A Tamworth teacher has developed the first Australian curriculum exploring regenerative agriculture.

A Senate inquiry into a possible cancer cluster on Victoria's Bellarine Peninsula hears evidence from high-profile lawyer Peter Gordon of a "disturbing number of cancer cases" connected to the early years of Bellarine Secondary College.

At The Movies, the band featuring vocalist Björn “Speed” Strid (Soilwork, The Night Flight Orchestra), guitarist Chris Laney (Randy Piper’s...

The post AT THE MOVIES (SOILWORK, KING DIAMOND) Covers "(I've Had) The Time Of My Life" appeared first on Metal Injection.

SANTA YNEZ, Calif. – Today, in Santa Ynez, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) met with federal and state agencies and leaders from the region’s agriculture and food production industries to make progress on on-farm composting.

(American Society of Agronomy) Study shows which desert soils better recover from disturbance.

(American Society of Agronomy) Researchers develop soil-gas diffusivity model based on two agricultural soils.

Michael P Stern
Apr 1, 1995; 44:369-374
Perspectives in Diabetes

The two astronauts who are to begin a new era of human spaceflight from U.S. soil this month said Friday they hope to inspire generations of Americans.

Here’s my Q&A column from the WSJ this week — and if you have any questions for me, you can tweet them to @danariely with the hashtag #askariely, post a comment on my Ask Ariely Facebook page, or email them to AskAriely@wsj.com. ___________________________________________________ Dear Dan, People in my office drink a...

There can be no life without it, it feeds us and we are responsible for it! Soil is formed from rocks that are decomposed slowly by sun, the wind and the rain, by animals and plants. But it is in danger because of expanding cities, deforestation, unsustainable land use and management practices, pollution, overgrazing and climate change. The current rate [...]

We took a look around and put together a list of  Twitter accounts to keep you informed about what is happening in the world of soils.  Here are, in alphabetical order, ten voices on twitter you should follow for the latest on soils: @agriculturesnet The AgriCultures Network shares knowledge on small-scale family farming and agroecology. With agroecology we can build soils for life! http://t.co/pN62odtLt9 [...]

In 2015 we celebrated the “International Year of Soils” and with good reason. Soil sustains all our agricultural and livestock food production, wood for fuel production, filters water so that we can drink it and fish can live in it. We also use it for construction - therefore it sustains our homes and infrastructure. As we approach the end of #IYS [...]

Soil is a finite resource, meaning its loss and degradation is not recoverable within a human lifespan. Soils affect the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, our health and the health of all organisms on the planet. Without healthy soils we wouldn’t be able to grow our food. In fact, it is estimated that 95 [...]

New research details the first forensic investigation of the Sylt concentration camp, located on the Channel Island of Alderney, since the end of WWII

The two NASA astronauts will lift off from historic launch pad 39A, used for the Apollo and space shuttle missions

In a country with few evangelical churches, OM Austria aims to establish a worship point in every town with a population over 5,000.

Wilmington --

WHEN: 8:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m., pending weather.

Monday, March 16, 2020 through Saturday, March 21, 2020

WHERE: I-95 Northbound/Southbound between Jackson Street and Lovering Avenue, Wilmington.

WHAT: DelDOT announces to motorists that the right lane and shoulder will be closed on I-95 northbound and southbound for soil boring samples to be drilled to evaluate the subsurface investigations for the I-95 Vaiduct interchange project. [More]

Lewes --

WHEN: 6:00 a.m. until 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 22, 2020

WHERE: Route 24/John J. Williams Highway between Hollymount Road and Robinsonville Road at Burtons Pond near Lewes

WHAT: DelDOT announces to motorists that a portion of Route 24/John J. Williams Highway will be closed at Burtons Pond to place a barge in the pond. [More]

Newark --

DelDOT announces to motorists that soil boring samples will be drilled to evaluate the geotechnical subgrade for the I-95 and SR 896 interchange project. Due to the size of the equipment, there will be lane and shoulder closures on I-95 northbound and southbound. The contractor for the soil borings is Navarro & Wright Consulting Engineers, Inc. [More]

Wilmington --

DelDOT announces to motorists that the right lane and shoulder will be closed on I-95 southbound and Ramps on I-95 for soil boring samples to be drilled to evaluate the geotechnical subgrade for the Rehabilitation of I-95 from I-495 to north of Brandywine River Bridge project.

