//www.koonmotors.com/news/plants_animals/organic/ Organic food, organic farming and organic gardening. Learn the ecological and health benefits of organic farming as well as some surprising recent research findings. en-us Fri, 08 Sep 2023 22:52:03 EDT Fri, 08 Sep 2023 22:52:03 EDT 60 //www.koonmotors.com/images/scidaily-logo-rss.png//www.koonmotors.com/news/plants_animals/organic/ For more science news, visit ScienceDaily. //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230720125004.htm Bat activity falls as farms make the transition to organic agriculture, new research shows. Thu, 20 Jul 2023 12:50:04 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230720125004.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230605181258.htm Microbes are by far the most important factor in determining how much carbon is stored in the soil, according to a new study with implications for mitigating climate change and improving soil health for agriculture and food production. Mon, 05 Jun 2023 18:12:58 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230605181258.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/05/230505141613.htm 使用一个长期的多因素实验场ite researchers showed that experimental warming of a tallgrass prairie ecosystem significantly altered the community structure of soil archaea and reduced their taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity. Fri, 05 May 2023 14:16:13 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/05/230505141613.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230213201051.htm Soil is the Earth's second-biggest carbon storage locker after the ocean, and a research collaboration has shown that it's moisture, not temperature or mineral content, that's the key to how well the soil carbon warehouse works. Mon, 13 Feb 2023 20:10:51 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230213201051.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/01/230117192907.htm The largest terrestrial carbon sink on Earth is the planet's soil. One of the big fears is that a warming planet will liberate significant portions of the soil's carbon, turning it into carbon dioxide (CO2) gas, and so further accelerate the pace of planetary warming. A key player in this story is the microbe, the predominant form of life on Earth, and which can either turn organic carbon -- the fallen leaves, rotting tree stumps, dead roots and other organic matter -- into soil, or release it into the atmosphere as CO2. Now, an international team of researchers has helped to untangle one of the knottiest questions involving soil microbes and climate change: what effect does a warming planet have on the microbes' carbon cycling? Tue, 17 Jan 2023 19:29:07 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/01/230117192907.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/11/221128112957.htm Researchers examined root exudates and their impact on soil carbon storage revealing surprising and counterintuitive results. Mon, 28 Nov 2022 11:29:57 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/11/221128112957.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/09/220908112450.htm 土壤微生物在sprea可以有很大的影响d of harmful invasive species as they can either hinder or facilitate the plant's growth. Researchers studied the role of soil microbiota in the success of garden lupine, which is an invasive species in the Finnish nature. Thu, 08 Sep 2022 11:24:50 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/09/220908112450.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/07/220712141326.htm The results singled out growing-degree days as the most important climatic factor and water holding capacity as the most influential soil property for crop-yield variability. Tue, 12 Jul 2022 14:13:26 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/07/220712141326.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/05/220521093327.htm How effective environmental measures in agriculture are for biodiversity and wild bee populations depends on various factors and your perspective. This is shown by agroecologists. The research team found that when assessing the effectiveness of different measures, whether in the field (organic farming) or next to the field (flower strips in conventional farming), biodiversity benefits should be evaluated differently. Like-for-like comparisons of environmental measures could easily be misleading, according to the scientists. Sat, 21 May 2022 09:33:27 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/05/220521093327.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/04/220421094101.htm Soils store more carbon than all the vegetation on the Earth's surface. However, there are still many unanswered questions about precisely which processes favor accumulation in the soil. Soil scientists have now developed a new method to show where and under what conditions carbon is stored f in the soil. It turns out, it is primarily the network of soil pores that controls the spatial distribution of carbon. Thu, 21 Apr 2022 09:41:01 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/04/220421094101.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/04/220412140934.htm An enzyme that can help release phosphorus from its organic forms has been identified. Tue, 12 Apr 2022 14:09:34 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/04/220412140934.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/04/220411101336.htm Researchers recently discovered the protein inhibiting the formation of organic nitrogen compounds in plants. This protein, if manipulated, could potentially be used to encourage plant growth and improve crop harvests. Mon, 11 Apr 2022 10:13:36 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/04/220411101336.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/03/220321103742.htm 新的研究表明土壤侵蚀和wildfires contributed to a mass extinction event 201 million years ago that ended the Triassic era and paved the way for the rise of dinosaurs in the Jurassic period. Mon, 21 Mar 2022 10:37:42 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/03/220321103742.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/03/220301152340.htm Just how much carbon is in the soil? That's a tough question to answer at large spatial scales, but understanding soil organic carbon at regional, national, or global scales could help scientists predict overall soil health, crop productivity, and even worldwide carbon cycles. Tue, 01 Mar 2022 15:23:40 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/03/220301152340.