Heat and drought, what now?

Heat and drought, what now? Both heat and drought occur more regular, and more often together. They can cause lots of trouble. Like people, plants don’t like it. They get stressed. Especially when there is both heat and drought. Heat and drought are asking for conflicting reactions. When there is just heat, a plant willContinue reading “Heat and drought, what now?”

Recognising salt

Recognising salt Salty soil and salty water are fatal to plants. It pushes them out of balance. To avoid this damage, plants have a salt-action plan. They turn on genes that help dealing with too much salt in a plant. They adjust their growth, avoiding the salty ground. But plants need salt as well, inContinue reading “Recognising salt”

Early communication

Early communication Like plants, plant cells cannot change their place. For forming functioning organs, good communication is a must. To tell the cell when to divide, and what its job is. This communication is most important at the verry start. During the development of the embryos the growth regions are established. When this does notContinue reading “Early communication”

Flourishing with a little bacterial help

Flourishing with a little bacterial help Bacteria and fungi in the soil unlock mineral sources of nitrogen, sulphate, and iron. Transforming these minerals into a form that plants can uptake. While these microorganisms are always useful, they are essential in arid soils that have accumulated huge mineral quantities. Such as the Atacama Desert. Here largeContinue reading “Flourishing with a little bacterial help”