Research Keyword: agricultural sustainability

Harnessing mushrooms for poultry nutrition: Boosting health, immunity, and productivity

Mushrooms and mushroom stems are emerging as natural feed additives that can significantly improve poultry health, growth, and egg/meat quality while reducing the need for antibiotics. These fungi contain beneficial compounds that boost immune function, reduce harmful bacteria, and protect against cellular damage. By using mushroom byproducts that are typically discarded, farmers can create more sustainable and environmentally friendly poultry production systems while improving overall bird health and productivity.

Read More »

Nocardia mangyaensis NH1: A Biofertilizer Candidate with Tolerance to Pesticides, Heavy Metals and Antibiotics

Scientists studied a soil bacterium called Nocardia mangyaensis NH1 as a potential natural fertilizer for farms. The bacteria can survive exposure to common pesticides and heavy metals in contaminated soils, making it useful for sustainable agriculture. It has few antibiotic resistance genes, which is important for preventing the spread of resistant bacteria, and its genome is relatively stable and lacks harmful genes, making it safe for agricultural use.

Read More »

Synergistic effects of beneficial microbial inoculants and SMS-amendments on improving soil properties and Pinus seedling growth in degraded soils

This study shows how mixing beneficial bacteria with mushroom waste can improve poor soil quality. The bacteria help break down the mushroom waste into nutrients that plants need, while also creating a healthier soil environment full of beneficial microbes. When this treated mushroom waste was added to degraded soil and used to grow pine seedlings, the plants grew taller with thicker stems and more leaves than in untreated soil. This approach offers a practical way to recycle agricultural waste while restoring damaged soils.

Read More »

Legume-specific recruitment of rhizobia by hyphae of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Underground fungal networks connect different legume plants and act like sophisticated GPS systems for helpful bacteria. These fungi transport chemical signals (flavonoids) from plant roots along their hyphae, guiding specific types of nitrogen-fixing bacteria to their correct host plants. This discovery shows how fungi help bacteria find the right plants to form symbiotic partnerships, improving natural nitrogen fixation and potentially reducing the need for chemical fertilizers in agriculture.

Read More »

The Impact of Sugar Beet Seed Pelletization on the Proliferation of Nematophagous Fungi

Sugar beet seeds are often coated with protective chemicals to improve planting. This study found that these chemical coatings significantly inhibit the growth of beneficial fungi that naturally attack plant-damaging nematodes. While these fungi can still be applied to fields separately as a biological pest control, they should not be added directly to the seed coating because the chemicals would kill them. Farmers could use a combination approach by applying the fungi to soil separately while using treated seeds.

Read More »

The Biocontrol and Growth-Promoting Potential of Penicillium spp. and Trichoderma spp. in Sustainable Agriculture

This review explores how two common fungi, Penicillium and Trichoderma, can help crops grow better and resist diseases naturally. These beneficial fungi live in plant roots and soil, providing nutrients, protecting against harmful pathogens, and helping plants cope with environmental stress. They offer an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical pesticides and fertilizers, making them valuable for sustainable agriculture.

Read More »

The yeast Wickerhamomyces anomalus acts as a predator of the olive anthracnose-causing fungi, Colletotrichum nymphaeae, C. godetiae, and C. gloeosporioides

A beneficial yeast called Wickerhamomyces anomalus can kill the fungi that cause olive anthracnose, a disease that damages olive crops and reduces oil quality. Unlike chemical fungicides, this yeast works by physically attacking the fungal hyphae, sticking to them and draining their contents to feed itself. This natural biocontrol approach could provide farmers with a safer, more sustainable way to protect olive trees from disease.

Read More »
Scroll to Top