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/02/220224125209.htm 一个实验农场在美国10日进行. suggests that crops from farms following soil-friendly practices for at least five years have a healthier nutritional profile than the same crops grown on neighboring, conventional farms. Researchers believe soil microbes and fungi boost certain beneficial minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals in the crops. Thu, 24 Feb 2022 12:52:09 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/02/220224125209.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/02/220216112227.htm Due to human-caused pressures and global warming, some soils in Europe's Mediterranean region are reaching what the researchers refer to as 'critical limits for their ability to provide ecosystem services,' which include farming and absorbing carbon, among others. Perhaps even more troubling, the problem could be even more extensive than we realize, says an author of a new study. Wed, 16 Feb 2022 11:22:27 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/02/220216112227.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/02/220216095836.htm Pharmaceutical residues and chemicals from personal care products in sewage sludge and cattle manure do not have a detectable toxic effect on nematodes living in agricultural fields, according to 14-year-long experiments. At the same time, manure and sewage sludge enhance soil quality more than conventional mineral fertilizers and can contribute to more sustainable, circular agriculture. Wed, 16 Feb 2022 09:58:36 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/02/220216095836.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/02/220208105238.htm Phosphorus is one of the most important nutrients for plants. Among other functions, it is needed to create substances for the plant's immune system, for the healthy development of seeds and for root growth. Researchers have now demonstrated how a root symbiosis with fungi is driven at the molecular level by the plant's phosphate status. Tue, 08 Feb 2022 10:52:38 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/02/220208105238.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/12/211223113102.htm Planting trees and suppressing wildfires do not necessarily maximize the carbon storage of natural ecosystems. A new study has found that prescribed burning can actually lock in or increase carbon in the soils of temperate forests, savannahs and grasslands. Thu, 23 Dec 2021 11:31:02 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/12/211223113102.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/12/211216150334.htm Canopy soils that form on tree branches contain three times more carbon than soils on the ground in Costa Rica, potentially serving as an important carbon sink around the world. Thu, 16 Dec 2021 15:03:34 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/12/211216150334.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/12/211215142207.htm Soil organic carbon is a cornerstone of soil health. It improves soil structure while enhancing water- and nutrient-holding capacity, key factors for any agricultural production system. To build it up, farmers incorporate crop residues into soils. So why, despite decades of residue inputs, is soil organic carbon diminishing in corn production systems? Short answer: it's the nitrogen. Wed, 15 Dec 2021 14:22:07 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/12/211215142207.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/11/211123162704.htm We know combustion engines, such as in cars or power plants, lose efficiency when they run faster -- similarly, a new publication reveals that microbes lose efficiency as their metabolic rates increase. Microorganisms' ability to use energy efficiently in various environmental conditions has consequences for the global climate and carbon cycle, and for biotechnological applications that could address global warming. Tue, 23 Nov 2021 16:27:04 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/11/211123162704.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/11/211122135344.htm Researchers have developed an innovative technique to track microbes and understand the various ways they process soil carbon, findings that add to our knowledge of how bacteria contribute to the global carbon cycle. Mon, 22 Nov 2021 13:53:44 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/11/211122135344.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/11/211108161433.htm Community ecologists investigated the interactive effects of rising temperatures and a common livestock antibiotic on soil microbes. The research team found that heat and antibiotics disrupt soil microbial communities -- degrading soil microbe efficiency, resilience to future stress, and ability to trap carbon. Mon, 08 Nov 2021 16:14:33 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/11/211108161433.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/08/210830123223.htm Judiciously decomposing organic matter from 700 degrees Fahrenheit to 1,200 degrees F, without oxygen -- a process known as pyrolysis -- and retaining nutrients from dairy lagoons can transform manure into a manageable, ecologically friendly biochar fertilizer, according to new research. Mon, 30 Aug 2021 12:32:23 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/08/210830123223.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/08/210826170107.htm In a new study, researchers have measured the number of pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes in backyard and commercial compost. Thu, 26 Aug 2021 17:01:07 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/08/210826170107.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/08/210804123622.htm Is organic farming the only alternative to conventional agriculture to promote biodiversity in agricultural landscapes? An international research team questions this. According to the authors, a landscape mosaic of natural habitats and small-scale and diverse cultivated areas is the key to promoting biodiversity on a large scale in both conventional and organic agriculture. They state that political decision-makers will have to recognize this in order to achieve a corresponding paradigm shift in agriculture. Wed, 04 Aug 2021 12:36:22 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/08/210804123622.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/07/210709193531.htm Two factors that play a key role in climate change - increased climate warming and elevated ozone levels - appear to have detrimental effects on soybean plant roots, their relationship with symbiotic microorganisms in the soil and the ways the plants sequester carbon. Fri, 09 Jul 2021 19:35:31 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/07/210709193531.