Photo Credit: iStock Researchers from Japan have achieved an incredible advancement in soil science, according to a summary posted on Phys.org. Japanese researchers created a new method to estimate microbial biomass (the total mass of living microorganisms in soil, primarily fungi and bacteria) from air-dried soils. This method utilizes water-extractable organic matter (WEOM), eliminating the…
Recent events in Gaza have highlighted the significance of food security. Hundreds of deaths in the region in recent weeks are attributed to lack of food. The situation underscores how access to food is critical to stability, nutrition, and well-being. The term food insecurity has become a buzzword nationally and internationally. The forecast about this…
New research from Colorado State University and Cornell University shows that the presence of solar panels in Colorado’s grasslands may reduce water stress, improve soil moisture levels and – particularly during dry years – increase plant growth by about 20% or more compared to open fields. The findings were published in Environmental Research Letters this…
When trees and soil fungi form close associations with each other, both partners benefit. Many tree species have further enhanced this cooperation by forming a concurrent symbiosis with two different groups of mycorrhizal fungi. Those trees cope better with water and nutrient scarcity, which is an important trait for forestry in the face of climate…
Nature’s fiber composite Fungi are considered a promising source of biodegradable materials. Empa researchers have developed a new material based on a fungal mycelium and its own extracellular matrix. This gives the biomaterial particularly advantageous properties. The thin mycelial film is almost transparent and has good tensile strength. It could be used as a living…
The use of animal manure in agriculture appears to be the best choice in terms of metal contamination of our soils Metals and hormone-disrupting substances such as oestrogens present a genuine risk to the sustainability of agriculture and water management in Europe. This is the conclusion of doctoral research conducted by Chinese environmental scientist Yuwei…
Ever since humans first learned to grow their own food, farmers have been saving seeds to produce the next crop. This practice has been essential for over a millennium since it encourages sustainability and stronger crops. Unfortunately, the relatively new idea of copyrighting seeds has all but put an end to this traditional relationship. Large…
Vertical farming can do more than lettuce. A research team headed by TUMCREATE, a research platform in Singapore, led by the Technical University of Munich (TUM), has investigated the cultivation of six food groups in vertical farming: Crops, algae, mushrooms, insects, fish and cultivated meat. In this study, the researchers show the positive effects of…
Farmers apply nitrogen fertilizers to crops to boost yields, feeding more people and livestock. But when there’s more fertilizer than the crop can take up, some of the excess can be converted into gaseous forms, including nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that traps nearly 300 times as much heat in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide….
Intercropping has been claimed to improve the soil structure and soil quality, however its effects on soil fertility parameters in semi-arid Mediterranean agroecosystems remain unclear. The objective of this study was to assess whether intercropping and its combination with N fertilisation are adequate practices to improve the soil aggregate stability and organic matter quality. An…