Fertility

Soybean nodule cut in half showing pink middle.
By Adityarup “Rup” Chakravorty

Soybean is rich in protein, which is great for the humans and animals eating it. But this high protein content comes at a cost.

Soybean nodule cut in half showing pink middle.

Construction of bioreactor in Chesapeake Bay area.
By Kaine Korzekwa

A ditch containing woodchips may look unassuming—but with a name like bioreactor it’s guaranteed to be up to more than you think.  

Construction of bioreactor in Chesapeake Bay area.

Historic collection of mudsnails
By Adityarup “Rup” Chakravorty

A tiny snail could be a big help to researchers measuring water quality along the U.S. and Canadian Atlantic coast.

Historic collection of mudsnails

Students pull up a round of litterbags and root cores from the cereal rye-soybean plot.
By Adityarup “Rup” Chakravorty

A circle of life–and nitrogen–is playing out in farms across the United States. And researchers are trying to get the timing right.

Students pull up a round of litterbags and root cores from the cereal rye-soybean plot.

Women crouching in field holding device on ground
By Penelope Hillemann

What’s a responsible farmer to do? Manure injection is an important soil management practice that reduces the chance of manure runoff. But recent studies by Carol Adair and colleagues at the University of Vermont show manure injection can increase the release of harmful greenhouse gases. 

Spinach growing in pot
By Kaine Korzekwa

Soils keep plants healthy by providing plants with water, helpful minerals, and microbes, among other benefits. But what if the soil also contains toxic elements?

stream with small waterfall.
By Adityarup “Rup” Chakravorty

Nitrogen can present a dilemma for farmers and land managers.

On one hand, it is an essential nutrient for crops.

tree leaves covered in bird poop.
By Danielle St. Louis

Studying the effects of great cormorant droppings on water reservoirs is a dirty job, but someone’s got to do it.

hands holding clumps of manure above wheelbarrow of manure
By Adityarup “Rup” Chakravorty

Antibiotics and manure. You probably don’t think of them at the same time. But across North America, manure and antibiotics often share the same pile.

Graphic with "P" and arrow
By Ken Doyle

A new approach to wastewater treatment may be key in efforts to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Moreover, it can be profitable.