rates above 20 t ha⁻¹ did not produce additional yield benefits and could disturb nutrient balance or microbial conditions.
A new study by Colorado State University reveals that ag irrigation prevents higher greenhouse gas emissions by avoiding land conversion, saving 363 years' worth of emissions. Irrigation allows the US to grow more food on less land, reducing land-use change and its associated emissions.
A new study found that long-term biochar amendment can reshape nitrogen cycling in deep alkaline paddy soils, promoting nitrogen retention. The effect of biochar on nitrogen cycling depends on soil depth, initial soil pH, biochar aging, and changes in available carbon.
Researchers Ahmedullah Aziz and Sai Swaminathan received NSF CAREER Awards for their projects in superconducting logic systems and AI for community impact. Aziz will develop superconducting electronics for high-performance computing, while Swaminathan is creating low-cost AI devices for local problem-solving.
Heatwaves disrupt soil bacteria, temporarily reducing resistance genes, but also causing significant damage to soils and ecosystems. Soils from warm, dry countries remain relatively stable, while cold, wet soils are more susceptible to heat and drought
Researchers develop field-calibrated design correlations for large-diameter bored piles in layered ground, improving reliability in shaft resistance prediction. The study evaluates shaft resistance layer by layer, delivering crucial insights for detailed foundation design in soil-rock transition environments.
Researchers have found that nano-biochar can rapidly transform silver ions into silver nanoparticles under alkaline conditions, with superoxide radicals playing a key role in the process. The study also showed that the structure of nano-biochar and pH conditions can control metal transformations in water.
A new review suggests that artificial intelligence could help scientists develop more precise and mechanism-guided biochar management strategies for acidic soils. Researchers should distinguish between organic and inorganic sources of alkalinity in biochar to improve predictive models.
A four-year training program helps resettled refugees and immigrants develop sustainable agriculture-based businesses, improving mental and physical well-being. Participants report benefits including flexibility, sense of value, and financial independence, while also building connections with customers and the broader community.
Researchers found that over 145 teragrams of phosphorus have been applied as fertilizer since 1866, with only 52 teragrams remaining in cropland soils. The US could exhaust its domestic phosphorus supply within 40 years, making recycling and circular pathways crucial to meet growing food demands.
A three-year field study found that deeper straw incorporation reduced maize ear rot and mycotoxin contamination while improving soil health and microbial communities. The study suggests that optimizing straw management strategies could turn a familiar practice into a more effective tool for soil health and food safety.
Long-term straw incorporation improves soil organic carbon by activating two mechanisms: physical protection in stable aggregates and chemical stabilization via iron-organic carbon associations. Straw return strengthens soil structure, promoting longer-term carbon storage.
The 36th annual State of the Climate report reveals record highs in greenhouse gas concentrations, global sea level, and ocean heat content. Greenhouse gas concentrations reached a 53% increase from preindustrial levels, with fossil fuel emissions reaching a record high in 2025.
A USC study analyzed over 6,000 soil samples and found that the L.A. fires released lead into the environment, but preexisting contamination makes it difficult to distinguish the impacts of the fires. The study also found no evidence of post-fire contamination from other metals, and lead levels can vary widely across a property.
Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics modify as they age in soil, but these changes have little effect on how they interact with various organic contaminants. The study suggests the soil itself, not the plastic, remains the main factor influencing the environmental fate of these chemicals.
Researchers develop synthetic microbial communities to degrade persistent herbicides, improving degradation rates by 1.5-3 times compared to individual strains or natural attenuation. The approach promotes more complete mineralization of pollutants and resilience in complex soil environments.
A study analyzing Chinese and global soil metagenomes found substantial declines in antimicrobial resistance genes after China implemented its AMR control plan. The research suggests a close association between soil resistomes and antimicrobial use patterns across human and animal sectors.
Biochar's performance in soil depends on its feedstock, production conditions, interactions with microorganisms, and aging processes. Practical measurements are needed to assess its functionality.
A Yale-led team developed a new process for removing PFAS from agricultural land at a fraction of the current remediation costs. The approach involves spreading crushed rock, which accelerates PFOS removal via plant growth, followed by biochar generation to destroy both PFAS chemicals.
