Students could replicate the experiment using cress, but instead of focusing on the soil uptake, give the plants different quantities of fertiliser in their soil to test its effect on growth.

In 1634, Jan Baptist van Helmont was arrested by agents of the Spanish Inquisition for the crime of studying plants and other phenomena. While under house arrest, he started to consider how plants ...

Changes in root architecture, induction of root-based transport systems and associations with beneficial soil microorganisms allow plants to maintain optimal nutrient content in the face of ...