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Grasslands are home to a wide variety of plant species and provide numerous ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration, support for pollinators and grazing for livestock. But they are also some of thh most threatened ecosystems due to human activities, including land use change and intensive agricultural practices. Photo: Cortez Rohr/USFWS Public Domain Mark 1.0 Universal PDM 1.0 DeedCortez Rohr/USFWS Public Domain Mark 1.0 Universal PDM 1.0 Deed

Study reveals how much nitrogen grasslands can tolerate

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According to researchers, applying more than 80 kg of nitrogen per hectare in a year would make grasslands “functionally poor, highly unstable and vulnerable to extreme weather events”
In 50 years, wheat, corn and barley yields (photo) are 10, 4 and 13 percent lower than they would be under normal circumstances. Photo Dag Endresen Attribution 2.0 Generic CC BY 2.0 DeedPhoto Dag Endresen Attribution 2.0 Generic CC BY 2.0 Deed

Climate change has reduced grain yields by up to 13 percent in 50 years

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Warmer and dryer weather favors water stress thus impacting the productivity of wheat, corn and barley crops, a study from the Standford University has found. New investments and more accurate predictive models are needed for the future
Using transcriptomics, researchers have found that the responses of roots to soil stress are both genetic and physical. Photo: IRRI Photos Attribution - Noncommercial - Share alike 2.0 Generic CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 DeedIRRI Photos Attribution - Noncommercial - Share alike 2.0 Generic CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Deed

How plant roots respond to soil stresses

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A research reveals how roots actively perceive the microenvironment and activate specific molecular responses. From the study, new prospects for more climate-resilient crops
The event, organized by CREA, Re Soil Foundation and Trust-IT, is dedicated to the dissemination of basic knowledge on soil health, community involvement and the role of Living Labs. The meeting can also be attended online. Image: SOILL StartupSOILL Startup

Empowering Communities for Healthy Soil. On 11 June 2025 the event in Turin

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The city is hosting “Mission Soil Living Labs and Soil Literacy: Engaging Communities for Soil Health.” The event, organized by CREA, Re Soil Foundation and Trust-IT, can also be watched online
Around the Chernobyl “Exclusion zone” (photo) extends the so-called “Compulsory relocation zone,” which has never been fully abandoned. Thousands of people live in the area but no official investment or land use is allowed. Photo: Jorge Franganillo Attribution 2.0 Generic CC BY 2.0 DeedJorge Franganillo Attribution 2.0 Generic CC BY 2.0 Deed

Low-contamination soils near Chernobyl could now be cultivated, study claims

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Research involving British and Ukrainian researchers hypothesizes the recovery of large areas of the Chernobyl area where cultivation has been officially banned for nearly 40 years
From 1981 to 2021, thirst waves in the U.S. became 17 percent more intense and 23 percent more frequent. Photo: USDA photo by Bob Nichols. Attribution 2.0 Generic CC BY 2.0 Deed.USDA photo by Bob Nichols. Attribution 2.0 Generic CC BY 2.0 Deed.

US agriculture pays the price of atmosphere “thirst”

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An American study introduces the concept of “thirst waves.” In the US they have been on the rise for at least four decades. The phenomenon occurs when evaporative demand is high and plants therefore need more water
Three years after the Russian invasion, in addition to the inestimable human costs, the war in Ukraine continues to produce significant environmental damage. Photo: Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Taras Gren Attribution - Share alike 2.0 Generic CC BY-SA 2.0 DeedMinistry of Defense of Ukraine, Taras Gren Attribution - Share alike 2.0 Generic CC BY-SA 2.0 Deed

How war is contributing to environmental degradation in Ukraine

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EU Commission's snapshot: conflict in Ukraine has contributed to the devastation of the land by releasing toxic elements that can cause serious health consequences
An experiment in Wales revealed how bioplastic mulches do not negatively impact soil organic matter content and have minimal effects on the bacterial community. Photo: F. Kesselring, FKuR Willich Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Germany CC BY-SA 3.0 DE DeedF. Kesselring, FKuR Willich Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Germany CC BY-SA 3.0 DE Deed

Biodegradable mulch sheets don’t reduce soil organic content

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According to a British study, the use of bioplastic biodegradable mulch sheets in agricultural soils increases yields and has no side effects in terms of carbon balance
In Antanarivo, Madagascar, soil extraction has been accompanied by the spread of terrace farming and resilient crops according to a study. Photo: Visiting Madagascar Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic CC BY-SA 2.0 DeedVisiting Madagascar Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic CC BY-SA 2.0 Deed

From soil extraction new opportunities for agriculture

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The production of building materials through soil negatively impacts the landscape but also opens up new possibilities for the development of climate and flood resilient agriculture. A lesson from Madagascar
In the fields treated with three-year cropping cycle nitrogen leakage was reduced by 50 percent. Photo: Daniel Schwen Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International CC BY-SA 4.0 Deed

A more diversified rotation can halve nitrogen leakage in crops

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Nitrogen leakage can be cut in half by applying a three-year crop rotation while soil health also benefits, an American research has found

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It’s beneath our feet but we never think about its value. We tread on it, we mistreat it, but a healthy, fertile soil means life. It’s time to take care of the soil and each one of us can and must make a difference.

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