Transgenic Rice Plants Resist Insects, Drought And Salt Damage
...to insects, drought and increasing salinization of soils are devastating." According to Gary Toenniessen, deputy director for agricultural sciences at the Rockefeller Foundation, Wu and his colleagues "have made a significant contribution toward meeting world food requirements by demonstrating that biotech...Newly Discovered Bacteria Produce Magnetic Material
...al and could remove heavy metals from contaminated soils andgroundwater have been discovered by microbiologists from the Department ofEnergy's (DOE's) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Living on hydrogen in mud, these newly discovered bacteria produce tiny particles of magnetic iron oxides,...NCAR Scientists Trek To Africa For Biosphere-Atmosphere Chemistry Study
..., particularly in the lush tropics, but plants and soils also release carbon, and the overall cycling in the tropics may be affected by the perennial fires. "One big question we're asking," says NCAR/EXPRESSO field project leader Alex Guenther, "is whether the tropics serve as a net source or a net sink fo...Scientists Trek to Africa for Biosphere-Atmosphere Chemistry Study
..., particularly in the lush tropics, but plants and soils also release carbon, and the overall cycling in the tropics may be affected by the perennial fires. This fall's campaign is focused at two sites: one in a rainforest near the Congo's Nouabale-Ndoki National Park and the other in the rainfore...Ten Years of Progress For Superfund Basic Research Program
...solated from Superfundsites, specifically polluted soils located at coal gasificationplants in Illinois. However, Kinkle says a great deal of work isneeded to find the best way to use these microbes in the fieldwhere they will have to compete with other naturally occurringorganisms. Environmental engineeri...Environmental Engineers Demonstrate Effective Method For Trapping Highway Pollutants
...letelyunexpected in the Cincinnati area where clay soils are common. Sansalone will continue his research by looking at ways tomake the system more economical and efficient. It took ten tonsof coated sand to treat 20 meters of highway during the fieldtest, so Sansalone must find a consistent and simple met...Researcher Discovers Plant Genes For Phosphate Uptake
... availability varies from place to place, but many soils jealously guard their phosphorus supplies. The very acid soils of the tropics contain many molecules of iron and aluminum, which latch onto and tie up nearly all a...Selenium Soil Contamination: Possible New Approach Identified
...rations of selenium and othertrace contaminants in soils and sediments. Selenium's fate in contaminated soils has long been linked to thedecomposition of plant material and other microbial activity, which was t...Virginia Tech Engineers Help Mother Nature Clean Up
...te of the contaminantand the long term fate of the soils contaminant. In the process, Novak and Widdowson willalso be measuring the rate of biodegradation of highly toxic polyaromatichydrocarbons in the soil and the groundwater using the poplartrees versus that which occurs through natural or intrinsic...Phase Out Planned For One Of Top Five U.S. Pesticides, Plant Doctors Respond
...f the methylbromide used in the U.S. is applied to soils prior to planting,and another 11% is used on commodities to control pests afterharvest. Without the good work agricultural scientists, like plantpathologists, are putting into finding and implementing alternativepest control tools, the loss of methyl...Carbon In Boreal Forests: Temporary Or Permanent?
...uallyreturning the carbon stored in vegetation and soils to the atmosphere. In turn,seedling regrowth begins a new cycle of carbon uptake. Human disturbances suchas harvesting and fire control add to the natural disturbances driving thiscycle. Changes in disturbance regimes, both natural and human-induced...Water Quality In Indiana's White River Basin Affected By Urban And Agricultural Activities
...he proportion of naturally or artificially drained soils in the basin increases," said Crawford. "Manure from farm animals also increases nitrate concentrations in some streams." Nitrate concentrations in stream water rarely exceeded the Federal drinking-water standard of 10 milligrams per liter. Surficial...Open-Air Experiment Shows High CO2 Boosts Tree Growth
...ogenlevels in the decaying plant matter in FACTS-1 soils in the fall of 1997.Allen's results showed a "significant decrease" in nitrogen within the soil attreated sites. But, undercutting the nitrogen deficit predictions, Duke postdoctoralresearcher Adrien Finzi reported that he found no difference...NSF teams with DOE to fund Environmental Molecular Science Institutes
...are transported and decompose as they move through soils andgroundwater. Investigators at Northwestern University's "Institute for EnvironmentalCatalysis (IEC)," will research the catalytic oxidation of organic compounds todetermine ways to reduce the formation of pollutants and enhance their remo......ably, we need to know whetherindividual species in soils are critical to important things such as soilfertility, water quality, soil erosion, maintaining plant diversity and cleaningthe atmosphere," Wall said. "How can we have a sustainable planet when billionsof soil species and their importance remain un...Subterranean Mapping Method Will Find Homes For Pollution-Eating Bacteria
...c chemicals, and radioactivecontaminants polluting soils and aquifers and threatening water supplies. Biogeochemist Robert W. Smith has been awarded a three-year $600,000 grant bythe Department of Energy's Natural and Accelerated Bioremediation Research(NABIR) Program to develop a method to determine subte...New Research Shows Loggerhead Sea Turtles Sustain Delicate Dunes
...g beaches typically are nutrientpoor because sandy soils don't retain nutrients and salt spray can limitvegetation growth. Sea turtles nest along the East Coast of the United States from Floridaupinto the Carolinas, Bouchard said. She said Melbourne Beach has one of thelargest loggerhead nesting co...Researchers Find That Where There's Muck There's DNA Brass
...where there'smuck there's brass". They will search soils and sludge from the bottom of thesea for new forms of DNA that can be used to make the next generation ofantibiotics. It has long been known that soil contains a staggering range of biologicalorganisms. Scientists have found several of these organism...Reusing Ag Drainage Water An Option For West Side Farm Sustainability
...ptus trees can growbeautifully in the sticky black soils of the Tulare Lake basin, a fact that fitsanother piece in the complex jigsaw puzzle that will eventually reveal thesustainable, economically viable long-term farming potential of the San JoaquinValley's west side, according to UC scientists. Growing...Louisiana marshlands of tall grasses, soft soils and shallow water makeideal habitats for scores of birds, fish, reptiles and mammals. But when an oilpipeline or a barge leaks and spews its contents on the water, the marsh itselfbecomes a major obstacle to cleanup equipment. But a biodegra...