Recent research could help farmers around the world use less man-made fertilizers to grow important food crops like wheat, corn, and soybeans

Being able to detect and address changes in crop nutrient status in real time is vitally important to avoid damage at critical periods and optimize yield

As this industry grows dynamically, so does the number of new diseases

Scientists found that the best performing wheat varieties were more than 30 percent better than the worst performing ones and up to 90 percent of the differences were due to their genes

Potassium is an important nutrient for humans, and an even more important nutrient when it comes to alfalfa

These effects include alteration of the soil microbiome and ecosystem functions, soil respiration, and elemental cycling

The use of natural gas has grown in recent years, bolstered by improved efficiency in shale gas extraction and the perception that natural gas is a less dirty fossil fuel

One day, farmers in developing nations could produce their own fertilizer on demand, using sunlight and nitrogen from the air

UCR research will help agronomists breed plants that attract their own growth-promoting microbes

Next step could be "nitrogen-fixing" plants that can do the same, reducing the need for fertilizer