http://www.physorg.com/ en-us Physorg.com internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Vermicomposting, the practice of using earthworms to turn waste into nutrient-rich fertilizer, can be an economical, organic waste management practice. During vermicomposting, earthworms and microorganisms stabilize organic waste in an aerobic, moist environment. The resulting product, called vermicompost (VC), or worm castings, provides commercial and amateur growers an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional substrate additives for producing many varieties of container-grown plants. A research team recently experimented with pine bark amended with vermicompost derived from pig manure to see if this organic alternative can produce healthy hibiscus. http://www.physorg.com/news179683263.html Space & Earth Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:10:02 EST news179683263 Rising levels of carbon dioxide may overheat the planet and cause other environmental problems, but fears that rising CO2 levels could directly reduce plant biodiversity can be allayed, according to a new study by a University of Minnesota scientist Peter Reich. In fact, rising CO2 may actually help counteract losses of diversity from another environmental villain: the global rain of nitrogen from fertilizers and exhaust fumes. http://www.physorg.com/news179074615.html Space & Earth Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:30:03 EST news179074615 Poinsettias can be a lucrative crop for ornamental plant growers, particularly during the Christmas season. In the temperate regions of the southern hemisphere, where poinsettias are grown for both export and local markets, high-demand time for holiday sales occurs during the summer, when warm temperatures and stronger light can accelerate plant growth, often resulting in unmarketable plants. http://www.physorg.com/news176568793.html Biology Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:00:02 EST news176568793 With potential adverse health and environmental effects often in the news about nanotechnology, scientists in Arkansas are reporting that carbon nanotubes (CNTs) could have beneficial effects in agriculture. http://www.physorg.com/news175351519.html Nanotechnology Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:46:52 EST news175351519 (PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have identified a novel enzyme responsible for the formation of suberin -- the woody, waxy, cell-wall substance found in cork. While effective at keeping wine inside a bottle, suberin's most important function in plants is to control water and nutrient transportation and keep pathogens out. Adjusting the permeability of plant tissues by genetically manipulating the expression of this enzyme could lead to easier agricultural production of crops used for biofuels. http://www.physorg.com/news175187051.html Biology Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:10:03 EST news175187051 (PhysOrg.com) -- A new red-fruited habanero is the latest pepper with resistance to root-knot nematodes to be released by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists. http://www.physorg.com/news172920922.html Biology Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:10:03 EST news172920922 Levels of chloride, a component of salt, are elevated in many urban streams and groundwater across the northern U.S., according to a new government study. http://www.physorg.com/news172326548.html Space & Earth Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:40:03 EST news172326548 (PhysOrg.com) -- Accelerated snowmelt--precipitated by desert dust blowing into the mountains--changes how alpine plants respond to seasonal climate cues that regulate their life cycles, according to results of a new study reported this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). These results indicate that global warming may have a greater influence on plants' annual growth cycles than previously thought. http://www.physorg.com/news165516077.html Space & Earth Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:20:03 EST news165516077 A plant's immune system protects the plant from harmful pathogens. If the system overreacts to pathogens, it can stunt plant growth and reduce seed production. Now, University of Missouri researchers have identified important suppressors that negatively regulate the responses of the immune system in the plant species Arabidopsis thaliana. Understanding the immune system of plants would allow breeders to create better yielding crop plants. http://www.physorg.com/news162642692.html Biology Wed, 27 May 2009 11:32:30 EST news162642692 Researchers at Iowa State University have discovered a previously unknown pathway in plant cells that regulates plant growth. http://www.physorg.com/news162041754.html Biology Wed, 20 May 2009 12:36:20 EST news162041754 (PhysOrg.com) -- Through work originally designed to remove contaminants from soil, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory and their Belgium colleagues at Hasselt University have identified plant-associated microbes that can improve plant growth on marginal land. The findings, published in the February 1, 2009 issue of Applied and Environmental Microbiology, may help scientists design strategies for sustainable biofuel production that do not use food crops or agricultural land. http://www.physorg.com/news152191745.html Biology Mon, 26 Jan 2009 11:29:29 EST news152191745 It is well known that plants growing under unfavourable conditions are generally smaller than those growing in stress-free conditions: indeed it is estimated that in the US, abiotic stress reduces the yield of agricultural crops by an average of 22%. A spectacular example of the effect of stress - in this case, repeated wounding - on plant growth is given by bonsai trees, in which every aspect of their stature, including height, girth, and size of leaves, is uniformly reduced to as little as 5% of that of their untreated sister trees. However, the mechanism of wound-induced stunting remains obscure. http://www.physorg.com/news145623433.html Biology Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:57:13 EST news145623433 (PhysOrg.com) -- More than 125 years ago Charles Darwin first reported that most plants grow in a spurt during the night, not the day - and this week, scientists are reporting the discovery of the genes that control this phenomenon. http://www.physorg.com/news140762362.html Biology Tue, 16 Sep 2008 05:39:22 EST news140762362