Background and aims Plants can directly affect nitrogen (N) transformation processes at the microecological scale when soil comes into contact with roots. Due to the methodological limitations in ...

Roots are plant organs, that typically absorb water and minerals from soil. It is lesser known that roots also secrete metabolites, so-called root exudates, which impact the properties of soil ...

A five year field study in southern China shows that a single application of biochar combined with reduced nitrogen fertilizer can boost sugarcane growth, reshape soil life around the roots, and cut ...

Rice feeds more than half of the world's population, but the tiny microbes living on and around rice plants may be just as ...

Biochar has long been promoted as a climate-friendly soil amendment, but new research suggests that treating it as a one-size-fits-all solution may be ...

We might think of roots as necessary, but uninteresting, parts of the crop production process. New research, however, focuses on what's going on in the soil with the plant's roots and the chemicals ...