(Natural News) The health of the soil upon which crops are planted can directly affect the health of the crops themselves. But the extent to which certain soil minerals can affect nutrients that aid in plant growth isn’t so clear-cut. Certain soil minerals are better than others at improving the health of the soil and, of […]

(Natural News) Come to any local gardening center and you may see rows and rows of plant- and animal-based fertilizers that boast of faster growth, beautiful blooms, or abundant produce from your plants. But which type of fertilizer can actually deliver these promises? A study published in the journal Biological Agriculture & Horticulture assessed the effect of plant- and animal-based […]

(Natural News) The benefits of using cover crops and compost in growing all sorts of plants have been known for a long time. However, the effects of adding them in specific configurations haven’t exactly been well-studied. In fact, certain long-term impacts of adding organic matter through cover crops (CC) and compost in the soil are […]

(Natural News) Global food production has been a significant issue for years. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in its “The future of food and agriculture – Trends and challenges” report for 2018, lists the challenges that face modern agriculture. One of the challenges presented is the need to make food systems […]

(Natural News) Once you are done with your cup of brewed coffee, what do you do with the used grounds? Do you throw them away as garbage or consign them to the compost heap? Spanish researchers believe that using spent coffee grounds as a means of organic soil amendment will offer many benefits in agriculture […]

(Natural News) Nitrogen fertilizers are a double-edged sword for soybean farmers. While they’re vital for large crops, they’re also expensive and potential pollutants. Thankfully, Brazilian researchers found a different way to boost yields by increasing the number of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the plant’s roots, according to a ScienceDaily report. Nitrogen is essential to the production of […]

(Natural News) Owning livestock is a huge responsibility. Free-range farmers must ensure that their pigs do not cause permanent harm to the environment. Free-range pig farming is typically associated with a high risk of nitrogen loss in the soil known as leaching, as the pigs cause an uneven distribution of mineral nitrogen in the soil […]

(Natural News) More than five million species of fungi have been identified so far, but only about 300 are known to make people sick. Fungi – both the “good” and the “bad” ones – play a vital role in the ecosystem, something that conservationists from Washington State University Tri-Cities (WSU Tri-Cities) are demonstrating through their […]

(Natural News) The groundbreaking results of a new British-led study suggested a simple yet profoundly effective way to improve global food supplies and cut down on carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution: Farm crops with crushed silicate rocks. An international research team headed by University of Sheffield researchers have found that the addition of crushed silicate rocks brought […]

(Natural News) Most growers focus on the parts of the plant that are visible above ground, especially the stem and everything attached to it. But U.K.-based researchers beg to differ from this out-of-sight-out-of-mind mentality. In an article from Science Daily, they reported that the roots of a plant decide its growth and fertility as a […]