Research by CSU scientists found that soil organic carbon benefits crops the most during moderate water supply conditions, not extreme drought. Increasing soil organic carbon makes crops more stable and resilient from year to year.
Researchers at Lancaster University have discovered nanoplastics in remote soils of Antarctica, raising concerns about plastic pollution's global reach. The finding highlights the urgent need for reduced plastic emissions and improved waste management practices.
A global review of 411 studies found that river sand and gravel mining is removing sand faster than it can be replenished, threatening rivers, infrastructure, and communities. The study recommends better tracking, measurement, and regulation to manage extraction and protect the environment.
A new study in Nature Communications reveals a hidden source of antibiotic resistance in Australian soil. The mcr-12 gene was found in contaminated freshwater sediment and provides bacteria with resistance to polymyxin, a critical last line antibiotic.
The report provides an ecological characterisation of two contrasting habitat groups: inland peat-forming wetlands and coastal lagoons. Hydrology is identified as the dominant control on ecosystem functioning, with a persistently high water table sustaining anoxic conditions in peatlands.
A global analysis of 932 observations shows that biochar delivers stronger carbon gains in nitrogen-poor soils and follows different carbon storage pathways depending on soil fertility. Biochar effectiveness varies greatly from one field to another, with the amount of nitrogen already present in soil controlling how much carbon it stores.
Researchers found that chitosan-functionalized biochar reduced plant-available arsenic by 21.1% and lowered arsenic concentrations in rice grains by 43.1%. The modified biochar continued to reduce arsenic accumulation after six months of natural aging, supporting healthier root development.
New research reveals biochar's reactive chemistry can slow soil organic carbon decomposition by suppressing enzymes, particularly in acidic soils. The protective effect varies among different soils, with some biochars increasing carbon dioxide emissions.
A new study published in Biochar shows that combining green manure with biochar can improve soil quality, support maize yield, and reduce dependence on nitrogen fertilizer. The research found that soil microbial diversity emerged as a central driver of improved soil quality.
Understanding plant microbiome interactions could transform crop production and improve sustainability. Researchers are exploring how plants shape their microbial partners to acquire nutrients, defend against disease, and respond to environmental stresses.
Researchers develop a comprehensive framework to predict drilling instability in backfilled ground, considering strength differences and asymmetry. The proposed design criterion aims to reduce inclined drilling deviations by at least 10 millimeters per meter of depth.
Researchers found that variable-rate seeding (VRS) can help farmers strike a better balance in corn and soybean fields. However, soybeans proved to be more complicated due to their adaptability to weather conditions. The study aims to make farming more accessible and efficient for small land holders using digital tools and data-driven ...
A new study reveals how biochar can directly suppress destructive soil-borne pathogens like Ralstonia solanacearum, while helping rebuild a richer and more stable soil bacterial community. Biochar's reactive oxygen species profile changes with pyrolysis temperature, making it a powerful tool for precision agriculture.
The SpongeBoost project's new comic book, 'New Directions: Guided by Nature,' synthesizes information for policy-making, practical restoration, and land-use planning while showcasing successful sponge restoration examples. The comic book follows Spongy as he explores wetlands and sponge landscapes in nine languages.
A new study reveals that biochar increases soil organic carbon more efficiently than straw by guiding microbes towards stable carbon formation. Biochar promotes a slower but more stable carbon pathway, reducing native soil carbon mineralization.
Colorado State University researchers propose strategies to immobilize toxic metals and prevent plant uptake in rice grains, protecting food security and public health. The approach aims to reduce arsenic, cadmium, and mercury contamination in rice paddies using nanomaterials and chemical reactions.
Researchers have discovered a previously unknown mechanism by which microbes boost plants' ability to survive in salty conditions. Pseudomonad bacteria stimulate the production of lignin, a tough substance found in plant cell walls, helping plants withstand environmental stress.
Researchers found that plants primarily absorbed simpler forms of nitrogen, while microbes preferred complex organic forms, allowing coexistence in nutrient-poor soils. Nitrogen cycling is dynamic, with microbes breaking down large molecules and influencing what becomes available to plants.
