In Serbia, a unique project is teaching farmers and young people how to take care of the soil. The "Guardians of Soil Health" project, run by the BioSense Institute, is all about learning how to check if the soil is healthy. Participants learn to test things like how much water is in the soil, how a
Soil is more than just dirt. It's a bustling world of microbes. Among these tiny life forms, some carry genes that can resist antibiotics. These genes are called antibiotic resistance genes, or ARGs. Scientists wanted to understand how these ARGs form and spread, especially in the soil around plant
The herb Corydalis yanhusuo is in high demand because of its medicinal properties. But growing it over and over in the same soil can cause problems. The soil can get worse over time. This makes it harder for the plants to grow well. It also makes them more likely to get sick from soil diseases. One
Soil health is not just good for the planet; it's also good for your wallet. Recent research shows that farmers who adopt soil health practices can save money and even boost their income. This is big news for those who thought improving soil health would only cost more. The study looked at 20 farms
Farming is changing. More people want to use natural stuff to make soil healthier. But not all natural inputs are created equal. Some add helpful things like zinc (Zn) to the soil. Others might bring harmful stuff like cadmium (Cd). Plant waste, like crop leftovers, is different from animal waste,
Plastic waste in farms is a big problem. It often carries fire retardants, which are chemicals used to stop things from burning. These chemicals can stick to the plastic and cause harm to the environment. But how exactly do they stick? And what makes them stick more or less? Scientists looked at tw
Viruses are everywhere, and they might be playing a bigger role in climate change than we thought. A recent study looked at how antibiotics affect these tiny creatures in the soil. The focus was on ciprofloxacin, a common antibiotic, and its impact on nitrogen gases that trap heat in the atmosphere.
Rice plants have tiny helpers called microbiomes that live on their leaves and roots. These helpers can make rice stronger against stress from pests and weather. Most studies look at rice growing in farm or wild soils. But what about rice growing in city soils? That's a big question as cities keep g
Reservoirs are like big bathtubs collecting water, but over time, they also collect a lot of mud. This mud can cause big problems. In China's Three Gorges Reservoir, even though less mud is coming in each year, there's still a huge amount already there. The same issue is happening in smaller reservo
Soil pollution is a big deal, and nickel is one of those tricky metals that can cause problems. Scientists have been looking into how to manage nickel better in the soil. One interesting solution? Bauxite residue, also known as "red mud. " This stuff is a leftover from aluminum production, and there
