Environment

plant roots protruding through rocky soil and ruler
By Eric Hamilton

Hidden under our feet lies an entire unseen world. The soil teems with life. Microbes, small animals and fungi all call the darkness home. And so do plants. At least the half of them that we know as roots.

tractor in field with rows of soil
By Susan V. Fisk

You may have heard the term “carbon sequestration.” In its basic terms, it refers to keeping and returning carbon to the soil. Since carbon is an element, how and why should this be done?

subsurface tile drain emptying water into a field ditch
By Eric Hamilton

As most kids know, a big pile of mud can be a load of fun.Researcher stands next to a truck-mounted soil probe machine

But not for farmers. Muddy fields mean too much water. And too much water means crops might not grow well.

Researcher holds up apple tree roots to examine
By Rachel Schutte

As the saying goes, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. But what’s the key to growing a quality apple?

Apple trees growing in pot containers under a shade tarp.

An excavator installs culverts in a field area with people standing by
By Adityarup "Rup" Chakravorty

Bioreactors are underground trenches filled with woodchips. They have been gaining traction as a tool to remove nitrogen from the water in agricultural settings. Excavator places concrete barriers in place to line the bioreactor trench in an agricultural field

row of blossoming almond trees
By Eric Hamilton

For years it’s been relatively easy to measure pollution from, say, a factory. At a factory, there might be just one pipe of waste to measure. Easy enough.

Insect net sweeping through canola flowers
By Kaine Korzekwa

Farmers pay attention to many aspects of their crops. They carefully track how much water they are giving them and the amount of fertilizer they are using. But what about how many bees and butterflies are visiting?

Hoverfly pollinating canola flower

Two types of shrub willow growing side by side
By Adityarup "Rup" Chakravorty

Renewable energy demand and consumption is at an all-time high in the United States.

Shrub willow – a quick-growing woody crop – can be an excellent source of renewable bioenergy. The crop is harvested and turned into wood chips, which can be used for heat, mulch, animal bedding, biochar, and biofuel.

lettuce in brown bottles
By Adityarup "Rup" Chakravorty

Carbon nanotubes are tiny. They can be a hundred thousand times smaller than the width of a human hair. But they have huge potential.

tubes between lettuce growing

Products manufactured using carbon nanotubes include rebar for concrete, sporting goods, wind turbines, and lithium batteries, among others.

Square measuring tool in produce field
By Kaine Korzekwa

The element nitrogen is a double-edged sword. It is essential for growing plants and feeding people, but it is also a leading cause of pollution across the world. Only by using nitrogen more sustainably can the positive and harmful effects of nitrogen be balanced.