(Natural News) Penicillium molds have been used to ripen cheese and produce the life-saving antibiotic penicillin. Now, a member of the large and common genus of fungi could serve as a natural alternative to synthetic herbicides. The discovery was made by Nigerian researchers from the University of Ilorin, who were looking for local microbes that could reduce the need for chemical weed-killers that polluted […]

(Natural News) Neonicotinoid pesticides are destroying wildlife around the world, but proponents claim that they are useful for increasing agricultural production. Of course, losing the planet’s most important pollinators is going to have an even bigger effect on the food supply and human life in the long run, and now there’s another very convincing argument […]

(Natural News) Chinese researchers confirmed the presence of gold within two different plants found in the wild. An article in Science Daily stated that wild samples of ramie (Boehmeria nivea) and horseweed (Erigeron canadensis) absorbed artificial gold nanoparticles from external sources. Gold has been found in other plants before. A species of alfalfa was even […]

(Natural News) If you’re thinking of planting wheat, try adding some moringa to the mix to help it grow faster and keep weeds at bay, according to a study in Allelopathy Journal. In the study, the researchers investigated extracts from the leaves, flowers, and seeds of the moringa tree (Moringa oleifera), in particular, how they affect […]

(Natural News) A study led by researchers in Paraguay suggests that treating sesame seeds with natural biocontrol agents can significantly increase their resistance against infections caused by plant pathogens. Their findings, published in the Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, identified the non-pathogenic fungi Trichoderma and Azospirillum brasilense as potential agents to protect the seeds against infections […]

(Natural News) If you like gardening, you have probably had to deal with some weeds. While there are various ways to get rid of these pesky plants, not all weeding methods are effective. Audrey Kalil, from North Dakota State University, explained that weeds are extremely efficient at competing for nutrients, sunlight, and water that your plants […]

(Natural News) You use adhesives every day, whether you know it or not. Adhesives, which can be found in sticky tape and bandages, are usually made of petroleum-derived materials, which can be bad for the environment. Thankfully, a team of scientists has discovered that they can make adhesive tape out of trees. What is lignin? A […]

(Natural News) Humans may have used pottery to process plants for food and medicine more than 10,000 years ago, a study revealed. As part of research, an international team of archaeologists examined more than 100 broken pieces of unglazed pottery found in Takarkori and Uan Afuda in the Libyan Sahara. The pieces of pottery date back from more […]

(Natural News) More than five million species of fungi have been identified so far, but only about 300 are known to make people sick. Fungi – both the “good” and the “bad” ones – play a vital role in the ecosystem, something that conservationists from Washington State University Tri-Cities (WSU Tri-Cities) are demonstrating through their […]

(Natural News) New analysis of the symbiotic relationship between trees and fungi decodes how the pair withstands drought. These conclusions give scientists a better understanding of how the mutual association can be used to develop more plant feedstocks for bioenergy in case of drought. By investigating how specific adaptations of common fungi are created in […]