soil nitrogen News
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Microbes play important role in soil’s nitrogen cycle
Under our feet, in the soil, is a wealth of microbial activity. Just like humans have different metabolisms and food choices, so do those microbes. In fact, microbes play an important role in making nutrients available to plants. A recent review paper from Xinda Lu and his team looks at different roles that various soil microbes have in soil’s nitrogen cycle. Lu is a researcher at ...
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Soil nitrogen increased through greater plant biodiversity
Increased plant biodiversity improves grassland soil quality by boosting its nitrogen levels, even in the absence of nitrogen-fixing plants, recent research has found. Previous research has shown that grasslands with higher biodiversity had higher levels of carbon and nitrogen. However, in the case of nitrogen it has been suggested that this was purely a result of increased numbers of ...
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Rising CO2 robs crops of protein
New analysis suggests that rising CO2 levels will affect the protein content of major food crops, and indeed this may already be taking place. Experts suggest this change in the composition of the foods we eat could have consequences for human nutrition. Farmers can limit these effects by using more nitrogen-based fertilisers, but these in turn have a high environmental cost. Research ...
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Increasing aridity will disrupt soil nutrient cycles in global drylands
The drying of soils under global warming could disrupt the balance of nutrients in large areas of the Earth’s land surface, according to new research. The study focused on ‘drylands’ – arid areas with low levels of rainfall – which support over 38% of the world’s population. Such nutrient imbalances could diminish the provision of ecosystem services, such as ...
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Mysteries of soil and nitrogen to be probed at Jamestown
Making better use of soil moisture and nitrogen will be a major focus of the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) Update at Jamestown on August 19. GRDC Southern Regional Panel chair David Shannon said improving efficiencies in the use of moisture and nutrients was an important investment for the GRDC and keenly sought by growers in South Australia’s Mid North. “While the ...
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Nitrogen recommendations based on crop reflectance
Nitrogen fertilizer is usually applied in greater quantities to corn than almost any other crop. But when it’s applied in excess of requirements, loss of the excess fertilizer to the environment can contribute to degraded water quality. One of the challenges to making an appropriate nitrogen fertilizer recommendation is the potential variability in soil nitrogen availability that may occur ...
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Ants and termites boost dryland wheat yields
"Ants and termites perform the same ecosystem service functions in dryland agriculture that earthworms perform in cooler and wetter areas, but the potential for ants and termites to provide these benefits has received little attention until now," said CSIRO's Dr Theo Evans. "We already knew that the activities of ants and termites affect soil structure, aeration, water infiltration and nutrient ...
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Straw residue helps keep nitrogen on the farm
Scientists are exploring ways to reduce non-point pollution from agriculture. A new study finds that using straw residue in conjunction with legume cover crops reduces leaching of nitrogen into waterways, but may lower economic return. Agriculture is the largest source of nitrogen non-point pollution to waterways in the United States, flowing into streams and rivers via erosion from farmlands, ...
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Jatropha can revive degraded land, says study
Large-scale cultivation of Jatropha – known as a potential source of biofuel – can improve the soil quality of degraded lands and address climate change, says a new study. Jatropha curcas seeds yield oil that can be processed into biodiesel, but scientists at the International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, have found that Jatropha plantations ...
By SciDev.Net
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Nitrogen fertilizers` impact on lawn soils
Nitrogen fertilizers from farm fields often end up in aquatic ecosystems, resulting in water quality problems, such as toxic algae and underwater ‘dead zones’. There are concerns that fertilizers used on lawns may also contribute to these problems. All of the lawns in the United States cover an area almost as large as Florida, making turfgrass our largest ‘crop’ and lawn ...
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Equal exchange makes `giving twice` twice as easy with organic, fair trade gifts program
Equal Exchange, the nation's leading Fair Trade brand, is making it easier than ever to give gifts that "give twice" by expanding the selection of gourmet, organic, Fair Trade gifts and gift baskets available through their online store http://Shop.EqualExchange.com, and by introducing a new business gifts program. The new business gift program simplifies the process for organizations sending ...
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Effects of chemical fertiliser and animal manure on soil health compared
Fertilising crops with cattle manure can lead to better soil quality than when synthetic fertiliser is used, recent research indicates. The use of cattle manure in the study led to greater soil fertility by encouraging higher microbial activity, and the researchers suggest that it could potentially improve soil’s ability to cope with periods of difficult growing conditions. The complex ...
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Farmers’ use of renewable fertilisers to be revolutionised by new research
Farmers’ and growers’ confidence in digestate and compost has been given a welcome boost, as new ground-breaking research published today, shows smart use of these renewable fertilisers can increase yields and reduce bills with no negative impact on crop quality or safety. The programme of field experiments, ‘Digestate & Compost in Agriculture’ ...
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Plant strategies for optimising nitrate intake
The less nitrogen there is in the soil, the better plants are at using it. Researchers from INRA, CNRS and CIRAD, in cooperation with Czech colleagues, have recently shed light on the crucial role of a protein that enables plants to not only assess their environment but also activate the proper adaptive response based on the conditions. This research, published in the 2 March 2015 issue of Nature ...
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EPUK launches website outlining the vital Importance of Healthy Soil to mark World Soil Day 2011
Healthysoils.org launches on 5th December to mark 2011 World Soil Day – an annual event set up to advocate the use and need of soils for human survival and the importance of its sustainable management. Healthysoils.org sets out the importance of soils to key aspects of human life including climate change, food, water, biodiversity and health. Soil produces food, provides nutrients, cleans ...
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Nitrogen fixation helps double some African farm yields
A large-scale research and development project has shown that giving farmers resources and advice on nitrogen fixation through legume plants can double yields and boost incomes in Africa. But not all farmers are benefiting from this practice due to a lack of access to inputs, such as fertilisers says Ken Giller, the leader of the N2Africa project, as a second phase to widen access to the ...
By SciDev.Net
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Climate change to disrupt soil nutrients in drylands
The increased aridity expected this century as a result of climate change may disrupt the balance of key soil nutrients with a knock-on effect on soil fertility threatening livelihoods of more than two billion people, a study finds. The drop in nitrogen and carbon concentrations that occurs as soils become dryer could have serious effects on ecosystem services such as food production, carbon ...
By SciDev.Net
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Nitrogen soil tests - Do they always reflect what is going on?
Do soil tests always reflect what’s going on? Emphatically, NO. The usefulness of nitrogen (N) soil testing is frequently a topic of discussion in both academic and farming circles. Those for the negative generally cite variability involved in sampling, lack of analytical laboratory accuracy and/or precision and lack of response calibration as factors that influence their position. While they ...
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A little nitrogen can go a long way
Varying the rate of crop production inputs such as fertilizer and seed makes intuitive sense, as farmers have long observed differences in crop yield in various areas of a single field. The availability of spatial yield information from combines equipped with yield monitors has provided a good resource for improved management. So, optimizing inputs to match yield potential of different areas ...
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Signs of recovery in polluted Czech forests
Pollution has had a significant impact on European forests, where it disrupts many natural processes. Forests in Central Europe are among the most severely affected by pollution worldwide. New research1 from the Czech Republic suggests that attempts to cut sulfur-based pollution (such as acid rain) could also be important in a longer-term reduction of nitrate output from forest watersheds as ...
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