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Microbes can help stabilize soil by reducing the risk of collapse during earthquakes. Photo: pxhere CC0 Public Domain Free for personal and commercial use No attribution requiredpxhere CC0 Public Domain Free for personal and commercial use No attribution required

Soil microbes are a valuable resource. Including in case of earthquake

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Nitrogen gas emitted by microbes helps stabilize soil by preventing building collapse during seismic events, US research shows. Encouraging this process means avoiding concrete injections while reducing damage to the environment
The focus of scientists' interest is chitin, a substance that makes up 75 percent of lobster exoskeleton and is also contained in fungal and bacterial pathogens. Photo: Aileen Devlin | Virginia Sea Grant Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-ND 2.0)Aileen Devlin | Virginia Sea Grant Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-ND 2.0)

US potatoes survive pests thanks to lobster shell

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Ground shells from lobsters can feed communities of beneficial microbes, creating a line of defense against soil pests. Researchers from University of Maine researchers offer a potential circular solution to safeguard the state's major crop. Which would also avoid tons of waste
Antibiotic use on livestock farms is a source of contamination and soil hazard. Photo: U.S Department of Agriculture Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) U.S Department of Agriculture Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Chinese scientists provide first global map of antibiotic resistance in soil

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Researchers from Shanghai University described the global distribution of antibiotic-resistant genes in the soil. The phenomenon is especially evident in Europe, America and Asia. And is a threat to animal and human health
Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (photo) have developed a new method of analyzing soil microbes. Image: LLNL Public Domain-Merket 1.0LLNL Public Domain-Merket 1.0

A new research technique may unlock the secrets of soil microbes

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A study from the US paves the way for more in-depth investigations into the role of soil microbes. By improving the stable isotope survey, researchers highlighted the "food web" of interactions stimulated by soil microorganisms
The U.S. Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory hosted the research on soil virus. Photo: Jvimal Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)Jvimal Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)

Here’s the mysterious virus-made protein supporting soil life

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Chitosanase is a protein produced by a virus that "could be acting like a garden hoe for the soil preparing it for vegetables, trees, flowers, and all other kinds of life." A U.S. study gives new insights into land ecosystem processes
In a century and a half, forests in the U.S. Midwest have lost the biomass accumulated over 8,000 years. Photo: Tony Webster Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)Photo: Tony Webster Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

US Midwest forests have lost 8,000 years of stockpiled biomass

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Since the end of the last ice age, forest growth in the west-central United States has contributed to the sequestration of 1.8 billion tons of organic carbon. The accumulated biomass has been destroyed in just 150 years
Fluorinated pesticides account for nearly 70 percent of all new pesticides introduced worldwide from 2015 to 2020. Photo: jetsandzeppelins Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)jetsandzeppelins Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Flour-based pesticides hit the market as scientists are concerned

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Fluorinated pesticides account for nearly 70 percent of all new pesticides introduced worldwide from 2015 to 2020, a research has found. But the environment struggles to deal with them. And their impact on human health is not negligible
U.S. soils devoted to grazing and agriculture are in critical condition as a result of long-term processes. Photo: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Climate change is threatening U.S. agriculture, Forbes writes

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The magazine's examination: U.S. agriculture, as well as livestock, is reckoning with climate and drought. While soil health is of growing concern
By 2070, the Planet's soils are at risk of losing 40 percent of their biological crusts. Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)USFWS Mountain-Prairie Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

The world may lose biological crusts due to climate change

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Biological crusts are crucial to the survival of the soil and its ecosystem. But climate change now threatens to wipe them out, a study from Geological Survey has warned
Microbes play a key role in providing soil fertility. Photo: JThomas Creative Commons Attribution Share-alike license 2.0JThomas Creative Commons Attribution Share-alike license 2.0

Microbes provide a solution as fertilizers get too expensive

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War in Ukraine and commodity boom pushes fertilizer prices to record highs: profiting from microbes' properties is a cost-effective solution as investors jump in, writes the Wall Street Journal.

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