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/06/210604213552.htm A team of biologists revealed, for the first time, that it is possible to accurately predict the abundance of different species of soil microbes in different parts of the world. Fri, 04 Jun 2021 21:35:52 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/06/210604213552.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/06/210601135722.htm Researchers have spent four years gathering data from the areas affected by the major forest fire of 2014. In their study of how the ecosystem as a whole has been altered, they could see that water quality in watercourses quickly returned to normal, while forested areas continued to lose carbon for many years after the fire. Tue, 01 Jun 2021 13:57:22 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/06/210601135722.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/03/210303142622.htm Although the use of pesticides in agriculture is increasing, some farms have transitioned to organic practices and avoid applying them. But it's uncertain whether chemicals applied to land decades ago can continue to influence the soil's health after switching to organic management. Now, researchers have identified pesticide residues at 100 Swiss farms, including all the organic fields studied, with beneficial soil microbes' abundance negatively impacted by their occurrence. Wed, 03 Mar 2021 14:26:22 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/03/210303142622.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/02/210216100132.htm As the climate warms in the Arctic, shrubs expand towards higher latitudes and altitudes. Researchers investigated the impacts of dwarf shrubs on tundra soils in the sub-Arctic Fennoscandia. Tue, 16 Feb 2021 10:01:32 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/02/210216100132.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/12/201210145726.htm Around a quarter of the ground in the northern hemisphere is permanently frozen. These areas are estimated to contain about twice as much carbon as the world's current atmosphere. New research says that these permafrost soils are not only increasingly thawing out as the Earth becomes warmer, but also releasing that carbon, which accelerates the thawing. Thu, 10 Dec 2020 14:57:26 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/12/201210145726.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/12/201209170645.htm 'Happy families are all alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.' So goes the first line of Leo Tolstoy's 'Anna Karenina.' Little did the Russian novelist know his famous opening line would one day be used to describe microbial communities, their health and their relationships to their hosts. Wed, 09 Dec 2020 17:06:45 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/12/201209170645.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/11/201103115654.htm By using two different transparent soil substitutes, scientists have shown that soil bacteria rely on fungi to help them survive dry periods, says a new study. Tue, 03 Nov 2020 11:56:54 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/11/201103115654.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/09/200930194850.htm Some organic pesticides contain live spores of the fungus Trichoderma to suppress other pathogens. Researchers found one Trichoderma species can cause severe rot in cobs of maize (corn). Wed, 30 Sep 2020 19:48:50 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/09/200930194850.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/09/200918104255.htm A new study finds that glyphosate residue from herbicides in manure fertilizer decrease the growth of strawberry and meadow fescue as well as runner production of strawberry. Fri, 18 Sep 2020 10:42:55 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/09/200918104255.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/09/200916131055.htm Tropical forest soils play a crucial role in providing vital ecosystem functions. They provide nutrients for plants, store carbon and regulate greenhouse gases, as well as storing and filtering water, and protection against erosion. Scientists have investigated how the properties and ecosystem functions of tropical soils change when forests are cut down, and whether reforestation can reverse such soil degradation. Wed, 16 Sep 2020 13:10:55 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/09/200916131055.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/09/200914115905.htm Researchers found more than 90 per cent of the conventionally farmed soils in their global study were thinning, and 16 per cent had lifespans of less than a century. These rapidly thinning soils were found all over the world, including countries such as Australia, China, the UK, and the USA. Mon, 14 Sep 2020 11:59:05 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/09/200914115905.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/09/200911093014.htm Phosphorus is essential for agriculture, yet this important plant nutrient is increasingly being lost from soils around the world. The primary cause is soil erosion. The study shows which continents and regions are most strongly affected. Fri, 11 Sep 2020 09:30:14 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/09/200911093014.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/08/200818175426.htm Researchers, in a recent study, were surprised to learn that they could take the exact same number of seeds from the same plants, put them in agricultural fields across the Mid-Atlantic region and get profoundly different stands of cover crops a few months later. Tue, 18 Aug 2020 17:54:26 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/08/200818175426.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/08/200812144102.htm Billions of tons of carbon dioxide risk being lost into the atmosphere due to tropical forest soils being significantly more sensitive to climate change than previously thought. Wed, 12 Aug 2020 14:41:02 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/08/200812144102.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/07/200728130835.htm To remove carbon dioxide from the Earth's atmosphere in an effort to slow climate change, scientists must get their hands dirty and peek underground. Tue, 28 Jul 2020 13:08:35 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/07/200728130835.