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soil nutrients

11/13/2018 / By Janine Acero

Soils treated with organic fertilizer are healthier; produce stronger plants

Come to any local gardening center and you may see rows and rows of plant- and animal-based fertilizers that boast of faster growth, beautiful blooms, or abundant produce from your plants. But which type of fertilizer can actually deliver these promises? A study published in the journal Biological Agriculture & Horticulture assessed the effect of plant- and animal-based soil amendments […]

10/17/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Sustainable deployment of manure found to increase maize yield

During a multi-year study, Spanish researchers investigated the efficacy of substituting cow manure for chemical fertilizers in maize crop that was being grown in Mediterranean conditions. They found that manure-based fertilization could benefit both the yield of the crop and the quality of the soil. The study was supported by the Universitat de Lleida. Its results were […]

10/13/2018 / By David Williams

Use of compost and cover crops improves soil nutrients, helps mitigate the impact of extreme weather on vegetable crops

The benefits of using cover crops and compost in growing all sorts of plants have been known for a long time. However, the effects of adding them in specific configurations haven’t exactly been well-studied. In fact, certain long-term impacts of adding organic matter through cover crops (CC) and compost in the soil are poorly understood. […]

09/30/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Functional recycling: Spent coffee grounds can make soil more fertile

Once you are done with your cup of brewed coffee, what do you do with the used grounds? Do you throw them away as garbage or consign them to the compost heap? Spanish researchers believe that using spent coffee grounds as a means of organic soil amendment will offer many benefits in agriculture and for […]

09/24/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Scientists find a way to increase soybean yield through biological fixation, could remove the need for nitrogen fertilizers

Nitrogen fertilizers are a double-edged sword for soybean farmers. While they’re vital for large crops, they’re also expensive and potential pollutants. Thankfully, Brazilian researchers found a different way to boost yields by increasing the number of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the plant’s roots, according to a ScienceDaily report. Nitrogen is essential to the production of protein. Soybeans […]

09/20/2018 / By Janine Acero

Balance is key: Farmers must maintain soil health to successfully grow both free-range pigs and energy crops

Owning livestock is a huge responsibility. Free-range farmers must ensure that their pigs do not cause permanent harm to the environment. Free-range pig farming is typically associated with a high risk of nitrogen loss in the soil known as leaching, as the pigs cause an uneven distribution of mineral nitrogen in the soil through their […]

08/27/2018 / By RJ Jhonson

Conservationists looking at fungi to restore native plant populations

More than five million species of fungi have been identified so far, but only about 300 are known to make people sick. Fungi – both the “good” and the “bad” ones – play a vital role in the ecosystem, something that conservationists from Washington State University Tri-Cities (WSU Tri-Cities) are demonstrating through their research. Tanya […]

06/05/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Researchers explain why it’s the root, not the stem, that determines the growth of crops

Most growers focus on the parts of the plant that are visible above ground, especially the stem and everything attached to it. But U.K.-based researchers beg to differ from this out-of-sight-out-of-mind mentality. In an article from Science Daily, they reported that the roots of a plant decide its growth and fertility as a crop. The […]

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