Variable message boards will be posted to notify motorists of the upcoming lane and ramp closures.

Motorists should be aware that construction personnel and equipment will be operating in close proximity to the travel lanes and anticipate lane shifts. [More]

The Flemish Government has issued a decree on March 27, 2020 which entered into force with immediate effect, to extend for 30 days: 1. the 90-day period (becoming 120 days) for OVAM (the Flemish Waste Agency) to decide on the conformity of a soil re...

...

Soil’s earthy smell comes from chemicals produced by bacteria called Streptomyces, which use the odour to attract springtails to help disperse their spores

ABSTRACT

By modulating the structure, diversity, and trophic outputs of microbial communities, phages play crucial roles in many biomes. In oligotrophic polar deserts, the effects of katabatic winds, constrained nutrients, and low water availability are known to limit microbial activity. Although phages may substantially govern trophic interactions in cold deserts, relatively little is known regarding the precise ecological mechanisms. Here, we provide the first evidence of widespread antiphage innate immunity in Antarctic environments using metagenomic sequence data from hypolith communities as model systems. In particular, immunity systems such as DISARM and BREX are shown to be dominant systems in these communities. Additionally, we show a direct correlation between the CRISPR-Cas adaptive immunity and the metavirome of hypolith communities, suggesting the existence of dynamic host-phage interactions. In addition to providing the first exploration of immune systems in cold deserts, our results suggest that phages actively challenge niche communities in Antarctic polar deserts. We provide evidence suggesting that the regulatory role played by phages in this system is an important determinant of bacterial host interactions in this environment.

IMPORTANCE In Antarctic environments, the combination of both abiotic and biotic stressors results in simple trophic levels dominated by microbiomes. Although the past two decades have revealed substantial insights regarding the diversity and structure of microbiomes, we lack mechanistic insights regarding community interactions and how phages may affect these. By providing the first evidence of widespread antiphage innate immunity, we shed light on phage-host dynamics in Antarctic niche communities. Our analyses reveal several antiphage defense systems, including DISARM and BREX, which appear to dominate in cold desert niche communities. In contrast, our analyses revealed that genes which encode antiphage adaptive immunity were underrepresented in these communities, suggesting lower infection frequencies in cold edaphic environments. We propose that by actively challenging niche communities, phages play crucial roles in the diversification of Antarctic communities.

This study investigated the effects of long-term soil fertilization on the composition and potential for phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) cycling of bacterial communities associated with hyphae of the P-solubilizing fungus Penicillium canescens. Using a baiting approach, hyphosphere bacterial communities were recovered from three soils that had received long-term amendment in the field with mineral or mineral plus organic fertilizers. P. canescens hyphae recruited bacterial communities with a decreased diversity and an increased abundance of Proteobacteria relative to what was observed in soil communities. As core bacterial taxa, Delftia and Pseudomonas spp. were present in all hyphosphere samples irrespective of soil fertilization. However, the type of fertilization showed significant impacts on the diversity, composition, and distinctive taxa/operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of hyphosphere communities. The soil factors P (Olsen method), exchangeable Mg, exchangeable K, and pH were important for shaping soil and hyphosphere bacterial community compositions. An increased relative abundance of organic P metabolism genes was found in hyphosphere communities from soil that had not received P fertilizers, which could indicate P limitation near the fungal hyphae. Additionally, P. canescens hyphae recruited bacterial communities with a higher abundance of N fixation genes than found in soil communities, which might imply a role of hyphosphere communities for fungal N nutrition. Furthermore, the relative abundances of denitrification genes were greater in several hyphosphere communities, indicating an at least partly anoxic microenvironment with a high carbon-to-N ratio around the hyphae. In conclusion, soil fertilization legacy shapes P. canescens hyphosphere microbiomes and their functional potential related to P and N cycling.