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/07/200728130828.htm In what they believe is the first study of its kind, researchers report that shifts in the diversity of soil microbial communities can change the soil's ability to sequester carbon, where it usually helps to regulate climate. Tue, 28 Jul 2020 13:08:28 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/07/200728130828.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/07/200728113520.htm The biomass of small animals that decompose plants in the soil and thus maintain its fertility is declining both as a result of climate change and over-intensive cultivation. To their surprise, however, scientists have discovered that this effect occurs in two different ways: while the changing climate reduces the body size of the organisms, cultivation reduces their frequency. Even by farming organically, it is not possible to counteract all negative consequences of climate change. Tue, 28 Jul 2020 11:35:20 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/07/200728113520.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/07/200720112335.htm A key uncertainty in climate projections is the amount of carbon emitted by thawing permafrost in the Arctic. Plant roots in soil stimulate microbial decomposition, a mechanism called the priming effect. An international research team shows that the priming effect alone can cause emission of 40 billion tonnes carbon from permafrost by 2100. Mon, 20 Jul 2020 11:23:35 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/07/200720112335.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/07/200715123154.htm Planting huge numbers of trees to mitigate climate change is 'not always the best strategy' - with some experimental sites in Scotland failing to increase carbon stocks, a new study has found. Wed, 15 Jul 2020 12:31:54 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/07/200715123154.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/07/200702113702.htm The environmental benefits of taller, shrubbier tundra plants in the Arctic may be overstated, according to new research. Thu, 02 Jul 2020 11:37:02 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/07/200702113702.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/06/200630125142.htm Sowing strips of wildflowers along conventional cereal fields and the increased density of flowers in organic farming encourage bumblebees as well as solitary wild bees and hoverflies. Bumblebee colonies benefit from flower strips along small fields, but in organic farming, they benefit from large fields. Tue, 30 Jun 2020 12:51:42 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/06/200630125142.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/06/200617091007.htm New findings share how prescribed fire and no-till management impact soil microbes. Wed, 17 Jun 2020 09:10:07 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/06/200617091007.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/03/200323132412.htm Scientists have found that plants are able to co-exist because they share key nutrients, using grasslands from the Peak District. Mon, 23 Mar 2020 13:24:12 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/03/200323132412.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/03/200321093204.htm A new study has shown evidence of undetected concentrations and flows of dissolved organic matter entering Arctic coastal waters coming from groundwater flows on top of frozen permafrost. This water moves from land to sea unseen, but researchers now believe it carries significant concentrations of carbon and other nutrients to Arctic coastal food webs. Sat, 21 Mar 2020 09:32:04 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/03/200321093204.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/03/200318104427.htm 农业和食品的环境影响are hotly debated. But the most widely used method of analysis often tends to overlook vital factors, such as biodiversity, soil quality, pesticide impacts and societal shifts. These oversights can lead to wrong conclusions on the merits of intensive and organic agriculture, according to a trio of researchers. Wed, 18 Mar 2020 10:44:27 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/03/200318104427.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/03/200318104406.htm Nutrient cycling of stream ecosystems dependent on portion of salmons' lifecycle. Wed, 18 Mar 2020 10:44:06 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/03/200318104406.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/03/200311082946.htm But different microbes have distinct roles to play, and environmental factors influence activity. Wed, 11 Mar 2020 08:29:46 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/03/200311082946.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/01/200129143349.htm Dissolved carbon in soil can quench plants' ability to communicate with soil microbes, allowing plants to fine-tune their relationships with symbionts. Experiments show how synthetic biology tools can help understand environmental controls on agricultural productivity. Wed, 29 Jan 2020 14:33:49 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/01/200129143349.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2019/12/191218153552.htm Cover crops may increase sustainability of carambola groves. Wed, 18 Dec 2019 15:35:52 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2019/12/191218153552.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2019/12/191204100537.htm Soil scientists offer a newly nuanced understanding of different soil organic matter components that can be increased through varied management strategies. Wed, 04 Dec 2019 10:05:37 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2019/12/191204100537.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2019/11/191107170505.htm It started with curiosity. How does a fumigant, commonly used for nematode management in potato cropping systems, influence soil microbial communities? To explore this question, scientists used high-throughput sequencing techniques to investigate changes in soil bacterial and fungal community structure in response to the application of 1,3-Dichloropropene (1,3-D) in Pacific Northwest potato production fields. Their research found that the fumigant had very minor effects. Thu, 07 Nov 2019 17:05:05 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2019/11/191107170505.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2019/09/190930161925.htm Simply by moving tropical soils down a mountainside into warmer environments, a team has discovered that much more CO2 may be released due to increased microbial activity as soils warm. Mon, 30 Sep 2019 16:19:25 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2019/09/190930161925.htm