A new study shows that liquid biochar mineral complex fertilizers can substantially improve pasture yield, nutrient balance and farm-level economic returns. The nitrogen-enriched formulation delivered the strongest performance, increasing pasture yield by 42.20 t ha⁻¹.
A new process-based model predicts how biochar affects crop yields, soil carbon, and greenhouse gas emissions. The DLEM-Ag-Biochar model performed well against field observations, capturing patterns in agricultural systems across different environmental and management conditions.
A study found wide variation in contamination by lead and arsenic in soil and ash from California homes burned by the Eaton and Palisades wildfires. Cleanup efforts reduced concentrations of these contaminants, but the study highlights a need for technical review and more effective cleanup methods.
Researchers developed a simpler and more cost-effective method to measure DNA-bound phosphorus in soils, providing new insights into nutrient cycling. The study found that DNA-P is closely associated with living soil microorganisms rather than long-term stable phosphorus reserves.
BIOCHAR has achieved a 2025 Impact Factor of 15.1, ranking No. 1 worldwide in Soil Science for five consecutive years and 11th among 395 journals in Environmental Sciences. The journal publishes original studies on biochar production, processing, and applications in fields like agronomy, environmental science, and materials science.
A new 8-year field study found that biochar's benefits in improving soil fertility and nutrient availability were short-lived, lasting only 3-5 years. Biochar application rates can affect its persistence, with moderate rates offering the best balance between effectiveness and duration.
Researchers found that carbon from land was eroded and transported into the ocean, locking some carbon away for long periods. This process may have acted as a stabilising climate feedback, helping to gradually reduce atmospheric carbon levels over thousands to tens of thousands of years.
A new study reveals that biochar reshapes microbial activity over time, transforming dissolved organic matter into more stable carbon pools. Long-term effects were increasingly controlled by soil microbes, suggesting a key role in durable soil carbon sequestration.
A new study reveals that thiol-modified biochar can maintain long-term mercury immobilization in contaminated soils even when subjected to repeated drying and rewetting. The research found that TMB strongly reduced mercury mobility, lowered bioavailable mercury, and redistributed mercury into less available forms.
A new study reveals that biochar can regulate antibiotic movement in structured soils, helping reduce contamination risks. By shifting transport into the slower soil matrix, biochar reduces pollutant export and increases retention.
A new study found that soil fungi play a key role in supporting carbon retention and improving fertility in nutrient-poor urban soils. Biochar and compost increased soil carbon and nitrogen storage most strongly in these soils, with amendment effects up to 14.4 times greater than those observed in nutrient-rich soils.
A new study found that plants can reveal recent PFAS contamination linked to airborne deposition, suggesting direct exposure from the atmosphere rather than uptake through roots alone. The research suggests that vegetation can serve as a valuable tool for tracking emerging environmental contaminants and complement traditional soil-base...
A five-year field study reveals that biochar reshapes soil chemistry, microbes, viruses, and metabolites to support healthier agricultural ecosystems. Biochar improves soil organic matter, cation exchange capacity, and nutrient availability while reducing metal bioavailability.
The 23rd World Congress of Soil Science, held in Nanjing from June 8-12, marked the first time this premier global event was hosted in China. Experts discussed urgent challenges like soil health, food security, climate change, and biodiversity conservation.
New degradable sensors developed by Lancaster University researchers track biological activity in soil using a biodegradable substrate nibbled on by microbes. This technology offers insights into soil's response to climate events and storage of carbon, providing a better understanding of soil health and microbial processes.
A new global analysis suggests that biochar's ability to store carbon in agricultural soils may be overestimated due to increased carbon dioxide emissions from warming. The study found that warming significantly increased CO2 emissions from biochar-amended soils by an average of 77%, with effects strongest in croplands.
Researchers found that acid-modified and alkaline biochars helped reduce stress from saline-alkali soil, improving soil conditions and supporting alfalfa performance. Alkaline biochar promoted biomass growth, while acid-modified biochar improved soil chemistry and root defense in highly alkaline soils.