In laboratory experiments, the researchers successfully engineered this change in barley and found that the mechanism worked there as well.

All known life forms require nitrogen. However, more than 70% of all nitrogen on Earth occurs as inert, triple-bonded dinitrogen gas in the atmosphere, which is generally biologically unavailable. A ...

In Death Valley National Park, which straddles the California-Nevada border, mesquite plants (genus Prosopis) thrive in extreme aridity. While most vegetation types must extract most of their ...

Here’s a quick look at how several common cover crops compare across several key factors: Nitrogen provided: Effective fixer, inoculation can help in warmer regions to ensure optimal nitrogen ...

A tiny protein tweak may unlock nitrogen-fixing super-crops that slash global fertilizer demand. Scientists discovered a small protein region that determines whether plants reject or welcome ...

The ability of tropical forests to grow and store carbon is limited, in part, by herbivory. Insects and other animals prefer to feed on nitrogen-fixing trees, reducing the success of fixers and the ...

Joy B. Winbourne is in the Department of Earth, Environmental and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, Massachusetts 01854, USA. Barker and colleagues tested whether ...

A new study finds that UCYN-A, a species of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria, may be evolving organelle-like characteristics. Nitrogen is a nutrient essential for all life on Earth. Although nitrogen gas ...

Bacteria are only the only organisms that are able to 'fix' nitrogen, or remove it from the atmosphere and convert it into a useful form. While some plants seem to fix nitrogen, it is actually ...

If you liked this story, share it with other people. Researchers recently discovered two new phytoplankton species: Epithemia pelagica and Epithemia catenata. The species were found to carry out ...

UC Davis scientists have developed wheat plants that can stimulate the production of their own fertilizer. (Getty) Scientists at the University of California, Davis, have developed wheat plants that ...

University of Delaware undergraduate student Spencer Toth was always interested in the environment and biology, so when she arrived at UD and realized that she could combine both of her passions by ...