How does wind erosion affect farming in Washington state?
Windstorms, less organic matter on topsoil and soil degradation among issues
soil
What can we learn about agricultural practices from soil archives?
Long-term studies allow for betting understanding of agroecosystem change
Are there soil microbes under my fingernails?
Exposure to soil microorganisms, human health closely related
Manure improves soil and microbe community
Manure improves soil and microbe community
Bacteria and Algae Get Rides in Clouds
Human health and ecosystems could be affected by microbes including cyanobacteria and algae that hitch rides in clouds and enter soil, lakes, oceans and other environments when it rains, according to a Rutgers co-authored study.
What do ants and soils do for each other?
Soil aeration and water infiltration among benefits ants provide
Further action on cadmium needed for global food safety
An international group of leading fertiliser and soils experts have published a major review of the status of the toxic heavy metal cadmium in agricultural systems around the world.
How do different root structures affect soil?
Root architecture, formation play key roles in modifying soil
Are the west Texas rangelands barren?
Plants, animals, and microorganisms contribute to unique ecosystem
Cornell CALS dean advises on carbon removal strategies
Benjamin Z. Houlton, the dean of Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, joined a panel helping to identify key pathways for terrestrial carbon dioxide removal that merit further investment.
PNNL Scientists Elected AAAS Fellows
Two Pacific Northwest National Laboratory researchers, one a world-leading authority on microorganisms and their impact on soil and human health, and the other an expert on coastal ecosystem restoration, have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
How can farmers grow crops in more coarse soils?
Growing crops in stony soils can be challenging, but feasible
Worm-like, soil-swimming robots to explore crop underworld
A Cornell University project will develop worm-like, soil-swimming robots to sense and record soil properties, water, the soil microbiome and how roots grow.
Translating soil chemistry science to improve human health
Contaminated soils – and foods – influenced by soil factors
What is the impact of fire on desert soils of Nevada?
Prescribed burning allows team to study soil biochemistry in sagebrush ecosystems
Reducing cadmium levels in cacao
Researchers are working to help cacao farmers manage harmful cadmium levels in the soil.
How are wetland plants and soils different from drier soils?
Wetlands are characterized by saturation levels, hydric soils, and hydrophytic plants
Digging into soil organic matter
A new study found patterns in how soil organic matter forms across a wide range of climate types. Understanding how soils break down or preserve organic matter is important because organic matter plays a central role in the kind of services soils can provide, such as whether they make good agricultural soils or if they can sequester carbon to slow climate change.
3D printing ‘greener’ buildings using local soil
The demand for sustainable infrastructure has builders searching for an alternative to concrete’s large carbon footprint. Now, scientists have created a new building material using local soil, and will present their results today at the American Chemical Society Fall 2020 Virtual Meeting & Expo.
What is a dung beetle?
Dung beetles provide many important functions to ecosystems
Smartphones prove to be time-saving analytical tools
Scientists use a smartphone camera to easily measure soil density — a key metric for analyzing our soils
Why is testing for soil microbes important?
Various types of microbes are key ingredients to healthy soil
How do the various soil types in Puerto Rico support different crops?
Unique geography allows for wide variety of soils
What type of insects live in soil?
Insects can be both beneficial and harmful to agricultural land
How much fluorine is too much fluorine?
Research investigates how fluorine levels affect beneficial soil microbes
The story behind a uniquely dark, wetland soil
Areas where landslides are common make hydric soil identification tricky
How to Tackle Climate Change, Food Security and Land Degradation
How can some of world’s biggest problems – climate change, food security and land degradation – be tackled simultaneously? Some lesser-known options, such as integrated water management and increasing the organic content of soil, have fewer trade-offs than many well-known options, such as planting trees, according to a Rutgers-led study in the journal Global Change Biology.
How are oysters farmed – and what’s the effect on subaqueous soils?
Oyster aquaculture poses minor changes to soils and bottom-dwelling communities
Rutgers Expert Can Discuss Benefits of Backyard Composting
New Brunswick, N.J. (June 29, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Michele Bakacs can discuss the benefits…
Carbon Cycling in Wet Soils
Testing microbial activity in soil columns helps researchers understand how carbon is stored in soils that are periodically waterlogged.
Rutgers Expert Can Discuss Soil Compaction, Healthy Yards
New Brunswick, N.J. (June 23, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Steven Yergeau is available…
Crop residue decisions affect soil life
New findings share how prescribed fire and no-till management impact soil microbes
Carbon emission from permafrost soils underestimated by 14%
Picture 500 million cars stacked in rows. That’s how much carbon—about 1,000 petagrams, or one billion metric tons—is locked away in Arctic permafrost.
Rutgers Expert Can Discuss Earthwise Lawn and Landscape Care, Farming
New Brunswick, N.J. (June 15, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor William T. Hlubik is…
Effects of Potassium Fertilization in Pear Trees
Potassium fertilization effects on quality, economics, and yield in pear orchard
What are smallholder farms?
Smallholder farms supply majority of world’s food supply but still face poverty.
Tillage and cover cropping effects on grain production
Soybean yields decreased when planted after cereal rye
Solving the mysteries of water and air underground
The mysterious capillary fringe has huge effects on the soil, and new research tells us how it works.
What’s being done to restore wetlands?
Restoration projects bring back the ecological and societal benefits of wetland ecosystems
Using waste to grow wonders
Research uses biosolids and urban waste to create a sustainable topsoil mixture
How did soil salinity affect ancient civilizations?
Saline soils near the Salt River led to many challenges for North American group
Modeling Gas Diffusion in Aggregated Soils
Researchers develop soil-gas diffusivity model based on two agricultural soils
Soil pores hold the key to stability for desert soils
Study shows which desert soils better recover from disturbance
How are soil microbes affected by fertilizer in soils?
Nutrients are responsible for more than just plant growth.
The climate superhero
Biology student wins NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.
How are coastal farmers responding to salty soils?
Saltwater intrusion means farmers must adapt their management practices.
Impacts of cover crop planting dates on soil properties after four years
Low biomass production limits cover crop effects on soils
Soil Science Society publishes blogs about Deepwater Horizon’s Anniversary
Blogs look at the immediate and long-term impacts on the Gulf’s coastal soils
Microbes play important role in soil’s nitrogen cycle
But different microbes have distinct roles to play, and environmental factors influence activity.
How does flooding affect farms?
Patience is a virtue for on-farm flood recovery