AI and plants: Using a new AI method, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have rediscovered 51 old pea varieties that are no longer used in agriculture but may prove promising for the production of plant-based foods. The method is a shortcut to finding new resources in the green treasure troves that gene banks' enormous seed collections represent.

Long-term cattle manure application significantly influences soil phosphorus (P) cycling and associated microbial communities in agricultural systems. However, the mechanisms by which P-transforming microbial communities and their ecological networks mediate P cycling and crop productivity under sustained organic amendment remain poorly understood.

The input of fresh carbon can either enhance or suppress the mineralization rate of native soil organic carbon (SOC), a process known as the priming effect. The priming effect plays a crucial role in terrestrial carbon cycling. Although previous studies have attempted to elucidate its mechanisms and responses to nitrogen (N) addition, existing findings remain inconsistent. 

Microbial necromass plays a crucial role in soil organic carbon (SOC) formation, yet the underlying abiotic and biotic factors remain poorly understood, particularly the trophic interactions between protists and fungi/bacteria that drive soil fungal and bacterial necromass accumulation. A groundbreaking 27-year field study reveals that how soil protists differentially control fungal and bacterial necromass accumulation—a key process governing SOC storage. These findings, published in Soil Ecology Letters, redefine our understanding of soil carbon dynamics.

A latest study published in Soil Ecology Letters sheds new light on how mangrove forests adapt to rising salinity levels, a critical threat amplified by climate change. The research, led by Mr. Shamim Ahmed from the Technical University of Munich, demonstrates how soil nutrients and leaf area index (LAI) interact with species and structural diversity to buffer mangrove productivity against salinity stress.

Weed control is essential in apple orchards because weeds compete with trees for nutrients, water and sunlight, which can reduce fruit yields. However, physically removing weeds is not only labor-intensive, but it also can damage soil structure and tree roots. Using chemical sprays to kill weeds can lead to other problems, such as pollution, herbicide resistance and excess chemical residues on apples. Another option called precision weed management — detecting and measuring weeds with high accuracy then applying small amounts of herbicide to control them efficiently — can help farmers avoid wasting chemicals or causing injury to crops or the environment, according to a team of researchers at Penn State. To help growers achieve such precise management, the researchers are developing an automated, robotic weed-management system.

A study reveals the underground interactions between fungi and oomycetes in twenty Andalusian dehesas, wooded pasturelands typical of the Iberian Peninsula, making it possible to identify the role of water as the main driver of microorganism diversity and to shed new light on the pathogen responsible for la seca, a disease greatly affecting the holm oak