Tag

Soil Microbiome

All articles tagged with #soil microbiome

biology14 days ago•16 min saved

Cowpea’s soil signals recruit wasps to defend against leafminers

New research shows cowpea plants defend against leafminers by releasing airborne volatiles that attract parasitic wasps, and by exuding root compounds that reshape the surrounding soil microbiome. This soil-borne defense boosts the plant’s ability to recruit wasps even when not attacked, creating a multi-step indirect defense—potentially guiding sustainable pest management, though real-world duration of the effect remains uncertain.

via Gizmodo|

#biocontrol #biology #cowpea

science11 months ago•61 min saved

Terabase-Scale Sequencing Uncovers New Soil Bacteria and Bioactive Molecules

A soil metagenome was sequenced using terabase-scale long-read nanopore technology, leading to the assembly of hundreds of complete bacterial genomes and the discovery of novel biosynthetic gene clusters, including new antibiotics, demonstrating the power of long-read sequencing for exploring microbial dark matter and natural product potential.

via Nature|

#biosynthetic-gene-clusters #long-read-sequencing #metagenomics

agriculture2 years ago•10 min saved

Predicting Crop Growth Response to Large-Scale Inoculation with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Using Soil Microbiome Indicators

A study has found that the composition of the soil microbiome can serve as an indicator for predicting crop growth response to large-scale inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). The researchers analyzed the soil microbiomes of different agricultural fields and found that specific microbial communities were associated with enhanced crop growth in response to AMF inoculation. By using machine learning algorithms, they developed a predictive model that accurately identified the soil microbiome indicators for crop growth response to AMF inoculation. This research highlights the potential of using soil microbiome analysis as a tool for optimizing agricultural practices and improving crop productivity.

via Nature.com|

#agriculture #arbuscular-mycorrhizal-fungi #crop-growth