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Gardens can be havens for soil animals in towns and cities
Nearly 1000 'citizen scientists' sent in their observations this year on Soil Animal Days 2019. And a surprisingly high number of people tried to do something in return for the vital services these soil creatures provide for us. -
Life as an academic researcher
Just realized I have not posted in a while and that I will be away this week as well. Things have not been standing still here and in past few weeks a lot has happened. -
(Still) searching for the best soil in the Netherlands – search expanded to be Europe-wide
I described my ideal soil and launched the search for the best soils in the Netherlands. I’ve got quite some good nominations so far. -
Searching for the best soil in the Netherlands
What is a good soil? What is a healthy soil? People in different fields would answer very differently. -
Here we go!
'My' project called ‘Learning from nature– towards sustainable crop production using soil fungi’ officially starts today and I cannot wait to start the experiments! -
Soil Animal Days 2018: Woodlice back on top, slugs deterred by drought
The 4th edition of the Dutch Soil Animal Days saw 856 'citizen scientists' comb through more than 200 gardens and parks to find some 7500 soil creatures. -
Spiders and earthworms overtake woodlice in Dutch gardens
Woodlice have for the first time been dethroned as the most spotted soil animals in Dutch gardens. The third edition of the nationwide Soil Animal Days saw arachnoids seize the top spot, with earthworms a close second. A probable explanation for the shift is the extremely wet weather at the onset of autumn. Fortunately, that didn't stop some 600 enthousiasts from counting the soil animals in their gardens. -
The world's most spoken language is...Terpene
If you’re small, smells are a good way to stand out. A team of researchers led by the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) has demonstrated for the first time that two different types of micro-organisms – bacteria and fungi – use fragrances, known as terpenes, to hold conversations. And that’s not all. “We actually believe that terpenes are the most popular chemical medium on our planet to communicate through.” -
Micro-organisms will help African farmers
Sorghum is the fifth most important cereal in the world. In sub-Saharan Africa, many farmers rely on this grain for food and feed. But Striga, a parasitic weed, can have a devastating impact on crop yield. With an 8-million-dollar grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, an international team will now explore the potential of soil microbes to offer crop protection. The Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) is coordinating this 5-year project. -
Why nature restoration takes time: fungi grow 'relationships'
‘Relationships’ in the soil become stronger during the process of nature restoration. Although all major groups of soil life are already present in former agricultural soils, they are not really ‘connected’ at first. These connections need time to (literally) grow, and fungi are the star performers here. A European research team led by the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) has shown the complete network of soil life for the first time. This Wednesday, the results of the extensive study are published in Nature Communications.