Dr. Mariangela Hungria's pioneering research on soil bacteria has revolutionized Brazilian agriculture. For over 40 years, ...

New research shows that when it comes to colonizing plants, microorganisms from seeds have more staying power than microorganisms from the soil. "Ever since I started working on plant microbiomes, ...

Desert soil often looks lifeless, but it’s full of microscopic organisms like bacteria and fungi that help cycle nutrients and support plant life. Many deserts have a hard, crusty surface called ...

Johns Hopkins University geneticists and a small army of researchers across the country, including students, are working to catalog the vast and largely unknown soil microbiome of the United States.

As the planet has warmed, scientists have long been concerned about the potential for harmful greenhouse gasses to seep out of thawing Arctic permafrost. Recent estimates suggest that by 2100 the ...

Female bumblebees visiting flowers of Chamaecrista latistipula in the wild. The insect makes internal parts of the flower vibrate in order to extract protein-rich pollen grains, which it carries away ...

Researchers discovered that microbes respire three times as much CO2 from lignin carbons compared to cellulose carbons. When soil microbes eat plant matter, the digested food follows one of two ...

Soil color could replace expensive chemical tests, helping farmers monitor fertility and carbon faster and more safely.

Since you have time now, before planting time, I would encourage you to place about 3 inches of organic matter on your flower and vegetables beds and rototill or spade it into the soil 6 inches deep.