In soil, nitrogen (N), an essential macronutrient for plant growth, exhibits significant spatial heterogeneity. This necessitates plants to grapple with a complex array of environmental conditions in ...

Upon first glance, plant roots seem distinct from animal guts. However, like the intestines, roots are responsible for nutrient acquisition, they interact with robust microbial communities, and both ...

When looking at forests, we hardly get to see beyond a bunch of green. However, for a plant ecologist, forests represent a much more complex world consisting of different species. This diversity of ...

You can’t construct a strong building on a weak foundation, and you can’t grow a great corn crop on a weak root system. From freezing temperatures to voracious underground pests and other threats, ...

SAN DIEGO — A recent study is signaling to scientists that controlling the growth direction of a plant's root could conserve crops and lead to ideal plants for fighting global warming. There is a ...

A thriving plant does not begin with glossy leaves or colorful blooms. Real strength starts underground, where roots wrestle with moisture, oxygen, microbes, and gravity every hour of the day. When ...