The Nitrogen Problem in Modern Farming Nitrogen is like food for plants, it is essential for their growth and development. However, there is an important limitation. Although the air contains about 78 percent nitrogen gas, most plants cannot use it in this form. Nitrogen must first be converted into a form that plants can absorb through their roots. For over a century, farmers have relied on synthetic nitrogen fertilizers to support crop production. These fertilizers are prod

The Microscopic City Within Soil Soil is one of Earth's most complex and biologically active environments. One gram can contain around 10⁹ microbial cells representing thousands of taxa. These organisms live within a three-dimensional structure of pores, channels, and cavities that range from nanometers to millimeters in size. Advanced technologies such as X-ray microcomputed tomography (μCT), stable isotope probing (SIP), and microfluidic soil chips now allow direct observat

The Ancient Partnership: A 400-Million-Year Symbiosis Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), members of the phylum Glomeromycota, form one of Earth's most enduring mutualisms. These soil microbes establish selective relationships with host plants, penetrating root systems to create specialized structures such as vesicles, arbuscules, and extensive hyphal networks that facilitate resource exchange. In this symbiotic trade, fungi deliver water, phosphorus, nitrogen, and micronutri