IMPORTANCE P-solubilizing Penicillium strains are introduced as biofertilizers to agricultural soils to improve plant P nutrition. Currently, little is known about the ecology of these biofertilizers, including their interactions with other soil microorganisms. This study shows that communities dominated by Betaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria colonize P. canescens hyphae in soil and that the compositions of these communities depend on the soil conditions. The potential of these communities for N and organic P cycling is generally higher than that of soil communities. The high potential for organic P metabolism might complement the ability of the fungus to solubilize inorganic P, and it points to the hyphosphere as a hot spot for P metabolism. Furthermore, the high potential for N fixation could indicate that P. canescens recruits bacteria that are able to improve its N nutrition. Hence, this community study identifies functional groups relevant for the future optimization of next-generation biofertilizer consortia for applications in soil.

Biological nitrogen fixation can be an important source of nitrogen in tropical forests that serve as a major CO₂ sink. Extensive deforestation of the Amazon is known to influence microbial communities and the biogeochemical cycles they mediate. However, it is unknown how diazotrophs (nitrogen-fixing microorganisms) respond to deforestation and subsequent ecosystem conversion to agriculture, as well as whether they can recover in secondary forests that are established after agriculture is abandoned. To address these knowledge gaps, we combined a spatially explicit sampling approach with high-throughput sequencing of nifH genes. The main objectives were to assess the functional distance decay relationship of the diazotrophic bacterial community in a tropical forest ecosystem and to quantify the roles of various factors that drive the observed changes in the diazotrophic community structure. We observed an increase in local diazotrophic diversity (α-diversity) with a decrease in community turnover (β-diversity), associated with a shift in diazotrophic community structure as a result of the forest-to-pasture conversion. Both diazotrophic community turnover and structure showed signs of recovery in secondary forests. Changes in the diazotrophic community were primarily driven by the change in land use rather than differences in geochemical characteristics or geographic distances. The diazotroph communities in secondary forests resembled those in primary forests, suggesting that at least partial recovery of diazotrophs is possible following agricultural abandonment.

IMPORTANCE The Amazon region is a major tropical forest region that is being deforested at an alarming rate to create space for cattle ranching and agriculture. Diazotrophs (nitrogen-fixing microorganisms) play an important role in supplying soil N for plant growth in tropical forests. It is unknown how diazotrophs respond to deforestation and whether they can recover in secondary forests that establish after agriculture is abandoned. Using high-throughput sequencing of nifH genes, we characterized the response of diazotrophs’ β-diversity and identified major drivers of changes in diazotrophs from forest-to-pasture and pasture-to-secondary-forest conversions. Studying the impact of land use change on diazotrophs is important for a better understanding of the impact of deforestation on tropical forest ecosystem functioning, and our results on the potential recovery of diazotrophs in secondary forests imply the possible restoration of ecosystem functions in secondary forests.

The owners of Sydney's troubled Mascot Towers claim new test have revealed a "loss of soil" under the apartment complex's north east corner the same area cracks first appeared before the building was evacuated in June.

Moorabool Shire Mayor David Edwards says he fears his council is being shut out of any decisions around the dumping of contaminated soil from the West Gate Tunnel project.

Transurban reports to shareholders that construction on the West Gate Tunnel has been set back, with the project now expected to be completed by in 2023.

Higher temperatures and wetter weather may spur soil microbes to release more carbon into the atmosphere

-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

As salinization impacts agriculture around the world—another effect of climate change that will hit already-vulnerable places and people the hardest—farmers, small-scale farmers in particular, have to figure out how to

One family’s farm Is leaving a lasting legacy of conservation.

The thin layer of topsoil that covers much of the earth's land surface is the foundation of civilization. As long as soil erosion on cropland does not exceed new soil formation, all is well. But once it does,

The future of green building depends on what comes out of our soil.

The literature on soil erosion contains countless references to the "loss of protective vegetation." Over the last half-century, clearcutting, overgrazing, and overplowing have removed so much of that protective cover

From Wangaari Maathai's Billion Tree campaign to lush permaculture landscapes in Jordan, we've seen how individuals and communities can reverse desertification and bring life back to arid soils. Now a new dramatized documentary

Sometime within the last century, soil erosion began to exceed new soil formation. Now, nearly a third of the world’s cropland is losing topsoil faster than new soil is forming, reducing the land’s inherent fertility.

Incredibly, this appears to be the first time the government has really tried to tackle this crucial issue nationwide.

When the earthworms are in trouble, we all are.

Here's why soil is one of our most valuable natural resources and what you can do to support it.